Howzat for a Meze?

Homemade Humous

Tzatziki 

Ezme Salatasi (Turkish Spicy tomato salad

Lamb & Pine Nut Sausages

Homemade Pitta Bread

Fresh & Fabulous!

Warm Shredded Lamb Salad

This can be dressed with mint and pomegranate or lemon if not in season. Again it's out of Nigella Bites.

2lb shoulder of lamb
2 shallots, halved but not peeled
3 cloves of garlic
1 carrot, peeled and halved
Salt
250ml boiling water
chopped mint
1 pomegranate or 1 lemon

Pre-heat oven to 170c
Brown lamb on top of the hob, fat side down
Remove when nicely browned
Fry vegetables in same pan briefly
sprinkle with salt
Pour water over and replace lamb
cover with tent of foil
Place in oven for 3 hours [or until it is falling off the bone done!]
When it is done, remove from tin and place on large serving plate.
No need to carve, just use two forks to shred meat, while still hot squeeze 1/2 a pomegranate and scatter the seeds the other half over the meet. Alternativly, squeeze 1/2 the lemon over the meet,
Sprinkle with chopped mint and serve!

Sunday Lunch

From the book!

Slow roast lamb, courgettes fried in oil, butter with garlic and rosemary, mange tout peas stir-fried with chopped spring onions, fresh mint and butter! Served it with oven roasted swede for a potato substitute.

Jamie Oliver’s Lamb Ragu Sauce

He faffs about with it, I have made it simple and bunged it in the slow cooker and it’s still delish [to coin a phrase!!] I will post another photo of this as and when I serve it...watch this space!

Serves 6-8
2lbs shoulder of lamb on the bone
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
½ bulb of garlic
Hand full of fresh rosemary sprigs
1 red onion, peeled and quarter
1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 stick of celery, cut into pieces
1 large leek, cut into pieces
1 bay leave
Handful of thyme springs
1 400g tin of tomatoes
½ bottle red wine

Place all ingredients into a slow cooker, place tightly fitting lid and cook for 8 hours on low
It’s as simple as that.
This can be served with pasta, over a mountain of creamy mash, with pastry top making it a good base for a pie, or shepherds pie

TIP: Lamb can be quite fatty, so let it get to room temperature, then refrigerate, the fat will solidify on top of the dish, you can then spoon it off for a less greasy, healthier version. Either freeze it or re-heat and serve.
Take the carrots out and you have yourself a IPD friendly ragu to serve with cauliflower rice.

Kleftiko

My Mothers sister married a Greek Man, this is similar to his recipe. Mine of course is much better!!

6 Lamb shanks
Dried Oregano
Dried basil
Dried garlic
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Good quality red wine
Tin Foil

Cut squares of tin foil, bigger enough to wrap each lamb shank in
Place shank in middle of foil
sprinkle generously with all the herbs and seasonings
Stand meat up, widest part down and gather foil up leaving one side open
pour half a glass of wine into foil then secure foil in a top knot
Repeat in this way with all the shanks
Place into a casserole dish and half fill with boiling water
Cook in a low oven 160c for 3 1/2 hours topping up the water as you go. [Don't let it boil dry otherwise your lamb will not be moist!]
Serve with Greek Salad and Savoury rice or garlic mash and warm butter bean salad. Pour any juices over the meat before serving
Or
Cook for 3 hours then leave to cool, they can be either refrigerated or frozen
Defrost thoroughly and bring to room temperature before reheating in a preheated hot oven for 30 minutes