Delightful Dinner

Sometimes, a light meal is all you need.

Especially, if you want your 10:30 p.m. fix of a bowl of ice cream while watching the DVR version of “General Hospital” following that night’s Phillies game.

These Lamb Chops with Mint and Mustard Dipping Sauce along with Grilled Vegetables with Lemon-Parsley Vinaigrette are the perfect combo of healthiness.

The chops are a Rachael Ray recipe from the first cookbook of hers that I ever purchased, “30 Minute Meals 2.” This was Rachael Ray before she really hit the big time. Before she was Oprah-fied and uber famous with a talk show. Before she had pots and pans in her name and hosted 20 different Food Network programs. I like this Rachael Ray. Honestly, if you are a beginning cook, I strongly recommend the cookbook. It has some great, easy recipes.

The sauce can be made ahead, and the lamb chops cook in just a few minutes. This is a fantastic recipe for a dinner party because it’s easy, breezy but comes off super special. My motto is: The less stress for the hostess; the better the party.

With the chops, I served a fabulous array of grilled veggies and a simple lemon parsley vinaigrette.

Because we are currently grill-less in my household, I grilled my zucchini, red bell peppers and scallions on my Le Creuset grill pan. This forced me to cook the veggies in batches which is fine because different vegetables require different cooking times.

The vegetables can totally be served at room temp, so no worries. This recipe comes from yours truly, but it’s really just a guide. You can shake up your vegetables, or change up the herbs in the vinaigrette. Basil or mint would totally rock in it.

I must advise all of you fabulous readers to try grilled scallions, because they really are heavenly. In its raw state, a scallion is just an onion; but after grilling it for a few minutes it is SO much more.

Lamb Chops with Mint and Mustard Dipping Sauce
From “30 Minutes Meals 2”
By Rachael Ray

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it

2 cloves smashed garlic
12 loin lamb chops, 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick each
Salt and pepper
3 rounded tablespoons prepared grain mustard
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 2 splashes
1 tablespoon honey, a good drizzle
1/4 cup mint leaves, a couple of handfuls of sprigs, reserve 4 leaves for garnish
4 leaves radicchio lettuce

Preheat broiler to high. Place garlic in a small saucepan and add 2/3 cup oil, to cover. Heat oil and garlic over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove oil from heat. Arrange lamb chops on broiler pan. Drizzle 3 teaspoonfuls of the garlic oil over the lamb and spread the oil over the chops with a brush to coat evenly. Season chops with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.


To a food processor or blender, add mustard, vinegar, honey. Turn processor or blender on and stream in remaining garlic and oil. Turn the processor or blender off and add mint to the container. Pulse and grind the dipping sauce to incorporate the leaves.

Broil chops 3 minutes on each side, then let them rest up to 10 minutes for the juices to distribute. The lamb will be cooked to medium. Serve 3 chops per person with dipping sauce portioned in radicchio leaves along side the chops. Garnish with sprigs of mint.

Please note: The raddicchio leaves are optional. The Jersey Girl does not use them.

Grilled Vegetables with Lemon-Parsley Vinaigrette
(Makes 4 servings)

1 red bell pepper, in ½ inch slices
1 large zucchini, in ½ inch vertical slices
1 bunch of scallions (6-10), ends trimmed
3 Tbsp. olive oil, plus a drizzle for grill pan
Salt and pepper

Toss each type of vegetable with 1 Tbsp. of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Using a paper towel, lightly grease grill pan with a drizzle of olive oil

In batches, grill vegetables in a grill pan over medium heat. Grill bell peppers for about 10 to 12 minutes; zucchini for about 7 to 10 minutes and scallions for about 5 minutes. Flip vegetables halfway through so that both sides are grilled. Remove vegetables from pan and place on serving platter. Top with lemon-parsley vinaigrette. (Recipe is below.)

Lemon-Parsley Vinaigrette
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
½ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Whisk together. Pour over grilled vegetables.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Burger Bonanza

You don't need a grill for a fabulous burger.

Disclaimer: The Jersey Girl is in no way, shape or form, a grilling guru.

But she sure knows how to make an awesome burger on your basic grill pan in the confines of an air-conditioned house.

