Sun Oven Super Bowl Party Snacks

With Super Bowl Sunday just around the corner it’s time to start thinking about what to eat during the game. Solar cooked meatballs are easy to make and even easier to enjoy

Greek-Style Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

1 pound ground lamb

1/2 cup bulgur

1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

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Easy Sun Oven Shepherd’s Pie

Make a double batch of mashed potatoes and use half for shepherd’s pie, but if your family loves them as much as mine does you’ll want to be sure to set it aside putting them on the table. I kept making bigger and bigger batches, and still wouldn’t have enough for the pie, until I learned to do that. Covering the pie, with a lid or tin foil and a tea towel, is the trick to getting a nice browned top.

Sun Oven Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced

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Solar Roasted Lamb and Potatoes

I’d been waiting for a good deal on lamb so I could try out this recipe from “The Silver Spoon” cookbook, so when I saw a nice roast on special I snatched it up. My main concern was that the meat would cook faster than the potatoes and it turns out I was right. It was easy enough to remedy, I just took the roast out and let the potatoes keep cooking. It’s a recipe that’s worth keeping. The potatoes come out infused with flavor from the cooking juices.

Solar Roast Leg of Lamb with Rosemary Potatoes

Ingredients

2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves only, chopped

salt and pepper

1/4 cup broth, beef, vegetable, or chicken

1 boneless leg of lamb roast (3 1/2 to 4 pounds)

Preparation

Set Global Sun Oven out to preheat.

Coat a baking pan or a lidded roasting pan with cooking spray. Cover bottom of pan with a layer of potatoes, spread a layer of onions over the potatoes. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic, and rosemary. Continue layering the ingredients until used up finishing with a layer of potatoes. Pour broth over vegetables pushing down to compress.  Set lamb on top of the layered vegetables fat side up. Insert a probe thermometer in thickest part of the meat. Place baking pan in an oven bag or cover roasting pan with a lid. Cook in Sun Oven until temperature reaches 170ºF, about 1 hour. Remove lamb to a platter, tent with aluminum. Continue cooking potatoes until fully cooked, about 20 minutes.

Braise Today Eat Tomorrow

Most lamb shank recipes allot one shank per person. I find that to be way too much meat. I take the meat off the bone before serving and get two servings per shank. I also like to make them a day ahead, that way it’s much easier to skim the fat off the sauce. I adapted this recipe from one that called for six lamb shanks instead of the four I use. I didn’t cut back on the sauce ingredients by much (only a little less oil and wine) so if you prefer to use six shanks there will still be enough sauce to go around. I use a cast iron Dutch oven but if you use have a light-weight pot that will do just fine, just be careful when you sauté the vegetables and brown the meat as it could easily burn.

Solar Braised Lamb Shanks with Herbs de Provence

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 leeks (white and pale green parts only), chopped

4 cloves garlic

4 lamb shanks (12 to 14 ounces each)

salt and pepper

All-purpose flour

2 cups dry red wine

1 cup canned crushed tomatoes

1/4 ounce dried porcini or shiitake mushrooms

1 1/2 tablespoons dried herbes de Provence

1 pound carrots, peeled, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-long pieces

1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

Preparation

Set Global Sun Oven out to preheat.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leeks and garlic, sauté until the leeks soften, about 5 minutes. Transfer leek mixture to a small bowl. Sprinkle lamb shanks with salt and pepper; dust with flour to lightly coat. Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in the Dutch oven. Add lamb and cook until brown, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add leek mixture, wine, tomatoes, mushrooms, herbs de Provence, and carrots. Stir to coat lamb with vegetable mixture. Cover and transfer to Sun Oven. Cook until the lamb is fork tender, about 2 hours. Using tongs remove shanks from pot, remove meat from bones, season with salt and pepper to taste, and keep warm. Spoon off fat from pan juices. Divide sauce and meat on plates and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with polenta or mashed potatoes. If not serving same day refrigerate meat and sauce in separate, covered containers. Remove layer of fat before reheating.

Makes 4 to 8 servings.

Braised Lamb Shanks

I love braised lamb shanks, especially solar braised shanks, but I find a whole shank to be to much meat for one person. When I prepare this recipe I take the meat off the bones before serving and save any leftover meat for a shepherd’s pie. I also usually start making it a day in advance. That way it’s much easier to skim the fat off the cooking liquid.

Solar Braised Lamb Shanks

Ingredients

4 Lamb Shanks

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Outstanding Solar Stew

In my pre-solar cooking days I almost never made stew. Most nights I threw dinner together at the last minute and stews don’t lend themselves to that style of cooking. But times have changed and now whenever I see a good piece of stew meat I snatch it up, knowing that a scrumptious, sun-infused dinner is in my near future. To make things even better, there is a local market that marks its meats down as much as fifty percent on the morning of the sell by date and since is seems most shoppers don’t know how to prepare them, the best cuts for stews often wind up in the bargain section.

Sun Oven Moroccan Lamb Stew

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

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GSO Shepherd’s Pie

If I have left over meat from the lamb shanks and beans I use it to make shepherd’s pie. The filling is a lot less meatier than most shepherd’s pie recipes. The lamb is more of a flavoring, not the main attraction. I don’t follow a recipe, but it’s very easy to make. Sauté a sliced onion in some olive oil with about 8 oz. of sliced mushrooms in a large skillet, add a chopped zucchini, 1/2 cup of water and a packet of brown gravy mix. Stir in the lamb and some frozen peas. Put it in an oval lidded roasting pan or a casserole dish, top with mashed potatoes (I’m sure you have your own favorite recipe) cover and bake in the Global Sun Oven until heated through and browned on top. If you like a meatier pie you can always throw in an extra lamb shank when you make the shanks and beans or you can used ground meat browned in the skillet.

Solar Lamb Shanks

Cooking is a lot of work so I like to get more than one meal out of my efforts. I also like to stretch my money. When I make these lamb shanks and beans I always make more than enough and used the leftovers for various recipes later in the week.

Lamb Shanks with Cannellini Beans

2 tablespoons oil, divided
1 1/2 cups chopped leeks
1/2 cup diced carrot
6 cups water
2 bay leaves
3/4 lb cannellini beans, soaked overnight
2 large lamb shanks, excess fat trimmed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp fresh chopped rosemary

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy dutch oven. Add leeks and carrots and cook for a minute or two. Add beans, water, bay leaves, and lamb shanks. Cover and place in Sun Oven for approx. 3 hours. Remove lamb shanks. Drain beans (reserve liquid for future use). Return beans to pot, season with remaining tablespoon oil, balsamic vinegar, chopped rosemary, salt and pepper. Remove meat from bones and serve with beans.

Makes 4 servings

A side of dark greens, steamed, and sauteed with garlic and olive oil will complete your meal.

Do not be tempted to throw away the cooking liquid. It can be used to make the best Pasta e Fagioli (pasta and bean soup) you’ve ever tasted.