Chicken, Lamb, or Vegan Pasanda Curry

We have lured our eldest daughter home for the evening to watch the Lionesses play in the Euros, and have a homemade Lamb Pasanda. 

I mostly followed BBC Good Food's Chicken Pasanda recipe, using cashews as I had no almonds, adding cumin seeds and more ground coriander as one of the reviews said the curry was a little bland, and omitting the cream.  Our Lamb Pasanda was tasty and with a medium kick of chilli.

This curry can be 'veganised' but substituting the meat with chickpeas/white beans and firm tofu, and using plant based yoghurt and milk.

Serves 4

500g diced lamb or chicken, or 200g black of firm tofu and a can of white beans/chickpeas

200g plain dairy or plant based yoghurt

4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated

2½ cm root ginger, finely grated

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp chilli powder

½ tsp salt

Curry sauce

50g blanched almonds or cashews

100ml whole or plant based milk

4 tbsp sunflower oil

4 onions, peeled and thinly sliced 

4 garlic cloves, peeled & finely crushed

2½ root ginger, finely grated

4 cardamom pods

1 cinnamon stick

2 tsp cumin seeds

1 red chilli, thinly sliced or ½ tsp chilli flakes

½ tsp ground turmeric

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tsp garam masala

Marinade the meat in the yoghurt, garlic, ginger, turmeric, chilli powder, and salt for 30 minutes or more whilst you make the curry sauce. I tip the yoghurt and flavourings into the plastic tray or bag it comes in to save on washing up. 

To make the curry sauce, warm the milk for 1 minute in a mug in the microwave, add the almonds or cashews, and leave to the side to soften.

In a large pan, fry the onions in the oil over a medium high heat for about 5 minutes until golden brown.  Stir in the whole spices (cardamon pods, cinnamon stick, cumin, and chilli), followed by the garlic and ginger, and then the ground spices (turmeric, coriander, and garam masala).

Liquidise the almonds/cashews with 300ml water and add to the pan with the onions.  Add the marinated meat, making sure you scrape out as much of the yoghurt mixture as you can.

Stir well, bring to the boil, then cover and turn down to a simmer for 20 minutes.

Instagram: leesashomemade

Facebook: Leesa's Homemade

TikTok: @leesashomemade

Viral Smashed Kofta Wraps

I've seen a lot of reels of mince being squished onto wraps and fried.  My teens love kofta so I thought I'd give it a go.  The benefit of squishing the mince onto wraps means they don't take much cooking, and kids can cook their own without fear of serving themselves raw meat.  The only problem with feeding a family is that you can only cook one tortilla at a time, unless you have an array of frying pans.

Serves 4

500g lamb or beef mince

1 small onion, peeled and grated

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

1 tbsp ras el hanout or harissa

30g fresh coriander or parsley, finely chopped

4 medium flour tortillas

Sunflower oil for frying

4 tbsp greek yoghurt 

1/2 tsp lemon juice (optional)

1 tbsp tahini paste (optional)

1/8th wedge of red or green cabbage, thinly sliced 

1/2 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1 tbsp apple cider or white wine vinegar

Chilli sauce to serve

Mix the mince, grated onion, 2 of the crushed garlic cloves, chosen spices, and the herbs together.  Cover and chill for 1-24 hours.

When ready to cook, scrunch the cabbage and onion together with a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of vinegar and leave to one side.

Mix the last remaining crushed clove of garlic into the yoghurt together with the tahini and lemon juice if using, and leave to one side with the cabbage salad.

Weigh the flavoured mince and divide into 4.  Squish one quarter of the mince onto one side of a tortilla.

Preheat a pancake pan or shallow frying pan over a medium heat and brush with oil.  

Place the tortilla meat side down onto the hot pan.  Cook for 3-4 minutes until the mince is browned.

Flip over with a fish slice and slide onto a plate.  Add a quarter of the garlic yoghurt and cabbage, and chilli sauce to taste. Roll up and tuck in.

Instagram: leesashomemade

Facebook: Leesa's Homemade

TikTok: @leesashomemade

Lemon & Rosemary Lamb Traybake

This Lemon & Rosemary Lamb Tray Bake from BBC Good Food is perfect for Easter, although I cooked the weekend before as a birthday meal.

As every I tweaked it a little bit to what I had available, and removing the ingredients my teens don't like (peppers & tomatoes).