Yes, we are totally in the throes of summer, when all mighty Americans beat their chests and fire up the grill. But The Husband’s extension of manlihood in terms of cookery is resting in peace in the graveyard of grills also known as the county dump.

Our grill had some issues during its six-year run. For one thing, it blew over about 97 times despite our valiant efforts of bunkering it down. You see, we received the grill from Santa Claus during our first year of marriage when we had been living in our very new home for about two months. And, you could say our home was built on the outskirts of town, where the farmland stretches for miles upon miles.

Get to the point, Susan.

So, right. Because our house is surrounded by nothingness and farms, it gets kinda windy back here.

No, like really windy. Like so windy, the wind will keep you awake at night battering against your new windows and beating down your new grill despite bungee cords and weights. We did what any respectable homeowner would do: We landscaped in the hopes that trees would block the powerful gusts. And it has been working. Our three-year-old Leyland cypresses are really getting up there in size protecting us from Mother Nature’s fury.

But, alas, the time had come to bid adieu to The Husband’s grill.

He has big intentions of purchasing a new, bigger and better and shinier grill, no doubt. He even scouted some out in the spring. But first, The Husband will be forking over his hard-earned cash for lots of cute and cuddly, yet boyish furniture for his baby in waiting.

Baby trumps grill.

Even so, we all get a hankering for a burger now and again. And that’s where a handy grill pan comes into play.

I used ground sirloin for my burgers. They were served with pepper jack cheese, lettuce, onion and tomato. They turned out really juicy. The key is to not overmix the meat mixture. That makes for a tough burger.

Apologies for providing this recipe post-July Fourth, the holiday celebrating our great-American freedom and the all-powerful grill.

Suzie’s Sirloin Burgers
(Makes four really big servings)

1 ½ lbs. ground sirloin
1 heaping Tbsp. Montreal steak seasoning
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Be sure to not overmix. Use a light hand when mixing. Place in refrigerator for at least two hours.

When it’s time to cook, shape meat into four patties.

Preheat grill pan or grill over medium heat.

Place burgers on pan and cook for 5-6 minutes on each side. During the last minute or two, top with cheese.

Serve with favorite cheese, burger toppings and condiments on crusty rolls.

A Little Wow on Your Plate

Baby lamb chops are total yum yum.


But, those suckers are a tough find in Hammonton grocery stores. Which is why the Jersey Girl usually resorts to eating baby lamb chops when out on the town, normally another town – such as Philadelphia.

Anyhoo, I’m always thrilled when I can find something unusual and special in my local yocal shops. So, when baby lamb chops greeted me in the meat aisle at ShopRite, I jumped on my chance.

So here’s my version of Grilled Baby Lamb Chops with Basil-Parsley Sauce.

These are awesome to make when trying to impress someone. I don’t really have anyone I care to woo over with my amazingness at this stage in the game because all the peeps in my circle are already aware that I am a goddess.

But, you know, if you’re cooking for your sweetie for the first time or in-laws or the boss or somebody like that, stick with this recipe. They will give you mad props!

You can serve this as a main or a starter. Make sure you don’t overcook the lamb chops. Just set the timer to be safe. And you can make the sauce in advance. It is a gorgeous shade of bright green because of all that fresh basil and parsley. Love.

Grilled Baby Lamb Chops are served with Arugula Salad and Stuffed Tomatoes.

Basil-Parsley Sauce
1 cup fresh basil leaves
¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 clove of garlic
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place the first 6 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until well blended. (You may need to scrape the sides once.)

Add olive oil. Pulse until well combined, smooth and vibrant green.

Serve with grilled baby lamb chops.

Grilled Baby Lamb Chops
8 to 12 baby lamb chops
Salt and pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil

Season both sides of the baby lamb chops with salt and pepper. Brush each side with a drizzle of olive oil.

Preheat grill pan over medium-high heat. Place lamb chops on pan. Grill the first side for four minutes. Flip the lamb chops. Grill the second side for four minutes.

Remove from pan to serving platter with Basil Parsley Sauce.

Please note: The Jersey Girl suggests three to four baby lamb chops per person when served as a main course.