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Roasted Leg of Lamb

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This recipe combines warm Middle Eastern influenced flavors like pomegranate molasses, turmeric, cumin, garlic and honey to perfectly flavor a roasted leg of lamb that’s cooked low and slow in the oven to give you a showstopping main.

I love roasted lamb. Cooking lamb is actually one of the easiest and most hands off things. Marinade your meat- this can be done overnight, a couple hours before, or even right before roasting. Then, stick it in the oven for the magic to happen. Patience is all you need! If you want an alternate way of preparing lamb, a slow cooker is definitely the way to go.

Prepping the lamb:

We always have the butcher trim as much of the fat as possible, personal preference. When it comes to marinading, it can be as simple as herbs and olive oil/butter, but I liked the combination of spices I saw listed for Lin’s food’s recipe. Garlic, tangy pomegranate molasses, honey, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, turmeric, saffron and rosemary. Bold flavors done in restraint to let the taste of the lamb come through.

Roasting your leg of lamb:

You want your oven hot but not too hot. An ideal range would be between 160-170 C (320-340 F). Wrap the pan the lamb is in tightly with foil to create a parcel that lets the lamb get steamed. We remove the foil for the last half an hour to get that crispy brown skin on the surface. After 3 hours, check the lamb by using a fork to pull the meat away from the bone and see if it’s tender enough. If not, cook longer. Cooking longer (at a temperature not above 170C) allows the collagen in the lamb to break down and tenderize. Rest the lamb after cooking for 20 minutes or so before cutting into it so that all the juices remain trapped inside.

Serve with:

I served this with plain basmati rice that I topped with crispy onions and pomegranate seeds. You can make a gravy as I outlined in the recipe below very easily using the pan juices, and use it to pour over the rice or a side of potatoes.

Stay tuned for my favorite mashed potato recipe coming soon to the blog, or make some classic roasted potatoes. Root vegetables are always a win, but I like the whole rice and lamb combo with a simple side salad, makes for a really complete meal.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and please comment below with any questions or feedback!

Roasted Leg of Lamb

An Iranian spiced leg of lamb with warm cumin, turmeric, honey and pomegranate molasses. Marinade, stick it in the oven, then forget about it!
5 from 5 votes
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Resting Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 600kcal
Author: Farah Abumaizar

Ingredients

For the marinade:

  • 5 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 4 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
  • 2 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • juice of 1 lemon squeezed
  • 2 tablespoon liquid saffron see note
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 sprigs rosemary, leaves only finely chopped

For the lamb:

  • 1 leg of lamb, 1.5-2kg (3.5-4.5 pounds)
  • 3 large onions, sliced
  • 1 cup chicken stock

For the gravy:

  • 4 tablespoon flour
  • 1/2-1 cup water

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 170 C (325 F)
  • Using a sharp knife,slash the leg of lamb all over making deep cuts
  • Whisk together all the marinade ingredients
  • Massage the marinade into the lamb, pushing it into the cuts you made and all over.
  • Scatter onions all along the bottom of your baking sheet, then place lamb leg on the onions, putting the fattier juicer side of the leg upside down directly touching the onions.
  • Pour the chicken stock on the onions, then cover pan tightly with foil and place in preheated oven.
  • Roast for 3-4 hours . After 3 hours, check if lamb is tender by using a fork to lift a chunk of meat off the bone. If it isn't tender enough, return to the oven for another hour.
  • Remove foil, turn lamb around and roast uncovered for a further 30-45 minutes to brown.

To make gravy:

  • Remove the lamb and onions from the pan, then place the roasting pan with the pan juices on the stove top. Remove a little of the fat off the top, and heat over medium heat until liquid bubbles.
  • Whisk in the flour once the liquid bubbles, and keep whisking while liquid reduces to a thick gravy consistency. Once it thickens considerably, add 1/2-1 cup of water and whisk this in until you get your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and strain into a bowl.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Lin’s Food.
 
