What’s For Dinner?

15th April 201919th May 2019
by thefoodwife

The week ahead is sure to contain a fair amount of chocolate but I thought I’d share some of the recipes we’ll be having over the next week to give you some inspiration too.

Since I posted my recipe for Chinese Lemon Chicken a couple of weeks ago, I’d been thinking about when I can have it again. I probably mentioned it a couple of times a day to The Food Husband, So I decided it was back on the menu this week and it made an excellent accompaniment to the new series of Game of Thrones!

We’ve also been using up previous batch cooking stores from the freezer and have had an easy meal of bolognese, simply defrosted and reheated and stirred through freshly cooked pasta.

As the freezer supplies need replacing I’m planning to make a new batch of my Moroccan-inspired chickpea and preserved lemon tagine later this week. I love the zingyness and potent flavour from the preserved lemons and it makes a cheap yet hearty meatless meal.

And of course Easter Sunday: we will be having lamb. Last year we had the glorious Mechoui leg of lamb. This year we are having a roasted shoulder with the classic garlic and rosemary. But on Monday we will be turning the leftovers into lamb rissoles to have with salad.

And for the Food Baby? I’ve just restocked his cheesy vegetable fritters in the freezer; this time a combination of carrot, broccoli, sweet potato, potato and sweetcorn with cheddar and smoked paprika instead of curry spices. And I’m replenishing the successful cheese and vegetable scones, switching the courgette for grated broccoli. A couple of veg-filled winners!

Hopefully that’s given you some inspiration for your meals ahead. If you are still in need of inspiration then head over to www.thefoodwife.co.uk and if you haven’t already, why not sign up to the newsletter, sending you recipe inspiration each week. Wishing you all a happy Easter, The Food Wife.

Instant Pot Lamb and Butterbean Tapas

26th June 201829th June 2018
by thefoodwife

Serves 3- 4 as a tapas

This is a real gem. I made this in the Instant Pot and the results were outstanding. Literally five minutes of work, and about half an hour letting the Instant Pot do its thing and I had the most melt-in-the-mouth, rich lamb stew, beautifully sweet from the peppers and complimented so well with the plump butterbeans.

You could, of course, do this in the oven, in which case you would need to add a good couple of hours on to the cooking time (at step 3, put in an oven-proof, lidded dish, and transfer to the oven at 150c for 2-3 hours).

We’ll definitely be revisiting this invention!

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, halved and sliced
2 cloves garlic
2 roasted peppers from a jar, cut into strips
300g lamb fillet, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 heaped tsp paprika
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tin butter beans
1 tbsp chopped parsley

Step 1: Set the instant pot to sauté mode and add the oil, onion, garlic and peppers and stir for two to three minutes.

Step 2: Add the lamb and paprika and stir for a further minute before adding the tomato purée and butterbeans (including their water).

Step 3: Put the lid on and ensure it is switched to sealing. Place manually on high pressure for 15 minutes and allow to depress naturally.

Step 4: Remove the lid, season to taste and switch back onto sauté mode for five or ten minutes,stirring frequently, to allow the rich sauce to reduce.

Step 5: Add the chopped parsley and stir through before serving.

Lamb Chops – Greek Style

28th May 201828th May 2018
by thefoodwife

Serves 2

This is a really quick and easy way to prepare and cook lamb which leaves you with deliciously flavoursome meat that can be done under a grill or (if the weather allows it!) on a barbecue.

The combination of olive oil, oregano, lemon and garlic sings of Greece and the quantities here can be easily scaled up.

Ingredients:
4 lamb chops
1 tbsp olive oil
1 unwaxed lemon (zest and juice)
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 tsp dried oregano
Pinch each of salt and pepper

Step 1: Combine all the ingredients in a sealable bag or in a dish covered with cling film.

Step 2: Marinate for at least half an hour in the fridge.

Step 3: Remove from the fridge for 20 minutes before cooking.

Step 4: Cook under a hot grill or BBQ for a few minutes on each side (approximately three minutes a side for medium/four minutes for medium-well/five minutes for well). Rest for two minutes before serving.

