My favorite part about cold winter nights is a sumptuous delicacy that has become a household favorite. Our winter dinner arsenal lamb stew is a delicious pot of goodness, prepared with lots of love and hearty warmth. This stew merges a platter of flavors, spices and nutrients to deliver nourishing deliciousness at its peak. It is food for the soul, body and mind. A comforting broth that keeps you warm and sated on long, cold, winter nights. Though the cooking time is a bit of a stretch, it is as enjoyable as it gets (even if cooking is your least favorite thing to do) and totally worth it.
Plus, the active prep time is just a fraction of the total cooking time, so rest assured you won’t spend half the day prepping vegetables or sweating over the stove. Also, the recipe is as flexible as they come — you can switch some of the ingredients for readily available ones in your kitchen. For instance, you can swap the sweet potatoes with butter nut squash or add zucchini to the mix (but make sure to introduce it to the stew about 10 minutes before you turn off the heat). That said, let’s get cooking!
Ingredients:
2-2.5 pounds lamb stew
Flour for dredging
Salt
2 tablespoons oil
1 onion finely chopped
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
1 butternut squash; seeded, peeled, and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 cup dried apricots cut in half or quarters (depending on size)
1 can chickpeas; drained and rinsed
One finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
Preparation:
Dredge lamb in flour.
Heat oil in a large pot and add lamb. Fry lamb in batches, until brown on all sides. Set aside the cooked lamb. Add onions to the same pot or pan and saute over medium heat until translucent. Re-introduce the lamb to the pot of sauteed onions and add stock, rosemary, basil and thyme. Cover the pot and simmer over low heat until the lamb is fork-tender.
Add butternut squash (or sweet potatoes) and dried apricots and cook for 15 minutes or until tender. Add chickpeas and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the finely grated lemon zest and flat leaf parsley just before serving.
Serve with rice, couscous, or noodles and enjoy!
Bon Appetit!
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POSTED IN: FOOD · TAGGED: DINNER, DINNER IDEAS, DINNER RECIPE, FAMILY MEAL, LAMB STEW