In the summer months when we want something that little bit heartier for our dinner, the slow cooker becomes my best friend.  If I don't want to be heating up the kitchen, the slow cooker is the way to go!  I have three slow cookers.  One in a large size for making dishes large enough to feed over 4 people, and two smaller ones which are perfectly sized for two people, a round one and an oval one, because a small round one doesn't always cut the mustard when it comes to slow cooking.  A small oval one is perfect for small roasts, hams, etc.


Slow cooking lends itself perfectly to creating delicious dishes like this Lamb Tagine I am showing you here today.  A Tagine is traditionally a Moroccan dish. I love the flavours of Moroccan food. 


Moroccan cuisine is a delicious mix of Arabic, Andalusian, Mediterranean and Berber cuisine with a dash of European and Subsaharian influence thrown in for good measure.  Think what we traditionally see as warm baking spices . . .  cinnamon, ginger, mace, nutmeg and cloves  . . .  with some heat through in from cayenne and black pepper  . . .  and lemon.  They love to use preserved lemons . . . leafy things like coriander . . .  rose petals.  And this is by no means a complete list, but merely a hint of the deliciousness involved.



They also love using tomatoes, dried apricots, dates, prunes  . . . I love savoury dishes with dried fruit involved, and this one is just wonderful using both  apricots and prunes  . . . and zest of oranges . . .



The sauce is fragrant and delicious . . .  sweet and savoury at the same time, with a tiny bit of heat, but not overpoweringly so . . .



The sauce/gravy is thickened with ground almonds or what you might know in American as almond meal, which lends a slight nuttiness into the mix . . .  and then there is the sweetness of that oh so tender lamb  . . .



I can only think now that they were not very good lamb chops  . . .  because I have never had lamb over here that smelled like burning wool, or tasted like it for that matter.  I truly love the taste . . . young tender lamb has a delicate almost sweet taste.  Older lamb can taste a bit gamey, but its not bad either.

Heat the oil in a  skillet.  Add the lamb and cook over medium high heat until golden all over.  Scoop out and put into a small slow cooker. Add the onion and garlic to the pan, and cook gently to soften.  Add to the slow cooker and stir into the lamb. Add the stock, zest and orange juice, honey, apricots, ground spices, mint and ground almonds.  Stir well to combine.  Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Garnish with the flaked almonds to serve.

I hope you will take advantage of your slow cooker this summer and make this delicious Moroccan stew!  I think you will love it!  Bon Appetit, or as they say in Morocco, بالصحة و العافية!  Now that's what I would call a tongue twister, lol Serving it with peas and rice is so, so  . . .  well, English.  In Morocco you would probably have it with couscous!

 Next week, October 9th til the 15th is National Curry Week here in the UK!  I was challenged by Tasty Easy Lamb to come up with an Indian Tapas kind of a dish, something quick and easy but also delicious!  You know how much I love a challenge.  As soon as I was asked, the wheels in my food-loving brain started turning. This is what I came up with!


Lamb is such a diverse meat and its really fun to take it beyond the traditional "roasted and served with mint box" that we tend to pigeon-hole it in.  It wasn't really something that I had eaten much of prior to moving over here to the UK, but something which I have fallen totally in love with over the past seventeen odd years.


Curry was also something which I had a limited experience with. I had spent a number of years on an armed forces base in Western Canada, which happened to be the British Army Training Unit in Canada.  I was introduced to Curry there by some friends we made which happened to be British and fell in love.


Meet Curried Lamb Tacos!  I know that Tacos are traditionally a Mexican thing, but bear with me here . . . this is truly fusion cuisine! Indian flavours, with British Lamb . . .  put together with a tex mex twist!


Quick, easy and delicious!  I used leg of lamb steaks, well trimmed and thinly sliced and then chopped.  The meat is lean and fabulous.  This gets marinated for about 15 minutes in a fusion of Indian curry spices with  splash of hot green pepper sauce (which I have just discovered and love, LOVE) . . .  I chose to use a Madras Curry Powder because I wanted some heat . . . but if you are not fond of heat you can use a milder one.




a good mango chutney


I semi freeze my lamb steaks prior to cutting.  Trim off any fat or sinew and cut them into very thin strips crosswise and then, cut the strips into small bits.  Put the meat into a bowl.  Add the garlic, ginger, coriander flakes, curry powder, chili powder, salt, black pepper and green pepper sauce.  Let sit for about 15 minutes.