To make the liquid saffron, combine a pinch of saffron threads that you have crumbled into a fine powder between your fingertips to a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoon of hot water (not boiling, let boiled water cool for 3-5 minutes before adding). Steep for 15-20 minutes then use all in the recipe including the residue.

Nutrition

Calories: 600kcal
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Pineapple Pudding Cake

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A fork with a bite of pineapple cake on it being taken out of a slice of pineapple cake on a white plate
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This cake is a soft fluffy pineapple juice infused yellow cake that’s topped with a cream cheese vanilla pudding mixture, pineapples, whipped cream and toasted coconut and pecans. It’s one of those cakes that are so light you can’t stop eating. An all time favorites!

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and your stomach is rumbling. This bright and yellow cake evokes sunshine and happiness and I think it’ll please just about anyone!

Pineapple cake- the ingredients:

Just like one of my other favorite cakes, this uses a cake mix. (shh, no one needs to know). You need yellow cake mix, pudding mix, canned pineapple, heavy cream, and the toppings of your choice. I really like toasted pecans and toasted coconut here. This comes together easily and is a good make ahead dessert because it tastes great straight out of the fridge.

The process:

You make your cake mix as specified by the package directions, but instead of adding the water called for, add the drained pineapple juice from your can of pineapple. This sneaky little substitution is going to give you a world of flavor. Bake your cake, and cool it. Meanwhile, your pudding gets mixed up then combined with the cream cheese, and you whip some heavy cream separately for that final top layer. If using toasted coconuts and pecans, this is how to toast them:

How to make sweetened whipped cream:

All you need to do is combine cold heavy cream, 2 tablespoon of icing sugar, and a teaspoon of vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix at medium high speed until soft peaks form. The addition of this small amount of sugar and vanilla gives a mild fragrant sweetness to the cream.

How to toast your nuts:

Heat oven to 180 C (350F). Spread the pecans on one baking sheet in an even single layer, and the coconuts on another baking sheet. Toast for 5 minutes, stirring midway through. Watch carefully because these can burn fast!

Pyrex pan with pineapple cake topped with whipped cream, pecans and coconut. Small plate of cake and a bottle of milk on the side

The assembly:

Your cooled cake gets topped with the pudding cream cheese mixture, then with your pineapple chunks, the whipped cream, and the toasted pecans and coconuts. Store in the fridge until ready to serve-this is delicious eaten cold. Keep leftovers in the fridge tightly wrapped and they can be enjoyed for a few days although I doubt it’ll last you that long! If making ahead, add the toasted nuts at the last minute so they retain their crunch.

Pineapple Pudding Cake

This light and fluffy pineapple infused yellow cake is topped with cream cheese pudding, pineapple, and whipped cream. Light as a cloud!
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 20 people
Calories: 215kcal
Author: Farah Abumaizar

Ingredients

  • 1 large can sliced or crushed pineapple, drained and juice reserved 550 g or 20 oz
  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1 cup pineapple juice (from the drained can)
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 250 g heavy whipping cream 1 cup
  • 2 tablespoon icing sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups cold milk
  • 1 box jello instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 200 g cream cheese, softened 7 oz
  • 1/2 cup toasted pecan halves, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup toasted sweetened shredded coconut

Instructions

For the cake:

  • Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) and grease a 13×9 inch baking pan.
  • Combine the cake mix, the pineapple juice, the vegetable oil and the eggs in a bowl. Mix together vigorously for 2 minutes or until smooth and combined.
  • Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

To toast the pecans and coconut:

  • Place the pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer, and the coconut in a separate baking sheet. Place them in the 180 C(350 F) oven for 5 minutes, stirring midway through until light golden brown and fragrant. Remove from oven and cool.

For the pudding:

  • Combine the cold milk and pudding mix in a bowl. Whisk for 2 minutes until pudding thickens, then let it stand for another few minutes to set.
  • Mix the pudding mix with the cream cheese (make sure cream cheese has been left on the counter to soften so that you don't have lumps) until thoroughly combined. You may find it easier to use a mixer to do this.

