New England Lamb Bake

   Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 pounds boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 large leeks (white portion only), cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 large carrots, sliced
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3 large potatoes, peeled and sliced
3 tablespoons butter, melted and divided

   1. Preheat oven to 375°. In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add lamb and onion, cook and stir until meat is no longer pink. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually add broth. Bring to a boil, cook until thickened, 1-2 minutes, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Add leeks, carrots, 1 tablespoon parsley, rosemary, salt, pepper and thyme.
   2. Spoon into a greased 13x9-in. or 3-qt. baking dish. Cover with potato slices, brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Bake 1 hour, brush potatoes with remaining butter. Return to oven, bake until meat is tender and potatoes are golden, 30 minutes to 1 hour more. Cool briefly, sprinkle with remaining parsley.
   3. Freeze option: Remove baking dish from oven, cool completely. Before adding remaining parsley, cover dish and freeze. Freeze parsley separately. To use, partially thaw lamb in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking; thaw remaining parsley. Preheat oven to 350°. Reheat, covered, until a thermometer reads 165°, about 1 hour. Sprinkle with remaining parsley.

Stovetop Yankee Pot Roast

   Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1 (3 pound) beef round tip roast
flour for dredging
3 medium onions, sliced
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into small chunks
3 large stalks celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 whole allspice berries
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup dry red wine
2 (12 ounce) cans beef broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in a small amount of water

   1. Heat the oil in a heavy, cast iron pot over medium heat. Dredge the roast in the flour, shake off the excess and brown in the hot oil on all sides. Stir in the onions, carrots, celery, garlic and allspice, cook till lightly browned. Pour in the red wine and bring to a simmer before pouring in the beef broth. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until the beef is tender, about 2 to 3 hours.
   2. When the meat has finished cooking, remove to a cutting board and allow to rest for 10 minutes. While beef is resting, thicken the cooking liquid with the cornstarch. Slice the beef and serve with the gravy.

Creole Jambalaya

   Ingredients
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (10-1/2 ounces) condensed beef broth, undiluted
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1 cup water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 pounds fresh or frozen uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

   1. In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, saute the onion, celery and green pepper in butter until tender. Add garlic, cook 1 minute longer. Add the next nine ingredients, bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 25 minutes.
   2. Add shrimp and parsley, simmer, uncovered, for 7-10 minutes or until shrimp turn pink.