Cold Sore Update and a Recipe

Cold sore update... doesn't that sound appetizing? Anyway, the cold sore is healing, but of course, tailing behind it is the inevitable cold itself. Nuts. So far, I'm not feeling too bad, though my throat is sore and my nose is running. I'm hoping to be able to hold it off for at least a couple of days until Thursday, when I don't have any meetings and could take the day off if I needed to. The sore throat was one of a number of factors, another being a four-legged feline with sharp teeth, that conspired to keep me from sleeping well last night, which probably won't help.

Anyway, on to more interesting topics, there are a number of bloggers out there who take advantage of Tuesdays to share recipes on their blogs (Trader Tuesdays). I have read many of these recipes with great interest, and thought that perhaps I should step up with the "sharing" part of the game, and provide some of my own too!

This is the recipe I use for Rack of Lamb, and I got it and adapted it from www.allrecipes.com.
WH and I make this when we feel like we have something to celebrate; it's lovely with a nice glass (or bottle) of red wine, and I usually make it with mashed potatoes and whatever vegetable I have on hand.

Roasted Rack of Lamb

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of fresh bread crumbs
Garlic Powder to taste (or fresh, if you prefer... I just tend to be lazy)
Rosemary to taste
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 (7 bone) rack of lamb, trimmed and frenched
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

Preheat oven to 450F. (This is not a great recipe to make in the summer, as the kitchen gets hot!) In a bowl, mix bread crumbs, garlic powder, rosemary, salt and pepper. Toss in 2 Tbsp of olive oil to moisten and set aside.

Season the rack all over with salt and pepper. (It is possible to over-salt this dish, given the salt in the breadcrumb mixture too, so go easy!) Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in an oven-proof cast iron skillet over high heat. Sear the rack of lamb for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Remove from heat, and set aside for a few minutes. Brush rack of lamb with mustard, and roll it in the bread crumb mixture. Cover the ends of the bones with foil to prevent charring.

Lay the rack bone-side down in the skillet and roast it in the preheated oven for 12-18 minutes (I usually do about 15 or 16 minutes for medium rare.) Let it rest for 5 minutes before carving between the ribs. Enjoy with mint jelly!