Jamie Oliver's 15 Minute Meals Lamb Kofte with Pitta & Greek Salad

Today is day 5 of the Jamie Oliver challenge.

It actually took me about 20 minutes to cook this meal! I made a few adjustments to the recipe like squeezing only half a lemon into the yoghurt, omitting the raw onion from the salad since I don't like the taste of raw onions, not grating the cucumber but slicing it thinly instead and using wraps instead of pita bread since there was none available in the supermarket. I think next time I'll also use chicken stock with the couscous- tasted a bit bland with just water.

Loved how this meal has very nice flavours and that it was such a great combo. Loved most of all the honey and nuts with the lamb- it made the kofte so moreish. Will definitely be making this meal again.

Jamie's 15 Minute Meals, page 108

Serves 4
587 calories

Ingredients

Kofte
400g lean lamb mince
1 teaspoon garam masala
olive oil
25g shelled pistachios
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tablespoon runny honey

Couscous
½ bunch of fresh mint
1 fresh red chilli (optional)
½ a mug of couscous

Salad
½ an iceberg lettuce
½ a red onion
½ a cucumber
5 ripe cherry tomatoes
4 black olives
4 heaped tablespoons fat-free natural yoghurt
2 lemons
40g feta cheese

To serve
4 pita wraps

*Ingredients out *Kettle boiled *Large frying pan, high heat *Food processor (bowl blade)

Method

In a large bowl, mix the mince with salt, pepper and the garam masala. Divide into 8, then with wet hands shape into little fat fingers. Put into the frying pan with 1 tablespoon of oil, turning until dark golden all over. Tear off most of the top leafy half of the mint and blitz in the processor with a pinch of salt and pepper and the chilli until fine. Remove the blade, stir in ½ a mug of couscous and 1 mug of boiling water, put the lid on and leave to sit in the processor.

Cut the lettuce into wedges and arrange on a nice board or platter. Peel and coarsely grate the onion and cucumber into a bowl, season well with salt, then squeeze out any excess salty liquid and sprinkle over the lettuce. Chop and add the tomatoes, then squash, destone and dot over the olives. Mix the yoghurt in a bowl with the juice of 1 lemon, season to taste, then drizzle it over the lettuce and crumble over the feta.

Bash the pistachios in a pestle and mortar. Drain away the fat from the lamb, then toss with the bashed nuts, thyme leaves and honey, and turn the heat off. Pop the pittas in the microwave (800W) for 45 seconds to warm through, then cut in half and add to the board with the kofte. Fluff up the couscous, scatter the remaining mint leaves over everything and serve with lemon wedges.

Glazed Lamb Rumps

Recipe from Coles Magazine, November 2012 issue, page 44

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 teaspoons rosemary, chopped

8 lamb rump steaks

¼ cup maple syrup, plus extra to serve (optional)

200g green beans, trimmed, blanched

White Bean Mash

2 x 400g cans cannellini beans, rinsed, drained

¼ cup olive oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Method

1. To make white bean mash, process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Season. Transfer to a small saucepan and heat on low.
2. Mix together oil, garlic and rosemary. Rub over lamb. Heat a large frypan on high and cook for 2-3 minutes each side, for medium, or  until cooked to your liking. Pour over maple syrup and swirl to coat.
3. Serve lamb steak with bean mash and green beans. Drizzle over pan juices, serve with extra maple syrup, if using.

Chilli Crusted Lamb Cutlets with Pea Mash

Recipe from Coles Magazine, October 2012 issue, page 20

Ingredients

5 long red chillies
1½ cups panko breadcrumbs
¼ cup plain flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
12 lamb cutlets, French Trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1/4 cup extra
1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
500g frozen peas
3/4 cup chicken stock
¼ cup chopped mint
1/3 cup whole egg mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lime juice, plus wedges to serve

Method

1. Finely chop 4 of the chillies. Place in a shallow bowl with breadcrumbs, toss to combine. Place flour in one bowl and egg in another. Coat each cutlet in flour, shaking off excess. Dip into egg and then breadcrumb mixture, pressing down to coat evenly. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make pea mash. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small saucepan on medium. Cook garlic for 30 seconds. Add peas and stock and simmer 4-5 minutes, until tender. Cool slightly. Process pea mixture and mint in a food processor until smooth. Return to a clean saucepan and stir on low heat, until warm.
3. Thinly slice remaining chilli and mix together with mayonnaise and lime juice.
4. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large frypan on medium. Cook cutlets for 2-3 minutes each side, for rare, or longer to your liking. Serve with pea mash, chilli mayonnaise and extra lime wedges.

How hot?

Chillies vary in heat, but removing the seeds may lessen the heat intensity. If you want a milder effect, halve chillies lengthways and remove seeds before chopping. Wear gloves when handling chillies, or wash hands well after.

