Moussaka

As a child one of the dishes my mother would make was moussaka, and ever since Glen and I have been living together it’s a dish I have been meaning to replicate and not managed to get round to, then a few months ago my friend mentioned it and I felt it was high time I gave it try. So I did and this is the recipe I used, not quite how I remember it. I guess with all my books though I am bound to have a slightly different recipe I can try, in the meantime this one wasn’t too bad!

Moussaka

2 large aubergines (eggplants) cut into 5mm slices

Salt and black pepper

5tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

450g minced lamb

100ml red wine

400g tin chopped tomatoes

1tsp sugar

100ml lamb stock

2tsp dried oregano

450g potatoes cut into 5mm slices

4tbsp parmesan cheese

4tbsp fresh breadcrumbs 

For the topping

200g Greek yogurt

3 large eggs

1tbsp corn flour

115g curd cheese

60g feta cheese, crumbled

1. Sprinkle the aubergines (eggplant) with salt and set to one side for about 30 minutes, and then rinse under running cold water, drain and pat dry. Salting the aubergine (eggplant) helps to reduce the bitterness and because you are sweating them reduces the water content, thereby making cooking time slightly shorter, I have also read that the aubergines absorb less oil once they have been sweated during the cooking process.
2. Heat 2 tbsp. of oil in a skillet and fry the onion until soft, increase the heat a little and cook the minced lamb until it has browned, being careful to break up any clumps as you go.
3. Add the wine and allow to boil for a couple of minutes, then add the tomatoes, sugar, stock and 1tsp of oregano. Season to taste with salt and pepper simmer for about 30 minutes, liquid should have reduced by half and thickened.
4. While the meat mixture is simmering, brush the aubergines with a little oil and grill in batches, until soft and golden on both sides (I found it easier to use my George Foreman Grill as it did both sides at the same time, and I love that griddled look) and cook the potatoes in boiling water until just tender, be careful not to overcook the potatoes you want them to hold their shape. 
5. In a jug whisk the yogurt, eggs and corn flour together until smooth and then add the curd and feta.
6. Preheat your oven to 180˚C/350˚F. In a rectangular oven proof dish layer the moussaka, aubergine, meat and then the potatoes, try and overlap the potatoes slightly. You could if you preferred make your moussaka in four individual dishes, so each person receives, their own little dish.
7. Spread the topping so it cover the potatoes and then sprinkle over the parmesan and breadcrumbs bake until golden brown and bubbling, this should take about 45 minutes.

 

 

Rogan Josh Curry....... From Scratch Right Down to the Paste

If nothing else in my humble opinion, homemade is always best. Nothing gives me greater satisfaction than knowing exactly what is going into my food; these next recipes are a perfect example of that, right down to the Rogan Josh Paste everything is made from scratch. I find food tastes better, when I take the time to make it myself, in reality it probably isn’t better than the jarred stuff you can buy in the supermarket, but because you have made the effort, to carefully toast your cumin and coriander seeds and the black pepper corns, and then grinding them in a mortar and pestle, the blending of all the ingredients into a smooth paste, then using the paste in your own curry. It simply tastes better because of the effort you have put into it, well that’s what I think anyway. I love the smells from the toasting the seeds and pepper corns, and the divine aroma you get when you grind them. The paste smells really lovely but is even better once it has been warmed. Ultimately it comes back down to basics, before convenience food came along; making food from scratch was a must. The more I think about it the more I am going to have to stand by my convictions, and that is that ‘fresh is best’ not just from a nutritional value, either. I mean I get a certain amount of satisfaction from cooking, and that euphoria, I suppose you could call it, I get when I have cooked from scratch and had a success is kind of like a drug, it makes me happy. Until recently I thought that this was a lone feeling, that I alone felt like that and I kept it as my sad little secret, after all how do you tell someone that you get a ‘high’ from cooking? I have recently discovered that it isn’t just me though, because of my knee condition playing me up I have had to take a back seat in the kitchen and let my husband do it all. I usually sit in the kitchen with him because I know my way around my own kitchen right down to the position of all my spice bottles in the cupboard, so it makes his life a little easier when I can tell him where everything is. So I saw it when it happened, that look of utter satisfaction on his face, when he made his pork pies. The smug little smile, the “Oh yeah, check me out, I did that” look on his face. That is what I love about it, the satisfaction I get out of it. So how can cooking from scratch not be good for you? I’m not saying I cook from scratch all the time because of course I don’t, I use jarred sauces, chilli and curry pastes. That also doesn’t mean I like to, just that they are convenient, and that, is where the truth of the matter lies – it’s easier and less time consuming to use a jar. How difficult is it to turn a jar upside down and empty the contents on top of pasta or a curry, seconds that’s all, so who wouldn’t want to use them? Although writing this is making me think that maybe I should start making my own fresh tomato sauce and freeze into portions (or jar but I need to see about bottling). I could make a basic sauce and then add flavouring to it later, garlic, basil, onion…. The worlds your oyster I suppose, there are so many flavour combinations.

