two ways with mince

A rather boring title for my first proper blog post for 2012 I know, but here are a couple of tasty dinners we have enjoyed lately. I am not too much of a meat snob, and provided it is decent mince I quite enjoy cooking with it.  A recent visit to Nikau inspired this dinner above - crispy Moroccan-style lamb on hummus.  The trick to getting it crispy is having a hot hot pan (cast iron would be best) and not cooking too much mince at once as it cools the pan down and ends up stewing.  So tempting I know to chuck it all in, but don't.  My rendition was more heavily spiced than Nikau's, so suit yourself in that regard, but it was still delicious.  We ate it with warm pita and a salad of roasted eggplant and red pepper.

To make a quick hummus in the food processor I blend a tin of drained, rinsed chickpeas with the juice of a lemon, salt, a clove of garlic and a spoonful of tahini if I have it. Then I add little pour of olive oil and a good dollop of yoghurt to loosen it; I like my hummus to be fairly sloppy in texture and sharp in taste.

crispy spiced lamb with hummus and herbs

 rice bran oil

1 onion, sliced

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp cinnamon

400g lamb mince

chopped fresh mint and Italian parsley to serve

roasted almonds/pistachios/pinenuts or dukkah to serve

Slowly cook the onion until golden and tender, add the spices and fry gently for a few minutes. Put aside.

Just heat oil in a pan until smoking hot, add the lamb, breaking it into little bits with your spoon and fry until dark brown, stir through the onion mix and continue cooking.

Tip onto a plate spread generously with hummus, scatter with the herbs and nuts and serve with pita bread.

Pork mince is another favourite starting point for a quick dinner. The pork spring rolls below Mum made; don't let the fact that the recipe comes from Food in a Minute put you off,  they are very tasty.  I think homemade spring rolls are the only way to go - comfortingly you can rely on the filling being identifiable, and ensure a good ratio of filling to pastry.  This version is brushed with oil and baked in a hot oven, so they are pleasantly free of excess grease. You can find the recipe here.

meatloaf with lamb, mint and honey

I can't resist a second-hand bookshop, and when in Melbourne recently I happily picked up a copy of Belinda Jeffery's book Tried and True. Her books are hard to find in NZ, and always full of reliably delicious recipes.  These Middle Eastern-style meatloaves have been post-it marked from the first browse, and were rather fantastic. 

The sweet/sour topping of lemon juice, honey and crunchy almonds added at the final stages of cooking is inspired. It also goes without saying that it performs the miraculous task of aesthetically enhancing the finished meatloaf! I definitely suggest you make two as they are a bit of a fiddle prep-wise, so a double yield makes it thoroughly worth it. I can't wait to have leftovers tomorrow in a sandwich, and they would be a perfect addition to a picnic lunch. 

We ate the loaf with a hot mezze hummus recipe I have also been wanting to try (interesting and worth a try, but the high yoghurt content meant the texture cooked out a bit like an over-baked custard, I think I prefer hummus more sloppy...) The base hummus recipe was excellent though - I love yoghurt in hummus - and the crunchy, buttery topping of sesame seeds, sumac and almonds was delicious, so next time I make hummus I will make this to pour over.  We also ate an eggplant, feta and walnut tabbouleh, and a broad bean, asparagus and pea salad with herbs from the fabulous Black Dog Cottage book.

middle eastern lamb loaves with mint and honey - makes 2 large loaves

50 ml olive oil

3 large onions, finely chopped

5 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

1/2 tin diced tomatoes

3 tsp seasalt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 c diced dates

1/2 c tomato paste

1/2 c honey

1/3 c white wine vinegar

1/2 c parsley, finely chopped

1/2 c mint, finely shredded

1 kg lamb mince

2 c fresh breadcrumbs, lightly packed

2 eggs, lightly beaten

topping

2 tbsp honey

2 tsp lemon juice

1/3 c chopped almonds

roughly chopped parsley  

Heat oil in a large heavy pan and cook onion, garlic and ginger until soft and pale gold.  Add tomatoes, salt, spices, dates, tom paste, honey and vinegar and increase heat; let the mix bubble away until it thickens.  Cool thoroughly.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Press into 2 x paper-lined loaf tins, and bake loaves at 180c for an hour.  Heat the topping ingredient together and pour over the meatloaves, bake a further 10-15 minutes until the nuts are golden.  Cool for at least 20 minutes,scatter with the chopped parsley before serving.

