A little Le Creuset Cassis French Oven (and Baked Lamb Chops)...

I'm feeling a little bit more french these days...

I mean, I've always wanted to BE french...

Isn't there just something so glamorous about everything french?

Their fashion, their food, their wine, their way of life. 

I'm pretty sure I was meant to be french, but until I can somehow manage to buy a french villa and accompanying vineyard, overlooking the Mediterranean ....

this little Le Creuset pot will have to do ;)

My lovely husband surprised me with this little beauty for Christmas!! :) :)

I am completely spoiled. I know.....I know....

But he's going to reap the benefits ;) 

Well, at least until the novelty wears off...hehe. ;)

I don't think it will, though. This french oven is perfect for so many dishes.

The first meal I made was "Coq au vin". YUMM.

(I didn't take pictures).

The second meal was a little concoction I sort of just threw together with what I had in the fridge, and I was DELISH!

Baked Rosemary Lamb Chops (sounds like a suitable name?)

First, I marinated four lamb shoulder chops for about a half hour (longer would be better) in 2 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 +/- Red wine (in a separate bowl). Then I seasoned them with sea salt and rubbed fresh rosemary on both sides.

While the lamb was marinating, I cut up about 6 red-skinned potatoes, one large yam, and 3 carrots into cubes and popped them in the pot.

I then added some butter (approx. 3 tbsps +/-) in globs on top of the veggies, as well as some "Herbamare" (my favourite spice mix by A.Vogel...found at the health food store), freshly ground sea salt, black pepper and 2 whole cloves of garlic (just peeled).

I placed the lamb chops on top of the veggies and popped it in the oven at 325F for approx. 2.5 hrs. (with the lid on).

15 minutes before we were ready to eat, I boiled a little bunch of asparagus for approx. 2 minutes and then dumped it in on top of the lamb (seasoned the asparagus with sea salt, black pepper and a little freshly ground garlic flakes). The asparagus was in the oven for about 10 minutes (lid off), and it browned a little and took on a nice flavour from the pot.

All in all, a super easy and delicious (though I say so myself) meal! 

I know that lamb isn't for everyone....it's definitely a flavour that a lot of north americans are not used to, but it's my all time favourite meat. My parents are irish, and we grew up eating lamb at least once a week.  

I definitely notice the difference cooking with a cast iron pot. It cooks so evenly and doesn't burn, and the flavours seem to blend much better than I've ever noticed with any of my other dishes. Maybe it's my imagination? Who knows.....whatever it is, I'm loving it!!

And isn't the colour fabulous? It's the new colour for 2011....Cassis. 

LOVE!

Bon Soir;)

I'm off to build an IKEA Expedit shelf for the boys' playroom. We need somewhere to contain the now- out- of- control toy situation.