Jen's Blackout Lamb Stew

Only Jen could pull this look off!
Yummy!

My nick-name for this stew is “black out lamb stew” because when I went to my friend Jen’s house for dinner the electricity was out. Thank goodness she had a gas stove! I brought over some candles and lanterns and another friend brought over an ipod player that was battery powered. It was so much fun hanging out in the candle lit house sipping wine and having a good time. I believe it is the first time I have ever been disappointed to have the power come back on. The funny thing is when the power did come on we immediately turned the lights off and pretended it was still out. Jen was a trooper and prepared the meal wearing her camping headlight, in case you were wondering what the heck the picture was. I hope to have another black out party soon!
Now for the food…I can’t ever get enough lamb and was so excited when I got invited over to Jen’s for lamb stew. This is a very healthy recipe and has a ton of flavor. The combination of the potatoes, lamb with the veggies and rosemary, delicious! I never thought of adding collard greens to a stew, but loved the texture, color and flavor they brought to the dish, and they don’t get soggy like a lot of other leafy greens would. I made my new favorite no-knead bread to go with the stew, and we had Williams Sonoma peppermint brownies and ice cream for dessert. Thanks for the delicious and fun night Jen!

Jen's Blackout Lamb Stew

1 Pound Lamb, fat removed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Tablespoons flour
¼ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
½ Teaspoon Pepper
½ Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
6 Cups Vegetable Stock
3 Large Carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4 –inch thick slices
2 Large Celery Stalks, cleaned and cut into ½-inch thick slices
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
5 Red Potatoes, cleaned and cut into 1 inch chunks
1 Teaspoon Dried Rosemary
2 Tablespoons Italian Parsley, minced
5 Large Collard Green Leaves, roughly chopped

Mix flour, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt together and toss with lamb to coat. In large stock pot heat olive oil over medium high heat and brown lamb. Add stock, carrots, celery, garlic, potatoes, and rosemary, cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 40 minutes or until vegetables are cooked and meat is tender. Add parsley and collard greens and continue to cook uncovered for an additional 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.