All-Out-Alison Meal with Turmeric-Roasted Lamb, Sour Cream Flatbread, & Apple and Endive Salad

Another All-Out-Alison meal is in the books. I love making All-Out-Alison meals - who doesn’t want multiple Alison dishes in one sitting? But on days when I make these meals, I find myself in the kitchen for a stretch of hours, flitting between tasks and ingredient prep, and it’s really quite an ordeal. Today’s post will document my process. I’m guessing at the timestamps, but they’re close to being accurate. 

To indicate which dish each step belongs to, I’ll label them with [lamb - Turmeric-Roasted Lamb Shoulder and Carrots with All the Fixings], [flatbread - Sour Cream Flatbreads], [salad - Apple and Endive Salad with Parsley and Salted Almonds], and [salsa verde - Another Salsa Verde]. 

Oh wait, one note before we begin. Alison’s lamb instructions suggest a 3.5-4 lb. boneless lamb shoulder, but I could only find lamb leg (similar cut) that was much smaller or much bigger. Since we were having company, I went with the larger 5.5 lb. cut, which meant that I used more garlic/turmeric for the marinade, and had to cook the lamb longer than instructed. More on that in a bit… 

Let’s make a meal, shall we? 

8:40am: [lamb] Remove the lamb leg from the fridge to let it finish thawing on the counter

11:43am: [lamb] Peel and dice the fresh turmeric and excessive amount of garlic cloves - I used 13

11:53am: [lamb] Create the marinade by combining the turmeric and garlic with olive oil and cumin

11:57am: [lamb] Salt and pepper the lam, then rub the marinade all over, getting in all the cracks. 

12:03pm: [lamb] Search for butcher’s twine in the craft box hiding in my coat closet. I find only crafting string, but decide that it’ll do the job. 

12:08pm: [lamb] Use a sharp knife to cut a slit in the center of the lamb, so the whole thing can fold over like a book, allowing you to tie it like Alison says. 

12:09pm: [lamb] Use the found crafting string to tie the lamb, one inch apart. My hands get very yellow and oily from doing this. 

12:20pm: [lamb] Place the tied lamb on a baking sheet covered with tin foil and, with plastic wrap covering the meat, place it in the fridge to marinate. 

1:01pm: [flatbread] Stir the warm water, sugar, and yeast together until the yeast dissolves. Add four cups of flour and combine until no major dry spots remain. Cover, and let sit for ten minutes to hydrate the flour. 

1:20pm: [flatbread] Add the melted butter, salt, and sour cream to the dough using your hands. The dough feels wet and slimy. The goal is to fully incorporate the sour cream. Once done, cover the dough and let it rest for two hours. 

3:20pm: [flatbread] Uncover the dough bowl and punch down the dough, knocking some of the air out of it. I hear the air escape and it's kind of thrilling. Cover the dough back up and let it sit for another two hours. 

3:22pm: [salsa verde] Slice a shallot in half. Reserve one half in the fridge and dice the other half into the smallest pieces possible. 

3:24pm: [salsa verde] Slice a lemon and squeeze two tablespoons of lemon juice over the shallots. 

3:26pm: [salsa verde] Retrieve my herbs: cilantro, parsley, mint, and chives. Tiny dice two whole cups of herbs (which is a lot of herbs). Use mostly parsley and cilantro, but supplement with mint and chives. 

3:42pm: [salsa verde] Cover the bowl and store in the fridge. Alison’s Another Salsa Verde is complete.

4:00pm: [lamb] Turn on the oven. 

4:15pm: [lamb] Pull out the dutch oven and pour some oil into the base. Turn on the burner to medium heat. Remove the lamb from the fridge and place it in the dutch oven to brown the meat, turning the meat with your tongs every 4-6 minutes. 

4:35pm: [lamb] Place the carrots in the pot with the lamb, and toss the carrots in the excess fat at the bottom. 

4:40pm: [lamb] Lift the pot, with lamb and carrots inside, into the oven. Set a timer for one hour and ten minutes. Alison recommends one hour for a medium-cooked lamb. But given the size of the cut of meat, I know I’ll need more time. I just need to check and see how much extra time at the 1:10 mark. 