1 ½ lemons, zested and juiced, ½ sliced

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large garlic clove, crushed

6 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked from 4 and chopped

8 lamb cutlets, trimmed of excess fat (I used Barnsley chops from local butcher)

500g new potato, thinly sliced (this seemed light on spuds - I used 1kg of all purpose potatoes)

2 red peppers, deseeded and thickly sliced (not used)

4 small vine tomatoes, halved (not used)

50g black olive

3 tbsp capers 

Marinade the lamb in the lemon zest, lemon juice, 1 tbsp olive oil, garlic, chopped rosemary, and a little salt and pepper for at least 30 minutes.  I used the large shallow baking dish I was going to cook them in, keeping the bag the lamb came in to put them back in whilst the potatoes are cooking.

Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.

When ready to cook, take the lamb out of the baking dish, putting it back in the bag if you have it. Scrape any marinade on top of the lamb.  

Tip the potatoes into the into the baking dish, toss them in ½ tbsp olive oil and a little salt & pepper,  and put in the oven for 15 mins.

After 15 minutes, remove the dish and move the potatoes around so those in the middle of the dish are swapped with those at the edge. Top with the peppers, lemon slices, rosemary sprigs and tomatoes. Drizzle with the remaining oil and some seasoning. Return to the oven for 10 mins.

Place the lamb cutlets on top of the veg. Scatter over the olives and capers. Cook for a final 10-12 mins, turning the lamb halfway until it is just pink. As I used Barnsley chops, I thought they might need a bit more cooking (and I have a child who finds rare meat too chewy) so I baked the lamb for 30 minutes.  This gave me perfect blushing lamb. Adults' portion was served with cauliflower and fennel roasted along side the lamb.

Instagram: leesashomemade

Facebook: Leesa's Homemade

Madhur Jaffrey's Lamb Dalcha (Red Lentil Dal with Roast Lamb)

Use your leftover lamb roast in this healthy Indian lentil dal, Madhur Jaffrey's Lamb Dalcha. 

Serves 6

225g red lentils
½ tsp ground turmeric
4 tbsp vegetable oil
4 cm cinnamon stick
6 whole cardamom pods
1 medium-sized onion, peeled, cut in half length-wise then sliced into half moons
1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
225g boneless cooked lamb
1 tsp finely grated garlic
¾ tsp red chilli powder (or cayenne pepper)
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp tamarind pulp or about 2tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp ghee (or vegetable oil)
½ tsp whole cumin seeds
1-2 dried whole hot red chillies
8-10 fresh or dried curry leaves
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut in half lengthways

Put the lentils in a heavy-based pan with 900ml of water and the tumeric. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20-30 minutes until the lentils are soft and mushy.

In a wide based pan, heat the vegetable oil over a medium heat. When hot, put in the cinnamon and cardamom. Stir for a few seconds, or until the cardamom begins to darken. Add the onions and fry until slightly browned. Add the ginger, garlic, and ¼ tsp red chilli powder. Stir for 1 minute to allow the spices to brown then add the cooked lamb and 175ml of water and bring to a simmer.  Turn the heat off until the lentils are ready.

When the lentils are tender, stir them vigorously into a purée. Add the tamarind, salt and chilli powder. Either add the lentils to the lamb, or the lamb to the lentils, whichever is the bigger pan! Simmer with the lid off whilst you prepare the tarka/tadka (spiced oil).

Heat the last 2 tbsp of vegetable oil a small frying pan over a medium heat. When hot, add the cumin seeds, whole red chilli and the curry leaves. Stir. As soon as the chilli darkens a bit, add the sliced garlic. Stir until the garlic turns a light brown in colour then pour over the lentils and lamb and serve.

Instagram: leesashomemade

Facebook: Leesa's Homemade

Twitter: leesashomemade

Vegan, Vegetarian, or Meat Jalfrezi Curry

I generally cook vegetarian curries, having enjoyed these in Rajasthan many years ago, and having a part time vegetarian son. But the vegetables could be easily switched for meat, or half meat half vegetables...

