A Chinese-Malaysian dish that uses lamb and peppers to really add a pop to your table.

Ammie Bouwman -

Looking for Lamb to the Slaughter? Lamb to the Slaughter is a short story about the murder of police detective Patrick Maloney by his wife Mary. Driven to homicide after her husband's unexpected announcement that he's leaving her and their unborn child, Mary quickly regains her senses after fatally killing him with the leg of lamb.

Leftover lamb tends to become over-cooked and dry when reheated, but you do not have to avoid using your leftovers because of this. There are ways to reheat leftover lamb to ensure that bacteria have been killed for food safety and the meat remains moist and juicy.

Scientific name: Chenopodium album Abundance: common What: young leaves, young stems, seeds How: Young leaves/stems raw, stir-fried, steamed or boiled; seeds boiled like couscous or grind for flour Where: yards, fields, disturbed areas, sunny When: Early spring through early fall Nutritional Value: high in vitamins A,C,K,B, minerals, and protein Dangers: beware poisonous mimic Silverleaf Nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium) Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are arranged in an alternate pattern along the stem. Leaf Shape: The leaves are variable in shape, typically rhombic to ovate; young leaves are more triangular, whereas older leaves may be more elongated. Their size ranges from about 1.5 to 3 inches in length and 1 to 2 inches in width. Leaf Venation: The venation is pinnate, with a main central vein and multiple smaller veins branching out towards the leaf edges. Leaf Margin: The margins of the leaves are irregularly toothed or slightly lobed. Leaf Color: The leaves are generally green, but can sometimes have a mealy, whitish coating that gives them a grayish appearance. A decrotive version has been bred whose young, terminal leaves are purple. Flower Structure: The flowers are small and clustered in dense, spike-like inflorescences. Each flower is tiny, typically less than 0.1 inches in diameter. Flower Color: The flowers are greenish or slightly reddish. Fruit: The plant produces a small, one-seeded fruit that is enclosed in the persistent perianth. Seed: The seeds are small, disc-shaped, and black or dark brown, usually around 0.04 to 0.08 inches in diameter. Stem: The stem is erect, ribbed, and squareish-angular. A purple splotch is often seen on the topside of a branch-stem junction. Hairs: The stem and leaves are covered in fine hairs. Height: Chenopodium album typically grows to a height of 1 to 6 feet. Lamb's quarter seedling. A group (flock?) of seedlings. Larger lamb's quarter, perfect for eating. Patch of lamb's quarter. Note the red/purple coloring at the stem-branch joints. To remember this I tell people to think of it as "purple armpit rashes". Mature lamb's quarter (approximately 5-feet tall). Close-up of leaf near top of the plant. Close-up of topside of leaf from lower on a mature plant. More mature leaves. Close-up of underside of leaf from lower on a mature plant. Close-up of lamb's quarter "flowers". Most people don't realize those bumps are flowers! Lamb's Quarter going to seed. Texas distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping. North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. This common weed can grows all summer long reaching a height of 5' or taller. The small, soft (almost velvety) leaves and tender stems at the growing tip of each branch are best for eating and can be harvested from spring until killed by winter frost. Seeds are harvested in late fall to early winter. It is a very nutritious plant, higher in protein, vitamins, and minerals than spinach. The mild flavor of the leaves makes them excellent for cutting the bitterness of other wild greens but they taste better cooked than raw. Crushing a leaf releases a very distinctive, somewhat musky scent. This smell was once described to me by an old-timer as "The smell of a good night in a bad house." Anyway, once you smell it you'll never forget it. Lamb's quarter leaves can be frozen for later use. Blanch the leaves by dipping them in boiling water for one minute then quickly cool them off in ice water. Shake them dry, seal them in a freezer bag with all the air pressed out or use a vacuum sealer, then place them in the freezer. To use simply defrost and add them in to whatever you are cooking of a burst of summer nutrition! This is a good companion crop to grow in your garden as many insects prefer to eat the leaves of lamb's quarters over the leaves of common vegetables. It sprouts very readily from seeds. TOXIC MIMIC The leaves of Silverleaf Nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium) have a similar shape to those of Lamb's Quarter but the differences between the two are very easy to spot: 1. Silverleaf Nightsade stems have thorns, lack the purple color at joints, and "kink" quit a bit at each leaf junction. Lamb's Quarter stems have no thorns, have the purple "armpit rash", and curve smoothly but very little at each leaf/stem joint. 2. Silverleaf Nightshade flowers are big and purple. Lamb's Quarter flowers are almost unnoticeable. 3. Silverleaf Nightshade produces round, hanging fruit which starts out striped green and eventually turns yellow/orange. Lamb's Quarter produces tiny seeds. Silverleaf Nightshade leaves (POISONOUS) Silverleaf Nightshade flower (POISONOUS) Immature Silverleaf Nightshade fruit (POISONOUS) Mature Silverleaf Nightshade fruit (POISONOUS) Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