For the sweetened whipped cream:

  • Add the cold heavy cream, the icing sugar and the vanilla extract into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a whisk attachment, beat at medium high speed for a few minutes or until soft peaks form.

To assemble:

  • Top the cooled cake with the pudding mixture, then roughly chop the pineapple and scatter it evenly on top. Spread whipped cream evenly on top, then garnish with the cooled toasted pecans and coconut. Store in fridge.

Notes

If making ahead, top with pecans and coconut last minute so they don’t soften.
Recipe inspired by this recipe from Taste of home.

Nutrition

Calories: 215kcal
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Creamy Roasted Mushroom Soup

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A big white pot full of chunky mushroom soup on a white kitchen towel with thyme leaves in the background

Creamy Mushroom Soup

This mushroom soup has barely any cream in it, yet is completely creamy and thick, rich and delicious. The mushrooms are tossed with garlic and thyme infused olive oil and roasted, and then added to a soup base of chicken broth and caramelized onions. Packed full of flavor and a real crowd pleaser! Recipe adapted from Damn Delicious.

My husband hates mushrooms. He isn’t a picky eater but those are one of the few things he won’t eat. This makes me sad because, I LOVE mushrooms. But you’ll notice, there aren’t any mushroom recipes on this blog because I aim to please with my cooking. This time though, I was selfish. And I loved it.

Roasting the mushrooms

Typically, mushroom soup starts with mushrooms being sauteed on the stove top. There’s nothing wrong with that, but roasting the mushrooms is a game changer. It really immerses the mushrooms with the flavor of the garlic and thyme, and gives the perfect earthy seasoned base to the soup. It’s super easy to do- just toss the mushrooms with some olive oil that has some minced garlic and thyme sprigs mixed in and roast in a hot oven for 20-30 minutes.

The onions:

Caramelizing the onions will take quite a bit of time. Think 12-15 minutes of occasional stirring. But you don’t need me to tell you how good caramelized onions are and that the subtle sweetness they add to the soup are totally worth the time spent.

The soup base:

You have chicken stock (which you could sub for vegetable stock for an all vegetarian soup), bay leaves and thyme for flavor, and some salt, pepper and nutmeg. That’s it! I find that nutmeg goes really well with creamy sauces, but you are free to use any mixture of herbs that you like.

Storing the soup:

You can store leftover soup for 2 days in the fridge. Freezing after adding the cream isn’t a good idea since this will cause the cream to separate. If you do want make it with the purpose of freezing it, freeze it before adding the cream in the final step, and add the cream once you thaw and reheat it.

I want to say this is the recipe that can convert even mushroom haters, but my husband refused to even try it. Oh well, more for me! Find the recipe below and let me know any thoughts or questions in the comment section!

Creamy Roasted Mushroom Soup

A creamy mushroom soup made extra special by roasting the mushrooms with garlic and herb infused olive oil.
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Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 316kcal
Author: Farah Abumaizar

Ingredients

  • 800 g brown mushrooms (cremini or other)
  • 4-5 tablespoon olive oil
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 fresh thyme sprigs
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • pinch of nutmeg (optional)
  • 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 5 cups chicken stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 200 C (400F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place mushrooms in a single layer on the baking sheet.
  • In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, half of the minced garlic, 4 sprigs of thyme, and some salt and pepper. Drizzle this mixture onto the mushrooms and toss to combine.
  • Roast in the hot oven for 20-30 minutes or until browned and tender, stirring midway through. Let mushrooms cool, then chop coarsely.
  • Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add the diced onion. Cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring until onion is golden and caramelized. Add the remaining garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
  • Whisk in the flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Stir in water.
  • Add the chicken stock, bay leaves, and the rest of the thyme. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for 15 minutes until slightly reduced.
  • Stir in the mushrooms and simmer for another 10 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the heavy cream.
  • You can either leave the soup chunk, or use an immersion blender and puree to desired consistency.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Damn Delicious. 

