So it’s late Sunday night and the Oscars have wrapped up, and I am laid up in bed with a gigantic ice pack strapped to my foot (I’ll fill you in in a sec.)

My whole family came over tonight to oohh and aahhh over the red carpet and watch the Oscars and drink red wine. They also had to eat huge plates of food since I am in the late stages of recipe testing for my next book and need people who will not only eat enough but whom are brutally honest- obviously that is my family to a T. Emphasis on the brutally ☺

Lamb, Chickpea and Apricot Stew

But oh man. Now I am in a bad place. If you recall, this last summer I dropped a butcher knife on my foot. That obviously didn’t go well and surgery as well as many months in a cast/boot followed. And I have to say, 6 months out, I am in remarkably great shape. I wear high heels and it doesn’t impede most things I do. However, the truth is that my big toe and the ligament that attaches it to my shin is not the same and will never be the same. I’m fine with it- it’s not the end of the world, but sometimes my toe is a little, uh, lazy? (for lack of a better word.) So Pete bought me the coziest ugg slippers to wear in the house so that I don’t well, drag it on accident going around barefoot. (Did the words “drag it” make you want to throw up? Sorry). And so I haven’t had an accident in a long time because I just don’t go barefoot often as slippers keep my toes securely in place. But tonight, after my shower, I was innocently strolling from my bathroom and my toe got caught in a towel (didn’t my mom always tell me not to throw towels on the floor?!) Anyways- now I am laid up with an ice pack and a toe that I for sure overextended the ligament on. Ow. Sorry for whining. I will be fine- I have done this before- it just means a couple of days of being very sore and careful.

Lamb, Chickpea and Apricot Stew

And now that I have written a long droning paragraph about things you probably don’t want to hear about, I give you stew!!! Lol! Does it help that it is a very delicious and completely unusual variety of stew?

Lamb, Chickpea and Apricot Stew

Lamb is Pete’s favorite by far so I couldn’t resist making it for him. But then after reading about some very interesting sounding Moroccan inspired tangines a few weeks ago, I decided to add chickpeas and dried apricots. The result was sweet and savory and very complex. I really liked the contrast of textures and the sultry and exotic blend of flavors, It would definitely bring an exotic twist to your usual weeknight dinner! We served this over a bed of steamed basmati rice and it was delicious!

 

Recipe: Lamb, Chickpea and Apricot Stew

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1.5 pound boneless leg of lamb, cut into bite sized pieces
  • kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, rough chopped
  • 1 red onion, rough chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups red wine
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 1 tablespoons balsamic
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5 carrots, cut into large chunks
  • 2 15 ounce cans garbanzo beans rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup dried apricots, rough chopped
  • kosher salt

Instructions

  1. In a large heavy pan over high heat add the olive oil. Salt the lamb and then add it to the pot. Brown the meat until all sides are golden and seared. Remove the meat and transfer it to a bowl.
  2. Add the tablespoon of olive oil and then add the onion and garlic. Sweat the onions and garlic until soft and tender, 5 t0 7 minutes.
  3. Add the meat back to the pot and add the red wine. Scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pot and stir well. Add the beef broth, balsamic and the bay leaf and put a lid on the pot. Simmer over low heat for 1 1/2 hours.
  4. Add the carrot, garbanzo beans and apricots. Return the lid and simmer another 30 minutes until the carrots are tender.
  5. Season to taste with kosher salt. Serve hot over rice.

Preparation time: 20 minute(s)

Cooking time: 2 hour(s) 15 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 8

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Categorized: Dinner, Soup
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So it’s late Sunday night and the Oscars have wrapped up, and I am laid up in bed with a gigantic ice pack strapped to my foot (I’ll fill you in in a sec.)

My whole family came over tonight to oohh and aahhh over the red carpet and watch the Oscars and drink red wine. They also had to eat huge plates of food since I am in the late stages of recipe testing for my next book and need people who will not only eat enough but whom are brutally honest- obviously that is my family to a T. Emphasis on the brutally ☺

Lamb, Chickpea and Apricot Stew

But oh man. Now I am in a bad place. If you recall, this last summer I dropped a butcher knife on my foot. That obviously didn’t go well and surgery as well as many months in a cast/boot followed. And I have to say, 6 months out, I am in remarkably great shape. I wear high heels and it doesn’t impede most things I do. However, the truth is that my big toe and the ligament that attaches it to my shin is not the same and will never be the same. I’m fine with it- it’s not the end of the world, but sometimes my toe is a little, uh, lazy? (for lack of a better word.) So Pete bought me the coziest ugg slippers to wear in the house so that I don’t well, drag it on accident going around barefoot. (Did the words “drag it” make you want to throw up? Sorry). And so I haven’t had an accident in a long time because I just don’t go barefoot often as slippers keep my toes securely in place. But tonight, after my shower, I was innocently strolling from my bathroom and my toe got caught in a towel (didn’t my mom always tell me not to throw towels on the floor?!) Anyways- now I am laid up with an ice pack and a toe that I for sure overextended the ligament on. Ow. Sorry for whining. I will be fine- I have done this before- it just means a couple of days of being very sore and careful.

Lamb, Chickpea and Apricot Stew

And now that I have written a long droning paragraph about things you probably don’t want to hear about, I give you stew!!! Lol! Does it help that it is a very delicious and completely unusual variety of stew?

Lamb, Chickpea and Apricot Stew

Lamb is Pete’s favorite by far so I couldn’t resist making it for him. But then after reading about some very interesting sounding Moroccan inspired tangines a few weeks ago, I decided to add chickpeas and dried apricots. The result was sweet and savory and very complex. I really liked the contrast of textures and the sultry and exotic blend of flavors, It would definitely bring an exotic twist to your usual weeknight dinner! We served this over a bed of steamed basmati rice and it was delicious!

 

Recipe: Lamb, Chickpea and Apricot Stew

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1.5 pound boneless leg of lamb, cut into bite sized pieces
  • kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, rough chopped
  • 1 red onion, rough chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups red wine
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 1 tablespoons balsamic
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5 carrots, cut into large chunks
  • 2 15 ounce cans garbanzo beans rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup dried apricots, rough chopped
  • kosher salt

Instructions

  1. In a large heavy pan over high heat add the olive oil. Salt the lamb and then add it to the pot. Brown the meat until all sides are golden and seared. Remove the meat and transfer it to a bowl.
  2. Add the tablespoon of olive oil and then add the onion and garlic. Sweat the onions and garlic until soft and tender, 5 t0 7 minutes.
  3. Add the meat back to the pot and add the red wine. Scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pot and stir well. Add the beef broth, balsamic and the bay leaf and put a lid on the pot. Simmer over low heat for 1 1/2 hours.
  4. Add the carrot, garbanzo beans and apricots. Return the lid and simmer another 30 minutes until the carrots are tender.
  5. Season to taste with kosher salt. Serve hot over rice.

Preparation time: 20 minute(s)

Cooking time: 2 hour(s) 15 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 8

Recipe by Heather Christo (http://heatherchristo.com)