Picnic Garden - Korean BBQ Buffet

 

Hunger Games - Lamb Stew with Prunes

I think this is perhaps the most famous recipe from the Hunger Games books - probably because Katniss said it was her favorite thing about the Capitol and readers of the book all know that she is no fan of the Capitol.

While reading the description of this dish in the book my initial reaction was definitely more skeptical than excited. Prunes? That's what my grandfather would eat if he felt... you know. Dried fruit has never been of particular interest to me. Why eat it dried when you could have fresh grapes, plums, apricots, cherries? After a little research, I saw that dried fruit is really prevalent in north african cuisine like tagines and heavily spiced rustic stews. My rendition is inspired by the flavors of that cuisine but fused with ingredients I thought made this dish more appealing to me.

Ingredients:

2 lbs lamb
2 cups onion, sliced
1 cup carrots, diced
1 can tomatoes, diced
1 can chickpeas
1 cup prunes, halved
2 tablespoons plum brandy
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
Salt & Pepper

Directions:

Mix the dry spices together in a bowl. Coat the lamb in half of the spice rub, season with extra salt and pepper and let it sit for 30 minutes. Heat a pot on the stove over medium high heat. Add vegetable oil to the hot pan and sear all sides of the lamb.

Take the lamb out of the pot and set aside. Add the onions and carrots to the lamb drippings in the pot. Saute for a few minutes until onions begin to brown on the edges. Add garlic and cook for another minute. De-glaze the pan with plum brandy; add the tomatoes (with all the juices) with the other vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.

Nestle the lamb back into the pot and add water until the lamb is covered. Turn the flame down to a low and let the lamb simmer for 1.5 hours. 

Drain the chickpeas from the can and rinse with water. Add the prunes and chickpeas into the stew (with a little more water if it looks dry). Simmer for another 30 minutes. Serve over a bed of wild rice or couscous and enjoy Katniss's favorite Capitol meal.

Hunger Games - Lamb Chops with Carrot Soup

My second Hunger Games inspired recipe is Katniss's first meal after volunteering as tribute. She never got the chance to eat her fish stew with greens. Tearful goodbyes and nerves of steel must take a lot of energy because Katniss was able to chow down a big meal of thick carrot soup, green salad and lamb chops on board the Panem-bound train. 

After teetering on the edge of starvation most of her life, this was her first 'Capitol' meal and the sheer volume of it had her mind whirling. Hunger Games, the movie, is actually working with non-profit organizations - Feeding America & World Food Programme - to bring attention to issues of food shortage and those who don't have enough to eat on a daily basis.  

This meal is actually not that difficult to make. In order to minimize cost and effort, each component of the meal is 5 ingredients or less (water, oil, salt & pepper not included).

 Ingredients:

Carrot Soup - 
1 lb baby carrots
1 can (14 oz) diced carrots
1 small onion
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 bay leaf
3 cups of water
salt & pepper


Lamb Chops - 
1 lb lamb chops
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
salt & pepper


Kale Salad - 
2 cups kale, chopped
1 tablespoon shallots
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper

Directions:

Mix garlic, balsamic vinegar, and soy sauce in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Place lamb chops into the mix and make sure each one is coated in the marinade. Set aside while you prepare the carrot soup.

Heat a pot with 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add onions into the pot and season with salt. Sweat the onions for a few minutes and add the carrots and tomatoes. Cook for another 10 minutes. Add water to the vegetables; season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes.


Mix the shallots, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and olive oil into the vinaigrette for the kale salad. Rinse and chop the kale into small pieces. Since kale is a tough green, it can withstand being dressed a little early. You can toss vinaigrette into the kale now or later if you prefer.


Heat a skillet or grill to a high temperature. Dry off excess moisture off each lamb chop and place onto the grill. Cook for 5 minutes before flipping and give the second side another 4-5 minutes for a medium rare chop. If you prefer it more well done, adjust time accordingly. Give the lamb chops 5 minutes of resting time before serving.

Turn off heat under the carrot soup. Pour contents into a food processor or blender. Puree the soup until smooth. If the soup seems a little chunky, add a bit more water until the contents reaches desired consistency. Taste and season one last time. 

Serve the soup with the lamp chops and green salad & enjoy Katniss's first 'Capitol' meal!