Irish Lamb Stew

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 2 hrs, 45 min
Serves: 5-6

Ingredients:
3/4 pound thickly sliced bacon, diced
3 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup water
2 cups beef stock
1 teaspoon white sugar
2 cups diced carrots
1 large onion, diced
2 sm/med potatoes, diced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leave
1/2 cup white wine

Directions:
1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside.
2. Put lamb, salt, pepper, and flour in large mixing bowl. Toss to coat meat evenly. Brown meat in frying pan with bacon fat.
3. Place meat into stock pot (leave 1/4 cup of fat in frying pan). Add the garlic and yellow onion to skillet and saute till onion begins to become golden. Deglaze frying pan with 1/2 cup water and add the garlic-onion mixture to the stock pot with bacon pieces, beef stock, and sugar. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
4. Add carrots, onions, potatoes, thyme, bay leaves, and wine to pot. Reduce heat, and simmer covered for 20 minutes until vegetables are tender.

Source: allrecipes.com

Moroccan Chili

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds ground lamb
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 bay leaf
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
A handful golden raisins
4 apricots, chopped
1 1/2 cups couscous
3 to 4 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
A handful fresh parsley leaves, chopped
A handful fresh mint leaves, chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
8 pita breads, cut into wedgesfor scooping

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Heat skillet with extra-virgin olive oil, add meat and brown. Season the meat with salt and pepper, to taste, chili powder, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and paprika. Add the bay leaf, onions, bell pepper and garlic to the pan. Cook until onions are soft, 8 minutes. Add lemon juice and zest, Worcestershire sauce and tomato sauce. Stir and reduce heat to simmer.
3. Bring butter and stock to a boil in a pot with tight fitting lid. Add dried fruit and couscous, stir then turn off heat and set lid in place. Let stand 5 minutes. Add nuts and herbs and toss with fork.
4. Toast pita wedges in hot oven or under broiler. Pile chili in bowls, top with "sand" and serve with pita wedges for scooping.

Source: Food Network (Rachael Ray)