The Za'atar Lamb Chops and Golden Crusted Brussels Sprouts

I came so close to making fish. Then it was almost another pasta. Then I figured just because I love pasta, you dear readers would think that's all I could make. Bah! The lamb caught my eye and the lamb's what I made. My arteries probably hate me now, but who needs them?

So, what's za'atar? Until a few months ago I didn't know either, but the Thrifty Sifter made some of her own and conveniently left it at my place. Essentially it's a Middle Eastern equivalent to salt and pepper in that it's the spice. Serious Eats has a more in-depth za'atar description. It goes great on meat, as I proved to myself last night.

Overall this was an extremely simple dinner to make.

Ingredients for lamb chops:
- lamb chops
- fresh ground pepper
- salt
- za'atar

Ingredients for brussels sprouts:
- brussels sprouts
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- shaved parmesan

To paraphrase Heidi Swanson, whose golden crusted brussels sprouts entry I perused, this isn't much of a recipe. Hell I would barely consider the above a list of ingredients. You can essentially follow her directions for the brussels sprouts. The only change I really made was using shaved parmesan.

Also, you should take her advice about using small sprouts. I'm battling a cold and don't feel so hot, so I rushed through the grocery store produce section instead of hitting up my regular United Bros. Fruit Company across the street. Some of my sprouts were on the large side and, yes, they burned and didn't make it to the final plate.

The lamb chops are a simple affair, too. Sprinkle salt on both sides, grind pepper on both sides, and dust both sides with za'atar. Let sit for 15 minutes or so, then sear them in a skillet over medium heat to desired doneosity. Let them rest a few minutes and serve. 

And yeah, even though I'm sick, I had to have a beer with dinner. That's a Hop Noir from Peak Organic, a black IPA. NOM!

Your soundtrack for this entry: Ghost - Ritual.

The Tuna a Poivre and Brussels Sprouts

This is a rarity: I'm posting this almost immediately after eating. Tonight called for a rather quick meal and here it was. A tuna steak au poivre and spicy brussels sprouts with parmesan were called for; easy to make in a half hour.

I'd recommend a spice grinder for the tuna spices, but other than that this came out fantastic!

You can find the tuna recipe here and the brussels sprouts one here. Note that I love brussels sprouts, but I know that one is a bomb.

Your soundtrack for this entry: Trivium - In Waves. 

The Pasta Primavera

You know what's great? Being able to ring a few friends last minute for dinner and have them show up. This is a rarity in New York City, much like the fabled "dropping by to visit without planning a week ahead." Incidentally that happened successfully yesterday, too.

At any rate, I hit up a handful of people and my now-stalwart crew of Sal and Laura were happy to oblige. For dinner I planned to make mushroom asparagus tarts and pasta primavera, but kinda ran out of puff after doing prep work and decided to just cover the pasta. The tarts will be featured in a future entry.

Ingredients
10 ounces farfalle pasta
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 thin green beans
1/2 cup asparagus sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 cup brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
salt
fresh pepper
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup grated parmesan
4 plum tomatoes seeded and diced
2 tablespoons chopped chives

Much like me, these mushrooms are fun guys. 

Prepping the veggies. 

Prep for the mushroom pastries I didn't end up making. 

This is a fairly simple recipe. First, prepare your pasta. I cook about 8 minutes in salted, boiling water, then drain.

When the pasta's about half done, melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Once melted, bring the heat to high and sauté all of the vegetables until tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Next add half and half and cook until thickened (6-7 minutes). Add more pepper. At least if you're me.

Add the drained pasta and parmesan, then mix. Loosely mix in chives and tomatoes and you're done.

Laura and Sal gave it each a thumb up and a mouth full. 

Your soundtrack for this entry: RainbowDragonEyes - Fortune's Dividend.

The Swordfish Steak

Normally my fish choice (when in a hurry at my supermarket) is tuna steak. Fish in general is pretty easy for me as I worked in a fish restaurant for four and a half years. I'll kill your lobster, shuck your oyster, and other innuendos as well.

I was in a rush and bored with tuna, so I opted for a frozen swordfish steak. Usually these are pretty good, but I'll say at the outset that this steak wasn't the best. Not firm enough and not flaky enough.

Still, I peppered and salted that thing and got to town with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.

With this dish I wanted to serve up some brussels sprouts. After watching an episode of Alton Brown's Good Eats on the subject, I was hungry for the green. 

Peel off the outer layers, cut off the dirtier part of the root, and slice lengthwise. 

Marinate in sesame oil, salt, and pepper for about twenty minutes. 

Keep up with that steak and make sure to flip. 

Sautee the brussels sprouts on high for only a few minutes. 

Serve as the side...

With your grilled swordfish.

As I mentioned, make sure you're picking a good piece of meat. These weren't exceptional and would've made the meal much better had they been.

Your soundtrack for this entry: The Breeders - Invisible Man