Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and you might be tempted to celebrate with dinner at a nice restaurant like so many other people. But why go out and fight the lines and crowds when you can have a goumet meal at home without much effort? Here’s an easy lamb chop recipe you can cook together and have on the table in 20 minutes. Your welcome :)

Lamb Chops in Red Wine

8 Leatherwood Creek lamb chops, 1 inch thick, about 7 ounces each

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 Tbs butter

2 Tbs olive oil

1/2 cup dry red wine

1 tsp dried thyme

2 Tbs chopped parsley

Heat 1 Tbs olive oil and 1 Tbs butter in large skillet over medium high heat. Sear chops about 5-6 minutes per side, or to desired doneness. Medium rare is best for lamb. Remove to plate and keep warm. Add wine and thyme to pan. Boil over high heat, scraping up browned bits, until reduced to about 2 Tbs. Add parsley. Pour sauce over chops.

Serving suggestions: Risotto, crusty bread, roasted broccoli, and my favorite wine with lamb is a Shiraz.

Here in Tennessee we’re starting to see signs of spring already, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to put away my favorite soup and stew recipes til next winter. We generally eat soups or stews once a week all year round. It’s a great way to use those tougher cuts of meat and to stretch your meat. This is my favorite lamb stew recipe and pretty much the only one I use now. What really makes this special is using lamb stock instead of beef stock, the flavor is just incredible! And although I haven’t tried it yet, I think mushrooms would be an excellent addition. This recipe is made in an Instant Pot, but you could easily adapt it to a slow cooker or oven method.

Lamb Stew

1 lb Leatherwood Creek lamb stew meat, 1 inch cubes

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 Tbs flour

2 Tbs olive oil

1 cup carrots, sliced 1/2 inch thick

1/2 cup celery, diced

3/4 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 Tbs tomato paste

1 cup red wine

1/2 tsp dried thyme

2 cups potatoes, 1 inch cubes

1 bay leaf

1 cup lamb stock or beef stock, plus 1/4 cup

1/2 tsp rosemary

Pat dry the lamb, toss with salt, pepper and 1 Tbs flour. Turn on Instant Pot to saute function, add olive oil, and when hot sear lamb til golden. Set aside. Add garlic, celery, carrot, onion and pepper flakes. Saute til softened. Add tomato paste. Add wine. Add potatoes, lamb, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf and lamb stock. Fasten lid. Hit cancel, then hit meat/stew function and adjust time to 40 minutes. When complete hit cancel and release pressure. Remove lid and turn on to saute function. Combine 1 Tbs flour with 1/4 cup lamb stock, add and stir til thickened.