Happy Birthday Super G!

29 years ago today I came downstairs in my pajamas for breakfast only to find my Uncle Tom sitting there in the family room. Mom and Dad were no where to be found. That's because Mom went into labor in the early morning and lo and behold produced my sister Super G. And thus began a great big sister, little sister relationship. Super G is brilliant, like seriously a genius and as a kid I may have convinced her all sorts of horrible things just to mess with her. But now I cherish our relationship. We talk almost every day and we laugh, we cry, we fume, and we bake together. I'm really happy that she came into my life.

And she came over for dinner yesterday. See Her and her husband, the Tummy, had to return her stepson, Medium Dude, to his mother in Michigan. So they stopped here and spent the night. Which provided an excellent opportunity for us to celebrate her birthday.

Special occasions call for lamb chops. Medium Dude, who I've heard is a selective eater, even tried one and liked it. This is my favorite lamb chop recipe. It's from the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook. This cookbook has a surprising number of tasty recipes that just happen to be a little healthier than might otherwise be if they were to be found in some of those other cookbooks. And these Lamb Chops with Yogurt-Mint Sauce are not only healthy, but they're quick too. And I used a cucumber from my garden too.

I did alter this a teensy bit from the original recipe so I am not going to include the points value. Mostly the thing I changed is that the original recipe calls for 4 (5oz) bone in lamb chops, but I prefer the smaller ones. I think they're more tender.

Lamb Chops with Yogurt-Mint Sauce

from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook

8 (3oz) bone in loin lamb chops, about 1 inch thick

3/4 cup plain fat free yogurt

1/2 cucumber, seeded and chopped roughly

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

3 scallions sliced

1 garlic clove, chopped

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1/2 tsp salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

Remove the lamb chops from the refrigerator about 1 hour before cooking. Preheat the broiler.

In a blender or food processor, combine the yogurt, cucumber, mint, scallions, and garlic and puree. Season with the crushed red pepper and 1/4 tsp of salt. Let stand at room temperature for at least 10 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

Meanwhile, season the lamb with the remaining 1/4 tsp salt and the black pepper. Place on the broiler rack and broil 3-4 inches from the heat until done to taste, about 5 minutes per side for medium rare. Serve topped with the cucumber mint sauce.

Cucumber Salad

I have a new cookbook. Well, it's not really new. I got it in November. But I've never cracked it open before. This fabulous book is Vegetables Every Day by Jack Bishop. And I've finally made something from it. Why wait so long? I love vegetables, really its a little bizarre how much I love vegetables, but I'm not some kind of freak that I'd turn down making something sweet and delicious and sugar laden because I'd rather eat a cucumber. Given the choice of cake or vegetable, it's most likely that I'll choose cake. Especially if it's frosted (the cake, not the vegetable). Now if dessert is pie, I might be the lunatic eating more peas.

So being that it's January and everyone seems to be on a get healthy kick. And people everywhere are stepping away from the butter and heading gloomily to my favorite part of the grocery. No not the ice cream section. The produce section. Stay with me here. I figure I'll help entice people to eat their veggies by providing a month's worth of veggie recipes. I can't promise there won't be bacon. In fact there will be bacon mighty soon. And I will occasionally take a break from posting about veggies for the next cupcake hero and the Daring Bakers challenge and maybe a birthday cake. I never step away from the butter.

So tonight's recipe is a delicious healthy Asian Cucumber Salad with Sesame. Yeah, I know, cucumbers are a little on the bland side. And I had flashbacks to making Kimchi that the cucumber slices are salted and pressed for an hour. I even told the Brain, who was sitting there happily eating spaghetti, that if it turned out like Kimchi we were tossing it. But when the Brain said he didn't want any, I didn't argue. I ate the entire salad. Geez I'm a pig. Good thing I went to spin class this morning. This salad is seriously delicious. The dressing isn't overbearing and the cucumbers are still fairly crunchy and cold. If I wasn't full on cucumbers I think some nice lean protein like chicken or fish would go well with it.

Asian Cucumber Salad with Sesame

from Vegetables Every Day by Jack Bishop

3 medium cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut on a diagonal 1/4 inch thick

1 Tbsp kosher salt

2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp hot red pepper flakes

1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted in a dry skillet until golden brown

1) Toss the cucumbers and salt in a large strainer or colander set over a bowl. Fill a gallon-size Ziploc bag with ice water and set the bag on top of the cucumber slices. Drain for 1 hour.

2) Meanwhile whisk the vinegar, oil, sugar, and pepper flakes together in a small bowl and set the dressing aside. Stir every once in a while throughout the hour.

3) Thoroughly rinse the cucumbers under cold running water and pat dry. Toss with dressing and toasted sesame seeds.