Nutrition

Calories: 316kcal
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @everylittlecrumb or tag #everylittlecrumb!

Strawberry Salad with Grilled Halloumi and Candied Pecans

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Strawberry Halloumi Salad

This post was sponsored by Agora Foods, but all thoughts and opinions are my own. I used their excellent halloumi, extra virgin greek olive oil and salad dressing to create this recipe.

A strawberry and arugula salad with fresh strawberries, grilled halloumi giving a beautiful saltiness and crunch, and candied pecans for a little something extra. This comes together in under 15 minutes and make a beautiful summery light main dish or side salad. Strawberry and grilled halloumi make the perfect flavor combination!

I am very formulaic with my favorite salads. There must be some form of cheese, a fruit, nuts, and lots of fresh greens. This roasted beetroot salad is another one I make again and again. I find that flavor combination gives the most satisfaction, making you happy to have a salad for lunch. The crunch and sweetness of the candied pecans really pushes this over the top, and it’s a step that takes only 5 extra minutes. So worth it!

Cheese, please.

Many types of cheese work well with strawberries. I chose grilled halloumi here, one of my favorite things to eat. You can also use feta, goat cheese, fresh parmesan, or really anything that comes to mind.

How to properly grill halloumi:

I used a grill pan to get some nice marks on the halloumi. You heat a little olive oil in the pan over medium heat and once hot add your cheese slices. I know some people choose to use a non stick pan and not add oil at all, but this is the way I’ve always done it! You don’t want your halloumi slices sputtering in the high heat and burning you (true story), so the key is to properly pat dry your slices of halloumi before putting them on the heat.

Salad greens: What works best?

I kept this super flexible. My favorite is arugula (or wild rocket) for a pepperiness that contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the strawberries and candied nuts. You can use any mixed lettuce, and baby spinach would also be really good in this- a natural pairing to strawberries.

The candied pecans:

Nuts are essential to a salad in my humble opinion. If you have a nut allergy, feel free to ignore me or sub in some sunflower or pumpkin seeds. Toasted nuts really elevate the flavor, but if you want to go further, add some candied pecans to your strawberry salad. They are sweet and a little salty, crunchy and smoky. Delicious! And they come together in five minutes on the stovetop. Ridiculously easy. All you need to do is melt together sugar, water, cinnamon. You add the pecans, and toss to coat. Cook for 3 minutes, then turn pecans out onto parchment paper and let cool completely, then break apart. Congratulations, you just upped your salad game. And you don’t even need to turn on your oven. Thanks fifteen spatula’s for the recipe!

The dressing:

You can go crazy here! Honey mustard dressing, a balsamic vinaigrette, a citrus dressing, simple olive oil and salt and pepper. I have a favorite dressing that I tend to use anytime I’m making a green salad which you can find here. I used Agora food’s pomegranate balsamic dressing here and it worked so well, especially with the pomegranate seeds thrown in.

Strawberry Halloumi Salad

Strawberry Halloumi Salad with Candied Pecans

A simple summery salad with strawberries, grilled halloumi, arugula and candied pecans
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Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free, Halal, Vegetarian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 272kcal
Author: Farah Abumaizar

Ingredients

For the salad base:

  • 150 g halloumi, sliced
  • 1 cup ripe strawberries, sliced
  • 4 cups salad greens, I used one box of arugula
  • Handful pomegranate seeds

For the candied pecans:

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • Pinch of cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1/2 cup pecans

Instructions

For the candied pecans:

  • Combine the brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and water in a skillet and cook over medium heat until sugar dissolved and mixture is bubbling.
  • Add the pecan halves and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring to coat the pecans in the glaze.
  • Remove pecans from the heat onto a piece of parchment or non stick paper, allow to col completely, then break pecans apart. Set aside.

