Mouthwatering Sunday Lamb & Tarragon Stew
Sundays.
They are my favorite day of the week.
It is the last day of the weekend and the first day of the week. Sundays are meant for adulting... where you get those adult things done like grocery shopping, meal prep for the week and prepare a meal that takes time and extra love, like stew. For me, cooking is very therapeutic. It's relaxing. It's a time to unwind and decompress while Bravo or E! are in the background. (Trashy reality TV is my guilty pleasure.)
Even though I work from home, I spend a good chunk of the day cooking. I still find myself up against these same challenges of finding time. When you're running around like a mad woman, it becomes too easy to justify a Postmates take out order so you have one less thing on your plate to worry about.
When we got back from Europe, I made the effort to cook at 90% of the week while we home based in Asheville, NC, and have created a nice little habit that I've taken with me to Portland. I enjoy it and find ways to make time for cooking or recipes that require minimal time and ingredients. It's fun searching for recipes and breaking them down into a healthy version. Sometimes, it's making them more gluten friendly more than anything, like this lamb stew.
Stews are a great meal to prepare and have as leftovers during the week. Eat it as a stew or make it part of a new dish. The flavors get better the day after. Here's a recipe my husband and I have been enjoying, and I'm sure you will too.
What You'll Need
Lamb Leg, chopped in cubes
1 Lamb Shank
Small potatoes
1 tomato, diced
1 purple onion, diced
4 small carrots, chopped (or 3 medium)
12 small pearl onions
4 garlic cloves
5 sprigs of fresh Tarragon
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
5 peppercorns
1 tablespoon coconut oil
salt, to taste
24oz of water
4 oz red wine (I used a Gundlach-Bundschu Cabernet Sauvignon...That's what I drank with this recipe.)
1 cup of uncooked quinoa
What You'll Need To Know
In a stock pot, heat the oil and caramelize the red onions on a low heat. This should take roughly 20 minutes.
Maintaining everything on a low heat, add the tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, pearl onions, salt, cumin, paprika, peppercorns and cook for 5 minutes.
Next, add the lamb cubes and shank, followed by the wine and cook for 5 minutes so that the flavors marry together.
Add in the water and tarragon and let it do its thing for 4 hours. About 30 minutes before the stew is ready, add in the quinoa.
Serve in deep bowls and enjoy!
Recipe makes 6 servings.