Serves 4

4 tbsp coconut or vegetable oil 

1 tbsp mustard seeds

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tsp turmeric


1/2-1 tsp chilli flakes


4 cloves garlic – smashed and finely chopped


1 inch piece of ginger – grated


1 large onion, finely sliced


1 carrot cut into 2mm thick pieces


1 green pepper cut into strips


700g vegetables and/or meat (chickpeas, sweet potato, cauliflower, beans, diced chicken, diced lamb)

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 bunch coriander leaves finely chopped


1 tbsp garam masala


Juice of 1 limes
s

1 tsp salt

Heat the oiI in a large pan. When hot add the mustard and cumin seeds. When they begin to pop, add the ground coriander, turmeric and chilli powder and sizzle for about 20 seconds. Add the onion and fry for about 2 minutes until slightly browned. Add the garlic, ginger, carrots,  green pepper and stir fry for about 2 more minutes.

Add your vegetable and/or meat.  Stir around in the spiced onions then add the chopped tomatoes and a can of recently boiled water to just cover the vegetables/meat. Jalfrezi is typically a 'dry' curry without much sauce, but I personally like a curry with a bit of sauce, and also think you enough to cook the meat or vegetables.

Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to the boil then simmer gently with a lid on for 30 minutes whilst you cook some basmati rice.

Instagram: leesashomemade

Facebook: Leesa's Homemade

Lamb Kofta Wraps

Lamb Kofta have become a birthday meal favourite. I started off using Jamie Oliver's Lamb Kofta Flatbreads recipe, but it has now evolved into a family recipe based on the ingredients we usually have to hand.

Serves 4

500g lamb mince

Handful bread crumbs

1 large free range egg

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika

4-8 wholemeal wraps

Large tub cottage cheese

Sliced onion

Sliced tomato

Grated carrot (optional)

Shredded lettuce or cabbage

Chilli sauce

Squish the breadcrumbs, egg, cumin and paprika into the lamb mince until thoroughly mixed. Divide into 4, and divide each quarter into half again if people want two wraps.  Shape the kofta into balls or sausages - whatever takes your fancy. We have recently trialled a long flat sided sausage which works quite well in along wrap.

Fry the kofta over a medium heat until lightly brown on each side. Whilst the kofta are cooking assemble the other ingredients on your wrap. When the kofta are ready place along your strip of fillings, roll up the wrap and away you go.

Twitter: leesashomemade

Instagram: leesashomemade

Facebook: Leesa's Homemade

Couscous Royal

My partner has been coming to the South of France since the 1980s, to his parents static caravan parked up in a campsite at Serignan Plage (which was washed away in a winter flood in the mid 1990s). He tells tales of drinking beer with his mates and eating merquez frites, Couscous Royal, and other southern French take away dishes.

We’ve been coming to the same area of the South of France since 2004, and have enjoyed expanding our growing family's gastronomic repertoire over the years. They love merquez, tomato sauces, meat, and garlic in most of its forms. So Couscous Royal, which in theory has four meats in it - merguez, lamb, chicken, and beef - suits them down to the ground, even if I did reduce the meat a bit. 

My recipe is taken from a pack of Carrefour couscous, minus the chicken, beef, carrots, turnips, cinnamon, and ground coriander only for ease of shopping.

Serves 4

4 merguez

4 lamb chops (épaule tranchée), or chicken legs

1 can chickpeas

1 can chopped tomatoes 

1 onions, peeled and chopped 

1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1 mug of couscous 

Fry the chopped onion in the olive oil in a large saucepan. When it begins to go brown add the couscous and lamb to seal it  

Add the garlic and spices. Stir around then add chopped tomatoes, chickpeas and their liquid and then top up with enough water to cover. Bring to the boil then simmer for 20 minutes whilst you cook the couscous

Add double the volume of boiling water to couscous to a Pyrex dish and leave covered to absorb the water for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve with the meat. 

Instagram: leesashomemade

Facebook: Leesa's Homemade

Easy Turkish Pizza - Lahmacun

Not sure what reminded me of Lahmacun, but it seemed an easy tea after a busy day. After all my kids love pizza, and kofte. And keema naan, as my son reminded me after eating it.

Serves 4

4-8 wraps

500g lamb or beef mince

1/2 sweet red pepper, cored, cut into chunks

1 shallot, or small red onion, peeled and roughly chopped

2 cloves of garlic, peeled

1tsp smoked paprika

1tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

4 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp olive oil

A couple of fresh parsley leaves with some stem

Mint & lemon wedges for later

Preheat oven to 200C.

Place everything apart from the lamb mince (and wraps) in the food processor and chop finely. Crumble in the mince and blitz again until a well incorporated paste.

Divide the paste into 4, and decide if you are having one wrap or two. If having one, spread 1/4 of the  paste over the wrap right up to 1cm from the edge.  Place on a lined baking tray and bake for 5 minutes until bubbling.  

