Lamb & Peas Pasta

Did you know that animals (at least those meant for culinary uses) are classified as "babies" up until the age of 2? In other words, "lamb" meat is not necessarily that of a new born lamb, still wiggling on its tiny legs, suckling on his momma's teat, but could be from a grown lamb up to the age of 2. (Whew, thank heavens, I was always a bit taken aback by the term "lamb", would rather by meat classified as "sheep" than "lamb", but now I know!)

This dish didn't come out exactly the way it shouldv'e, probably because we didn't use lamb, but sheep. And probably because I didn't slow cook it to soften it well enough. The taste, however, is exactly what I wanted. The lamb meat is supposed to be cooked to be soft, so it can be shredded into the pasta.

Nonetheless, here is the recipe:

Ingredients
250g mushrooms, sliced
2 onions, cubed
50g butter + 30g butter
500g shell pasta
2tbl sugar
2 tb worsecershire sauce / soya sauce
1 tb balsamic vinegar
1kg lamb, cut into small chunks
1 tb rosemary
1 cup red wine
1 cup peas (fresh or frozen, not canned)

Method
1. Bring enough water for the pasta to a boil. Add 1tbs salt. Add the pasta and cook till al dente. Once done, pour off any excess water.
2. While the pasta is busy, melt 50g butter in a pan. Fry onion till just soft. Add balsamic vinegar and sugar. Fry until lightly caramelised. Remove from pan into separate dish.
3. Fry the mushrooms in the same pan. Add 30g butter. The mushrooms are very quick - do not fry until it starts to water and shrink! Remove from pan into separate dish.
4. Fry the lamb meat in the same pan. Brown on all sides. Add worcestershire sauce and rosemary. Fry until nicely browned. Add the wine, turn down the heat and simmer.
5. Add the mushrooms, onion and peas to the pasta. Mix well.

6. Serve the pasta with the lamb chunks, or shred the lamb in a blender and mix with the pasta.
7. Serve warm and enjoy!!

Yours in oil and veggies
Risch

Red Wine & Bacon Mince

Mince Night. Monday Night. So that's exactly what I made... mince. But this mince is a bit different. Much more delicious than you ever imagined mince could be. And, you can use it in the fabulous Baked Mince Roll, too!!
Since I am sincerely trying this week to limit the carbs, I did not make any starches with this dish. I merely dished it up on some bread for the other family members. It didn't really need much more, although macaroni or rice will be lovely. I imagine even over a potato with some grated cheese.... but that's for another Day...

Ingredients

500g mince
1 onion
1/2 punnet mushrooms, sliced
80g margarine
250g diced bacon
1tbs margarine
1tbs balsamic vinegar
2tbs soya sauce
1t spice for mince
1/2 cup red wine

Method

Melt the 80g margarine in a pan. Fry the mince in the margarine. Add the balsamic vinegar, soya sauce, spice for mince and red wine. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Melt the tbs margarine in a pan. Fry the onion, mushroom and bacon until nicely browned. 

Add to the mince mixture and mix thoroughly. 

Let it simmer for another 10 minutes or so, until well stewed. Dish up, or leave until you are ready to dish up, at which point you just reheat it.

 Dish up with bread, rice, pasta or potatoes. I did it with bread.

And mine without the bread for the low-carb version.

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Baked Mince Roll

Since I swopped Wednesday and Monday around, so that I could make that absolutely divine Potato & Leek Soup, yesterday had to be Mince day. I leafed through a recipe book and found my inspiration... This has quite a rich taste to it, and it is so easy to make and fairly quick, too. 

Preparation Time: 20min
Cooking time: 50min
Difficulty Level: Easy
Serves: 5

Ingredients

500g mince
2tbs soya sauce
1tbs balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup red wine
1t spice for mince
1t origanum
1tbs sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 410g in tomato and onion
1 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2tub cream cheese
3tbs mayonnaise
butter
olive oil
1 roll puff pastry

Method
Fry the mince in a little olive oil. If needed, add a little water (3tbs). Make sure the mince grains are loosened well. Add the soya sauce, balsamic vinegar and red wine.

 Stir through. Add the spice for Mince, origanum and sugar. Add salt & pepper to taste, although I will be very careful to add more salt. I only added pepper. Mix well. Add the tin tomato & onion and let the whole mixture cook for a little while, put on the lid, remove from the heat and let it cool down.

Whisk the cream cheese and mayonnaise together. Roll out the puff pastry very lightly. Lightly coat the pastry with a layer of butter. Then add the cream cheese mixture.

Sprinkle the cheese over evenly.

Once the mince has cooled down, spread over the cheese, evenly over the whole pastry sheet. Roll up from one side - some mince may escape, enjoy the titbits!! Carefully pick up and place in a casserole dish. Wash with eggwash or milk. 

Bake in an oven at 160degrees C for about  30 minutes until golden brown. 

Slice and serve with a fresh garden salad. And enjoy!

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Tenderised Steak, cheesy broccolli and butter-cinnamon apple

Just another simple every day meal for today. Tuesdays are meat-nights. Have to be meat: stew, steak or tjops. And decentt veggies goes well with decent meat.

Tenderised steak: I marinated it in a sauce made up of: soya sauce, balsamic vinegar, soda water, red wine and chutney. It did not come out  softer than without marinating, so I am not impressed. And I used too much balsamic vinegar. That is really strong stuff, remember: start with rather too little, and add, than too much. Fried it in a pan on the stove.

Broccolli: Cooked it until very soft. Added salt & Pepper. Added margarine to the last bit of water and cooked through. Added grated cheddar cheese and mixed and mashed. The cheese disappears, but you taste it.

Apple: Sliced the apple. Sifted icing sugar to cover the bottom of a dish. Arranged the apple on top in a layer, icing sugar, apple, icing sugar, cinnamon, added butter pieces all over and baked in oven 140degrees C until soft. Scooped some cream cheese over.

This meal is free of all your "white refined carbs", and except for the sugar over the apple, should fit nicely into a low carb diet.

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch

Intense Red wine Stew

Considering yesterday's somewhat dull (to my taste, anyway) mince, today's meat stew is exactly the opposite: deep, rich flavours beckoning for you to eat more - taste more - just that one little bite more...

I served it with broccolli and cauliflower with a flourless cheese sauce and the tastes complimented each other beautifully!! The rest of my family enjoyed it with rice. For my carb-free diet, I am not allowed to eat the rice. But it was more than enough - filling, tasty, simply delicious!!

Ingredients

700g goulash  / soup meat
7 pickle onions
1 250g punnet mushrooms, whole
150g margarine
2tbs balsamic vinegar
3tbs soya sauce
3tbs sweet chilli sauce
3tbs chutney
1tb olive oil
3tbs sugar
500ml water
125ml red wine

Method

I used a cast iron pot on my gas stove. It works miracles.!! Melt the margarine in the pot. Add the whole onions and the whole mushrooms. 

 Fry. Add the meat. Fry a little. Mix the vinegar, soya sauce, sweet chilli sauce, chutney, olive oil and sugar in the 500ml water. Add to the meat. Cook with open lid. 

Reduce the sauce until almost gone. Remove from heat. Add the red wine. Let it stand until it you dish up.

These tastes absolutely complimented each other... on the one hand you had the sweet, sour and tangy sauce of the meat, and on the other the cheesy creamy sauce with the veggies. Delectable....

Your family is sure to love this meal. It is tasty and healthy and filling.... Did I mention fabulously tasty, spicey and wholesome? Do try this at home!!

Yours in oil and veggies

Risch