Posts in lavender
lamb lollipops & red wine + pom sauce

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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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

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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. 

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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. 

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

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

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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.

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

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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.

 

friyay happy hour: ginger + pear whiskey soda

it is that time again. we all made it to the end of the week. and man o man was this one a doozy. 

between prepping for wednesdays shoot, shooting all day in the desert wednesday, food and dessert deliveries thursday and working at the studio friday morning, i pretty much burnt the candle at both ends for the entire week. and it's possible i am in a zombie like state. 

but all the hard work and lack of sleep was well worth it. wednesday's shoot was drop dead gorgeous. all the vendors came together to produce some really beautiful work. 

i was particularly thrilled with the way our styled cocktails turned out. these cocktails make the desert feel like the coolest place to be. 

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a little trick to always have a picture perfect cocktail ready is to create some pretty ice in advance. if i have extra herbs, berries or fruit, i freeze it in ice trays for future use. that way when guests come over, even the simplest vodka soda can look like a fancy beverage with the addition of lavender or blackberry ice. once the ice is frozen you can store it in bags or baskets in the freezer till you are ready to use. 

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since i'm running on fumes, today i put together a tasty libation with leftovers from the shoot. ginger + pears made the perfect slightly sweet and spicy compliment to your favorite whiskey. 

ginger + pear whiskey soda
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 2 minutes
total time: 7 minutes

ingredients: 1.5 oz whiskey (i used bulleit rye). 1 tsp grated ginger. 1 tbs chopped fresh pear. 1 tsp lime juice. club soda. pear slice for garnish. 2 dashes bitters if you have some on hand. shaker or pint glass with strainer. 2 cups ice divided. 

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start by combining your pears, ginger and lime juice together in a bowl. muddle until the pears are smashed.

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combine the pear mixture in the shaker with 1 cup ice and the whiskey.

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shake well.

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strain the mixture into a glass with the rest of the ice. 

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add club soda to taste. add bitters if available. 

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garnish with pear wedge and enjoy. 

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xo, a

ginger + pear whiskey soda
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 2 minutes
total time: 7 minutes
ingredients: 1.5 oz whiskey (i used bulleit rye). 1 tsp grated ginger. 1 tbs chopped fresh pear. 1 tsp lime juice. club soda. pear slice for garnish. 2 dashes bitters if you have some on hand. shaker or pint glass with strainer. 2 cups ice divided.
start by combining your pears, ginger and lime juice together in a bowl. muddle until the pears are smashed.
combine the pear mixture in the shaker with 1 cup ice and the whiskey. shake well.
strain the mixture into a glass with the rest of the ice.
add club soda to taste. add bitters if available.
garnish with pear wedge and enjoy.