Squeeze over lemon juice and sprinkle with chopped mint before serving. Serve in slices like pizza, or rolled up like a wrap.

Madhur Jaffrey's Badmani Rogan Josh - Lamb Cooked in Dark Almond Sauce

First time I've tried a new meat curry in a while, so back to my bible 'An Invitation to Indian Cookery' 1984 edition bought for my mother but never used.

The original recipe calls for 2lb of lamb, but I made a less meaty version with 500g of cubed lamb and a large sweet potato which served our family of five.

Serves 6-8

1kg (2 lbs) cubed lamb
3 tbsp vegetable oil
10 cloves
1/2 tsp hot chilli flakes or more to taste
12 black peppercorns
6 whole cardamom pods
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp shredded coconut
3 tbsp ground almond
6 garlic cloves
1-inch cube fresh ginger
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons yogurt
1 500g carton passata
1 tsp salt

Grind the cloves, peppercorns, and cardamon seeds in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar.

Tip the ground spices, together with the cumin, coriander, coconut, and almond into a heavy saucepan  and dry roast the spices for a few minutes until you smell them strongly.

Remove the roasted spices to a bowl and add the oil.  When hot add the lamb to brown, cooking in several batches otherwise the meat will end up stewing rather than frying.  Take out with a slotted spoon and keep to one side until it is all browned.

Fry all but one handful of the sliced onions in the same pan after removing the lamb,  Whilst the onion is browning liquidise the remaining handful of onions together with the garlic and ginger and a little water to make a smooth puree.

When the onions start to brown, add the garlic paste together with the roasted spices, plus the turmeric and nutmeg.  Add the yoghurt one tablespoon at a time once the paste starts to look like it is drying out.  Then add the passata, the browned lamb, and half a carton of water.  Bring to the boil then turn down to a simmer and cover for 1 hour, stirring from time to time.  Add salt just before serving.

I served it with basmati rice and cucumber raita.

Twitter: leesashomemade

Instagram: leesashomemade

Facebook: Leesa's Homemade

Saag/Palak Spinach Curry Sauce

This is such a healthy curry, and so versatile.  I made it tonight with some leftover chicken from a Sunday roast, but I've made it with cubed chicken, cubed lamb. cubed potatoes, or just 'plain' spinach.  I also make it with homegrown chard or kale.

250g spinach (chard, or kale), washed
500g cubed lamb, chicken, cooked cubed potato, 2 cans of chickpeas
1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
2cm fresh ginger
1 green chilli, or 1/2 tsp very hot chilli flakes
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
4 cloves
1/2 cinnamon stick
4 whole cardamon seeds
2 bay leaves
1tsp turmeric
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp plain yoghurt (or vegan alternative)
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp garam masala

If using meat, brown the lamb or chicken in a large saucepan in the sunflower oil.  Then remove from the pan and leave to one side until the sauce is made.  If using cooked meat or potato, cook the sauce first.

Liquidise the onion, garlic, ginger, and fresh chilli with a little water to make a loose paste.

Fry the dry spices in the oil left in the pan after removing the meat.  If you have not fried any meat, dry roast the spices in a large saucepan, then add the sunflower oil once the smell of warm spices gets strong.  After a couple of minutes of frying or dry roasting/frying add the liquidised onion paste and fry gently until the water evaporates and it is at risk of sticking to the bottom of the pan. Once this happens, liquidise the chopped tomatoes and add to the pan.

At this stage you have a choice over the texture of the spinach.  I have always poured boiling water over the spinach in a bowl and liquidised the wilted spinach.  But I am now thinking that I could just finely shred the spinach or chard, particularly if not adding any meat or potato.  Kale, though, can be tough and may benefit from wilting and being chopped in a food processor.  My kids, despite being 15, 12, & 10 are still wary of obvious greenery.

Texture decision made, add the yoghurt and stir in before adding the spinach to the tomato and onion paste, adding a can of the wilting water if used or recently boiled water.  Add any remaining whole spices, salt, and garam masala.  Return any browned lamb or chicken to the pan if using, topping with a little hot water if the sauce is too thick, and bring to a gentle boil then simmer with a lid on for 30 minutes, stirring from time to time.  If using cooked meat or cooked potatoes, bring the sauce to the boil first then simmer with the cooked meat or potatoes (and again topping up with hot water to make a looser consistency if required) with a lid on for 10 minutes, just enough to warm the previously cooked ingredients through.

