Crumb-Crusted Rack of Lamb with White Beans

Crumb-Crusted Rack of Lamb with White Beans
By: Rosanna adapted from Williams Sonoma

High in Protein- High in Fiber

For the White Beans:
2 cups (14oz) dried cannellini beans, soaked and drained*
1 whole clove
2 yellow onions, halved
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon dried thyme

1 rack of lamb, 8 ribs, or about 2lb, trimmed of any fat and bones “frenched” (ask the butcher to French the bones if the lamb isn’t already sold that way)
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
½ cup fresh white bread crumbs (about 2 slices), processed finely in food processor
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon dry thyme
¼ teaspoon dry rosemary
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

*Soaked dried beans: Pick over the beans, discarding any misshapen beans or grit. Rinse the beans, put in a bowl, add water to cover about 3 inches and let soak overnight. Drain the beans.

Place the soaked, drained beans in a saucepan and add 4 cups water. Stick the clove into an onion half and add the onion halves, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme to the saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer gently until the beans are tender, 1 ½ hours. Drain the beans, reserving the liquid. Discard the bay leaf, both onion halves, and the clove.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Place the lamb, meaty side up, in a shallow 2 quart baking dish. Pour in ½ cup of the bean liquid. Roast the meat until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and reduce the temp to 400 degrees.

Place the lamb on a cutting board. Cut into individual lamb chops. Spread the mustard over each chop. In a small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, thyme, rosemary, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Using your hands, press the bread crumbs into the mustard, covering the meat in an even layer. Measure out 4 cups of the cooked beans and arrange on the bottom of the baking dish to cover completely. (Reserve the remaining beans for another use.) Pour in 1 cup of the bean liquid. Set the lamb, crumb-coated side up, on the top of the beans.

Roast the lamb until the meat springs back to the touch or until a thermometer registers 170 for well done, about 45-50 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer the lamb to the cutting board, and tent loosely with foil. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Divide the beans among warmed individual plates. Place 2 chops on each plate and serve at once.

Serves 4

Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding with Maple Sauce

Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding with Maple Sauce
By: Williams Sonoma

1 loaf Pre-sliced French Bread (1lb) cut into 3 strips, and the strips cut into cubes
¾ cup raisins
1 very ripe banana, peeled and pureed
4 large eggs
3 cups milk
1 cup and 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1 ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

For Maple Sauce:
½ cup maple syrup
¼ cup (2oz) orange marmalade
2 cinnamon sticks, each 3 inches long

Place the bread cubes in a large bowl. Add the raisins and mix with your hands to distribute them evenly.

Place the banana on a cutting board and mash with a fork, 3-4 minutes. In another bowl, whisk the eggs until blended. Whisk in the milk, the pureed banana, 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and the vanilla, mixing well. Pour evenly over the bread. Set aside and soak for 30 minutes (this is an important step so don’t rush it).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9x2 inch round cake pan with cooking oil.

Spoon the soaked bread mixture into the prepared pan, smoothing the top to level it by pushing down bread cubes with back of spoon. It will reach the rim of the pan. In a small bowl, stir together remaining 1 Tablespoon of sugar and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the top of the pudding.

Bake the pudding until it has puffed about 1 inch above the rim of the pan, approx 1 ½ hours. Remove from oven and let cool to lukewarm or room temperature.

To make the maple sauce, in a small frying pan, combine the maple syrup, marmalade, cinnamon sticks and ½ cup water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil gently, reducing heat to medium until the liquid is reduced by 1/3, about 6-10 minutes. Remove from heat. You will have about 1 cup. Let cool to warm or room temperature before serving. Remove the cinnamon sticks.

Cut the pudding into wedges and place on individual plates. Spoon 2 Tablespoons of the sauce over each wedge. Serve at once. Keep leftovers refrigerated; re-heating in microwave if desired.

Serves 8

Rich Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars

Rich Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars
By: Chocolate Lover’s Collection

2 1/3 cup flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) butter, cold, cut into pieces
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 cups (12oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
1 ¾ cup (10oz) toffee bits, divided (can be found in bakers isle of grocery store)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 glass baking dish.

In a large bowl, stir together flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs (this step can be done in a food processor “pulsed” a couple of times). Add egg; mix well. Stir in 1 ½ cups chocolate chips and all of chopped nuts. Reserve 1 ½ cups of mixture. Press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes.

Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over hot crust. Top with 1 ½ cups toffee bits. Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture and remaining ½ cup chocolate chips over top.

Bake 25-30 more minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup toffee bits. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Makes about 30 bars