Soulful Sundays: Holiday Edition - Curried Lamb with Black Beans and Mango Salsa over Jasmine Rice

HAPPY EASTER!!!!

I'm in such a good place, I've got to admit.  Creatively I'm really in a different space.  And I wanted to share that with everyone. 

It's Easter guys!  Okay, so we think baked ham, we are thinking candid yams, carrots....lamb?!   Yes, I tried lamb.  Now I will admit, I'm making tons of risks here every week.  Why do you ask, most of this stuff I have NEVER EVER EVER cooked before.  And I think it's important to show you that things don't always go according to planned, but it can still turn out fab.

I got inspired by the thought of cooking lamb, but I didn't want anything traditional.  I love the fact that Connecticut is finally seeing good weather, and perhaps I was feeling...tropical.  So here we are with a recipe inspired by Caribbean Pot.  I followed the recipe as closely as possible with a little bit of this and that along the way.  USE YOU PALETS FOLKS!  That is the greatest indication of flavor.

So here it goes guys, let me know what you think!


Lamb Chops:

5 chops (taken from the shoulder and sliced to my preferred thickness)
2 tablespoons veggie oil
8 grape tomatoes
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
2 shallots
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 teaspoons grated ginger
1 tablespoon cilantro
1 cup water
1/4 scotch bonnet
1 tablespoon chopped parsley (flat leaf)

Put two tablespoons of oil into the pan and heat through on medium.  Put seasoned lamb chops (lightly seasoned with season salt, onion powder, garlic powder and black pepper) into the pan and brown (I cooked until I could no longer see blood).  Take out of the pan to drain, and put in chopped shallots, garlic and ginger.  Cook until tender and then put in curry powder.  I ended up putting in a little more oil to cook the curry in.  Add the lamp chops back into the pan and thyme, scotch bonnet pepper and cilantro.  Next add in the water and coconut milk.  Turn the pan down and let the meat cook slow till tender or until the gravy has thickened.  At the end add in the grape tomatoes and parsley.

Serve with rice beans and mango salsa.

Mango Salsa:

-2 cups fresh or frozen mango
-2 jalapeno
-1/4 red onion
-black pepper
-white balsamic vinegar

Cut the mango, onion and jalapenos and mix together.  Lightly pepper and drizzle a little white balsamic vinegar on the mixture.  Put in the fridge to chill for a least a half hour. 

Black Beans:

-1 can black beans
-1 half package of Sazon seasoning

Take the beans out of the can drain and rinse. Put beans in the pot and enough water that it covers the beans.  Add light salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder to the water.  Then put a half package of the Sazon seasoning in the water.  Bring the beans to a boil.  Done when heated completely though.

You already know....questions LEAVE IT HERE!