Both dishes are ready after their alloted cooking time, but all curries benefit from being left to stand to allow the flavours to develop.  This could be overnight in the fridge, or an hour or so pushed to the back of the hob.

Twitter: leesashomemade

Instagram: leesashomemade

Facebook: Leesa's Homemade

Merguez Burgers

Just chillin'

Merguez are traditionally finger thin North African sausages made popular in France with the arrival of immigrants from Algeria and Morocco.  'Merguez Frites' (Merguez & chips) is a popular fast food served out vans, hole-in-the-wall cafes, and bistros and much loved by our children, and us.

I do have a sausage maker, but time is short, so Merguez flavoured burgers it as birthday treat #2 for my now 15 year old, to be cooked after yet another parents' evening.

500g minced lamb
1 thick slice of bread
1 tsp harissa
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 large clove of garlic, crushed
1 free range egg

Make the slice of bread into breadcrumbs in a mini food processor.

Put all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands.

On a greased baking tray, divide the mixture into half, and then each half into three.  I found it makes 6 burgers weighing just over 100g each which seems a good size for a 'healthy' burger.

Chill in the fridge on the baking tray as long as you can to make them nice and firm for frying.

Fry over a medium heat for about 5 minutes each side for a well done burger.  Or bake at 200C Fan on the baking tray.

Serve in a burger with salad and onion, in a pitta, or with pasta as I will probably do.

Twitter: Leesa@sunhillcurry
Instagram: sunhillmakesbakes

Facebook: Sun Hill Makes & Bakes 

Dizi - Iranian Lamb & Bean Stew

Binge watching Nigel Slater's Middle East, I just had to try some of the dishes.  Searching for a recipe for 'Dizi' as one wasn't detailed on the programme, I stumbled across the blog 'Turmeric & Saffron' containing a wealth of Persian cuisine, recipes, and stories.

Preparing traditional Dizi is a long drawn out process; soaking and cooking dried beans, long slow cooking, then straining off the broth, and mashing the stew.  So I've made it simpler...

Serves 4-6

1kg cubed lamb
1 can cannellini or haricot beans
2 large onions, peeled, quartered, and thinly sliced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 lemon
1/2 tablespoon turmeric
A pinch of cinnamon
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 lamb or chicken stock cube
Salt and pepper to taste
Water

Fry the onions in the oil until they start to brown.  Add the lamb and fry with the onions for 5-10 minutes.  Zest the lemon into the pan, juice it and add this to the pan together with the squeezed lemon halves.  Add the rest of the ingredients and enough water to cover.  Bring to the boil then turn down to a simmer and cover for an hour, or place in a slow cooker for 6-8 hours on High.

The original recipe contained potatoes, so you could serve this with boiled or mashed potatoes.  We served it with brown rice to save the potatoes for Tandoori Sunday Roast Chicken the next day.

Twitter: Leesa@sunhillcurry
Instagram: sunhillmakesbakes

Facebook: Sun Hill Makes & Bakes 

Stovetop & Slow Cooker Lamb Daube

This is just a simple lamb stew, but the addition of orange lifts it to a different level.

Serves 4

500g cubed lamb
1 large onion, peeled and diced
4 large clove of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 stick of celery, diced
1 large carrot (or a sweet potato), cut into lamb sized pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
Tin of chopped tomatoes
250ml white wine
250ml recently boiled water
1 small orange, quartered
1 lamb or chicken stock cube
2 bay leaves
2 thyme sprigs

Fry the onion, celery, and carrot if using, in the olive oil until it starts to brown.

Add the lamb and fry until it looks sealed on all sides.  Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to the boil, then simmer with a lid on for for about half an hour or the carrot/sweet potato is soft.

Season to taste, and remove the orange quarters before serving with mashed or boiled potatoes.  Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall, whose recipe in 'Meat' I based my lamb version on, suggests stirring pre-cooked macaroni through the hot sauce instead.

After bringing to boil, this could all be plonked in a slow cooker and left to cook on High for 6 hours.

Instagram: leesashomemade

Facebook: Leesa's Homemade

Slow Cooker Venison Shanks with Cannellini Beans

I think the butcher's must have been clearing out their fridges in the build up to Christmas, as I picked up some cheap steaks, and venison shanks.

