Moroccan Lamb with Couscous

I'm sure you are going to enjoy this particular dish. For the couscous, you can use the boxed mix variety. To cook the couscous, just follow the directions on the package and season with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, and sprinkle with some chopped fresh cilantro.

I used to love making couscous for my grandmother, though I had to tone down the seasonings (spicy food didn't agree with her stomach) and used chicken instead of lamb (which she didn't care for), and of course the best part, for me anyway, was the funny shape her mouth made whenever she said "Couscous". It made me laugh every time.

Anyway, here is the recipe for

MOROCCAN LAMB

• 5 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 lbs boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1" cubes (or, if like my grandmother you don't care for lamb, or your grocery store doesn't have any, you can substitute lamb with chicken)
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 large white onion
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 cup dried apricots, diced
• 1/2 cup pitted prunes, diced
• 1 can (14.5 oz) whole peeled tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish for the lamb
• 2 tblsp lime juice
• 3 cups water

1. In a 5 quart saucepan with a tight fitting lid, heat oil over high heat. Swirl to coat bottom of pan. Season lamb with salt and pepper; cook until browned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 to 4 minutes. Add paprika, apricots, prunes, tomatoes, and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, partially covered, until tomatoes begin to break apart and sauce is thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes.
3. Return lamb and any accumulated juices to pan; cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in cilantro and lime juice.
4. Serve the lamb with the couscous, and garnish with more cilantro (if desired).

And as always, eat and enjoy.

Don't forget, next Sunday (8/17/08) I will be posting the recipe for the vegetable dish, "Green Beans with Parsley and Garlic", and the Sunday after (8/24/08) the desert recipe for "Roasted Fruit with Vanilla Ice Cream". Don't worry by the way, I won't be telling you to make your own ice cream, though that can be lots of fun.

So far I haven't gotten a single bid for the dinner I'll be making and serving 8/31/08, but it's still early.

Here is a little joke by the way; Do you know what the books "The Joy of Cooking" and "The Joy of Sex" have in common besides the title? They both end with the phrase "Eat, and enjoy".

I know that's not really true, but it's funny anyway.

Roasted Red Pepper & Eggplant Soup

Here is the first recipe for my (now) weekly recipe feature. This dish will stand in for last week (when I posted the recipe for my "Wesley's Prize Winning Chili) and will be served at the special monthly dinner I'll be hosting to help the I.S.J.D.E raise money for the various charities we support.

I hope you like this one as much as I do.

ROASTED RED PEPPER & EGGPLANT SOUP

• 1 medium eggplant, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 jar (15 oz.) roasted red bell peppers, well drained and cut into small pieces
• 3 tsp minced garlic
• 2 cans (14.5 oz each) fat-free chicken broth
• 1/2 cup vermouth or dry white wine
• 1 cup day-old french bread cubes
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves, crushed
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves, crushed
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• 6 tbsp crumbled goat cheese or shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Combine eggplant, onion, roasted peppers, garlic, broth, vermouth (or dry white wine), bread cubes, oregano, thyme, salt, and black pepper in 3.5 quart slow cooker. Mix well, cover and cook on low 7 to 8 hours or until eggplant is very tender.
2. Just before serving, stir in parsley.
3. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish each serving with 1 tablespoon of the cheese

For a heart healthy version, use low-sodium chicken broth, the 1/2 tsp of salt, the 1/2 tsp of black pepper, and add 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes.

This recipe makes 6 servings. What you don't use right away can be frozen and saved for another day. Just allow it to cool to room temperature before putting it in your freezer. This will allow your freezer to do it's job without using a lot of extra electricity.

How about that! A recipe and a money saving tip!

To begin bidding on the Dinner auction, click on "View My Complete Profile" located to the right of your screen (you may have to scroll down a little), then click on Email in the upper left section of your screen under the word "Contact". Then, just say how much you are willing to spend for either one place setting, or how much you are willing to spend for all three available spots. I will monitor the e-mails carefully, post each highest bid as it comes in, and announce the result (IE. "The Winner") on Saturday, August 30, 2008. Good luck.