hot mezze hummus -  adapted from Scent of the Monsoon Winds by Michal Haines

1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/4 c olive oil

finely grated zest and juiceof 2 lemons

2 tbsp tahinin

200ml thick greek-style yoghurt

1 clove garlic, finely chopped*

2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground

1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and ground

1 tsp salt

freshly ground black pepper

1/3 c chopped almonds or pinenuts

2 tsp sesame seeds

20g butter

1 tbsp ground sumac

evoo and lemon juice to serve

In a food processor puree the chickpeas with the yoghurt, garlic, spices, salt and pepper.  Spread into a shallow oven-proof dish.  Toast the nuts and seeds in a dry pan, add the butter to melt.  Add the sumac, then pour over the hummus.  Bale at 200c for 15 minutes.  Drizzle with evoo and squeeze over lemon juice to serve.

* I just noticed while typing that the original recipe had 4 cloves of roasted garlic, I will definitely try this next time

dinner date - lamb with grilled vegetables

On Saturday night, I cooked dinner for a 4 of my girl friends. Pre dinner nibbles consisted of homemade hummus, and pita chips (I just brushed flat bread with olive oil and sesame seeds and grilled for a few minutes). The hummus was a bit of a freestyle recipe, but was a pretty standard combo of chickpeas, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper and olive oil. I saved some of the chickpeas to add on top, and then sprinkled the hummus with smoked paprika. Very simple, but much nicer than bought hummus.

I've been a Cuisine magazine subscriber for the last couple of years, and although I always enjoy reading it, I have probably only ever made a handful of recipes from it. Well, times are a changing, and I have vowed to try out at least one new recipe from each magazine (I know that's not many, but it's a start).

Our main course was from Cuisine, and was a recipe for lamb backstrap with chargrilled broccolini & zucchini salad. Sadly the broccolini at the supermarket looked very limp, so I went for broccoli instead, and also added green beans to the mix as they looked so fresh and crunchy.


I didn't feel like cranking up the BBQ so just grilled the veges in the oven and cooked the lamb in the pan which worked well. I seem to always overcook lamb, well, meat in general actually, so tried very hard to stick to the 3 minutes per side recommend time, but alas, there was only a vague hint of pink left of the lamb when I cut it. It still tasted good though.


The veges were a lovely combination, and the toasted sesame seed really enhanced the dish, as did the tahini & coriander sauce. The recipe recommends serving this with buttered orzo, but after our pre dinner nibbles, we were all feeling full, so didn't bother with the orzo.


It's nice to have a new dish in my repertoire, and I'll certainly make this one again.

Lamb backstrap with chargrilled broccolini & zucchini salad

Tahini & coriander sauce

1/4 cup tahini
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup plain yoghurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons chopped coriander
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor, process until smooth, then season to taste. Set aside.

For the lamb & salad

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 small red chillies, thinly sliced
400g broccolini, trimmed
2 zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1cm sticks
1 lemon, thinly sliced
500g lamb backstraps
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
1/3 cup coriander leaves
buttered orzo to serve (optional)

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a small saucepan over low heat and fry the garlic and chili until the garlic turns golden. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

Cook the broccolini in simmering salted water for 1 minute. Drain, rinse under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.

Brush the broccolini, zucchini and lemon slice with 2 tablespoons of oil and chargrill in batches over high heat until just browned. Toss the broccolini, zucchini and lemon with the garlic and chili mixture.

Brush the lamb with oil and chargrill over high heat for 3 minutes each side for medium rare. Remove from the heat and rest, loosely covered with tinfoil, for 5 minutes before slicing.

Place the broccolini salad on plates, top with sliced lamb and sprinkle with sesame seeds and coriander. Serve with the tahini and coriander sauce and buttered orzo.

dinner date - lamb abruzzi

This lamb dish is one of my absolute favourites. Please do try it, as it is far more delicious than the photos suggest! (I find meat really hard to photograph...) You poke holes in the lamb leg, make a stuffing with bacon, garlic and herbs, and stuff it into the holes ....so the smoky, herby, garlicky flavour seeps into the meat as it roasts. When it is nearly cooked, the lamb is anointed with a generous quantity of balsamic vinegar which reduces to form a sticky sauce base, then is covered in buttery, parmesan breadcrumbs which crisp up beautifully. This is so tasty.

