Lamb in Fig Port Wine Sauce

Herb Lamb in Fig Port Wine Sauce.     

Serves: 4

1 1/2 Pound Rack of Lamb - 8 pieces 

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Salt and freshly cracked Pepper

Fresh Rosemary and Thyme Sprigs

1 cup Port Wine

6 Fresh Figs - quarter

3/4 cup Chicken Broth

2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tbsp Honey

1 Tbsp Butter

Preheat oven to 450 F

1  Rub lamb with half of the olive oil and season with salt and Pepper. Lay the rosemary and thyme sprigs on top and let it rest for a few minutes. Get it to room temperature.

2  Heat the remainder of the olive oil in an ovenproof saute pan over high heat. Gently place the lamb fat side down into the saute pan and sear until brown for about 5 minutes. Turn and cook the other side for about 2 minutes. 

3  Gently pour around the lamb 1/2 cup of port and place the pan into the preheated oven.

4  Roast in the oven for about 15 to 18 minutes.  

5  Remove from pan and transfer to a large plate and cover with aluminum foil and with a kitchen towel.

6  Add sliced figs, balsamic vinegar and honey, chicken stock and the remaining 1/2 cup Port to the saute pan and simmer vigorously over medium-high heat for about 5-8 min or until sauce thickens. 

    Stir in the butter and season with salt & pepper.

To serve slice the lamb at each rib into 8 slices. Spoon some mashed potatoes, rice or polenta middle of each serving plate and place to pieces of lamb on top and spoon the fig port wine sauce around it. Garnish with rosemary sprig.

Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto

Asparagus Wrapped in Crisp Prosciutto

Rated: Submitted By: THAIDER Photo By: IMVINTAGE Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 15 Minutes Ready In: 20 Minutes Servings: 16

"Extremely easy and elegant appetizer. Asparagus spears are wrapped in a sheath of prosciutto, then baked until crispy. A great dish to make ahead, and bake just before serving."

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon olive oil 16 spears fresh asparagus, trimmed

16 slices prosciutto

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and coat with olive oil.
2.	Wrap one slice of prosciutto around each asparagus spear, starting at the bottom, and spiraling up to the tip. Place the wrapped spears on the prepared baking sheet.
3.	Bake for 5 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove, and shake the pan back and forth to roll the spears over. Return to the oven for another 5 minutes, or until asparagus is tender, and prosciutto is crisp. Serve immediately.

Caprese Salad with Caper Viaigrette

The same combination that makes pizza so irresistible — mozzarella and tomatoes — also makes a mean salad.
And just like a classically delicious pizza, you don't need much beyond those two star ingredients to assemble a stunning salad, known in Italy as a caprese salad.

In this case, I simply stacked slabs of tomato and fresh mozzarella, then drizzled them with a lemon vinaigrette and sprinkled them with fresh basil and lemon zest.

To add a punch of tang to the salad, I added capers to the vinaigrette, as well as a sprinkle of them over the salad just before serving. Capers are the pickled unopened flower buds of a bush that grows in the Mediterranean. The flavor is pleasantly briny and herby.

Caprese salad with avocado

Of course, like pizza, feel free pile on whatever else seems tasty. —

Caprese salad with caper vinaigrette
2 (8-ounce) balls fresh mozzarella
2 large slicing tomatoes
Salt and ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon capers, divided
Handful fresh basil leaves


Use a serrated knife, slice each ball of mozzarella into 4 slices. Repeat with the tomatoes, cutting each into 4 slices.

Stack 2 slices of tomato and 2 slices of mozzarella, alternating as you stack, on each of 4 serving plates. As you stack, season each tomato slice with a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a blender, combine the olive oil, lemon juice and half of the capers. Puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle a bit of the dressing over each mozzarella-tomato stack. Scatter several basil leaves, a few of the remaining capers and a bit of the lemon zest over each stack.

Especially good poolside in Sonoma County

Servings • 4
Source: The Associated Press