Easter 2011: Part III

We had Easter Dinner at Nana and Grandpa's House. Lex also had a nice nap at Nana and Grandpa's house.

Wakey- wakey!


Brothers in casual Easter attire

Wink!

Photo by Connor

We had lamb leg and baked artichokes stuffed with (red) quinoa. It was delish! Here are the recipes that we used.

Broiled and Slow-Roasted Butterflied Leg of Lamb with Cumin and Garlic

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 (8 pound) leg of lamb, boned and butterflied to a more or less even thickness, 4 3/4 to 5 1/2 pounds trimmed weight, fell and most fat removed
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Minced fresh parsley, cilantro or mint (optional)

Directions

1. Mix oil, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin and oregano; spread paste on both sides of the lamb and let stand for an hour until meat comes to room temperature.
2. Adjust oven rack to upper or upper-middle position (depending on lamb's thickness) and preheat broiler on high for at least 10 minutes.
3. Place lamb, cut side up, on a large wire rack set over a foil-lined roasting pan. Broil, moving pan so entire surface browns evenly, about 8 minutes. Turn lamb over; continue to broil until well browned on the other side, about 8 minutes longer. Turn off broiler, remove lamb from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
4. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Stick a meat thermometer into the thickest portion of the lamb; return it to the oven. Roast for a total of 50 minutes to 1 hour, until thermometer registers a rosy-pink 140 degrees. Check lamb several times after 30 minutes. If lamb gets done sooner, simply turn down oven to 170 degrees until ready to serve.
5. As soon as lamb comes out of the oven, squeeze on lemon juice and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Carve, slicing across the grain when possible. Arrange on a platter, drizzle with accumulated juices, and serve.

Baked Artichokes Stuffed with Red Quinoa

Serves 4

Red quinoa shares the same nutrients and easy-to-prepare traits as its plain sister but adds extra color to these stuffed artichokes.

Ingredients

Juice of 1 lemon
4 large artichokes (about 12 ounces each)
1 cup red quinoa
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Method

Fill a large bowl with water and lemon juice. Stir well. Cut stems from artichokes to sit flat on your work surface. Peel stems with a paring knife. Transfer artichokes and stems to bowl with lemon water. Working with one artichoke at a time, carefully use a serrated knife to cut off the top third, then use scissors to clip off and discard sharp leaf points, returning each artichoke to the lemon water as you finish.

Fill a large pot with water to a depth of 1 to 2 inches. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover pot and arrange trimmed artichokes, bottoms up, in a single layer. Add stems around artichokes. Cover pot, reduce heat to medium low and steam until tender, 20 to 40 minutes. Cooking time will vary greatly depending on the size of the artichokes. When the leaves pull out easily and the base can be pierced with a knife, they're ready. Drain well and chop the stems.

Meanwhile, rinse quinoa under cold running water and drain. Combine quinoa and 2 cups water in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until quinoa is tender and all the water is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside to let cool slightly. Stir in Parmesan, mint, parsley and chopped artichoke stems.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove the center leaves from each artichoke and scoop out and discard the fuzzy choke. Place artichokes stem side down in a baking pan and stuff with quinoa mixture, spooning into center and in between leaves. Bake 20 minutes or until heated through.

Nutrition

Per serving: 370 calories (50 from fat), 6g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 10mg cholesterol, 490mg sodium, 66g total carbohydrate (21g dietary fiber, 4g sugar), 21g protein