Just be sure you don’t overcook the meat—lamb tastes best when it's rare and juicy.

There are two wines that pair magnificently with this dish. Not surprisingly, they both come from Provence: Châteauneuf-du-Pape (my favorite is Clos des Pape), and Bandol Rouge (I love those from Domaine Tempier inordinately!) If you are on a budget, a Côte du Rhône will do admirably.

WHAT: A garlic-spiked leg of lamb that's finished with (what else?) more garlic—30 cloves, to be exact.
HOW: Make slits all over a leg of lamb, then stuff garlic and anchovies into each one. Rub the leg with herbs and olive oil, then bake until medium-rare. Serve alongside a garlic and red wine sauce cooked in the pan drippings.
WHY WE LOVE IT: A classic leg of lamb at first glance, this recipe by ChefJune has several details that elevate it from the expected to the exceptional. The meat is fragrant from the herbs, briny from the anchovies, and robust from the red wine sauce. Make sure to test the temperature frequently towards the end—the last thing you want is 5 pounds of overcooked lamb!

Ingredients

(Serves 8 generously)

For the lamb:

One 5-pound leg of lamb, bone in (I especially like a long shin bone for presentation)
6 large garlic cloves, slivered
12 anchovy fillets, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

For the garlic sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil
24 garlic cloves, peeled, left whole
1 cup dry red wine (such as Côte du Rhône)
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley (preferably flat-leaf) 

Directions

1. Have your butcher prepare the meat by removing most of the fat and skin from the leg, and by removing most of the bare bone that protrudes from the leg. If you want a slightly smaller leg, have him (or her!) shorten it from the hip end. When you’re ready to roast it, trim lamb of any excess fat. Make many slits all over the lamb and insert a sliver of garlic and a piece of anchovy in each incision. Finely chop the rosemary and thyme and mix the herbs with sea salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the lamb with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and the herb mixture. Let it stand for 1 to 2 hours. 
2. Preheat oven to 425° F. Place the meat on a rack in a roasting pan, and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350° F., and cook for 40 to 45 minutes for medium-rare lamb. The temperature on an instant-read thermometer should register 130° F. (That’s how it’s supposed to be!) 
3. To make the garlic sauce, heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet and cook the 24 garlic cloves slowly for about 10 minutes, or until they are soft (don’t let the edges get crisp—or brown). Set aside in a small bowl. 
4. Remove lamb to a warmed platter, and turn off the oven. Cover with an aluminum foil tent and set it in the oven to keep warm while you prepare the sauce. On top of the stove, put wine into the roasting pan, scraping the bottom well to loosen any brown bits or caramelized juices, and cook the wine over a high flame to reduce it by about one-third. Add the reduced liquid to the garlic cloves. Mash well with a fork, and add sea salt and pepper to taste. 
5. Slice the lamb and grind some fresh black pepper over it. Spoon on the sauce, and sprinkle it all with freshly chopped parsley.

SIMPLE OAT FREE GRANOLA

30 minute grain free granola packed with seeds, nuts, coconut and naturally sweetened! Vegan, gluten free and the perfect healthy, protein-rich breakfast or snack!

Author: adapted from the Minimalist Baker
Serves: 5 cups

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flake
1 1/2 cups raw cashews
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1 1/4 cup raw pecans
1 cup raw walnuts
3 Tbsp chia seeds
1 Tbsp flax seed meal
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp of sea salt
3 Tbsp coconut or olive oil
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp maple syrup (or sub agave or honey if not vegan)
1/4 cup dried blueberries (or other dried fruit)
1/4 cup roasted unsalted sunflower seeds

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and position a rack in the center of the oven.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the coconut, nuts, chia seeds, flax seed, cinnamon, and salt.

In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the coconut oil and maple syrup and pour over the dry ingredients and mix well.

Spread the mixture evenly onto a large baking sheet (may require two depending on size) and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove from oven, add dried blueberries and roasted sunflower seeds and stir.
Increase heat to 340 degrees and return to oven for another 5-8 minutes, or until deep golden brown.
The coconut oil will help this granola crisp up nicely, but be sure to watch it carefully as it browns quickly.

Once the granola is visibly browned and done cooking (about 27 minutes total for me), remove from the oven and let cool completely.
Store in a container with an air-tight seal and it should keep for a few weeks.