 

Rogan Josh Paste

2 garlic cloves, peeled

75g roasted peppers (jarred)

1tbsp paprika

1tsp smoked paprika

2tsp garam masala

1tsp turmeric

1 ½ tsp sea salt

2tbsp ground nut oil

2tbsp tomato puree

1 fresh red chilli

1tsp coriander

FOR TOASTING

2tsp cumin seeds

2tsp coriander seeds

1tsp black pepper corns

 

1. Place a small frying pan on a medium to high heat and lightly toast the spices for toasting, until they are golden brown. Using a pestle and mortar grind the toasted spices into a fine powder. Lots of pressure isn’t needed, simple regular circular motions will do the job quite quickly and efficiently.
2. Add all the ingredients to a food processor and whizz, working until you have a smooth paste.
   
   Serves 4-6
   Lamb Rogan Josh
    
   800g Lamb neck fillet
   2 medium onions
   1 fresh red chilli
   Ground nut oil
   Knob of butter
   4 bay leaves
   Sea salt and black pepper
   2tbsp balsamic vinegar
   1x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
   800ml chicken stock (optional)
   Rogan Josh Paste
   200g natural yogurt
    

1. Cut the lamb into evenly sized pieces, peel and roughly chop the onions and finely chop the chilli.
2. Over a medium to high heat, melt the butter in 2tbsp of oil in a large skillet and cook the onions, chilli and bay leaves for about 10 minutes until the onions have softened. Put the lamb in the skillet seasoning with salt and pepper, brown the meat, add the vinegar cooking for a few more minutes, then add the tomatoes, stock if you are using it and the rogan josh paste. Mix well.
3. Transfer to a slow cooker and leave for a few hours or until the meat is tender, taste for seasoning and alter as necessary.
    
   Perfect Fluffy Rice
    
   Sea salt
   350g basmati rice
    

1. Place a large saucepan of salted water onto a high heat and bring the water to a boil. Rinse the rice under running cold water, do this until the water runs clear, removing the starch. Add the rice to the boiling water, and bring back to a boil, once the rice is dancing in the pan start to time it, for a total of 5 minutes. Drain the rice into a colander, covering with either a lid or tin foil if it’s easier.
2. Fill the saucepan to about an inch deep with water, bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat so you have a rolling simmer, place the colander over the simmering water and steam the rice for about another 10 minutes. Once you have removed the rice from the heat it should stay warm for about 20 minutes in the covered colander, still over the saucepan.
    

Crockpot lamb in dill sauce

This is a recipe that came out of a book a friend gave me, it’s a slow cooker, crockpot recipe. Dill is one of those herbs I can take or leave, I find it quite strong tasting, I’m not a keen fan of gravlax for example, but I did enjoy this recipe. It said to use fresh dill but I rarely buy fresh herbs, even though I will admit they taste much better than the dried stuff. They tend to go off before I get round to using them and I hate waste, especially food of any kind. It seems to me, to be such a frivolous waste, throwing food away when so many others are starving and unfortunately I am not talking about the victims of third world famine, either. I am talking about the people in our own countries, on our own door step, that go without and struggle to make ends meet. I always feel terribly guilty when I throw something away like that, even if it was only a bunch of fresh herbs, (although not so fresh now because they have wilted and slimy on the ends from being stunk in a plastic bag) I know that sounds silly, I mean who wants to eat a handful of cilantro/coriander or chives? I mean the waste of money though as well, the cost of a store bought bunch of that stuff, could probably buy a sandwich or a burger from McDonalds for example. The plan is that eventually I am going to grow my own herbs in some large plant pots, I quite like the idea of sage, rosemary, thyme, basil maybe some bay? That’s the idea anyway, eventually, at the moment though I am practicing in the garden, I don’t have very green fingers, I managed to grow a tomato plant during the summer and parsley, mint for a little while and some other plants too, it’s a start, when you consider that a few years ago I was the plant murderer, I haven’t done too badly. Practice makes perfect and I will get there in the end. If there is one thing I do have a lot of, that’s determination and a tendency to eventually get what I want out of life, because of it.  

