VALENTINE DAY 'RETRO' DINNER ~ INDONESIAN LAMB with PEANUT SAUCE / VALENTINE SPINACH TIMBALES

"A single rose can be my garden...a single friend, my world"

- Leo Buscaglia

~ Beauty of a single rose

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INDONESIAN LAMB with COLD PEANUT SAUCE

~ Romantic memories loom from a quite booth at the Bijou, one of Detroit's 'top 10 restaurants' back in the 80s ... this recipe is 'trial & error attempt after a 'first taste' of Renee's (the chef) peanut sauce.

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2 lb. Frenched rack of lamb

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup diced celery

1/3 cup diced onion

1 clove minced garlic

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 cup cider vinegar

3 Tbsp. curry powder

3 Tbsp. honey

2 bay leaves

2 tsp. A-1 steak sauce

1 tsp oregano

2 dashes Tabasco sauce

juice and zest of 1 large lemon

COLD PEANUT SAUCE:

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup coconut cream

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp. coarse salt

dash of Tabasco

juice of 1 lemon

• In a medium skillet, heat oil and add celery, onion and garlic and saute until soft and transparent. Reduce heat and add mustard, vinegar, curry powder, honey, bay leaves, A-1 sauce, oregano, Tabasco sauce and fresh lemon juice and zest. Simmer briefly until heated. Pour into bowl. Cover and refrigerate to allow flavors to meld.
• Transfer marinade to large shallow baking dish. Add prepared lamb, cover and marinate several hours, turning several times to coat.
• Prepare Cold Peanut Sauce. Combine all ingredients, cover and chill.
• Preheat oven to 550-degree. Drain marinade from lamb and set aside. Wrap lamb in foil, leaving meaty portions exposed. Place in greased baking pan and bake 15 minutes for medium rare, turning once and basting frequently with marinade. Serve with Cold Peanut Sauce and VALENTINE SPINACH TIMBLES. ( 4 servings)

VALENTINE SPINACH TIMBALES

~ A lovely compliment ... from Bon Appetit/February 1987

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6 1-inch squares red bell pepper, cut into heart shapes

1 3/4 lbs. stemmed fresh spinach

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1/4 cup minced onions

1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese

1/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1/4 tsp greshly grated nutmeg

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

3 organic beaten eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup whipping cream

coarse salt & freshly ground pepper

• Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Position rack in lower third of oven.
• Oil 6 1/2 cup timbale molds (or custard cups). Place red 'heart' pepper in bottom of each.
• Steam spinach 2-3 minutes until tender. Drain spinach and squeeze dry. Chop and set aside.
• Melt butter in heavy small skillet. Over medium heat, add onions and cook about 5 minutes until tender. Transfer to large bowl. Stir in cheese, breadcrumbs, nutmeg and cayenne. Mix in eggs.
• Warm milk and cream in heavy saucepan over low heat. Slowly beat into egg mixture. Stir in spinach. Season with salt & pepper. Spoon into prepared molds. Arrange molds in roasting pan and transfer to oven. Add enough hot water to pan to come halfway up sides of molds.
• Bake 35-40 minutes or until knife inserted in certers comes out clean. Remove from water and let stand 5 minutes. Invert onto plates. Serve immediately. ( 6 servings)

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“It's not enough to have lived. We should be determined to live for something. May I suggest that it be creating joy for others, sharing what we have for the betterment of personkind, bringing hope to the lost and love to the lonely.”

Leo F. Buscaglia1924-1998