4:42pm: [salad] Quarter the endives lengthwise, and toss the leaves in a large bowl. Slice the other half of the shallot into very thin rounds, separating them as I lob them into the bowl. Trim several strands of parsley and mint, also adding them to the bowl. 

4:52pm: [salad] Pour out a pile of almonds on the cutting board and chop them into small bits. Place them into a bowl on the counter. 

4:58pm: CLEAN THE HOUSE - GUESTS ARE COMING OVER 

5:20pm: [flatbread] Pour the dough onto a cutting board, and using a dough cutter, create six equally sized balls of dough. Using just a modicum of flour to dust them so they don’t stick to your hands. Coax the first dough ball into a flat, mini pizza shape, letting the dough stretch over the back of my hands like Alison says. 

5:27pm: [flatbread] Get out the cast iron skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. Pour out a bit of olive oil and lay the first dough round in there. I hear it sizzle, and within three to four minutes, just like Alison says, the dough is bubbly and golden. I flip the bread and let it heat for two minutes on the other side. Continue with the rest of the dough, rolling each one out just before the skillet frees up. Keep the flatbreads warm under two plates. One dish done! 

5:50pm: [lamb] Check on the lamb. Insert the meat thermometer. Oh boy, it’s still 95 degrees in the deepest part, and we’re aiming for between 145 and 160. Push it back in and set the time for another 30 minutes from now. 

5:56pm: [salad] Add olive oil to the bowl of almonds, along with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. 

5:59pm: [salad] Thinly slice the Honeycrisp apple into rounds. Then toss the apples with the endive and herb mixture, along with salt and lemon juice. 

6:05pm: [salad] Arrange the salad on a serving platter, then drizzle the almond mixture over the top. Quick! Take several fabulously lit pictures just before the sun goes down. Wrap the plate and place it on the table. Two dishes done! 

6:15pm: [lamb] Check on the lamb, and realize it still has another 15-25 degrees to go in several parts before it’s considered medium-rare. Slide it back in and set a new timer for 20 minutes. 

6:20pm: Get changed, remove your apron and brush your hair. 

6:30pm: Guests arrive! Friends from my hometown in Southern California. Marissa and Drew. Entertain them with a glass of wine (that they brought - it’s so good!). 

6:45pm: [lamb] Check on the lamb, and it’s done! Probably could have taken it out 8-10 minutes earlier… Oh well. It’s still soft and easy to chew. The flavor is incredibly rich but not too overpowering. The turmeric is less harsh and the garlic more potent than you expected. The lamb is delicious. A success! Just next time, try to get one in the right weight range. I think that’ll save lots of guesswork. 

6:50pm: Serve the lamb with garlicky yogurt, Alison’s Another Salsa Verde, and flaky salt. 

7:45pm: Transition from dinner to the gf apple crisp Marissa made, and enjoy every sweet bite. Even better? The company and conversation. 

I hope you enjoyed this play by play. Making meals can be a lot of work, but at least they’re rewarding. 

161 recipes cooked, 64 to go.

Blueberry Cake with Almond and Cinnamon by Alison Roman

It’s softer than any coffee cake. It’s richer than any fruit crumble. It’s more nuanced than any other fruit cake. It takes the cake, because it is THE cake. This blueberry cake with almond and cinnamon is wonderful. 

Allow me to highlight the aspects of this cake that really set it apart: 

1. Almond flour – The recipe utilizes a mixture of almond flour and regular all-purpose, which lends a nutty depth to the batter. Almond flour also makes the crumb slightly more dense than other breakfast cakes. And for those of you wondering, I did swap the all-purpose flour with gluten-free all-purpose flour. I also added an extra egg and a 1/4th tsp. of Xanthan gum. The conversion worked beautifully. 

