Grilled lamb skewers with watermelon and mango

When Kitchen Play invited me to participate in this watermelon event I was as excited as all get out - that is until I sat down and really thought about it. My first reaction was "yay watermelon"  followed by that blankness that you feel on a hot summer day lounging by the pool or beach or lake without a care in the world. Then it hit me. This is December, where am I going to find watermelon this time of year? Well that was no problem since watermelon is everywhere all the time. Most people overlook watermelon in the winter months, but it is available year-round, typically as a mini-watermelon or in the pre-cut section of your produce aisle. Loaded with vitamins A, B6 and C, watermelon is a healthy choice any time of year. "Fill Up Without Filling Out." Watermelon is 92% water, so you can feel good about filling up, as it hydrates while satiating your appetite. Then it hit me again. I was asked to do an entree. 

As you look over this lovely tropical salsa you can imagine that my head was spinning with absolutely no thoughts what so ever - remember I was in that blissfull blankness that you feel on a hot summer day. So I set out to make the salsa.

Tropical Watermelon Salsa

1 large ripe plantain

1 ripe mango

1 large wedge of watermelon

10 grape tomatoes

2 scallions

1 jalapeño chile

1 serrano chile

1 anaheim chile

1 yellow hot

1 sweet cherry pepper

3 tablespoons fresh chopped coconut

juice from one lime

juice from one meyer lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Dice everything and toss in a bowl with the citrus juices and salt and pepper to taste. Let sit for 15 minutes to lightly macerate. 

With the salsa done, its time to move on to the main dish. Now I know I said my mind was blank but as I was buying the ingredients I remembered that all watermelon needs to grow is water, sunshine and bees and don't ask me how but it suddenly hit me to do skewers of lamb, watermelon and mango. Thankfully my mind was only blank for those few minutes at home and not while I was out sourcing my components.

Grilled Lamb Skewers with Watermelon and Mango and Watermelon Gastrique

Serves 4

1 pound of blade lamb chops cut into 16 uniform cubes

16 uniform cubes of watermelon

16 cubes of mango

Dash of cumin

Salt and Pepper

Gastrique

2 cups of watermelon juice (watermelon in the blender and pureed till liquid)

splash of red wine

splash of balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon of honey

Reduce in a sauce pan until reduced by half.

Preparation

Soak your wooden skewers.

Mix the salt, pepper and cumin together and sprinkle over the lamb - let sit for 5-10 minutes.

Assemble the skewers alternating a cube of watermelon then lamb then mango then watermelon then lamb then mango so that each skewer has two pieces of each item. Make 8 skewers.

On a hot grill pan or hot grill sear each side for 3 minutes each for medium rare lamb.

Place some of your tropical salsa on a plate, place two skewers on top of the salsa and drizzle your gastrique over the grilled items. Enjoy

A complex dish that is easy to prepare. You will wow your guests, yourself and even your in-laws and dont worry you will maintain that summer blissfull blankness with each and every bite.

Flan is Crème Brûlée's latin cousin - flan is a kissin' cousin

my basket of freshly picked salad greens that has nothing to do with flan

Okie dokie folksy wolksies its time for another installment of "this ol' blog" let me see where did we last leave off? Oh I know our hero - me - was extolling those things I extoll about - I mean those things he extolls about (this speaking in third person is tough). My dreams do come true, life is good and everyone is living happily ever after - there the whole thing in a nut-shell. So with all that little hub bub out of the way lets talk flan.

coconut flan with coconut milk

Egg custards of any kind are probably my most favorite desserts and if you know me its probably because it has egg in it, I like eggs, eggs like me, eggs and I have a symbiotic relationship.

coconut flan with coconut milk and coconut whipped cream

Ok lets make some flan and to do that you need a recipe and as much as I despise recipes I am finding that they are important tools of communication between those of us that can cook and those of us that cant. Let me clarify this - some people (me) think outside of the box instinctively so recipes are simply suggestions or guidelines and other people (not me) like to follow the guidelines to a T(ee) because thinking outside of the box makes them nervous, then there are other people (you know who you are)  that realize the vulnerable ones are out there and they want to cash in on it so they make easy to follow apps and what nots to teach people things they themselves are not really qualified to be teaching and this whole vicious scenario gets played out all day long on every social media sight that exists - including right here at ChezWhat? - damn I like to rant...lets just make some flan.

coconut flan with coconut whipped cream

Coconut Flan

7 eggs
1 can of coconut milk
1 can evaporated milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups of sugar
pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325F.  Melt one cup of sugar in a sauce pan until amber in color then pour it into the bottom of one glass 9x13 baking pan. Mix milks and eggs in a stand mixer until light then add sugar and vanilla and mix for one minute. Pour mixture into baking pan and bake in a water bath (bain marie) for 45 -55 minutes or until it begins to set, remove from oven and as it cools it will continue to set. When it is cool to the touch refrigerate for 4 hours or over night. Cut and serve with coconut whipped cream and pour some of the sugar syrup that collects in the bottom of the pan.

Coconut Whipped Cream

1 pint heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons coconut powder (you can find it in asian supermarkets)

Whip the cream with the sugar and coconut until stiff peaks form - put in a piping bag and serve.

Once you have had this simple flan - no other flan will do, oh and for an added treat spoon over a little coconut milk as well as the syrup and you will be in flan heaven.