Heat the oil in a large skillet.  Add the onion and cook until softened.  Add the seasoned lamb.  Cook and stir over medium heat until browned.  Pour in the beer.  Bring to the boil, then cover tightly and simmer on low for about 15 minutes, or until the lamb is tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.


Heat your flatbreads or tortilla boats according to the package directions. 


Place the heated breads/boats onto a serving platter.  Place some shredded lettuce in each and top with the cooked lamb mixture.  Garnish with a dollop of raita and some mango chutney and serve immediately.


I also tested some of these in those soft flour tortilla boats that you can buy in the shops now and they were equally as delicious!


 Lamb!  Its a fun, easy and delicious meat!  Something which you can enjoy any day of the week, or even when you are having a fun evening with friends!  Adaptable and great to work with.  Let your imagination take you away!



Happy Curry Week and भोजन का आनंद लें  बोन अप्पेतित! Namaste! 

  

I was sent a really nice piece of kitchen kit a few months back from the people at Eddingtons.



The PL8 Gourmet Slicer.   I've been really putting it through it's paces over the weeks and wanted to tell you all about it today.   Since I've been using it for all sorts, I've kind of thrown together a meal for your viewing pleasure . . .  some really delicious marinated lamb chops with a potato side dish, a deliciously fruity slaw and a tasty dessert, most of which (with the exception of the lamb) I have been able to use this handy piece of kitchen kit for!  In other words . . .  a really "Grate" meal, every pun intended!

 

Living here in Chester we are situated right on the border with Wales.  In fact right now they are harvesting their leeks on the farms which surround the housing area where we live and the air smells just gorgeous.   The Welsh are known for their leeks, but they are also known for a lot of other deliciousness as well!   Today I want to tell you about a fabulous online Shop which delivers Welsh Food right to your door called the Bodnant Welsh Food Centre.     I was asked if I would like to try some of their products and I was quite happy to do so!

I was going to make a shepherd's pie with the leftovers from the roasted lamb the other day but instead I decided to make a hash, but not just any kind of hash . . .  a Lamb Samosa Hash!  Lamb is a common filling used to make Samosa's and so I thought why not make a hash which incorporates the flavours which go into a Samosa and all I can say is  . . .  GREAT CALL on my part, because it was fabulous!

If you are looking for a delicious way to cook some lovely spring lamb cutlets look no further!
I found this delicious looking recipe in a book of mine called Secrets from a Country Kitchen by Lucy Young. The original recipe called for studding two 7 chop rack of lamb with garlic and roasting them for about 25 minutes in a hot oven. I didn't have a rack of lamb.



I did have some lamb cutlets though, and so I decided to rub them with some olive oil, crushed garlic, salt and pepper and leave them to marinate for half an hour. I then took out my lovely new grill griddle pan and seared them on both sides, just until they were pink in the middle.



The real treat in this recipe is the sauce. It might sound a bit odd, but trust me when I say it's delicious! The original recipe called for two anchovy filets to be simmered with the garlic, but I didn't have any and so I added a tsp of Worcestershire sauce instead and it worked quite well! It was a real treat served with some steamed basamati rice and haricots vert on the side!



This was quick and easy to do and would make a lovely dinner party meal. Lucy suggests also trying the sauce with a saddle of lamb. Sounds like a winner to me!



*Garlic Lamb Cutlets with a Mint and Sun Blushed Tomato Sauce*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Garlicky grilled lamb cutlets, cooked till just pink inside, with a creamy mint and sun blushed tomato sauce spooned over top. Delicious!

8 meaty lamb cutlets
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil

For the Sauce:
10 fluid ounces of double cream (1 1/4 cups)
2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and halved
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
5 fluid ounces of white wine (5/8 cup)
1 heaped tsp of mint sauce
(from a jar, the stuff with vinegar in it)
2 TBS chopped fresh mint leaves
2 ounces sun blushed tomatoes, snipped in half with kitchen scissors (1/4 cup altogether)
fine seasalt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Rub the garlic cloves into the lamb cutlets along with some sea salt and olive oil. Let sit for half an hour, while you make the sauce.

