Lamb with Mango & Macadamia Salad

This Is An All Time Favourite Lamb Salad.

With mangoes in season, this is a great refreshing

dinner option for these humid Brisbane nights.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4 to 6)

1 Tbsp Oil
1kg Lean Lamb Back straps or Boneless Leg Roast
Salt
Pepper

2 Cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 to 2 Mango, cut into 2cm cubes
1/2 Cup Macadamia Nuts
3 Cups Baby Spinach

4 Tbsps Low-Fat Natural Yoghurt
3 Tbsps Fresh Mint, finely chopped

METHOD

Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat.

Season the lamb back straps on both sides.

Pour in the olive oil then add the lamb.

Cook for four to five minutes on one side. Turn over and cook for another four minutes, until cooked through.

Transfer to a plate and cover with foil for 10 to 15 minutes. Slice thinly.
Place the cucumber, mango, macadamia nuts and leaves in a bowl.

Whisk together the yoghurt and mint.

Arrange the salad on serving plates.

Top with thinly sliced lamb.

Drizzle the yoghurt dressing over the lamb and salad and serve immediately.


Variation: If you are feeling adventurous: use my lamb marinade for some extra flavour.
http://beccannonsrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/10/marinated-lamb.html

Marinated Lamb

One of the best marinades for lamb I have concocted.

The marinade is perfect for any lamb cut:

chops, leg of lamb, and kebabs.

Great for Roasting or the BBQ.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4 to 6)

MARINADE (Makes 1 Cup of Marinade)

4 Garlic Cloves
2 Tbsp Fresh Thyme Leaves
4 Tbsps Dijon Mustard
4 Tbsps Lemon Juice
2 Tbsps Soy Sauce (I use low sodium)
1/2 Cup Olive Oil

1kg Boneless Easy Carve Lamb Roast


METHOD

In a small food processor, toss in the garlic and thyme and finely chop.

Add the Dijon, lemon juice, soy sauce, and olive oil; process until emulsified and the garlic is pureed.

Alternatively, if you do not have a smal food processor:

You can press the garlic and whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl.

Place the lamb in an appropriate side bowl or plastic container with lid, or in a freezer bags. Cover and seal or use the lid.

Marinate the lamb a few hours to overnight. Lift the meat out of the marinade and cook as desired.

You can also set some marinade aside to baste the lamb while cooking.

Marinating Time: 2 hours to overnight

Preheat a fan forced oven to 160 degrees celsius.

Place the the lamb on a roasting rack in a baking dish, and cook the boneless lamb roast for 25 minutes per 500g.

Allow to rest for 15 minutes, then slice and serve.

Serving Suggestion: Mango & Macadamia Salad
http://beccannonsrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/10/lamb-with-mango-macadamia-salad.html

Nonna's Pork & Veal Ragu

I am so glad Donna McCart shared her Nonna's Ragu Recipe with me.

It is so unbelievably DELICIOUS!

In Donna's words:

This is the perfect sauce to simmer on the stove all afternoon!

I usually cook up a big batch on Saturdays. 

I use some of the sauce for Sunday night dinner,

some of the sauce to make a yummy lasagne and

freeze the rest in meal  size serves for a lazy night

when I don’t feel like cooking (if there is enough left!).

INGREDIENTS

3 Tbsps Olive Oil
1 kg Fatty Pork Loin Chops (cheap cut is fine with a bone) – roughly diced
1 kg Veal or Rump steak – roughly diced
2 Large Onions – finely chopped
4 Garlic cloves – finely chopped
4 x 410g Tins Crushed Italian Peeled Tomatoes
3 Tbsps of Tomato Paste (optional)
1/2 Cup Red Wine (optional)
1 or 2 Rosemary Sprigs – finely chopped
1 Bay Leaf
Basil, a few handfuls, torn
Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper

To Serve: Short Pasta like Penne

METHOD

Place a large heavy based stock pot on a medium heat. Add Olive Oil.

Add onion and garlic, and gently saute until the onion is transparent. Do not overcook.

Add the diced pork (include pork bones) and the veal.  Cook, stirring constantly until all the meat is browned.

Add the canned tomatoes and red wine (if using). Stir gently until well combined.

If required, add enough water to ensure all the meat is covered with liquid.
Add finely chopped rosemary, bay leaf and cracked black pepper.  Stir to combine.

Bring the sauce to the boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. 

Simmer for at least two hours with the lid off or slightly ajar.  Stirring occasionally. 

To ensure the sauce doesn't dry out, you may need to add extra water during the cooking process. Sauce should be dense but not extra thick.    

When the meat is tender (pork should fall off the bone), remove the pork bones and bay leaf.

If necessary, add the tomato paste to thicken the sauce, then salt to taste. 

Add torn basil. Stir gently to combine.

About 15 minutes before serving up, cook the short pasta according to packet directions.

Drain pasta.

To Serve: Place pasta in a serving bowl and top with the ragu sauce.

Note: This sauce freezes really well – so it would be the perfect meal for a fishing trip or camping.

 Millie and Poppy enjoying their ragu on dinosaur pasta!

