Lamb and Apricot Pilaf

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to my high school friend Vicki for this one:

A woman walked into the kitchen to find her husband stalking
around with a fly swatter. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Hunting flies," he responded.

"Oh. Kill any?" she asked.

"Yep, three males, two females," he replied.

Intrigued, she asked. "How can you tell them apart?"

He responded, "Three were on a beer can, two were on the phone."

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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I'm a sucker for meat stews that contain fruit, and this one has
two. Add some Middle Eastern seasonings and you have a real
winner.

Lamb and Apricot Pilaf

4 Tbs (60 ml) olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 - 2 lbs (675-900 g) lean lamb cut into 1-inch
(3 cm) pieces
1 cup (250 ml) dried apricots, halved
1/4 cup (60 ml) raisins
1/2 tsp (2 ml) ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2 ml) dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 cups (500 ml) long-grain rice cooked according to
package directions
1/4 cup (60 ml) blanched slivered almonds, toasted

Heat half the oil in an ovenproof pot with a lid over moderate heat
and saute the onion until tender but not brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the lamb and brown on all sides. Add the apricots, raisins,
cinnamon, thyme, salt, and pepper and enough water to barely
cover the meat. Bake tightly covered in a preheated 325F (165C)
oven until the lamb is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Shortly before
serving, heat the remaining oil in a skillet over moderate heat and
add the rice, stirring it until it is coated with oil. Place the rice in
a greased baking dish and top with the lamb mixture. Bake
uncovered an additional 15 minutes and serve garnished with
toasted slivered almonds. Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Tue Oct 24 09:24:30 2006