This is perfect gluten and egg free bread for toasting and slathering butter and jam all over it.

author: adapted from Fork & Beans
serves: 10 slices

INGREDIENTS

Wet Ingredients:
2¼ tsp. dry active yeast
2 c. warm coconut milk
2 tsp. granulated sugar
5 Tbsp. ground chia seeds
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

Dry Ingredients
1/2 c. garbanzo bean flour
1/2 c. Sorghum flour
1 c. millet flour
½ c. arrowroot powder
½ c. tapioca starch
¼ c. buckwheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt

INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium bowl combine 1 cup of the warmed nondairy milk with the yeast and sugar. Allow to proof until frothy (approx.10 minutes).
In a separate bowl mix remaining warm milk, oil, vinegar, and chia seeds allowing the chia seeds to absorb moisture for a few minutes. Whisk into yeast after it has proofed.
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Spoon the batter into a 8x4 (20x10 cm) loaf pan. Using the back of a spoon smooth out the top and gently press down to ensure there are no gaps in the batter. Allow to rise until the loaf rise just to the top of the pan (approx. 30 to 45 minutes) in a warm, non-drafty area of your kitchen. If it doubles before the allotted time, that's okay. Just proceed to baking it, no need to wait the total time.
Preheat oven to 350*F (190*C).
Place the loaf in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 60 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan briefly until you can remove it and transfer to a wire rack until it has completely cooled.

NOTES
*Do note that any changes made to the ingredients may alter the outcome of the bread.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 T Honey
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
One 8- to 10-pound bone-in smoked ham, skin removed
3 cups applesauce
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Kosher salt

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar and honey with the pepper, cloves and cinnamon.

Place the ham fat side (peel side) up on two large pieces of aluminum foil. Peel the skin off.  Press the sugar mixture all over the top and sides; it should form a thick layer. Wrap the ham tightly in the foil and transfer to a large roasting pan. Bake for about 2 hours, until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat registers 125°. Transfer the ham to a work surface and let rest in the foil at room temperature until cool enough to handle, about 2 hours.

Unwrap the ham and slice the meat; transfer to a large platter and tent with foil to keep warm. Pour the accumulated juices into a large measuring cup and spoon off any fat. You should have about 3 1/4 cups.

Warm ham juices, apple sauce and vinegar in a sauce pan. Serve in a gravy boat.
Serve the ham, passing the apple jus at the table.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 pound sliced bacon
1 tablespoon butter
2 onions, chopped
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 pound potatoes (about 3), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
1 rib celery, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried red-pepper flakes
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 cups fresh (cut from about 3 ears) or frozen corn kernels
1 can coconut cream (2 cups half and half)
1 1/2 pounds cod fillets, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1 T Corn Starch
1 t. oregano
1/2 t thyme
Juice from one lemon

In a large sauce pan, cook the bacon until crisp. Drain the bacon on paper towels and crumble when cooled.

Add the butter and onions to the pot. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken broth, potatoes, celery, red-pepper flakes, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

Return the bacon to the pot. Add the corn, coconut cream, cod, pepper, oregano, and thyme. Add corn starch to small dish and stir some soup broth in. Add back to pan when dissolved.  Simmer for 5 minutes till cod is done. Add lemon juice to taste and serve.

Ingredients

4 pints dry cider
½ pint water
6 tart apples
8 oz honey
2 lemons
2 egg yolks
Blade of mace
½ oz bare root ginger
½ nutmeg, grated
½ teaspoon ground coriander seeds
½ teaspoon cardamom seed
6 cloves
Additional honey

Directions

Bruise ginger root and put in large saucepan with mace, nutmeg, coriander, cardamom, cloves and honey. Add water and finely grate lemon rinds spice mix. Bring to boil and simmer for five minutes. Squeeze lemons and add to the mixture with the cider, heating slowly. Put the egg yolks in a large bowl and gradually beat in half a pint of the hot (but not boiling) cider mixture to make a good froth. When the remainder of the mixture nears the boiling point, whisk it into the large bowl.

Meanwhile core the apples and put them in a cast iron pan, fill the centers with additional honey and bake at 375°F for approximately 20 minutes. Put in the wassail, drink and enjoy!

(Adapted from Preparedness 365 Blog post Homemade Dough Enhancer)

1 c. wheat gluten
2 T. lecithin granules (can skip this because we add lecethin)
1 t. ascorbic acid crystals ( I ground vitamin C tablets)
2 T. powdered pectin
2 T. unflavored gelatin
½ c. nonfat dry milk
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
Mix together and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For 100% whole grain breads, use 3 ( I used about 2 T per 4 loaves - Bosch whole wheat recipe) tablespoons per loaf. Add to your recipe along with the flour.
I love dough enhancer so much I make it in triple batches and keep it in a quart-size jar.