Braised Lamb Shanks

Michael demonstrates how relaxing cooking can be with braised lamb shanks, roasted cauliflower with almonds, orange juice braised sweet potatoes, and roasted pineapple with coconut crusted ice cream.

• Braised Lamb Shanks 3
• Orange Juice-Braised Sweet Potatoes
• Roasted Cauliflower with Almonds
• Roasted Pineapple with Coconut Crusted Ice Cream

Braised Lamb Shanks 3

Yield: 4

Ease of Preparation: Easy
A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don't like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Ingredients:

Braised Lamb Shanks

• 4 Tbsps vegetable oil
• 4 x lamb shanks
• 4 x carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4 x celery stalks, chopped
• 2 x onions, peeled and chopped
• 1 L apple cider
• 2 cups raisins
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 4 x bay leaves
• 2 x crisp apples, cored and chunked
• Salt and pepper
• 1 x celery rib, sliced
• 1 x carrot, peeled and sliced
• 1 x apple, cored and chunked

Directions:

Braised Lamb Shanks

1. Heat a heavy bottomed stew pot over medium high heat and add oil.
2. When it begins to smoke, add lamb shanks and brown until they are a deep golden colour on all sides.
3. Remove from pan and rest on a plate.
4. Drain excess fat from pot, then return the shanks to the pot.
5. Add carrots, celery, onions, apple cider, raisins, cinnamon, bay leaves, and the apples.
6. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.
7. Cover tightly and braise for 1.5 to 2 hours, until meat is very tender and almost falling off the bone.
8. Add sliced celery, carrot and apple during the last 15 minutes of cooking.

Orange Juice-Braised Sweet Potatoes

Yield: 4

Ease of Preparation: Easy.
A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don't like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Ingredients:

Orange Juice-Braised Sweet Potatoes

• 3 x sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into one inch slices
• 2 Tbsps chopped rosemary
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 x red onion, sliced thickly
• salt and pepper

Directions:

Orange Juice-Braised Sweet Potatoes

1. Put sweet potatoes into a large sauté pan.
2. Add rosemary, orange juice, red onion and season with salt and pepper.
3. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

Roasted Cauliflower with Almonds

Yield: 4

Ease of Preparation: Easy. A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don't like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Ingredients:

Roasted Cauliflower with Almonds

• 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Roasted Cauliflower with Almonds

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Put cauliflower florets into a 9" by 13" baking pan and drizzle with olive oil.
3. Add salt and pepper and almonds.
4. Toss well and roast in oven until golden and tender, about 25 minutes.

Roasted Pineapple with Coconut Crusted Ice Cream

Yield: 4

Ease of Preparation: Easy. A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason feel free to stir your own ideas into this dish. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don't like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Ingredients:

Roasted Pineapple with Coconut Crusted Ice Cream

• 1 x pineapple, skin and ends trimmed off and cut into large chunks
• 3 Tbsps brown sugar
• 1/2 cup dark rum
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 3 scoops vanilla ice cream

Directions:

Roasted Pineapple with Coconut Crusted Ice Cream

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Place pineapple chunks into a large bowl and add sugar, rum and allspice.
3. Toss well and pour into a 9" by 13" baking pan.
4. Roast for 1 hour, or until pineapple is caramelized and tender.
5. Place coconut into a shallow bowl and add a scoop of ice cream.
6. Roll it around until it is coated in coconut.
7. Repeat for other ice cream balls.
8. Spoon some pineapple into a serving dish and add ice cream.
9. Serve immediately.

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