As always, eat and enjoy.

What They're Really Saying

Let me tell you a little story;

Once upon a time, a nice guy named Wesley (his real name) found himself attracted to, and wanted to spend some time with another man named Troy (not his real name). Wesley couldn't believe his good fortune when he got a phone call from Troy, asking him out. This had never happened in Wesley's life before, and he was overjoyed.

So, on the evening of the date, Wesley drove all the way to the far away land of Sacramento to be with Troy. They had dinner, they watched a movie, they talked and snuggled and Wesley ended up spending the night.

A week or so goes by and Wesley called Troy to ask him out on another date. Brent makes the arduous journey from Sacramento to Stockton and they have dinner, they watch a movie, they talk and they snuggle, but this time they don't spend the night together as Troy has an early appointment the next day, so after awhile, he goes back home to Sacramento.

Another week goes by and Wesley hasn't heard anything from Troy. Going against the "protocols" of gay dating, he calls Troy first this time and asks him if they could get together for a drink or something that coming weekend (it was Sunday when Wesley made the call). Troy hemmed and hawed for a moment before saying "I really don't like making plans that far in advance". So, three days later, Wesley calls again, and again asks if Troy would like to get together for a drink or something that weekend, and again Troy says "I don't like making plans that far in advance". So, on Friday, Wesley calls a third time and asks Troy for a third time if he would like to go out, but this time Troy says, "I'm sorry. I've already made plans for the weekend."

The moral of the story? If they tell you "They don't like making plans that far in advance", what they are really saying is "I don't want to make plans with YOU that far in advance in case something or someone better comes along". For God's sweet sake Troy, be a man. Have the balls to say "I don't want to go out with you anymore". Yes, it will hurt, but the pain will be over a lot more quickly than if you leave a person hanging like you left me.

This was based on a true story. Some of the names have NOT been changed in order to show how foolish and pathetic I was (and will NEVER be again) and what an asshole Troy was, and probably still is and always will be.

I'm sorry if this isn't what you're used to reading on my blog, and I hope it won't drive you away from reading future posts. But I've been carrying around the pain from this incident for a long time, and this was my way of letting it go.

Hey, it's cheaper than going to a therapist, and way, way, WAY cheaper than the gas used driving to a therapist.

That's all for now. If I think of anything else to post today, I'll log back on and post it. I like keeping you informed.

By the way, we raised $58.00 at this last Thursday's I.S.J.D.E.'s monthly BINGO. Being the generous sort I am, I will be giving the court an extra $42 to bring our total to $100.

Some Good News for Me

I know it's vanity, but I was over the moon today when, after a lot of dieting and hard work, I discovered I had gotten to the first (or it that last?) notch on my belt! This means of course, I'll need to buy a new, smaller size belt.

I'm not telling what size I was using, and I'm not telling what size I'm getting. Until I get to my goal, I regard that information as classified, right up there with George W.'s IQ (or lack thereof) level.

This is doing wonders for my confidence level, and it's giving my ego a real boost as well. Please, help a guy out and pay a compliment on my appearance the next time you see me (not that I'm fishing for compliments of course).

In other news, I went to karaoke at Club Paradise last night and had a lot of fun. I didn't have my camera with me or I would have filmed not just me but my friend Maria Johnson singing. I have discovered that my best key is G-flat, so, the next time I do karaoke, I plan on having Sean (Maria, is that how he spells his name?) adjust the machine so I can practice a special song I want to do on my next gay cruise with Atlantis Events. The song? "Let Me Entertain You" from the play/movie "Gypsy". I tried it once before but the song is in the key of A, and that's not a good key for my range. Anyway, the song I did last night was "Xanadu" from the film of the same name. I wanted to do "Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds" but they didn't have it. I thought it would be cute to change all of the Lucy's into Wesley's.