This is good with herby potatoes and salad. I also like it with Greek yogurt on the side with fresh mint stirred through it.

Lamb Three Ways

10th April 201810th April 2018
by thefoodwife

In Spring, British lamb is so delicious and is a real favourite in our house. So today, I bring you a trio of lamb dishes. Essentially it’s one main recipe and then three meals you can get out of it – always good!

The first is where the ~~hard~~ work comes in. To be honest it is so easy and takes 10 or so minutes and then you can get on with your day whilst the lamb cooks low and slow in the oven, perfect!

This is a recipe for a Moroccan dish called Mechoui Lamb. We had it on Easter Sunday as something a bit different to the traditional roast. The meat is so tender and doesn’t need to be carved as it simply breaks up with two forks. The outside has a beautiful spicy crust and the juices are full of flavour from the lamb, butter and spices.

I served this with mashed potato and roasted vegetables. If you have an Instant Pot you’re going to want to check out my quick and easy mash recipe here.

Slow Roast Mechoui Lamb

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
100g softened butter
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cumin or whole cumin seeds
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2-inch piece ginger, finely grated
Salt
2kg – 2.5kg leg of lamb
4 cloves of garlic, cut into thin slices
4 onions cut into 1cm slices
1 cup water

Step 1: Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C. Make the spiced butter by mixing the butter with the spices and ginger and season with ½ tsp salt (I used my hands to ensure it was blended well).

Step 2: Use kitchen paper to pat the lamb leg dry. Use a sharp knife to cut incisions all over the flesh of the lamb, and insert the slices of garlic so the lamb is dotted with white flecks.

Step 3: Rub the spiced butter all over the lamb (both top and bottom should be coated), and then season with salt.

Step 4: Put the sliced onion rings across the bottom of a roasting tin and sit the lamb on top. Pour a cup of water into the roasting tin and then cover with a double-layer of foil, then place in the oven. Cook for 5 hours, then take the foil off, turn the oven up to 190C/fan 170C, and cook for another ½ hour.

Step 5: Remove the lamb from the oven and leave to rest for at least 20 minutes, then use two forks to shred the lamb into chunks.

The onions and juices make a lovely accompaniament to the mashed potato and roasted vegetables if you are serving these.

The next two meals use the leftover lamb, and in one case any leftover mash you have from meal one (or you can just make some specifically for the meal).

The first is so simple and easy to put together and requires no recipe. You simply serve the shredded lamb cold or you could heat it (I just zapped it for a couple of minutes in the microwave) with couscous, salads and Greek yoghurt with fresh or dried mint swirled through it.

The final meal is a hark back to my childhood and would always be served a day or two after a roast lamb. If you’ve never tried lamb rissoles (they were an alien concept to my husband before I first served them to him) then you must. The version I’ve given you here is the one I had growing up, however whilst researching other recipes I cannot find one quite like this that uses mashed potato and instead they contain breadcrumbs. My version is so tasty and wonderful served with a salad or vegetables of your choice. Well worth giving a go!

Lamb Rissoles

Makes 4

Ingredients:
270g mashed potatoes
270g diced roast lamb
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 tbsp chopped rosemary
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp plain flour
1 beaten egg (optional)
Oil for frying

Step 1: Combine the mashed potatoes, diced lamb, chopped herbs and tomato ketchup in a large bowl. You should not need to add seasoning if the mash and lamb were previously seasoned. The mixture should be fairly sticky and stay together when pressed. If it is crumbly then add the beaten egg to help combine the mixture.

Step 2: Divide the mixture into four and shape into burgers/patties.

Step 3: Coat the rissoles in plain flour on their top and bottom. If you are making these ahead of time, it is at this stage you could put the rissoles in the fridge until ready to fry.

Step 4: Heat oil in a frying pan on a medium-high heat. Cook the rissoles for a few minutes on each side until crisp and brown and hot all the way through.

Serve with a large green salad or vegetables of your choice.