Slow Cooker Mint Glazed Lamb

I hope this works. I have always used the free Blogger software to run this website, which is owned by Google. And they changed it. And they are making me use it and even though I had three months of "warning" that this change was going to happen I'm slightly irritated.
This is the first time I'm typing with the new format and it looks different and my buttons are in different places and I am not the best when it comes to change.

so there you go. I'm an old fuddy-duddy stuck-in-my ways crockpot lady.

BUT. I have new and exciting lamb for you. Lamb so good you're going to want to test it out EVEN THOUGH you already love your tried-and-true "but everybody already loves my lamb" recipe.

I know.

change is hard.

We're all in this together. (insert High School Musical soundtrack)

The Ingredients.

serves 6-8

 

 (ha. that sticky has the words "mint-glazed leg of lamb" on it. I probably should have taken that off before I shot the photo. oops.)

1 onion, sliced in rings

4 to 5 pound boneless leg of lamb

1/3 cup prepared mint jelly

3 sprigs fresh mint leaves (about 10)

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Separate the onion rings with your fingers and place in the bottom of your cooker. Put the meat on top. In a small mixing bowl, combine the mint jelly, fresh mint, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Smear this mixture on all sides of the meat. Cover, and cook on low for 7 hours, or until the lamb is fully cooked and begins  to relax and lose it’s shape.

Serve with mashed potatoes and a spoonful of accumulated gravy (you can thicken the gravy by making a cornstarch slurry: 1 tablespoon cornstarch whisked into 2 tablespoons cold water).

The Verdict.

I have always shied away from mint jelly—it looks like lime jello to me, and I couldn’t figure out why lamb was supposed to be paired with something that smelled like Doublemint gum  ~ until I tried this! Lamb and mint are meant to go together! This sweet, salty, and minty glaze can not be beat. It really is a good combination-- good enough to make me want to CHANGE our normal Easter Lamb recipe for keeps.

I've got an Easter line-up post in the works, and will get it up soon so you can start your grocery lists. Use the ZipList feature at the bottom of the posts! It's completely free and will create a customized shopping list. Super cool.

I also want to give a shout-out to Kiwi Krate, the neat art box subscription service for kids that I reviewed the other week. It's a great product, and they are really trying to get the word out about their new company. Thanks for taking the time to click over and check it out -- I appreciate it.

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New England Clam Chowder in the Slow Cooker

I feel very lucky that we live pretty close to the coast. If we hopped in the car, we'd see the ocean within 15 minutes --- that's pretty cool.

I'm kind of embarrassed that we don't take advantage of this as often as we should. 

My kids love the beach. Adam loves the beach. I love the beach. 

Yet most of our weekends are filled with boring stuff like Costco runs, random sporting events, assorted kid birthday parties, and Drop Dead Diva marathons on Netflix (oh Drop Dead Diva, how did I only just now discover how completely awesome you are?).

So I brought the beach to us. No mess, no sandy feet, and no bird poop.

(and it totally rained this entire weekend anyway.)

The Ingredients.

serves 6

there's no half-and-half in this picture. I didn't buy it yet!

1/2 pound bacon, cooked and diced

1 (6.5-ounce) can minced clams, drained

5 small red potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 onion, peeled and diced

1 cup sliced celery

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups half-and-half (or you could use heavy cream)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (to add later)

optional: bread bowls for serving. If you're gluten free, I've made them myself by using boxed bread mix, then plopping 4 round dough blobs on a piece of parchment paper--they bake right up, and are perfect!

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Brown the bacon on the stovetop, and drain the accumulated grease (I saved bacon from breakfast-- about 6 4 slices (I accidentally ate a few...)

Put the bacon into your crockpot, and add clams. Add all the vegetables and spices and pour in the broth. Cover, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the onion is translucent and the potatoes squish easily with a fork.

Use a hand-held stick blender and pulse a few times to naturally thicken the soup. Stir in half and half and shredded cheese. Ladle into wide-mouthed bowls or bread bowls.

The Verdict.

This is an awesome chowder. The canned clams really do a great job of flavoring the broth and the soup, and are terribly inexpensive, and will keep in the pantry for a long time. They're a great canned item to keep on hand. My kids lapped up their servings and played with their new art supplies. 

While I cried. Because of Drop Dead Diva.

other stuff you might like:

fish chowder

canned soup in the Little Dipper

Crab and Corn Soup

Kiwi Crate Art Box Review

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Dijon Corned Beef in the Slow Cooker

Hey Steph, did you really cook that corned beef in the slow cooker? How come it's not wet and slimy? Isn't corned beef supposed to be wet and slimy?

Until a few years ago, I shied away from St. Patrick's Day. I hated getting a plate full of wet meat topped with  lifeless cabbage. (is that too harsh? I'm sorry if I've offended the soggy cabbage and wet meat lovers of the world...including my husband...)

Corned beef is quite a delicious piece of meat. It's brined, and packed with flavor all on it's own. In this recipe, the meat cooks in it's own juice--no additional liquid is required--creating a beautifully roasted (not slimy!) meat with a sweet, mustard glaze.

The Ingredients.

serves 6

3 pounds corned beef, trimmed of fat

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon prepared Dijon mustard

10 whole cloves (or you can use 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves)

The Directions

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Unwrap the corned beef, and remove the seasoning packet (use it in another recipe, such as roasted cabbage and potatoes) and trim as much of the fat from the meat as you can. In a small bowl,  make a paste of the honey, brown sugar, mustard, and cloves. Rub this mixture on all sides of the meat. Place the meat into your crockpot, and cover. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until meat pulls apart easily with a fork. Let sit for 15-20 minutes before slicing.

I prefer to cook my vegetables separately, but if you'd like everything in one pot, feel free to add quartered red potatoes, carrot chunks, and cabbage wedges around the meat. Again, no need to add additional liquid.

The Verdict

This sweet and salty glazed meat will shine on your St. Patrick's Day table. It's a winner, sure to please the picky leprechauns in your household. I like this meat so much, I'm going to  pick up a few extra corned beef packages to freeze so we can have it much more often.

other recipes you might like:

the first corned beef I made all by myself

cabbage rolls

the cabbage soup from the cabbage soup diet 

 roasted garlic spoonbread

roasted winter root vegetables 
Irish Potatoes

Since St. Patrick's Day is on Saturday this year, does that mean that the leprechauns need to visit our house? The teachers at school usually destruct the classroom and overturn furniture, toilet paper the play yard, and sprinkle gold glitter all over the grass. I'm up for the TPing, but I have a severe allergy to glitter...

also, I wanted to share that my friend Jen started her own 365 Day Challenge: A Year of Cocktails! Cheer her on and submit your favorite cocktails to test out--she's got a lot of work ahead of her!

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