For a crock pot recipe this is quite fiddly, it’s not just a case of bung everything in the crock and turn it on, leaving it to do its own thing. Although after reading a lot of crock pot recipes I am starting to think that the bung it all in and leave it method, is a misconception entirely. I was aware of browning the meat beforehand and then lobbing it all in the crock. To be honest though I do like the thought of using my crockpot, in other ways than just launching everything in it and walking away, there is not much skill or method involved in that, which in my opinion amounts to no fun at all. This recipe uses very little skill but a little more than just a dump (in the crockpot) and walk!

 

 

Crockpot Lamb in a Dill Sauce

1.3kg lean lamb cut into chunks (2.5cm pieces)

1 small onion, peeled and quartered

1 carrot, sliced

1 bay leaf

4 sprigs of fresh dill, 3tbsp chopped/1tbsp dried

1 strip of thinly sliced lemon peel

750ml boiling stock, lamb or vegetable

1tbsp Olive oil

1tbsp unsalted butter

225g shallots

1tbsp plain flour

115g petits pois

1 egg yolk

75ml single (light) cream

Salt and cracked black pepper

New potatoes and carrots to serve

1. Place all the lamb, your onions, carrot, bay leaf, dill sprigs and the lemon rind into the crockpot, add the stock. Turn the crockpot up to the high setting, cover and cook for about an hour. Then skim the scum off the top. Put the lid back on and either cook for two hours on high or low for four hours, the lamb should be fairly tender.
2. Remove the meat from the crockpot and strain the stock, discarding of the herbs and vegetables. Using kitchen paper wipe the pot clean, return all the meat and half the stock back into the crockpot, keeping the rest for later. Cover and switch the pot onto high.
3. Heat your oil and butter in a skillet and cook the shallots over a gentle heat until browned and tender – this should take about 10-15 minutes. Add the shallots to the pot.
4. Sprinkle the flour over the remaining fat in the pan, then slowly, adding a little at a time add the reserved stock, continuously stirring, bring to a boil until thickened. Once the sauce has thickened add it, the peas and salt and pepper to taste, stir and cook on high until hot, about 30 minutes.
5. Blend the egg yolk and the cream together, stir in 2 or 3 tablespoons of the stock and in a slow thin stream stir into the casserole and keep stirring until slightly thickened, stir in the remaining dill and serve with potatoes and carrots.

Apple Lamb Pie

I'm on a continuous mission to find new flavours and textures. Or simply recipes that will inspire me, I don't think I will ever have enough recipe books, or food reference books. Or post it notes, to mark the pages that have inspired me - having said that sometimes when I go through my recipe books looking to use a new recipe, i'll sometimes come across one and wonder what was I thinking when I marked that one - equally I'll find one that hasn't been post it'd and wonder why not? It's a personal thing - a little OCD coming out and raising it's ugly head, I find it therapeutic though - you'd probably have to see it to understand it - colour co-ordinated per chapter and almost perfectly aligned. It is what it is I suppose. Glen's rather patient with me as far as new books and sticky coloured paper is concerned.

This one is similar to the Irish stew that I made, with a few added extra bits. Personally this was my favourite of the two, as with everything though it all about personal tastes.

Bramley Apple Lamb Pie

1kg Potatoes thinly sliced

50g Butter

8 Small lamb chops

2 Onions thinly sliced

2 Bramley apples

2 tsp Brown sugar

2 tsp Chopped fresh mint

Salt and black pepper

200ml Beef stock

Green Vegetables to serve

1. Place all the sliced potatoes in a bowl of cold water, this will help to prevent them from going brown.

2. Preheat your oven to 180C or 350F.

3. Melt a quarter of the butter in a flameproof casserole dish, then brown your lamb chops on both sides, this will seal in the natural flavours and juices. You must wait for the casserole dish to be very hot before you put them in. Once you've browned your meat remove them and place to one side.

4. Next add your onions and apples to the casserole dish and quickly cook them for 2 minutes, remember to keep stirring. Now take the onions and apples out of the dish and place to one side, also remove your dish from the heat and turn off the hob.

5. Pour away the water from the potatoes, layer half of them in the bottom of your casserole dish. Next you want to put your lamb chops on top, then spoon your onions and apples over the chops, sprinkle with the sugar and season with mint, salt and pepper.

6. Lastly, layer the last of your potato slices over the top, pour over the stock. Cut the rest of the butter into little cubes and scatter over the top.

