Nico’s pan seared lamb chops

I have a theory about how the guys cook, let me clarify that this theory excludes chefs, passionate foodies and sometimes my father in law, but does specifically include my husband and probably my dad.Nicolas –the husband – loves food and he also likes to cook, but he likes to keep it as simple, fast and as easy as possible, he also tends to use the first ingredients he sees in the fridge.  I think that when he cooks he has two things in mind: first, he’s looking for something that will taste decent, and second, he wants his hunger to be satisfied as quickly as possible (without resorting to fast food).

I remember when I was a kid and on those rare days when my dad would cook he would always make the same dish: yucas in a peanut sauce, it was actually very good and for him it was easy to make. Of course if my mom was gone for more than a few days we (kids) got really tired of eating the same thing for lunch and dinner every day; it made me very happy to see my mom when she returned (and thankfully it wasn’t very frequent that my dad had to cook). Nicolas also has this repetition thing going on -which going off track here is very different from the way he listens to music, he hates listening to the same song over and over (which is the opposite in my case I love listening the same song again and again until I am sick of it);but back to the cooking situation, in the summer he will add blueberries to every salad he makes – which tastes good, but maybe let’s alternate with raspberries or strawberries once in a while; the same thing happens with any type of meat he cooks: it will always have some herbes de Provence (a mix of dried herbs that usually includes dried thyme, rosemary, marjoram, oregano, basil, sage, lavender, fennel, among others -you can find them in the dried herb and spice section at the supermarket, or mix your own), there will also be garlic involved and either olive oil or butter (or both).So, you can predict the ingredients of this lamb chop recipe, and in true Nico style it is very simple to make, very quick and delicious.My most recent favorite side dish for lamb chops (or lamb roast) is a puree made with ripe plantains; the sweetness of the pure is a perfect match for the flavor of the lamb.

Ingredients:

8 lamb chops

2 tbs olive oil

1 tbs herbes de Provence (or mix of thyme, rosemary, sage, and other dried herbs)

1 small head of garlic, peeled

2 tbs butter

Salt and pepper

Suggested side dishes – ripe plantain puree and quinoa salad

Preparation:

1. Season the lamb chops with the olive oil, the dried herb mix, salt and pepper.
2. Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium high heat.
3. Add the lamb chops and garlic cloves; cook until the chops are golden on each side.
4. Serve immediately.