Slow-roasted lamb shoulder with pears and cumin

4 ppl:
2 brown onions, skin on and sliced into rounds
1 lamb shoulder (bone in), semi-cut into portions (ask your butcher to do this)
2 tbsp cumin seed
2 1 tbsp black peppercorns
5 cloves garlic
2 tbsp flaked salt
1 tbsp olive oil
7 sprigs thyme, leaves only
4 beurre bosc pears, skin on and cut in half (if available, you can also use 3 quinces, peeled and cut into cheeks)
3 tbsp raw sugar
2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1. Preheat oven 160C fan-forced (180C conventional).
2. Place onion in base of a heavy ovenproof dish.
3. Trim and slightly score top of lamb.
4. Crush cumin and peppercorns with a mortar and pestle, then add garlic and salt. Crush to a paste and add oil. Smother paste over lamb, rubbing between bones as well. Place lamb on top of onions, scatter with thyme and add pear halves. Sprinkle with sugar and vinegar and pour in 80 millimetres of water.
5. Cover dish in a double layer of foil and roast for four hours, then remove foil and skim some of the fat. Return lamb to oven and raise temperature to 180C fan-forced. Baste lamb a little and cook for another 35 minutes or until golden brown.
Served with sautéed beetroot leaves.

Maybe try a little more time covered at lower temp, and more time uncovered, also lower. Pears quartered & core out, possibly added a little bit later.

Coconut pancakes

Ingredients

•4 eggs, room temperature

•1 cup coconut milk or 3/4 cup whole milk yogurt + 1/4 cup whole milk

•2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or, 1.5 vanilla, 0.5 coconut essence)

•1 tablespoon rice bran syrup

•1/2 cup coconut flour

•1 teaspoon baking soda

•1/4 teaspoon sea salt

•coconut oil or butter for frying

 

Directions

1.Preheat griddle over medium-low heat. In a small bowl beat eggs until frothy, about two minutes. Mix in milk, vanilla, and honey or stevia.

2.In a medium-sized bowl combine coconut flour, baking soda, and sea salt and whisk together. Stir 3/4 of wet mixture into dry until coconut flour is incorporated. Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes.

3.At this stage your batter should be thick, almost like brownie batter. If it is still fairly thick and dry add the rest of the wet mixture.

4.Grease pan with butter or coconut oil. Ladle a few tablespoons of batter into pan for each pancake. Spread out slightly with the back of a spoon. The pancakes should be 2-3 inches in diameter and fairly thick. Cook for a few minutes on each side, until the tops dry out slightly and the bottoms start to brown. Flip and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.

5.Serve hot with banana, maple syrup and toasted almonds & coconut.

Jeff's Mexican quinoa casserole

Serves: 4

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup uncooked quinoa
800g can diced tomatoes, with liquid
½ cup water
1 tbsp tomato paste or ketchup
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
½ tsp chili powder
Salt & freshly ground pepper
540 ml (19 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
311 g (11 oz) can corn kernels, with liquid
3 cups baby spinach
Toppings of choice: vegan sour cream, avocado, cilantro

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium frying pan (or stove-top-safe 2.8 liter/3 quart casserole dish). Add onion and garlic, and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat; and transfer to oven-safe casserole dish if not already using one.

Add quinoa, deced tomatoes (with juice), water, nutritional yeast, tomato paste (or ketchup), and spices. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.

COVER and place in oven and set timer for 30 minutes.

Caferfully remove casserole from oven and stir in drained beans and corn (with liquid). If the mixture looks dry, add a half cup of water.

Return to oven WITH LID and set timer for another 30 minutes.

Caferfully remove casserole from oven and stir in spinach. It will wilt from the heat.

Top with sour cream, diced avocado and/or cilantro and serve.

Mushroom ragu

serves 4-6

1kg mixed mushrooms

1 can tomatoes (400g)

1 head garlic, peeled

2-4 knobs butter

thyme or bay leaves, optional

1. Mushrooms, tomato, garlic cloves, butter and herbs, if using in a large oven proof dish cover with a lid or foil.

2. Turn oven to 150C and bake mushrooms for 1 hour.

3. Stir mushrooms and remove the lid. Bake for 1 ½ hours or until the sauce is reduced and the mushrooms are lovely and deep golden. Taste and season.

(Makes a good pie filling. Puff pastry and bake 20 mins at 220C.)