7. Cook in the oven for about 1 1/2 hours. Serve with green vegetables.

Dad's icky.......... Fried Rice...... Ammended

Fried rice with lamb – it’s one of those, I’ll give it a try but I don’t know if I’ll like it type recipe. I am not a huge fried rice fan, and it stems back to childhood – one of those really disgusting meals your parents would make – that make you gag….. I gagged a lot. My Dad would make this really awful fried rice, thing (literally pulling a face at the thought) rubbery rice, solid, black, from being burnt, peas (wondering about my aversion to peas now?) We would usually be served this culinary feast after a Sunday roast chicken dinner, my mum would cook it beautifully, then my Dad would come along and put it in his, fried rice killing it – Yuck!

I can’t begin to imagine what he did with it, but the end result was foul – crispy, dry, chewy stab your gums, chicken, with burnt icky peas. Worse than ALL that was the egg – usually added to early, resulting in over cooked egg with that glassy type of texture you get – hmmmm…… Now wondering if this is why I am so fussy about my eggs? Wow one dish has made me an awfully fussy eater – or one cook’s interpretation of fried rice has. This is my interpretation and to be fair it’s not too bad for fried rice.

Fried Rice With Lamb
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
300g lamb strips
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 julienned medium carrot
½ cup frozen peas
2 spring onions
A few broccoli florets
1 leek, sliced
1 cup snow peas, give or take
1 pouch of cooked rice
2 tbsp soy sauce

1. In a small bowl, mix together the eggs and a teaspoon of soy sauce.
2. Pour 1 tsp evoo (extra virgin olive oil) into a large skillet, or a wok if you have one. Place over a medium heat, when it’s hot, add the egg and the garlic; stir to scramble. Once the egg is set, take it out of the skillet or wok, making sure that you break up any big pieces. Take your skillet off the heat.
3. Pour the remaining oil into the skillet, and return to a medium heat. Stir fry the lamb, when it’s cooked remove from the pan and keep warm. Then add all your vegetables and stir-fry until crisp tender.
4. Finally add your cooked rice, lamb and soy sauce. Cook and stir for a few minutes until heated through and then add the egg and stir for 1 more minute.

The Joys Of Having A Teenage Son

On Thursday night, I got a distressed telephone call from my son, he turns 16 this year, saying that he didn’t want to live with his father anymore, and he wanted to come and live with us. This is all very well and good, but I am not about to rock the boat, so I made some extra phone calls to find out what was really going on. After a long conversation with his father, I discover that he had be grounded, all telephone and internet privileges removed, because he had bunked off school AGAIN!! Fair enough, I would have dealt with it in the same way. The problem was getting my 16 year old son back in the car with his Dad. He was at some woman’s house, I have decided I don’t like her very much. Anyway, I said that if he went home with his Dad, he could come here for the weekend and we would try and sort out the “issues.” In the end nothing got sorted, I did try to help him, but he is a typical teenager, who is NEVER wrong. I did make a banana cake with him though….. Recipe to follow in a later blog..

Now onto my latest recipe, we enjoy a good stir fry and I made this lamb one after having left over lamb…

Stir Fry Lamb With Carrots And Leeks

450g Lamb cut into strips

2 tbsp olive oil
2 leeks cut into rings
1 carrots cut into this strips
2 cloves garlic minced
85ml lamb or veg stock
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce

1. Heat the oil in a hot wok, then add the meat and cook for 3-4 minutes, whilst constantly stirring, with a slotted spoon remove the meat and keep warm.
2. Place the leeks, carrots and garlic in the wok and stir-fry for 2 minutes, then remove and set to one side, discard the oil.
3. Place stock, sugar and soy sauce in the wok, add the meat and stir fry for 2 more minutes.
4. Serve on a bed of rice with the vegetables.

Lemony Yummy Lamb

I swear by this recipe, it’s an absolute corker, the meat is melt in your mouth, everything just works perfectly together, the recipe requires a minimum of 2 hours marinating time, so a little preplanning…. To be honest it is best left over night. It’s great served with fries (chips for my English friends) and a salad – or equally new potatoes and vegetables. Serve the vegetables with a little butter though if you must, you don’t want to being smothering the lamb with sauce.  

Lemony Lamb

¼ cup evoo, extra virgin olive oil.

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp grated lemon peel
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp dried basil
¼ tsp rosemary
¼ tsp pepper
2 lamb loin chops 6oz or 1" thick

1. In a large resealable plastic bag, add all the ingredients except the lamb, mix well and then add the lamb. Marinate, for at least two hours, preferably over night.

2. Drain and discard marinade then broil the lamb to desired doneness.