For the salad:

  • Drizzle a non stick pan with a little olive oil and heat on medium heat until hot
  • Add sliced halloumi and grill on each side 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Set aside
  • Assemble the salad by placing your washed salad greens in your serving bowl, topping with sliced strawberries, grilled halloumi, pomegranate seeds, and candied pecans.
  • Serve with salad dressing. I used Agora's pomegranate balsamic glaze which worked perfectly but you can also use my go to salad dressing I linked in the notes.

Notes

Candied pecans adapted from this recipe by fifteen spatulas
My go to easy salad dressing recipe can be found here: 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 272kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 460mg | Potassium: 198mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 486IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 433mg | Iron: 1mg
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Unbelievably Moist Chocolate Bundt Cake

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This is an incredibly simple and moist, no mixer needed, 5 minutes of effort chocolate bundt cake. The taste defies how minimal your efforts are. Fudgy, somehow both dense and soft with molten pockets of chocolate. It is a guaranteed hit, and it starts with quite a big cheat- cake mix!

I don’t usually like using cake mix because it’s much more rewarding to make a cake from scratch, but I can’t argue with a recipe that’s received accolades from every reviewer that’s tried it on allrecipes.com , where I got this recipe from. One of the first cakes I’ve ever made when I started baking, it’s simple, moist and chocolatey. It’s also more than that. It’s delicious! If you’d like a moist chocolate cake made from scratch, be sure to check out this recipe here.

The chocolate bundt cake base:

It can’t get much simpler. Chocolate cake mix, sour cream, pudding mix, vegetable oil, eggs, and hot water. The moistness of the cake comes from a few factors. Using oil, adding sour cream, and the pudding that gets incorporated in the cake to produce a velvety texture. Trust me when I say, this is probably as moist as you can get!

Baking the cake:

You bake this in a bundt cake pan until a toothpick comes out clean, but with just a few crumbs attached is fine, it’ll just up the gooey factor. My mom has made this into cupcakes before which turned out delicious, but I love the simplicity of a bundt.

Serving your chocolate bundt cake:

You can top this with the simple chocolate glaze recipe that’s provided, which I recommend if you are taking this to people or serving this to guests. It elevates the cake and makes it look really pretty. It’s also easier to garnish because your mini chocolate chips or sprinkles will stick to the glaze when it’s still wet (But not too warm, or the chips will melt). I’ve also made this multiple times without any glaze, and just dusted some icing sugar on the top. It’s certainly rich enough to eat unadorned.

Drink something with this, an ice cold glass of milk or a strong cup of black coffee to cut the sweetness. This is a great make ahead dessert because it stays moist when well covered for days.

Top down shot of chocolate glazed chocolate cake with milk in the background
Top down shot of chocolate glazed chocolate cake with milk in the background

Unbelievably Moist Chocolate Bundt Cake

Five minutes of effort and a doctored cake mix gives you the moistest and fudgiest chocolate cake you've ever had!
5 from 5 votes
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 475kcal
Author: Farah Abumaizar

Ingredients

For the chocolate cake:

  • 1 box dark chocolate cake mix
  • 1 package instant chocolate pudding mix (5.9 oz)
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 eggs lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

For the chocolate glaze: (optional)

  • 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 3 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

For the chocolate cake:

  • Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F). Grease and flour a 12 cup bundt cake pan.
  • In a large bowl, stir together cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, vegetable oil, eggs and water until well combined.
  • Stir in the chocolate chips, then transfer batter to prepared pan.
  • Bake for 50-55 minutes until cake top is springy to touch, and toothpick comes out clean (or mostly clean, the chocolate chips might show melted chocolate on the toothpick)
  • Cool in pan for at least one hour, then invert onto serving plate and top with the chocolate glaze or sprinkle some icing sugar on top.

For the chocolate glaze:

  • In a double boiler (a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water), melt together the chocolate, butter, and corn syrup, stirring until completely combined. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
  • Spread the warm glaze on top of the cooled cake, and if you want to top with chocolate chips or sprinkles do it before the glaze sets.

Notes

Recipe for chocolate cake is from Allrecipes.
Recipe for chocolate glaze is also from Allrecipes.

Nutrition

Calories: 475kcal
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