A Curated Meal Kit Crafted by James Beard House Fellow

A Curated Meal Kit Crafted by James Beard House Fellow

Salad Course: Don’t Be Late

Grilled Peach with Smoked Paneer, Mustard Greens, Mint–Basil Salad,
Pistachios, Goan-Spiced Watermelon Vinaigrette

Main Course: Trial by Fire

Berbere-Spiced Lamb Loin with Preserved Lemon Couscous,
Katchkie Farm Cherry Tomatoes, Zucchini, Cucumber, Moroccan Mint Yogurt

Dessert: High on the Cob

Dark Chocolate Bon Bon with Grilled Corn and Salted Caramel Ganache

James Beard always welcomed students, authors, chefs, and other guests into his home—his kitchen was truly at the heart of America’s burgeoning food scene. After his death in 1985, a group of his friends and colleagues heeded a call from Julia Child to do something with Beard’s house.

A Curated Meal Kit Crafted by James Beard House Fellow

The James Beard Foundation officially opened the James Beard House in New York City’s Greenwich Village on November 5, 1986 “to provide a center for the culinary arts and to continue to foster the interest James Beard inspired in all aspects of food, its preparation presentation, and of course, enjoyment.”

For decades, cooking at the James Beard House has been an aspiration for many chefs and considered a career milestone. In May of 2021, they launched the Beard House Fellows program, which re-envisions the potential of the historic space into a hub of training and professional development for talented emerging chefs.

A Curated Meal Kit Crafted by James Beard House Fellow

Emerging Chefs

May 2021 – Nicole Merino

June 2021 – Mimi Chen

July 2021 – Theodore Coleman

Curated Meal Kit by Chef Theodore Coleman

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One Leg of Lamb, Two Presentations

lamb tower ten ingredient

Roasted-then-Grilled Leg of Lamb Medallion
Soy Sauce-Olive Oil-Garlic Marinade, Cracked Pepper Crust

Minted Edamame Puree, Whole Wheat Couscous
Grilled Zucchini, Shiitake, Tomato

lamb au poirve

Roasted-then-Grilled Leg of Lamb Medallion
Soy Sauce-Olive Oil-Garlic Marinade, Cracked Pepper Crust

Minted Edamame Puree, Whole Wheat Couscous
Grilled Zucchini, Shiitake, Scallion

Nine ingredients remain the same. Only one ingredient varies – swap a grilled tomato for a grilled scallion to create two totally different presentations. We served these leg of lamb dishes as a test for the “Lean on Lamb” challenge to create healthy recipes for entertaining. The challenge is to cook a leg of lamb as the main-course for 8 people using no more than 10 ingredients (excluding salt & pepper) with a prep time of under 30 minutes.

After preparing 4 lamb dishes over several days, we decided on Leg of Lamb, Curry Quinoa Crust as the one to submit to the contest. That dish, served over Steamed Spinach with a Curried Heirloom Tomato Salsa with Mint and Avocado & Serrano Chile with Lime had it all – color, flavor, texture, balance plus the seasonal element. Though our Lamb Medallion Stack, Warm Anchovy-Pine Nut Vinaigrette with a Dijon Mustard Anchovy Crust, Polenta Cake, Spinach, Parsley, Tomato was pretty popular too, especially with that warm savory vinaigrette.

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Couscous Salad Timbales, Meyer Lemon Confit

couscous salad timbale

Couscous Salad Timbales, Meyer Lemon Confit
Zucchini, Peas, Garbanzo Beans, Roasted Almonds
Scallion, Mint, Parsley, Crushed Red Pepper, Lemon Olive Oil Dressing

couscous, timbale

This is the first of many sunny recipes using Meyer Lemon Confit. On March 7th I tucked a jar of fresh Meyer lemons (submerged in sugar and salt) in my basement refrigerator. Now, three months later, I have this intense Meyer lemon confit which is enlivening our salads, pasta, fish, and all sorts of dishes.

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Braised (sustainable) Halibut Tagine, Global Flavors

 braised alaskan halibut, global flavors

Braised (sustainable) Halibut Tagine
Wild Alaskan Halibut Steak
Served over Couscous
Chestnut, Asian Pear, Dried Jujube, Sweet Potato, Daikon & Carrot Stew
Sesame, Pine Nut & Green Onion Garnish

seafood watch app

Natasha, the 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro of Lazaro Cooks! host the 5 Star Makeover Cooking Group, a fabulous monthly event for “sharing ideas and creating gourmet makeovers of selected classic dishes or flavor combinations.”

March’s assignment is Sustainable Fish: “Sustainability is an important issue for us and what better way to get the word out than by cooking some amazing sustainable fish on all our blogs. You can prepare the whole fish or portions, featuring a makeover of any classical preparation of fish, just find a sustainable fish and make it shine.”

A Best Choice: Halibut, Pacific
Seafood Watch App for Android and iPhone here.

seafood watch app

Halibut, Pacific
Rating: Best Choice
Most Pacific halibut is caught with bottom longlines that cause little habitat damage and have low levels of accidental catch.
The Pacific halibut fisheries of Alaska, Washington, and Oregon are certified as sustainable to the standard of the Marine Stewardship Council.
Market Name: Alaskan Halibut

braised alaskan halibut, global flavor halibut

I have fallen in love with hansik – Korean Food. Here we employ the ingredients of the classic Korean Braised Short Rib Stew,  Galbi Jim, and create a unique dish featuring sustainable Alaskan halibut.

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Another Colorful Side

Colorful Side Dish #3
Spinach and Feta
Israeli Couscous, Orzo, Baby Garbanzo, Red Quinoa

Sauté chopped garlic, chopped scallions, and red pepper flakes in olive oil. Add fresh baby spinach to wilt. Season to taste.

Toss spinach mixture with cooked Israeli couscous, orzo, baby garbanzo, and red quinoa. This blend is called Harvest Grains Blend and is available from Trader Joe’s. Crumble feta on top. This recipe was inspired by one in Gourmet magazine some years ago, they made theirs with Acini di Pepe (tiny pearl pasta) and used frozen spinach.
Something New at Home

I am very excited about this change that cost nothing but makes my home feel dramatically different for the new year. I switched the dining room and family room. The former family room is considerably larger and has a fireplace in the corner. I moved the dining table here so now there is a more open and casual space for dining, and we can eat in front of a beautiful crackling fire.

The former dining room is now a cozy den. The chandelier which was above the dining table is above the coffee table, so you can still walk by without hitting your head. Makes a great spot to sit and read cookbooks! I also switched some artwork around, and that has freshened up some of the other rooms in the house.
Have you made any changes to your home or kitchen for the new year?