Ingredients

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Ingredients:

• Small boned leg lamb ( ~1kg)
• 1 head garlic divided into cloves but unpeeled
• juice of 1 orange
• 100ml red wine
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 onion cut inot wedges
• 1 aubergine diced
• 1 red pepper de-seeded and diced
• 1 green pepper, deseeded and diced
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Put lamb in roasting pan and scatter garlic cloves around. Pour over juice and wine and arrange rosemary sprigs on top. Season.
Roast uncovered for 1 hour at 170C.
Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 140C.
Skim off fat. Squeeze garlic from 4 cloves and spread on top of lamb. (Remove other cloves to use some other time.)
Mix together vegetables and place around lamb. Make an airtight tent over the pan with foil and return to bake for a further 1 1/2 hours. Alternatively place all in a large covered casserole dish.

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Ingredients:
1/4 cup sesame oil
3-4 whole red peppers
3/4 onions-chopped fine
1 tbsp garlic
1 tbsp ginger
1/2 tsp chilli powder
2 tbsp corn flour mixed in a cup of water
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp soya sauce
1 tsp chilli sauce
1 tsp salt

Method:
Grind together the onions, garlic and ginger.

Heat the oil in a wok add the whole red peppers and saute over high heat till they darken a bit. Add the onions, garlic and ginger and stir-fry over high heat till glossy.

Add the corn flour mixture and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat and add the chilli powder, vinegar, soya sauce, chilli sauce and salt and mix well

Cook till well blended (1/2 minute) and use.

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Pair with: Riesling or Syrah
Serves 6

Chutney:

• 1 pound firm, ripe Fuyu persimmons or nectarines, peeled and diced
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted
• 1⁄4 teaspoon almond extract

Empanadas:

• 4 ounces thawed frozen spinach (half of one 10-ounce package)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1⁄4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1⁄4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons golden raisins, chopped
• 3⁄4 cup shredded cooked duck, chicken, or turkey meat
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 package (2 crusts) refrigerated pie pastry
• 1 large egg, beaten

Method:
For the chutney: In a small saucepan, combine the persimmons, honey, lemon juice, and ginger. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, until the persimmons are soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the almonds and almond extract. Let cool. (This can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 1 week.)

For the empanadas: Drain the spinach. Firmly squeeze to remove any excess liquid, then chop.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook until the onion is soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the sherry and raisins. Increase the heat to high, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring often, until the sherry is nearly evaporated, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the spinach and meat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer 1 pie dough round to a lightly floured board and roll out to thin slightly. Cut the dough into 9 circles with a 3-inch round cookie cutter. Repeat with the remaining dough round. Place 1 scant tablespoon of filling in the center of each circle, then fold the pastry over, brush the edges with egg, and press together with a fork to seal. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush the top of the empanadas with the remaining egg. Bake until the pastry is golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and arrange on a large serving platter or divide among 6 small plates. Serve with the chutney alongside.

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Pair with: Cabernet Sauvignon or Meritage
Serves 6

• 12 small (1-inch-diameter) Yukon Gold potatoes
• One 12-ounce beef tenderloin filet, cut into 12 chunks
• 12 grape tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Tarragon Aioli
• 2 large egg yolks at room temperature
• 11⁄2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soak twelve 6-inch-long bamboo skewers in water for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a medium saucepan and add salted water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until just tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Be careful not to overcook. Drain.

Combine the potatoes, beef, tomatoes, and olive oil in a large bowl. Toss to coat evenly. Thread 1 chunk of meat, 1 potato, and 1 tomato onto each skewer, piercing the tomatoes lengthwise. Set aside.

For the aioli: In a blender or food processor, puree the egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, and garlic until smooth. With the machine running, gradually add just enough canola oil in a slow, steady stream until the mixture is thick and emulsified. Stir in the tarragon. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat a gas grill to medium-high. Season the skewers with salt and pepper. Place on the grill, cover, and cook until seared, 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Arrange 2 skewers on each of 6 small plates. Serve with the aioli in small bowls on each plate.

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Golden Chanterelle–Topped Crostini
Pair with: Pinot Noir
Serves 6

• Eighteen 1⁄4-inch-thick diagonal baguette slices
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 ounces chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned and sliced into 1⁄4-inch thick strips
• 1⁄4 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1⁄2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1⁄3 cup fromage blanc or fresh ricotta cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the baguette slices with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake until crisp, 7 to 10 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until browned, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and sauté until almost dry, about 3 minutes. Stir in the butter, shallots, and thyme and sauté until butter is browned and shallots are translucent, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread each crostini with 1 teaspoon of the fromage blanc or ricotta and top with an equal amount of the mushroom mixture. Arrange 3 crostini on each of 6 small plates and serve.

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Method

1 Pick over the crabmeat to remove any bits of shell and cartilage, being careful not to break up the lumps of crab.

2 Cook the onion and 1/2 of the teaspoon of salt in 1 Tbsp of butter in a small skillet, over medium high heat, until the onion is softened. Let it cool.

3 Whisk together the eggs, Worcestershire sauce, remaining salt, paprika, pepper, tartar sauce, and onion mixture. Gently fold in the crabmeat and torn bread. Note that the mixture will be very wet. Gently form the mixture into six cakes, each about 3 1/2 inches across and 3/4 inches thick. Line a tray with a piece of wax paper just large enough to hold the cakes and sprinkle it with half of the bread crumbs. Set the crab cakes in one layer on the top of the paper and sprinkle with the remaining bread crumbs. Cover the crab cakes loosely with another sheet of wax paper and chill for one hour.

4 Melt the remaning 3 Tbsp of butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat until the foam subsides. Cook the crab cakes until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side.

Makes 6 crab cakes.

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Ingredients:

Ching’s secret schezwan stir fry sauce or any other brand vegetarian chinese stir fry sauce – 4 tablespoons

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