We ate it traditional style with roast potatoes, kumara and yams, and peas and broccoli. In summer it is lovely to serve alongside some interesting salads. There is a little admin throughout the cooking time, so start cooking the lamb 1 1/2-2 hours before you want to eat it.

Lamb Abruzzi (from Julie Biuso's book Viva L'italia)

3 rashers bacon

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tbsp rosemary, finely chopped

2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

freshly ground black pepper

1.5-2 kg lamb leg

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 c balsamic vinegar

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese

3 tbsp fresh white breadcrumbs

2 tbsp soft butter

Preheat oven to 190c.

Combine the bacon, garlic, herbs and pepper - I do this in the food processor to save chopping them up separately, and it results in a fine cohesive mixture. Use a sharp knife to make deep slits in the lamb, and force the stuffing into these, using the end of a teaspoon. I used a partially boned out carvery leg, so poked stuffing into the flap where the bone had been. Any stuffing left over is lovely just rubbed into the outside of the meat.

Combine the cheese, breadcrumbs and butter and put aside.

Rub the lamb with olive oil, grind over the pepper, and bake for 45 minutes. Take lamb out of oven and pour over the balsamic vinegar (I also add a splash of water to stop it burning) and sprinkle lamb with the salt. Return to oven for another 15 minutes. Remove, and pack the breadcrumbs onto lamb. Cook a final 15 minutes, remove cover with foil and rest for at least 15 minutes. (Keep an eye on things to check the balsamic doesn't burn, if it starts to get too sticky add a wee pour of water) This cooking time results in lovely pink lamb, the end bits will be more well done. Scrape the sticky balsamic reduction off the roasting tray, bubble over a high heat along with the meat juices, pour over meat and ENJOY.

Dinner date - from Morocco to my house

When Lewi was in Morocco a few years back she bought this tagine. It has sat on display looking pretty until recently when it was deemed time for its maiden voyage. So, lamb with figs and sesame seeds was on the menu, served with couscous with roast pumpkin, raisins and almonds. This was a yummy, satisfying winter meal - it was subtly spiced, and I'm told it tasted just like the tagines in Morocco. The recipe comes from Julie Le Clerc and John Bougen's book 'Made in Morocco'.

ahmed's tagine of lamb with figs and sesame seeds

1kg lamb shoulder steaks cut into 5cm pieces (we used lamb shanks)

2 onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander

2 teaspoons simple Moroccan spice blend*

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon each ground ginger and paprika

1/2 teaspoon saffron threads dissolved in 1/2 cup boiling water

1/2 cup olive oil

salt & pepper

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Place lamb in the base of a large tagine with onions and brown over a medium heat for 5-10 mins. Add remaining ingredients to the pan, except sesame seeds. Cover pan and bring the liquid to the boil, then turn down the heat to simmer for 1-1/2 hours, turning the lamb once or twice, until lamb is tender and the liquid is much reduced. The cooking can alternatively be done in an oven heated to 180C. Adjust seasoning of sauce with salt and pepper to taste and skim any excess fat from the surface. Spoon caramelised figs over finished tagine and sprinkle with sesame seeds to serve.

Caramelised fig topping

2 cup dried figs

2 cups cold water

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

While the tagine is cooking. simmer figs in water until softened, then add sugar and cinnamon and continue simmering until liquid is reduced and figs are caramelised.

*Moroccan spice blend: combine 2 teaspoons each ground cumin, coriander, paprika, ginger and cinnamon, 1 teaspoon each ground white pepper and turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon each chili powder and ground nutmeg.

couscous with roast pumpkin, raisins and almonds

1/2 large pumpkin

olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1-1/2 cups chicken or vege stock

1-1/2 cups instant couscous

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

1/3 cup chopped fresh coriander

Preheat oven to 200C. Cut pumpkin into 2cm cubes and place in an oven pan. Drizzle with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss well. Roast for 30 minutes until pumpkin is tender and golden brown.

Meanwhile heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan and cook onion and garlic over a moderate heat for 5-10 minutes, until softened but not coloured. Add stock and bring to the boil. Stir in couscous, then remove pan from heat, cover and leave to steam for 10 minutes to soften. Remove covering and fluff up couscous with a fork. Season well with salt and pepper to taste. Combine couscous with raisins, toasted almonds, coriander and hot pumpkin and toss well to serve.