Don't forget, tomorrow (8/7/08) is the first Thursday of August and thus the I.S.J.D.E.'s monthly charity BINGO. At my suggestion, the theme for the game is "Sex Toys & Porn". I've already got the porn I'm donating (you'll have to come to the game to see what it is) and I'm getting the "toy" tomorrow after work. I hope I see a lot of my readers there. Remember, it's all for fun and charity.

That's all for now, but I'll leave you with a little treat. Remember my saying how I did the song "Xanadu" at karaoke? Well, here is a YouTube clip since I didn't have myself filmed for your viewing pleasure http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m1UWSD-FaA

One other thing. Steve Cruz, if you're reading this, I'll say it again, I do not think you're overrated, and whoever said you are is a rancid, puss filled, smelly and unwashed asshole, and they're not very nice either.

I Just Had the Strangest Dream (2)

It was so weird. In the dream, somehow, I came into possession of $1million, and managed to spend it all in a single day!

I have no idea what a dream like that could mean as I'm normally very careful with my money. Careful hell! Any of my friends will tell you I can pinch a penny till Lincoln screams for mercy, and the last time I took out a $1, Washington blinked from the light.

I repeat though, I am not cheap! I am frugal. The $1 I save today, I can use for my next cruise with Atlantis Events (http://www.atlantisevents.com/index.aspx) tomorrow.

That really all I have to talk about for the moment. My alarm just went off letting me know that my clothes should be done in the dryer now, and if you've read my post "These Are a Few of My Favorite Things", you'll know how much I enjoy clothes fresh out of the dryer.

Don't forget, by the way, but this coming Thursday, 8/7/08, is the I.S.J.D.E.'s monthly charity bingo game. This month, at my suggestion, the theme is "Sex Toys & Porn". I'm hoping it brings in a lot of players. The court is really struggling this year.

If I think of anything else to write about, if some random thought, or anything interesting happens, don't worry, I'll keep you informed.

Wesley's Prize Winning Chili Recipe

I know I said I would only post this recipe if the Chili Cook-Off today at Club Paradise (located at 10100 N. Lower Sacramento Rd., Stockton, CA) made $500 or more, but in spite of my best efforts, I don't think we'll make that much. So, I've decided to post it as my August, 2008, "Recipe of the Month". After today, I will NOT be entering this particular version of my chili in any future contests, feeds, or cook-offs. I'll still make it for my friends, I just wont be making it for anything official.

This recipe requires a 7 quart Crock-Pot.

WESLEY'S PRIZE WINNING CHILI

• 2 lbs 90% lean ground beef
• 2 medium to large white onions, chopped
• 6 tsp minced garlic
• 2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
• 2 cans (14.5 oz each) chili beans in a mild (wimpy though) or spicy sauce, undrained
• 4 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons grated, semi-sweet, baking chocolate
• 3 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp hot pepper sauce
• 2 shots of Jim Beam Whisky

(The chocolate & the Jim Beam are my secret ingredients)

1. Brown the ground beef and 2 teaspoons of the minced garlic in medium, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring to separate meat. Drain and discard the fat.
2. Place the meat and garlic mixture in your 7 quart crock-pot. Add onions, tomatoes with juice, beans with juice, chili powder, remaining 4 tsp of minced garlic, grated chocolate, and the 2 shots of Jim Beam. Mix well.
3. Cover and cook on LOW setting for 6 hours. Add the cumin, salt, pepper, and hot sauce during the last hour of cooking.

Makes 8 good sized servings.

I like to serve this dish with my jalapeno cheesy cornbread. Unfortunately for today's cook-off, not one person asked me to make the cornbread, and now it's to late :(

As always, eat and enjoy.

I've Got Your Back(s)

I'm almost ashamed by the fact I didn't think about this sooner, but I want to share something with all of you. A web-site I've come across that will help you save money. The site?
http://www.coupons.com .

You go to the site, select from the available coupons the ones you want for the things you need/use, then click print. I've just done it for some Dove soap, Yoplait yogurt, and some Bic stationary supplies. Total savings, $2.50!

If I find any other money saving web-sites fr you, I'll keep you informed.