And...we're back! Last week we covered How to Butcher & Process a Lamb - Part 1 where I showed you how to actually kill and break down a lamb. It was

Saag Gosht is a tender and delicious Lamb and Spinach Curry that originates from the northwest region of India. A well-loved dish from the greater Punjab area of India and Pakistan, Punjabi cuisine is known for its diversity, and varies regionally by the agriculture and farming lifestyle that's been prevalent throughout the area for centuries, with many of the ingredients obtained fresh from the fields. 'Saag' typically refers to mustard greens and 'Gosht' tends to mean goat meat, however beef works equally well, although many in India do not eat beef, so this recipe is an adaptation of the classic Saag Gosht recipe. Browned with onions, an aromatic mixture of whole and ground spices, chopped ginger, garlic, tomato and masses of healthy spinach, the beef is slowly simmered for up to 2 hours then combined with cream and finished with a spoonful of ghee. A lovely, earthy dish with a mild and subtle flavour, it's no wonder that this luscious Saagwala Curry is considered one of the great curries of India. Beef and Spinach Curry Serves 4 2 1/2 lb beef, trimmed of fat, cut into one to two-inch cubes 1/3 cup vegetable oil 4 tbsp ghee, divided 4 dried red chilis 3 cloves 1 stick of cinnamon 4 green cardamom pods 1 tbsp coriander seeds 2 tsp cumin seeds 1 large onion, diced 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste 1/2 tsp turmeric 13 oz can diced tomatoes 6 cups fresh spinach or 2 lb frozen spinach 3 cups vegetable broth 2 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp cumin powder 2 tbsp crushed kasoori methi 1/2 tsp garam masala powder 1 cup cream salt and pepper to taste If using frozen spinach, microwave until defrosted, then drain and squeeze out most of the water and set aside. In a heavy-bottomed sauté pan, heat the oil on medium and brown the beef in batches then set aside. In the same pan that was used to brown the meat, add the red chilis, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves, and sauté the mixture becomes aromatic. Then add the coriander seeds and cumin seeds and once they start to pop, add the onions. Sauté the onions until they are almost golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add the ginger-garlic paste and turmeric, and sauté until the raw smell disappears. Add the tomatoes, then cover and simmer until the tomatoes are soft, about 5 minutes. Carefully mix in the spinach, and let simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender and purée until smooth, adding water as necessary to allow for a smooth consistency. Transfer the mixture to large bowl. Heat the ghee to the pan, and add the blended spinach mixture plus the coriander, cumin, and kasoori methi, then cover and simmer for ten minutes, adjusting the salt as necessary. Add the beef with the vegetable stock and cover and simmer for another 80-90 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until the meat is tender, adding more stock if needed. Stir in the cream and garam masala and serve hot with rice and buttered naan.

This quick and easy mint yogurt sauce for chicken is bright, fresh, and tangy. It also works great for lamb or pita and veggie dipping!