Spring Lamb
This week Mod Fam Food is all about sweetness and depth of flavour. Spring lamb cooked slowly with fruit and spices, served with a herb quinoa and buckwheat. Add a crisp salad of watercress and thinly sliced red onions and your menu will be complete.
Napkin & place mat from local store One Forty, serving bowl from Bone Interiors.
Lamb Tagine
You will need…
1 kg diced lamb shoulder
350g dried apricots, halved
250g dried prunes, halved
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
400ml vegetable stock
2 tbsp seasoned flour
2 tbsp olive oil
2 heaped tbsp caramelised onions (from a jar)
4 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp honey
Handful chopped coriander
1 tbsp flaked almonds
Salt and pepper
Serves 4-6
Here’s what to do…
- Lightly coat the diced lamb in the seasoned flour and cook in olive oil in batches until lightly browned to seal in the juices. Transfer to a casserole dish.
- Add the garlic to the pan and cook for a minute before transferring to dish.
- Add all the remaining ingredients bar the almonds and a little coriander to the meat. Season, stir, place a lid on the dish and cook in the oven at 150C for about 2 1/2 hours, stirring midway through.
- To serve, sprinkle with flaked almonds and coriander.
Tips…
Plan ahead and prepare the Tagine a day before it’s needed, simply reheating at 140C for 45minutes or until heated through.
Easy recipe to double/triple for larger gatherings.
Herb Quinoa and Bulgar wheat Salad
You will need…
150g red and white quinoa with bulgar wheat (available in Waitrose)
4 salad onions, finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
½ tsp ground cumin
50g pistachios, roughly chopped
Handful rocket
Juice of 1 lime.
1 handful chopped Parsley
1 handful chopped coriander
2 tbsp chopped mint
2 tbsp chopped tarragon
2 tbsp chopped dill
100ml olive oil
Salt and pepper
Serves 4
Here’s what to do…
1. Put the quinoa/bulgar wheat mix in a saucepan and cover with boiling water. Cook for about 12 minutes until swollen and soft. Drain any remaining water and use a fork to separate any grains.
2.Mix the chopped herbs together with the olive oil, chilli, salad onions and cumin, and add to the quinoa. Season.
3.Gently mix in the rocket and pistachios, drizzle with lime juice and serve.
Tips…
The quinoa can be cooked up to a day ahead, and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Simply follow the recipe from point 2 when ready to serve.
Again fantastic for large dinners.
Try adding spring vegetables to the quinoa, blanched French beans, or asparagus.
Good luck experimenting with the recipes this week. They work really well on a busy Sunday especially if you prepare a day ahead, to leave you free to relax and enjoy.
Watch out for two quick and easy starters coming up next week on Mod Fam Food.