The word 'shanks' makes me think of lamb shanks, and it is thus that I have treated them.  I only have 4 shanks for five of us so have added cannellini beans to bulk up the dish.  They are still blipping away in the slow cooker, but I imagine I'll serve them with mashed potato and steamed greens (which the kids will pull faces at and won't eat, but at least some beans will have slipped into them unnoticed).

Serves 4
4 lamb or venison shanks
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 glass of red wine
1 carton of passata or a tin of chopped tomatoes
1 beef stock cube
1 glass of hot water
2 bay leaves
8-10 juniper berries (if using venison)

Brown the lamb shanks in a high sided frying pan in the olive oil.  Once browned, place in the warming slow cooker.  Fry the onions in the same pan until they begin to brown.  Add the garlic, juniper berries, bay leaves, and crumbled stock cube and stir around then add the glass of wine and bring to the boil.  Once the wine is boiling, scrape any meat off the bottom of the pan and pour this over the shanks in the slow cooker.  Add the passata to the frying pan and heat up until steaming.  Add this to the slow cooker and top up with boiling water so that the shanks are just about covered in liquid.  Stir best you can then put the lid on and cook on High for 6-8 hours or the meat is falling off the bone.

Twitter: Leesa@sunhillcurry
Instagram: sunhillmakesbakes

Easy Slow Cooker Chicken or Lamb Tagine

Seem to have been making a lot of slow cooker tagines recently.  Maybe that's because I've had no kitchen to speak of.  There are a million tagine variations, but this is now my go-to recipe for either chicken or lamb.

Serves 4

8 chicken thighs or 500g cubed lamb
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp smoked paprika
10 dried apricots, cubed (or dates, if using lamb)
2 tsp honey
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin boiling water
1 tin chickpeas
1 chicken stock cube
2 tsp dried mint

Fry the chicken thighs in the olive oil.  Once brown, place into the slow cooker warming on high, leaving the oil in the frying pan.

Fry the onion and garlic in the oil left in the pan for about 5 minutes.  Add the cinnamon, cumin and ginger and continue frying for another 5 minutes or the onion starts to brown or catch.  Add the rest of the ingredients and heat until simmering.

Pour over the chicken in the slow cooker and leave to cook on High for 6-8 hours until the chicken is falling off the bone.

Serve with couscous or bulghur wheat.

Twitter: Leesa@sunhillcurry
Instagram: sunhillmakesbakes

Facebook: Sun Hill Makes & Bakes 

Instant Noodles with Added Leftovers

 

Tweet

After a week of entertaining, we ended half term with a visit to my niece for her third and final party for her 7th Birthday.

The kids, all seven of them, aunts, uncles and grandma all gorged themselves on baked potatoes, a buffet lunch, and birthday cake.  So not surprisingly we weren't that interested in making dinner on Sunday night.

For just such occasions, we have instant noodles from a nearby Asian supermarket in the back of our cupboard.  Usually they are just eaten as they come, but last night Dad was concerned this might not be enough to keep him going, so he decided to extend them with some slivers of pork fillet leftover from Jamie Oliver's Seared Pork Fillet & Catherine Wheel Sausage we'd made Friday night (we gave the kids the leftover sausages with pasta for a quick Sunday tea), together with some finely sliced broccoli stalk.  These were added at the last minute,  just giving them time to warm through.  Just add extra chilli to taste!

Essentially any pack of instant noodles can be improved upon with a few vegetables and some leftover meat if you have any.  If using plainer noodles e.g. chicken or vegetable instant noodles you could add a little ginger, garlic and soy to the mix.  Or Thai curry paste.  I am reminded now that we survived a year of backpacking in our early thirties regularly eating noodles with a bit of fresh veg thrown in.  Not sure I'd care to read the ingredients on some of these packs - but don't think it has done us any harm.

Super Thrifty Slow Cooked Rolled Breast of Lamb

Just going into the slow cooker

Tweet

Dad bought these on Friday last week as an easy evening meal for us, having catered for family and friends pretty much all of half term.  He says they were about £1 a roll, ready stuffed from our local butcher. So a Sunday 'roast' for 5 of us, with a about 1 roll left over was only £5 - and dead simple.

1 breast roll per person (more than enough)
Glass of white wine or water
1 bay leaf

Place the breast rolls end up in a slow cooker.  If you've got the time or the inclination, you could brown the outside of the rolls in a frying pan before putting them in the slow cooker.  Add a glass of liquid of your choice, put the lid of the slow cooker on and cook on High for 6-8 hours.

