we are in the home stretch friends. five more days till christmas. and if you are anything like me, you still have a whole hell of a lot to do. now that we work in the food and beverage industry, our holiday has gotten even more hectic. so i will keep this short and sweet. 

more than ever i'm looking for easy holiday dishes that wow. this lamb is simple to make, but looks and tastes stunning. it is perfect to set out at a buffet or served right on the table. 

lamb lollipops & red wine + pom sauce
serves: 4
prep time: 20 minutes
active time: 30 minutes
rest time: 10 minutes
total time: 1 hour
ingredients: 1 small rack of lamb (8 chops). 3 tbs lavender leaves roughly chopped (if you can't get access to lavender, you can always sub rosemary). 3 garlic cloves, smashed. 1 tbs whole grain mustard. 2 tbs olive oil. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp pepper. 1 cup dry red wine. 1 tbs butter. 1 small shallot, minced. 1 cup pomegranate. 4 cups mixed greens. 

start by preheating your oven to 450 degrees f. 

in a food processor, blend together the olive oil, half the salt & pepper, mustard, lavender and garlic. blend together till it makes a wet paste. 

pat your lamb dry with a paper towel and season it with half of the remaining salt and pepper and then drizzle the blended ingredients over the lamb. 

use the back of your spoon to coat the entire rack and set it aside for a few minutes. 

in a small saucepan, heat your butter over medium heat until melted and then add in the shallots and half of the pomegranates. saute over medium heat until the shallots are translucent. 

pour the wine into the saucepan and bring the liquid to a boil. once it is boiling, reduce to a very slow simmer and reduce until the liquid has reduced by half. about 30 minutes. 

while your sauce reduces, place your lamb rack in a roasting pan and roast till medium rare, about 25 minutes. 

once done, cover with foil and allow to rest for 7-10 minutes.

as your lamb rests, place your mixed greens on a platter and toss them with the remaining pomegranate. 

slice your lamb into individual lollipops by slicing in between each bone.

lay the lollipops on your bed of greens and drizzle with your red wine sauce. serve hot and enjoy.

xo, a

lamb lollipops & red wine + pom sauce
serves: 4
prep time: 20 minutes
active time: 30 minutes
rest time: 10 minutes
total time: 1 hour
ingredients: 1 small rack of lamb (8 chops). 3 tbs lavender leaves roughly chopped (if you can't get access to lavender, you can always sub rosemary). 3 garlic cloves, smashed. 1 tbs whole grain mustard. 2 tbs olive oil. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp pepper. 1 cup dry red wine. 1 tbs butter. 1 small shallot, minced. 1 cup pomegranate. 4 cups mixed greens.
start by preheating your oven to 450 degrees f.
in a food processor, blend together the olive oil, half the salt & pepper, mustard, lavender and garlic. blend together till it makes a wet paste.
pat your lamb dry with a paper towel and season it with half of the remaining salt and pepper and then drizzle the blended ingredients over the lamb. use the back of your spoon to coat the entire rack and set it aside for a few minutes.
in a small saucepan, heat your butter over medium heat until melted and then add in the shallots and half of the pomegranates. saute over medium heat until the shallots are translucent.
pour the wine into the saucepan and bring the liquid to a boil. once it is boiling, reduce to a very slow simmer and reduce until the liquid has reduced by half. about 30 minutes.
while your sauce reduces, place your lamb rack in a roasting pan and roast till medium rare, about 25 minutes. once done, cover with foil and allow to rest for 7-10 minutes.
as your lamb rests, place your mixed greens on a platter and toss them with the remaining pomegranate.
slice your lamb into individual lollipops by slicing in between each bone.
lay the lollipops on your bed of greens and drizzle with your red wine sauce. serve hot and enjoy.

yes, it is still technically summer, but that subtle autumn change in the air has already settled over costa mesa. while i'm sure that come october the temp will jump back up to scorching, at the moment i've got some cozy boots on and i'm loving it. bring on the fall colors, cozy sweaters and comfort foods! 

since we live somewhat close to the beach, they don't believe that an air conditioner is necessary. so now that the temperature is changing, i am finally able to start using my oven again. and brussels sprouts are my go to roasted veggie. 

i know, i know. some of you loath brussels sprouts. but ask yourself this... 

is it brussels sprouts i detest? or is it the stinky smell and soggy product i get from a steamed brussels sprout that ruins it for me? 

sometimes a simple change in cooking method can change our perspective on an ingredient. adding bacon and caramelized onions to a dish doesn't really hurt its chances of success either. 

whether your a sprout fiend or you are just now giving them a second chance, this dish is sure to please you and your fall dinner guests. 

roasted brussels sprouts + caramelized onions & bacon
serves: 4
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 30 minutes
total time: 40 minutes

ingredients: 1.5 lbs brussels sprouts, stems removed and quartered. .5 spanish onion, sliced. 2 slices bacon (preferably one with a sweet flavor like maple or applewood). 3 tbs olive oil, divided. .5 tsp salt. .25 tsp pepper. 

start by preheating your oven to 400 d F. 

you have two choices on how to cook your bacon. you can either cook it in the oven on a rack over a baking sheet for 20-24 minutes in a 400 degree oven. OR you can cook them in a pan over medium heat for about the same amount of time. in this method you will need to flip the bacon once or twice. either way, when the bacon has been cooked, blot it dry with a paper towel and roughly chop. 

after you get the bacon going, combine the onions, 1 tbs of olive oil and 1/3 of the salt and pepper in a medium pan. cook the onions over medium low heat, stirring every few minutes until they caramelize. about 20-25 minutes. 

once you get the onions cooking, combine the remaining olive oil, salt and pepper with the brussels sprouts. toss the sprouts well to coat them with the oil, salt and pepper.

place the sprouts on a baking sheet and roast them for 20 minutes. stir them once about half way through. 

when the sprouts and onions are done, toss together with the bacon and serve hot. 

xo, a
roasted brussels sprouts + caramelized onions & bacon
serves: 4
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 30 minutes
total time: 40 minutes
ingredients: 1.5 lbs brussels sprouts, stems removed and quartered. .5 spanish onion, sliced. 2 slices bacon (preferably one with a sweet flavor like maple or applewood). 3 tbs olive oil, divided. .5 tsp salt. .25 tsp pepper.
start by preheating your oven to 400 d F.
you have two choices on how to cook your bacon. you can either cook it in the oven on a rack over a baking sheet for 20-24 minutes in a 400 degree oven. OR you can cook them in a pan over medium heat for about the same amount of time. in this method you will need to flip the bacon once or twice. either way, when the bacon has been cooked, blot it dry with a paper towel and roughly chop.
after you get the bacon going, combine the onions, 1 tbs of olive oil and 1/3 of the salt and pepper in a medium pan. cook the onions over medium low heat, stirring every few minutes until they caramelize. about 20-25 minutes.
once you get the onions cooking, combine the remaining olive oil, salt and pepper with the brussels sprouts. toss the sprouts well to coat them with the oil, salt and pepper.
place the sprouts on a baking sheet and roast them for 20 minutes. stir them once about half way through.
when the sprouts and onions are done, toss together with the bacon and serve hot.