Heat the cream over medium heat along with the 2 cloves of garlic until it comes to the boil. Reduce to a slow simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes over very low heat. At the end of that time, press it through a seive with the back of a spoon into a clean pot. (the garlic should be soft by then) Whisk iin the white wine and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to the boil. Cook whisking frequently over high heat until reduced somewhat. Stir in the mint sauce, chopped fresh mint, the sun blush tomatoes and season to taste with some salt and black pepper to taste. Keep warm while you grill the lamb.

Heat your grill pan. Sear the lamb cutlets on both sides for several minutes per side, or until they are done to your desire. We like them pink, which takes 2 to 3 minutes per side, but you may like them more well done. Place the cooked cutlets onto a heated platter and spoon some of the hot sauce over top. Garnish with some fresh mint sprigs and pass the remaining sauce at the table. Steamed rice and a green vegetable go very well with this.

Be sure to stop by tomorrow! I have a delicious dessert to share with you that you are just going to love!

If you are looking for a delicious way to cook some lovely spring lamb cutlets look no further!  I adapted this delicious recipe from  a cookery book of mine entitled,  "Secrets from a Country Kitchen" by Lucy Young. The original recipe called for studding two 7 chop rack of lamb with garlic and roasting them for about 25 minutes in a hot oven. I didn't have a rack of lamb, but the recipe looked so tasty that I really wanted to try it, and so I did what any good cook does . . .  I switched it out for what I did have which was  . . . 

It is hard to believe that I had never really eaten lamb before I moved over here to the UK. It is a meat that I have come to love very much and I have to say that here in the UK we have beautiful lamb . . . some of the best in the world.

More often than not we have lamb chops, cutlets or steaks, and occasionally I will treat us to a shoulder or a leg. All are very, very good.

Last weekend I cooked some lamb shanks for the first time and I was very pleased with the results. They were tender and full of flavour and we both really enjoyed them!



The shank is cut from the shoulder area of the animal and is actually very lean, with very little fat marbling or cut into it. Lamb can be quite a fatty meat, so this was surprising. Because it is so lean, it truly lends itself perfectly to braising in a liquid.



A long slow braising in the oven may require more patience than frying a few chops in a pan or roasting a leg, but your patience will be more than rewarded with fork tender meat and a rich and tasty gravy. Not to mention that, once it is covered and in the oven, it really requires no attention at all.

The resulting dish lends itself perfectly to being served with a delicious mound of buttery mashed potatoes . . . the absolute comfort meal!! It made my meat and potatoes loving husband a very, very happy camper indeed!




*Oven Baised Lamb Shanks*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Tender and juicy, with a delicious gravy. Perfect comfort food served with freshly mashed potatoes!

5 lamb shanks
olive oil
2 large onions, peeled and chopped
1 large stick of celery, trimmed and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 pound of carrots, peeled and cut into sticks
1/2 pound of parsnips, peeled and cut into sticks
a handful of fresh rosemary leaves
400ml of lamb stock ( 1 1/2 cups)
400ml of chopped tinned tomatoes (1 3/4 cup)
2 star anise
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 TBS red currant jelly

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.
Heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the lamb shanks and brown them on all sides. Remove and place into a large roasting dish which has a lid, with the bones sticking up. Add the onions and celery to the drippings. Cook and stir over medium heat until they begin to soften. Add the garlic, carrots, parsnips and rosemary. Cook and stir for several minutes. Add the stock, tinned tomatoes, star anise, sea salt and black pepper to taste, and currant jelly. Heat through and then pour over the lamb shanks in the roaster.
Cover tightly with the lid and put into the oven. Roast for 3 hours, until the meat is very tender. Remove the lid and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes until the meat and bone begin to brown somewhat.
Serve immediately with a nice pile of mashed potatoes. Serve one shank per person on a plate with some of the vegetables and gravy spooned over top.

It is hard to believe that I had never really eaten lamb before I moved over here to the UK. It is a meat that I have come to love very much and I have to say that here in the UK we have beautiful lamb . . . some of the best in the world.



More often than not we have lamb chops, cutlets or steaks, and occasionally I will treat us to a shoulder or a leg. All are very, very good.



Last weekend I cooked some lamb shanks for the first time and I was very pleased with the results. They were tender and full of flavour and we both really enjoyed them!



The shank is cut from the shoulder area of the animal and is actually very lean, with very little fat marbling or cut into it. Lamb can be quite a fatty meat, so this was surprising. Because it is so lean, it truly lends itself perfectly to braising in a liquid.