2. Cinnamon – When Madeline took her first bite, the next words out of her mouth were, “ooo the spices!” To which I responded, “it’s actually just cinnamon!” But I agreed with her – somehow this tasted like a nice blend of spices. Nutmeg and a dash of allspice, maybe? Perhaps it’s the almond flour that gave it the depth. No matter the cause, the cinnamon really transformed this cake from a straightforward berry cake to one with depth. 

3. Amount of fresh blueberries – Two whole cups! Blueberries bursting in every bite. This helped keep the cake moist. There weren’t any real dry patches, save for a few tiny ones at the very edges of the cake. FYI, I think using frozen blueberries here are a real no-go, unless you’re willing to totally thaw and drain them first. 

4. Sugar on top – To give it a crackly texture on top, Alison instructs you to sprinkle 3 tbsp. of granulated sugar over the cake’s surface before baking. The sugar hardens and forms cracks along the top, giving it a nice textural contrast and a punch of sweet in every bite. 

I loved this cake. I can especially see this coming in handy when I need to contribute to a breakfast or brunch of some kind. It’s a crowdpleaser. But I’m also just as willing to make it for myself on a random Wednesday. I’ll have no problem eating it on my own.

80 recipes cooked, 145 to go.

Butcher’s Steak with Dried Chiles and Salted Peanuts by Alison Roman

I appreciate when a single recipe creates an entire meal. There are days when I don’t mind flipping between pages to follow three separate recipes to make three separate dishes simultaneously. But most days, I just want to look at one page and end up with everything I need to feed and satisfy the people at my table, which is usually just J and I. 

This recipe contains instructions for two key components: the salsa and the steak. But it also gives plenty of fabulous ideas for sides and fixings, including some helpful quick tips that I will be using for all kinds of future taco nights. 

The salsa. Generally speaking, I’m a salsa verde type of gal. I’m incapable of turning down tomatillos and lime. But this dried chile salsa is made from red chiles, New Meican and Guajillo chiles to be exact. (FYI, Whole Foods is rather reliable for their dried chile selections, if you have a hard time finding some.) First step is to remove the stems of the chiles and toast them with garlic and oil in a small pot. However, every time I’ve cooked with dried chiles, I find a layer of dried dirt hidden in some of the chile crevices. I have yet to see a recipe or a package instruction that says to wipe off said dirt, which sort of flummoxes me. But you’ve heard it from me, look out for the dirt and use a lightly dampened paper towel to clean the chiles before cooking with them. 

Once the chiles and garlic are toasty, the nuts get tossed into the pot for a quick coating in oil before all of the ingredients get transferred to a blender or food processor to be roughly pureed. Lately I’ve been having issues with raw peanuts and my stomach not getting along. So I’ve been sticking with almonds instead of peanuts. Yes, they’re different flavors, but they’re both still nutty! I think cashews could also have been a fine substitution here, but sadly, J can’t stand cashews. The pureed salsa can go into a bowl and be mixed with some apple cider vinegar and more oil, until it’s the consistency of a “spoonable sauce.” 

Dried chile salsa can be made ahead, covered and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks! If there are just two of you eating this recipe, then you’re bound to have a lot leftover. We ended up doing a second taco night a few days later with some chicken instead of steak, and used all the leftover salsa, tortillas, and other fixings that didn’t get eaten. 

Now onto the steak. Alison says you can use any kind of butcher’s steak: hangar steak, strip steak, etc. I chose a strip steak, rubbed it with salt and pepper, and cooked it over high heat in a cast iron skillet. 

Alison provides instructions for two other elements in the taco smorgasbord. Red onions - slice them very thinly into rings and soak them ice water before serving. I don’t know why I had never heard this trick before, but it’s brilliant! By soaking them, the red onions lose their strong, sometimes overpowering bite. They still retain a lot of their flavor, but they didn’t take over the tacos. Secondly, watercress marinated in lime juice and salt and pepper. I could not find any watercress -- I searched three stores! So I used a head of chopped romaine instead, and honestly it was a wonderful choice. I also served up some leftover mexican brown rice and cilantro, in addition to the corn tortillas. 

This recipe was a crowd (of 2) pleaser. I see more taco nights like this in our future.

48 recipes cooked, 177 to go.