Bacon Curls: Great Breakfast Side Dish

Dress up your breakfast plate with some Bacon curls!

INGREDIENTS

8 Short Cut Bacon Rashes
4 Skewers, or 8 Toothpicks


METHOD
Heat the oven to 200°C. 

Starting from the thick end of the bacon, roll up reasonably tightly to form curls (use a toothpick or skewer to secure roll). 

If using toothpicks: Stand upright in a deep baking dish

If using skewers: Place the skewers across a small deep baking dish (as pictured above)

Cook for about 20 minutes or until crispy.

Serve with french toast or eggs for a great breakfast.

Simple Seafood Laksa

This is indeed a really simple laksa recipe anyone can make at home.

It's not as authentic as a Penang Laksa or a Sarawak Laksa,

but this is good laksa and still a nice, comforting dish for a cold night...

and Brisbane has been cold and windy this week.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)

150g to 200g Rice Vermicelli Noodles
1 Tbsp Peanut Oil
1/4 Cup good-quality Laksa Paste
750ml Fish or Vegetable Stock
400ml Coconut Milk (I use light) 
750g Green Prawns, de-veined, shelled, tails on
200g Scallops, no roe
100g Bean Sprouts, trimmed
12 Button Mushrooms, quartered
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1/2 Cup Fresh Coriander, coarsely chopped, plus extra to serve
Sea Salt

Optional Ingredients
100g Tofu, thinly sliced
1 Red Capsicum, thinly sliced
Hard Boiled Eggs (1 per person), thinly sliced
1 Small Red Chilli, seeds removed, cut into thin strips, to serve (If you like spice)
2 Tbsps Chopped Peanuts, to serve
Fried Asian Shallots, to serve (available in the asian food aisle at the supermarket)


METHOD

Place the vermicelli in a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave for 10 minutes to soak. Drain and set aside.

Place oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add the laksa paste and stir-fry for 1 minute.

Stir in the stock, bring to the boil, then add the coconut milk and simmer for 4 minutes.

Add the green prawns, scallops,tofu, mushrooms and capsicum and cook for 2 minutes before adding 1 teaspoon of salt and the lemon juice. Combine well.

Divide the noodles between serving bowls, top with the bean sprouts, egg slices and the coriander.

Pour the laksa soup over the noodles, dividing the seafood equally among the bowls.

To Serve: Garnish with slices of chilli, peanuts, shallots and the extra coriander.

NOTE:
Fish, beef, chicken, pork can all be substituted for the prawns and scallops.

Honey Sausages - Finger Food for Toddlers/Kids

This is great tasty twist for the plain old chipolata sausage.

Poppy & Millie love these!

Also a great party finger food: skewer with toothpicks and served with pots of tomato sauce

INGREDIENTS

16 Chipolata Sausages
2 Tbsps Honey, runny
1 Tbsp Sesame Seeds

Optional
2 Tbsps Wholegrain or Dijon Mustard

METHOD
Preheat the oven for 200 degrees Celsius.

Line an oven tray with baking paper, arrange the sausages on the tray and cook for 15 minutes.

If using the mustard option: Mix together the honey and mustard in a small bowl.

Remove the sausages from the oven, brush with honey to coat. Then sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Return to the oven for a further 15 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Serve with vegetables and a pot of tomato sauce.

Baked Meatballs with Spaghetti

Here is a go-to, foolproof, basic meatball recipe you'll never want to be without.

It is also super tasty too!!

Great for the kids too - my little girls love this meal!
I also allow them to help mix the ingredients, and roll the meatballs!

 

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)

500g Pork & Veal Mince
1 Slice of Bread, crust removed
1/3 Cup (80ml) Milk 
1 Onion, coarsely grated
2 Tbsps Continental Parsley, coarsely chopped
1 Tsp Thyme, finely chopped (1/2 Tsp Dried Thyme)
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
1/4 Cup of Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 to 2 Red Chillies, finely chopped (optional)
1 egg, lightly whisked
Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper

700ml Passata (tomato pasta sauce)
400g Dried Spaghetti Pasta
1/4 Cup Continental Parsley or Basil, coarsely chopped
Parmesan Cheese,

METHOD

Put the milk and bread in a small saucepan and place over a low heat. When the bread has absorbed the milk, remove from heat and mash with a fork. Allow to cool.

Preheat oven to 200°C.

Combine mince, onion, parsley, thyme, garlic, egg, parmesan, chilli, and bread in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Use clean wet hands to roll 2 tablespoonfuls of the mixture into a ball. Repeat with the remaining mixture.

Place the meatballs in a 2L (8-cup) capacity ceramic baking dish and pour over the passata. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water following packet directions or until al dente. Drain and return to the pan.

Divide the pasta among serving bowls and top with the meatball mixture.

To Serve: Sprinkle with the parsley or basil and some extra parmesan cheese.

NOTE:
I normally double the recipe quantities and bake extras on an oven tray for 15 minutes, then freeze them for a quick meal for the girls. Below is Millie (aged 3) rolling the meatballs.