At the end of the cooking time, pour off the cooking juices and separate off the fat.  You can either use this as a gravy as it is, or thicken it in a sauce pan with a heaped teaspoon of cornflour mixed with a 2 teaspoons of water.  A teaspoon of redcurrant jelly would go nicely in the gravy if you have it.

As the cupboards were running a little bare from all our entertaining, we had this with large grain bulgur wheat and frozen peas.

The lamb leftovers destined to be turned into a Mediterranean Lamb and Bean Stew,  and the bulgur wheat & peas have just been put into a Moroccan Tomato Soup for my lunch for the next two days.

Sunday 'Roast' Barbecued Butterflied Leg of Lamb

Tweet

Our local butchers had vacuum packed butterflied (boned and opened out) legs of lamb on display this week.  After having it on a rugby club barbecue several years running it has always been something I wanted to try,

I asked for a small leg of lamb to feed our family of five, which the butcher duly boned.  I marinaded it in 2 tsp of olive oil, the juice and zest of a lemon, 1tsp of dried thyme, 1 tsp dried oregano, a large garlic clove grated, and a pinch of pepper and salt for the best part of a day in the bag I bought it in which made it easy for the marinade to have full contact with the meat.  I meant to marinade it overnight but didn't get round to it.

Cooking times came from www.beeflambnz.co.nz which recommended 30-35 minutes cooking time for a small leg, and 40-45 minutes for a large leg, was spot on.  Our Sunday 'roast' turned out moist and pink all the way through.

We served it with new potatoes and French Carrot Salad.

Moroccan Lamb & Harissa Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Tweet

I made ordinary meatballs before half term and my 4 year old grumbled 'why can't we have spicy ones'.  So this week I fulfilled his wish simply using some homemade harissa, lamb mince, and basic tomato pasta sauce.

Serves 4
1kg lean lamb mince
3 heaped tsp harissa (about 1-2tsp if using shop bought)
Handful of breadcrumbs
1 Free Range Egg (optional)

Tomato Sauce
2 tin of tomatoes, liquidised or passata
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped

In a large mixing bowl, squidge the mince, harissa, breadcrumbs, egg if using, and a little pepper & salt together with your fingers. When thoroughly mixed, scoop out a heaped teaspoon of mince and shape into a ball with your hands.  This quantity of mince made about 20 small meatballs when I made them this week.

When shaped,  plop into a lightly oiled large non-stick frying pan and fry over a medium high heat until they begin to brown then remove to a plate.

When all the meatballs are made and fried, pour off all but a tablespoon of the lamb fat.  Fry the onions and garlic for a few minutes then add the tomatoes, plus a can of water.  Bring to the boil, turn down a simmer, return the browned meatballs to the sauce and simmer with the lid of for 20-30 minutes.  Serve over rice or pasta.

Shepherds Pie with Hidden Vegetables

Sprout grumbled when I announced at breakfast that it was going to be Shepherd's Pie for tea.  And grumbled again when I reminded her on the walk home from school.  She then looked somewhat surprised when I set a plate of it down in front of her at tea, saying "Oh I thought you meant Fish Pie".  As seconds were had by all I resolve never to pay attention to children grumbling about Shepherds Pie again.

Serves 4-6

500g lamb mince
1 carrot
1 stick of celery
1 onion
1 garlic clove
1/4 swede
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tin chopped tomatoes
5 large baking potatoes
Butter or margarine
Milk
1 handful cheddar cheese

Finely chop the onion and garlic and start frying with the olive oil in a large saucepan or saute pan.  Finely dice, grate, or blitz the carrot and celery, adding this to the pan when ready.  Peel and grate or blitz swede and add this to the pan.  Stir, cover, and sweat this vegetable rubble for 5 minutes.  When soft or beginning to catch add the lamb, breaking up the lumps and cooking for a few minutes.  Then add chopped tomatoes, half a can of water, worcestershire sauce and leave to simmer for 30 minutes

Peel the potatoes and roughly chop.  Boil in salted water for 15 minutes or until soft.  Drain and mash with a large knob of butter or margarine and milk to make a spreadable mash.

Put the lamb mix into a high sided baking dish and spread over the mash.  Ruffle the surface of the mash with a fork and sprinkle with cheese.  Bake in a pre-heated oven at 190C for about 30 minutes until bubbling and golden on top (you might need the grill on for a few minutes at the end to achieve this).