Beetroot & trout salad

Roast beetroot, (2 or 3 pp)
Drizzle with balsamic & EVO oil
Top with smoke trout (1/4 fish pp) & dollop with sour cream mixed with horseradish.
Chives and black pepper to finish.

White bean & date chocolate cookies

Makes approximately 24 cookies:

 

1 can drained cannellini beans

1.5C fresh medjool dates, pitted

1.5 tablespoon cacao powder (30ml)

1 tablespoon coconut flour (15ml)

1 tablespoon coconut oil (20ml)

1/4 tsp salt

 

1. Preheat fan-forced oven to 200C

2. Put all ingredients in a food processor and blitz until mixture comes together in a big blob

3. Line a biscuit tray with baking paper and roll teaspoon sized balls and place on the tray. These won’t spread but you will need a bit of room between each ball.

4. Press each ball with a spatula to the desired thickness

5. Bake for 20 mins

6. Leave on tray to cool and harden a little

More nutty flavour - add in 1/4C tahini and extra 1/4C dates

Pumpkin pie minis

For 6

Hazelnut Crust:
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup hazelnuts
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/8 cup barley malt (or brown rice syrup)
1 Tbsp. coconut oil

Directions:
1. Roast hazelnuts in the oven with the pumpkin. Remove when toasted and fragrant, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven, set aside to let cool. Remove skin by rubbing nuts together. Reserve 3  hazelnuts for garnish.
2. In a food processor, pulse hazelnuts until they resemble sand (do not over-blend, or you will get hazelnut butter!). Remove from food processor and set aside.
3. Place oats in food processor and blend on high until you have a rough flour. Add all other ingredients and pulse to mix.

Filling:
1 heaped cup roasted pumpkin
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
3 Tbsp. coconut cream
1/3 cup coconut sugar plus 2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/8 tsp sea salt

Bake 40 mins at 180C. Finish with salt & a hazelnut half. Serve with vanilla icecream.

Roast beef with horseradish cream, dutch carrots, yorkies & blue cheese.

Get Dutch carrots in at 200C.

Horseradish cream (5ppl):
5 tablespoons natural yoghurt
2.5 tablespoon horseradish
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lemon
extra virgin olive oil

Put the yoghurt and horseradish into a small bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. Halve your lemon and add juice. Add a splash of extra virgin olive oil and mix well. Taste and add a little more horseradish if you think it needs to taste more fiery.

Make a crunchy green salad.

Yorkies (makes 5):
vegetable oil
1 large free-range egg
50 g plain flour
50 ml milk
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

After the beef. Oven to 225°C. In a cupcake tin and add a tiny splash of vegetable oil into each of the 12 compartments. Pop into the oven for 10 to 15 minutes so the oil gets really hot.
Meanwhile, beat the eggs, flour, milk and a pinch of salt and pepper together in a jug until light and smooth.
Carefully remove the tray from the oven, then confidently pour the batter evenly into the compartments. Pop the tray back in the oven to cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until risen and golden.

Beef (800g fillet):

Preheat oven to 200°C. In a large non-stick pan, heat olive oil over a high heat. Season beef fillet, and sear on all sides until golden brown. Roll in chopped rosemary.

Place beef on a baking tray, and cook in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until cooked to your liking. Rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing (slice against the grain).

Sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese.

Chorizo & red beans

Ingredients
1 spicy chorizo sausage,semi-cured
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 x 400g tins of organic red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Sea salt
Mozzarella or fetta, crumbled to serve
Coriander sprigs, to serve

 Method
Squeeze small chunks of chorizo out of the casing and set aside.
Heat oil in a frypan and gently fry the chorizo for five minutes. Add onion and garlic and fry for a few minutes to soften.
Add the beans and mash roughly with a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon. Stir to combine all the ingredients.
Taste and season with salt, if required.
Spoon into a large serving bowl and top with crumbled cheese and coriander. Serve immediately.

Served with cauliflower rice.

Sweet potato with maple & pecans

4 generous serves:
2 sweet potatoes (about 850g in total)
3 tbsp olive oil
35g pecan nuts
4 spring onions, roughly chopped
4 tbsp roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp roughly chopped coriander
¼ tsp dried chilli flakes
35g sultanas
salt and pepper

Dressing:

4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp orange juice
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon

(Sweet potato took a little longer to cook.)

From "Ottolenghi"