Buttered Turmeric Rice with Crushed Almonds and Herbs by Alison Roman

Well since my modified turmeric revelation during the lemony tea cake recipe, I figured, why not keep testing my theory. This rice recipe affirmed that turmeric is nice when it isn’t the only thing you taste. The rice’s flavor is actually dominated by the toasted almond and butter flavors, more than anything else. Which means it can go really well with all sorts of other dishes. 

Let’s elaborate. Step one is to cook some rice. This recipe calls for jasmine or basmati rice. Over the last few years, I’ve become accustomed to substituting white rice for brown rice (health benefits, yada yada). But when I refer back to the rules, I’m reminded that I committed to maintaining the integrity of these recipes, which means no ingredient swapping unless totally necessary. Thus, I bought my first bag of jasmine rice in at least 3 years. 

I had forgotten how light and fluffy jasmine rice can be. And how much more quickly it cooks than brown rice! It only took 12 minutes to make 3 cups of rice. Once the rice is done, just set it aside. 

Meanwhile, it’s time to toast some chopped almonds in butter. I chopped my nuts by hand, mostly because I only had whole almonds, and I do like the texture of a roughly chopped nut (so many fun angles!). However, it should be noted that I will never be one to look down upon the purchase of pre-sliced or pre-chopped nuts. In fact, I grew up on a steady diet of kale and lemon salads topped with blanched slivered almonds. There are some days when I just don’t want to chop my own nuts. If you’re like me, then I say, “no shame!” 

After the nuts are toasty and the butter is browned, the nuts are removed and set aside with the rice, and the butter gets left behind. Thinly sliced shallots and turmeric take a dive into the butter and become soft and fragrant. Just a few minutes of cooking and you’re ready to plop the rice back into the skillet on top of the shallots and turmeric. 

This is the point where crispiness happens in front of your very eyes. Except you can’t actually see it get crispy because after the rice is pressed down into the skillet, you just have to leave it there and let the pan do the magic. Good thing I learned that “Believing isn’t seeing” from Judy the Elf in “The Santa Clause” movie with Tim Allen. Believe, though you do not see, that the rice is getting crunchier over the instructed span of 8-10 minutes over medium heat. FYI, at one point, I did lift up a corner of rice to check its progress (Alison says you can!) and realized that the pan needed to be rotated a bit for even crisping. 

Once the rice was crisped to my heart’s content, I plated it and topped it with the toasted almonds and a bunch of herbs. The texture was really fun and the flavor was subtle. I’d say keep the subtleness if you’re serving it with something else that’s loud and in your face. But if you want the rice to stand out more, don’t be afraid to maybe add a bit of coriander, possibly more salt, and definitely more black pepper. 

45 recipes cooked, 180 to go.

Kinda-Sweet Granola with Coconut and Turmeric by Alison Roman

What makes for a good granola recipe?

1. Every good granola recipe has an X factor. 

This granola has 3 X factors: 

• Quinoa (the tiny crunch!)

• Egg Whites (this makes it even crunchier)

• Chile Powder (I know it says turmeric, but I called an audible. Granola is better with a hint of heat.)

2. Every good granola recipe is also a template. 

Nuts, seeds, grains, spices, dried fruit, coconut, maple syrup, honey: any of these will do. Almost every ingredient is listed as a group of options. I.e. “½ cup millet, quinoa, or white sesame seeds.” What must stay are the oats, egg whites, salt and cinnamon. The oven temperature and bake time are immovable. If you’re wondering, I used these ingredient options: coconut flakes AND shredded coconut, quinoa, almonds, pepitas, maple syrup, coconut oil, chile powder.

3. Every good granola recipe makes a lot of granola. 

If I’m going to make granola, I want a big batch of it so that it lasts me (and my very hungry partner) at least a week. I think some recipes don’t make large quantities because they’re afraid of overcrowding the baking sheet, and therefore, uneven toasting. But Alison’s low-and-slow approach and instruction to stir it every 15 minutes of bake time avoids that. 

In summary, this is a good granola recipe. 

18 recipes cooked, 207 to go.