A long slow braising in the oven may require more patience than frying a few chops in a pan or roasting a leg, but your patience will be more than rewarded with fork tender meat and a rich and tasty gravy.



Not to mention that, once it is covered and in the oven, it really requires no attention at all.

The resulting dish lends itself perfectly to being served with a delicious mound of buttery mashed potatoes . . . the absolute comfort meal!! It made my meat and potatoes loving husband a very, very happy camper indeed!



*Oven Baised Lamb Shanks*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Tender and juicy, with a delicious gravy. Perfect comfort food served with freshly mashed potatoes!

5 lamb shanks
olive oil
2 large onions, peeled and chopped
1 large stick of celery, trimmed and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 pound of carrots, peeled and cut into sticks
1/2 pound of parsnips, peeled and cut into sticks
a handful of fresh rosemary leaves
400ml of lamb stock ( 1 1/2 cups)
400g tin of chopped  tomatoes n juice (1 3/4 cup)
2 star anise
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 TBS red currant jelly

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.
Heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the lamb shanks and brown them on all sides. Remove and place into a large roasting dish which has a lid, with the bones sticking up. Add the onions and celery to the drippings. Cook and stir over medium heat until they begin to soften. Add the garlic, carrots, parsnips and rosemary. Cook and stir for several minutes. Add the stock, tinned tomatoes, star anise, sea salt and black pepper to taste, and currant jelly. Heat through and then pour over the lamb shanks in the roaster.
Cover tightly with the lid and put into the oven. Roast for 3 hours, until the meat is very tender. Remove the lid and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes until the meat and bone begin to brown somewhat.
Serve immediately with a nice pile of mashed potatoes. Serve one shank per person on a plate with some of the vegetables and gravy spooned over top.

It may be almost spring, but there's still a chill in the air up here in the North. There have been no double digit temps here like they have been enjoying in the south, although it has been sunny. Not quite barbeque weather . . . but close. I'm still hankering for comfort food . . . something to take the chill out . . . we won't be able to enjoy these dishes for much longer . . .



It will soon be time to put these recipes away, like our woolie socks and mufflers . . . Spring is definitely in the air, and will soon be here to stay . . . but not just yet.



I love this simple lamb stew with it's simple ingredients . . . wholesome barley, deliciously tender lamb, leeks, earthy root vegetables . . .



Warming . . . comforting . . . wholesome and homey . . . yes, tis a bit old fashioned, but I'm an old fashioned girl at heart.



A delicious stew that bubbles away on the back of the stove all afternoon, tantalizing you with it's fragrance, and tasting better and better as the
minutes slowly tick by . . .



A tasty and simple stew that screams "home sweet home" from that very first deliciously moreish mouthful. .

I believe this is the cadillac of all stews. Thick . . . rich . . . and just stogged full of tasty pearl barley, winter root vegetables, tender lamb and aromatic herbs . . .



*A Simple Stew of Lamb*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Simple, tasty, hearty and filling. Comfort food at it's very best.

A knob of butter
100g pearl barley (a generous half cup)
1 large onion, peel and chop
2 sticks of celery, chopped
2 leeks, the white and light green part only, cleaned well and sliced
1 large parsnip, peeled and chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1/3 of a medium swede, peeled and chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
400g of diced lamb (about 1 pound)
(I use leg of lamb)
a few spring of thyme
2 bay leaves
salt and black pepper to taste
lamb stock to cover
a small bunch of parsley, chopped



Place the barley into a pot of unsalted water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 25 minutes. Drain well and set aside. Pre-heat the oven to 160*C/325*F.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the lamb and brown slowly on all sides. When browned, add all of the chopped vegetables, stir to coat and then let sweat over medium low heat for about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place all the lamb and vegetables in a deep casserole dish. (make sure it is a dish that has a lid) Stir in the barley and all a spring of thyme and the bayleaves. Pour stock over to completely cover with about a half inch over. Cut a round of greaseproof paper large enough to cover. Cut a hole in the centre of it. (This is called a cartouche) Place on top of the stew and then cover with the lid of the casserole dish.

Place into the oven and bake slowly, without touching, for about 2 hours. Remove from the oven and take off the lid. Stir in the chopped parsley, adjust seasoning and serve. If you find most of the liquid has evaporated, you may add some hot lamb stock to thin.

You just know that the leftovers are going to taste even better after having sat in the fridge overnight . . . and you are not disappointed. They do.