A cooking evening

I just got back from the park with kids, and am getting ready for a big cooking stretch.  I bought two coconut and would like to learn to make my own coconut milk. I finally found home-made coconut milk recipe that did not start with shredded coconut and filed it away.

I had set aside almost half of my lamb when I made lamb chops the other day (they are gone - I couldn't stop eating them!) and it's seriously time to make lamb stew. But before I do any of it, I need to feed the kids. Today has to be quick and easy: Tomato soup (Trader Joe's) with grated cheese, bacon and boiled eggs (see my perfect bacon recipe for a no-fuss bacon preparation).  Celery on the side.  While we are on the topic, I wanted to mention the joys of sunflower seed butter. It tastes so close to peanut butter, my kids did not need transition time, and we are finally off the peanuts! It goes wonderfully with everything peanut butter does.  Our favorites are: sunflower seed apple sandwiches (use apple in place of bread; glue them together with sunflower seed butter) and sunflower butter-filled bell pepper slices.  Gotta be careful with that - while sunflower seeds are better than peanuts, they are full of Omega 6 fatty acids and low on Omega 3. In other words, bad fat profile.  So this is a reasonable sometimes snack.

Dinner went great. Lily (2.5) had a great time peeling boiled eggs. Bacon is always a hit - and the tomato soup a nice medium. Dark 72% chocolate is standard desert in this house. I can't believe, I got my kids used to it!  

Now the kids are in bed and I am finishing up this entry, while eating the lamb stew I prepared somewhere in-between dinner, bath and bed time. Guess what!  It's quite wonderful! This is my second adult experience with lamb and I am finding several things:

• Do not judge lamb by what they do to it at steak restaurants. That stuff is inedible!
• Lamb is so tender! It seems to melt in your mouth.
• It has enough flavor of its own that it does not come out bland (my usual complaint with beef).

So far it's been easy to cook, obedient and yummy.  The stew is not too overpowering, requiring no side dish (though it would be amazing with some form of cauliflower). It has very good filling fat in it. After the meal, I feel ready to take on the world (I have described this feeling of high-energy satiety only when eating beef in the past in why I stuck with paleo). This seems do to it to a greater extent.

I am now officially a fan of lamb.  It's getting late and I have a lot of work ahead of me.  I won't post the recipe here - please go to paleo mama  to try it. Perhaps I'll repost it some other time, with pictures!