Day 23: Baltimore welcomed a small amount of snow this am and as usual , the drama began.

I drove to my 10 am yoga class and the instructor was 20 minutes late but no worries because I struck a casual conversation with the one other student as we stood outside the facility. Lucky enough, time flew by and the instructor arrived, gracing us with a one of one session that proved very kinesthetically useful.


My day was filled with errands on the road that I chose not to put effort into eating correctly or on time, which means, I skipped breakfast and didn't eat til dinner!

However, since news of another impending snow storm, college classes were canceled and I decided to stay home and cook Lamb Stew.

It was spicy, yummy, and healthy!


Spicy Lamb Stew laid on a bed of Spinach, served with asparagus

Cinnamon, cloves, ginger and cayenne pepper enhance this North African-style dish. Serve the stew over the a bed of spinach. Or rice, quinoa, etc.

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 1/2 pounds lamb shoulder o-bone (round-bone) chops, trimmed, boned, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 5 cups chopped onions
• 2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 cup water/or 1 cup chix broth
  

• 2/3 cup dried apricots, or papaya ( I used papaya) quartered
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar ( I used red wine and apple cider vinegar- it was what was in my cupboard)
  
• 1 teaspoon honey
• I also used 1 tbs almond meal as a thickening agent
  

Preparation

Mix first 4 ingredients in large bowl. Add lamb and toss to coat. Heat vegetable oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add chopped onions and sauté until tender and golden, about 10 minutes. Add lamb and sprinkle with salt. Sauté until brown, about 5 minutes. Add minced ginger and stir 1 minute. Add 1 cup water/broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until lamb is tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.

Add apricots/papaya to pot and simmer uncovered until liquid is slightly thickened and reduced, about 10 minutes. Stir in vinegar/ wine and honey. Season to taste with salt. Divide stew among 4 bowls.

I chose to pair the stew with spinach and asparagus which proved to be a yummy combination. Frank enjoys Naan therefore, although not gluten free, we toasted our carb. A small slice of English hard Cheddar added another texture and sensation.

Summary
Yoga: check
sugar: some
Energy level: medium
IBS: symptomatic