Slow cooked quinces

2 large quinces, quartered & cored

2/3 cup caster sugar (could reduce quantity)

1/4 cup water

Slow cooker on high, 5 hours.

Lamb & prune "tagine"

Enough for 4.
4 lamb shanks
4 red onions, quartered lengthwise
200g pitted prunes
1 can tomatoes (400g)
1 stick cinnamon



1. Place lamb, onions, prunes, tomatoes and cinnamon in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water.

2. Cook on low for 10 hours.

3. Taste and season. Serve on cous cous or mash.




Next time: up the cinnamon

8 hour baked beans

400g dried cannellini, haricot or northern beans (about 2 generous cups)
2 onions, peeled & chopped
800g tinned tomato
3 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp honey
1 ham hock (skin off)
2.5 cups water

In slow-cooker on low for 8 hours. Season well & serve.

Peasant lamb curry

For 4 serves:

diced pumpkin
1.5kg lamb forequarter (4 chops)
2 spring fresh curry leaves
1 tsp black mustand seeds
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 Tbsp grated ginger
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp tandoori paste
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup water
peas
fresh coriander


Place pumpkin in base of slow-cooker.
Brown chops in pan & add to slow-cooker.
Fry mustard seeds and curry leaves till popping. Add onion, garlic & fry for a few minutes till softened. Add dry spices and cook 1 - 2 mins.
Put all remaining ingredients (except peas & corriander) into slow-cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
In last hour, put brown rice & barley in rice cooker. Once rice is done, skim excess fat from lamb, add peas to slow-cooker, wait a few minutes to cook and serve with rice & coriander.

Vietnamese beef curry with lemongrass and star anise

For 6 people:

Peanut, sesame and shallot dust:

6 tbsp unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts

4 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted in a dry pan (watch carefully, they burn quickly)

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt flakes

2 tbsp crispy fried shallots

1.2kg beef chuck, in 2cm-3cm dice

Salt flakes

2 generous pinches saffron

Coconut oil

4 sticks lemongrass, white part only

4 long red chillies

4 small red chillies

8cm piece ginger

5 purple eschalots

6 garlic cloves

3 star anise

1 tsp five-spice powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tin tomatoes, drained and crushed

4 tbsp fish sauce

3 tbsp sugar

1 large daikon (white radish), peeled and cut in 4cm rounds

Rice, to serve

Coriander leaves, to serve

Limes, to serve

1. Season the beef and toss with the saffron and a little oil.

2. Roughly chop the lemongrass, chillies, ginger, eschalots and garlic, add to a food processor and process to a paste.

3. In a large pot, fry the paste in a little oil about 3 minutes or till fragrant, add the beef and stir. Seal the meat, add the star anise, five spice, cinnamon, tomatoes, fish sauce, sugar and half a teaspoon of salt. Stir. Add two litres of water.

4. Simmer gently for about two hours or until the beef is tender. Add the daikon and cook for a further 30 minutes, until the daikon is tender and the sauce reduced.

5. To make the dust, in a mortar and pestle or small food processor, grind the peanuts, sesame seeds, sugar and salt together, then stir through the crispy shallots.

6. Serve with rice, coriander and lime. Sprinkle with crispy shallot and peanut dust.

Eat with lager

Spaghetti bolognese

• 1 Tbsp ghee
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 75g pancetta, diced
• 600g minced pork & veal
• 2Tbsp tomato paste
• 800g chopped tinned tomato
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/4 tsp rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• Splosh red wine
• Pinch of salt

Melt ghee and cook onion on low, add garlic and pancetta and fry. Increase heat and add mince to brown.
Stir in remaining ingredients, reduce heat & simmer uncovered, 1 hr plus - adding water if needs be.

Jamaican (me) lamb?!

lamb shoulder
onion
curry powder
ground ginger
cayenne pepper
lemon juice
chicken stock
tomato puree (or paste?)
pineapple
pear
bananas
brown sugar cinnamon

Heat oven to 160
In a casserole dish, brown the lamb in batches and sautee the onions.
Add curry powder, ginger, cayenne pepper, salt, lemon juice, stock, tomato paste & cook for 2.5 hours.
Add pineapple & pear, cook a further 20 mins.
Serve with fried banana & white rice