Moussaka

A delicious and easy-to-make dinner using beef or lamb mince. Substitute gluten-free flour and lactose-free milk for dietary needs.

You can also use turkey mince for this dish, just add 1/2 tsp oregano, 1 tsp soy sauce to boost the flavour.

Ingredients:

1 aubergine, sliced into 1cm slices

Olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 lb/500 g mince beef or lamb

1 tablespoon flour

1 beef stock cube

pinch cinnamon

Salt and pepper

1 tin tomatoes, chopped

1 pint milk

25g plain flour

25g butter

2 egg yolks

Method

Heat a frying pan and add enough olive oil to cover the base of the pan. Add the aubergine, don't panic it will soak up all the oil, but persevere and fry until golden brown, turn over and the oil will start to release as the other side browns. It is important that you fry off the aubergine until it has a golden brown colour on both sides. Remove the aubergine to a plate.

Fry the onion until soft, add the mince, continue to fry until browned. Add the flour, stir and fry until all the meat is coated. I add the stock cube, either crumble or melt into the mince, add about 1/2 cup of hot water until the meat is moistened. Drain the juice from the tinned tomatoes and add to mince, fry for a couple of minutes, season and add cinnamon.

Pour the mince mixture into the bottom of a lasagne dish.

Arrange tomatoes over the mince.

Arrange the aubergine over the tomatoes.

Put the milk, flour and butter into a pan and stir over a medium heat with a whisk. Continue stirring until the sauce is thickened. Cooke for a couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the sauce from the heat.

Separate the 2 eggs and add to the sauce, whisking in until thorough mixed. Keep the whites for some meringues, you can freeze them.
Pour sauce over the aubergine.

Bake in the oven gas 4 for 45 minutes until golden brown.

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Moussaka

A great dinner that is easy to prepare and tastes scrummy. You can make with either beef or lamb mince. If you are gluten intolerant, substitute Dove's gluten free plain flour, if lactose intolerant, use lacto free milk.

You can also use turkey mince for this dish, just add 1/2 tsp oregano, 1 tsp soy sauce to boost the flavour.

Ingredients:

1 aubergine, sliced into 1cm slices

Olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 lb/500 g mince beef or lamb

1 tablespoon flour

1 beef stock cub pinch cinnamon

Salt and pepper

1 tin tomatoes, chopped

1 pint milk

25g plain flour

25g butter

2 egg yolks

Method

Heat a frying pan, add enough olive oil to cover the base of the pan. Add the aubergine, don't panic it will soak up all the oil, but persevere and fry until golden brown, turn over and the oil will start to release as the other side browns. It is important that you fry off the aubergine until it has a golden brown colour on both sides. Remove the aubergine to a plate.

Fry the onion until soft, add the mince, continue to fry until browned. Add the flour, stir and fry until all the meat is coated. I add the stock cube, either crumble or melt into the mince, add about 1/2 cup of hot water until the meat is moistened. Drain the juice from the tinned tomatoes and add to mince, fry for a couple of minutes, season and add cinnamon.

Pour the mince mixture into the bottom of a lasagne dish.

Arrange tomatoes over the mince.

Arrange the aubergine over the tomatoes.

Put the milk, flour and butter into a pan and stir over a medium heat with a whisk. Continue stirring until the sauce is thickened. Cooke for a couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the sauce from the heat.

Separate the 2 eggs and add to the sauce, whisking in until thorough mixed. Keep the whites for some meringues, you can freeze them.
Pour sauce over the aubergine.

Bake in the oven gas 4 for 45 minutes until golden brown.

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An easy Lamb Curry

My daughter loves Lamb and also curry, so her treat for the end of half-term was a lamb curry for lunch. I don't use spice mixes, but this is such an easy and tasty curry, you will be really surprised.

Ingredients
1lb neck of lamb fillet cut into cubes
1 large onion finely sliced
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic
1 inch piece of root ginger
1 small onion
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 pint water
4 fresh tomatoes cut into quarters
1 tsp salt

Method
Fry the sliced onions in the 1 tbsp oil, keep an eye on the onions and make sure they don't burn, they need to turn a reddish brown. This will take about 5-10 minutes, remove from pan.  In a small food blender, pop in the garlic, ginger, small onion and about a tablespoon of water and blend until a puree. Add remaining oil and fry the puree over a gentle heat until turns golden brown, add back in the sliced fried onion. Add the spices and fry off for a minute, add the 1/2 pint of water, pop in the lamb and the tomatoes, add salt, ensure water is topped up to cover the meat. Pop on a lid and simmer gently until lamb is tender (about 1 hour, but keep testing).  When tender, remove lid to allow liquid to bubble off if necessary.
Serve with basmati rice.

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Roast Lamb with Garlic and Rosemary

We decided to celebrate my parents return from holiday and our wedding anniversary today.
A whole roast shoulder of lamb. This recipe works with half-shoulder's too.

Serves 5-6
Ingredients
2.5kg Whole shoulder of lamb
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon fresh chopped garlic
2 sprigs rosemary, off stalk and finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt & pepper

Method
Oven temp 160 deg C/Gas 3.
Cut the garlic into slivers. Chop the rosemary finely.
Place the lamb into a roasting tray. Using a sharp knife pierce sideways into the outer fat of the skin and insert a slice of garlic. (As the fat melts, the garlic will infuse into the fat and steep into the meat). Keep inserting the garlic all over the lamb. You can also insert garlic deep into the meat if you wish.
Drizzle over the oil, then grind over salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the chopped rosemary.
Roast for 30 mins per pound, plus an additional 30 mins. Baste regularly.

Served with roast potatoes, carrot matchsticks and the most wonderful purple sprouting broccoli.

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