Mint Chive Lamb Chops

Tender, juicy lamb chops right off the grill with a hint of tasty and fragrant mint and chives. Mouthwatering!

Ingredients:

6 lamb chops

12 chive leaves

1/2 cup loosely packed mint leaves

1/2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 tbsps white wine vinegar

1 tbsp water

1 tbsp olive oil

Finely chop the chives and mint. Place in a small bowl and add the sugar. Heat the vinegar and water together (30 seconds in the microwave) and pour into the bowl. Let stand a few minutes, stir and add the olive oil. When cool spread on both sides of the chops and leave to marinate 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight.

If you have marinated them overnight take them out of the fridge for 30 minutes before grilling. Then you'll want to give them a nice sear for about 1 minute per side. After that, grill the lamb chops 1-3 minutes for medium rare or 2-4 minutes for medium.

Serves 2

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Easy Mint Brownies

These fudgy, buttery, minty brownies are so rich and irresistible they are like the George Clooney of brownies! Seriously!

Ingredients:

Brownie mix for 2 - 8 X 8" brownies, I got this one at Walmart (or make your favourite homemade recipe for brownies but that takes away from the easiness of the recipe 😊)

Mint Frosting:

3/4 cup butter, at room temperature

3 tbsps milk

3 cups icing sugar

1 1/2 tsps peppermint extract

4 dabs of green food colouring gel

Chocolate Mint Top:

2 1/4 cups peppermint chocolate chips

3/4 cup butter

Prepare whatever brownie mix or recipe you want, remembering that it has to be for 2 - 8 X 8" s. Spread the batter in a greased 11 X 15" baking sheet. Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes. Cool, then place the pan in the freezer for 15 minutes.

While you wait mix the frosting together and after the 15 minutes spread evenly over the brownie layer. Return the pan to the freezer for another 15 minutes.

To make the chocolate mint top, place the chocolate mint chips and butter in a large microwaveable bowl. Microwave at 20 second intervals, stirring between each, until the chocolate is almost melted. Then just stir until smooth. This took about 1 minute in total. Carefully spread on top of the frosting and return to the freezer just to set.

Score the top layer with a knife before slicing right through and wipe off the knife after every cut.

Store in the refrigerator.

Makes 48 dreamy squares 😍 (Sorry, I was thinking about George Clooney again!)

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Carrot Stick Salad

Just another salad...but with parsnip. Parsnip is such a tasty veggie that is just not used as often as it should be.

3 carrots, in sticks
1 parsnip, in sticks
1 Granny Smith, in sticks
1/2 cup raisins
2 tbsps pumpkin or sunflower seeds

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt

2o mint leaves

Mix the dressing ingredients together and toss with the "sticks" and raisins. You can do this a couple hours ahead, then sprinkle with the seeds and chopped mint leaves when you are ready to serve.

Vodka Tonic Mojito for 2

The mint is high! Time to make some mojitos!

For 2 mojitos you'll need:

8 oz (222 ml) tonic water
3 oz vodka
2 tbsps sugar
2 tbsps water
14 mint leaves
4 slices of lime
mint, lime and cucumber to garnish

Start by heating the sugar and water in a small saucepan until sugar is dissolved. Cool.

Muddle the lime slices with the mint leaves. Oooohh that's a wonderful smell!

Add the syrup and vodka.

Fill tall glasses with ice and pour in your muddle mixture. 

Top with tonic and garnish.

Lamb Meatballs with Traditional English Mint Sauce

They had ground lamb on sale this week. (That almost never happens) and I had some homemade mint sauce on the shelf so.....

12 oz (350 g) ground lamb
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tbsps bread crumbs
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsps dried mint
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1  1/2 tsps lemon juice

Combine everything well and form into balls.  I made 12 heaping tablespoonful balls.  This does make a small batch, but you could double or triple it if you want to make more.

Heat a little olive oil in a skillet and lightly brown the meatballs on all sides.

Transfer to a lined baking sheet and bake at 350 F for 10-15 minutes.

Serve with mint sauce. You could buy it, but if you want to make it here's the link to an easy recipe.

Classic Mint Sauce with Malt Vinegar

http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2014/08/classic-mint-sauce-with-malt-vinegar.html

Strawberry Vodka Mojito

Made these a couple of weeks ago and just got around to posting.

Ingredients for 1:
5 mint leaves
5 strawberries
1 tsp lemon juice
1 - 2 tsps honey
1.5 oz vodka
sparkling lemon lime carbonated water or,
    even better, sparkling lemonade
and ice

Muddle the mint leaves with strawberries.  I didn't have a proper muddler, like this 

so I used a mortar and pestle.

It was ok, but maybe next time I'll try pulsing it in the blender instead.

Anyways, once you have the mint and strawberries prepared, add lemon juice and honey. Swirl in the vodka.  

Put it in a tall glass and top off with sparkling water or lemonade and ice.

Enjoy!

NOTE:  The blender DID work better!

Choco Mint Cake Mix Cookie Bars

It's St Patrick's Day and these mint Christmas M and M's are still here.  (I have no idea how chocolate has lasted this long in my house!)  Anyways, take the red ones out (I mean eat them of course and keep the green and white ones for this recipe.

1 box Swiss chocolate cake mix
1/4 - 1/2 cup all bran cereal
1 cup shredded coconut (reserve 4 or 5 tbsps)
1/2 - 1 cup chocolate chips
5 tbsps melted butter
2 eggs

1 cup green and white mint M and M's

Grease two 9 X 9" baking pans (8 X 8 if you want a thicker, cakier cookie which would just make it a bar I guess) 

Mix everything together except the reserved coconut and the M and M's.
Divide and spread the batter in 2 pans. Wetting your fingertips will make it easier to press it into place. Press the M and M's evenly on top, then sprinkle on the coconut.

Bake at 350F for 20 minutes, cool and cut.

Makes 40 cookie bars.

Refreshing Watermelon Mint Sorbet

If you've had a big meal then this is just the light and refreshing dessert you need to finish up.

Ingredients:

3  1/2 cups cubed watermelon, fresh or frozen, puréed to make 2  1/2 cups 

2 tsps. finely chopped mint leaves (more if you like it minty)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (3 lemons, zested)
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup white corn syrup

Purée the watermelon in a food processor.  Set aside.

Before juicing the lemons, finely grate the peel. Any that you have leftover from this recipe you can put in a ziplok in the freezer for another use. My old little juicer was my Mom's but it still does the trick.

In a saucepan heat together mint, lemon juice and zest, sugar and corn syrup until sugar is dissolved.

Mix watermelon and liquid together, pour into a container and freeze a few hours or overnight.

After it has been in the freezer, break it up and place it back in the food processor and purée again until smooth.  

Refreeze in a container.

Now you are ready to scoop and serve!

Classic Mint Sauce with Malt Vinegar

I love bringing fresh cut mint into the house. It smells so good!

Here is all that you'll need for this recipe:
(it makes about 3 0z.)

1 cup mint leaves
1/4 cup malt vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice

To make this traditional English mint sauce remove the leaves from the stems.  A few of the tender shoots may be left in.  Measure about 1 cup of mint lightly pressed into the measuring cup.

In a food processor add the malt vinegar to the leaves and pulse  until finely chopped.

Put it in a saucepan along with the brown sugar and lemon juice.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.

Pour into a sterilized jar. Keep in the fridge and use within a week.

Or process in a hot water bath 15 minutes to keep longer. 

Now I really have to get me some lamb!