Exotic Lamb Cutlets

Recipe adapted from Woolworths Fresh Magazine, Issue 79, September 2012, page. 18

Serves 4

Ingredients

¼ cup tandoori paste
¼ cup Greek yoghurt
12 lamb cutlets, French trimmed
(600g roast mixed vegetables- onion, pumpkin, potato, carrot)
2 tablespoon oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
½ teaspoon ginger, grated
½ cup water
400g tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
150g green beans, cut into 5cm lengths
1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
50g baby spinach
lemon wedges, to serve

Method

1. Combine tandoori paste and yoghurt in a bowl. Add cutlets and turn to coat well. Marinate for at least 30 minutes (better overnight).
2. Meanwhile, chop onion, potato, pumpkin and carrot into smaller pieces (3cm). Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger. Cook for 1 minute. Add vegetables and water, stirring to combine. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 12-15 minutes until nearly tender. Add chickpeas and beans and cook over medium high heat until liquid has evaporated.
3. Heat a barbecue grill or char-grill pan over medium high heat. Cook cutlets for 4 minutes each side until golden.
4. Stir cherry tomatoes and spinach into vegetables. Serve cutlets with vegetables and a wedge of lemon.

Notes & Tips

You can also cook this recipe using other cuts of lamb: lamb forequarter chops or lamb mid loin chops

Easy Lamb Cutlets

Recipe adapted from Coles Magazine

Ingredients

500g potatoes (par boiled)
500g frozen baby carrots
olive oil spray
16 lamb cutlets
3 tbsp mint sauce
2-3 fresh rosemary sprigs
250g frozen green beans

Method

1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Arrange potatoes and carrots in a baking dish. Spray with oil and bake for 20 mins. Reduce heat to 200°C.
2. Sear lamb cutlets in batches, in a hot non-stick frying pan, until just brown on each side. Arrange over vegetables and brush with mint sauce. Scatter rosemary sprigs over dish.
3. Return to oven for 15-20 minutes to cook the meat. 
4. Serve with green beans, cooked according to packet directions.

Lamb Shanks in Cranberry Sauce

Recipe adapted from Super Food Ideas Magazine, July 2003 issue, page 49

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
6 lamb shanks, French trimmed
20g butter
1 small red onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons plain flour
1½ cups beef stock
1 cup red wine
275g jar whole berry cranberry sauce
¼ cup fresh rosemary sprigs
mashed potato, to serve
steamed green beans, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Heat oil in a large, heavy-based, fry pan over high heat. Cook shanks for 5 minutes on each side or until brown on all sides. Remove to a large casserole dish and arrange the rosemary sprigs around the lamb shanks.
2. Reduce heat to medium then add butter, onion and garlic to fry pan. Cook for a minute or so then add flour and cook for another minute. Slowly add wine, stock and cranberry sauce then bring to the boil. Pour sauce over lamb. 
3. Cover dish with foil, transfer to oven and bake for 3 hours. Remove foil, reduce oven temperature to 120°C and bake for a further 30 minutes or until shanks are tender. 
4. Remove all the lamb shanks to a plate then pour the sauce from the casserole dish into a pot and heat over high heat for 5 minutes to thicken the sauce.
5. Serve lamb shanks with cranberry sauce, mashed potato and beans.

Notes & Tips

If you have a slow cooker, cook on high for 3.5 hours

Classic Shepherd's Pie

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tbs olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped or grated
1 carrot, peeled, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, trimmed, finely chopped (optional)
500g lamb or beef mince
2 tbs plain flour
375ml beef stock
1 dried bay leaf
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs tomato paste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 (about 200g each) desiree potatoes, peeled, chopped
40g butter, chopped
125ml (½ cup) milk
1 tsp parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
Melted butter, to brush

Method

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add lamb mince and cook, stirring to break up any lumps, for 5 minutes or until lamb changes colour.

Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until combined. Add stock, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until sauce thickens. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile: cook potato in a saucepan of salted boiling water for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Return to the pan with the butter. Use a potato masher or fork to mash until smooth. Add milk and use a wooden spoon to stir until combined. Add Parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Remove bay leaf from the lamb mixture then spoon mixture into a 2L (8 cup) capacity ovenproof baking dish. Top with mashed potato and use a fork to spread over lamb mixture. Brush with butter. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until mashed potato is golden brown. Serve immediately.

Notes & Tips

You can substitute the celery in this recipe with some peas instead

For a nicer presentation, you can pipe the mashed potatoes instead of using a fork. You'll just have to allow the potatoes to cool down a bit before putting it into the piping bag

Lamb Rissoles with Mashed Potato and Rosemary Gravy

 Recipe adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly Kid's Cooking book, page 50

Ingredients

500g lamb mince
1 large brown onion, grated coarsely
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 egg
½ cup breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
500g potatoes
20g butter
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 cup (250ml) beef stock
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
250g cherry tomatoes
Salt and pepper

Method

1. Using hands, combine lamb, onion, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper in medium bowl. Shape lamb mixture into eight patties.
2. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat; cook rissoles both sides, four at a time, about 15 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Drain on absorbent paper; cover with foil to keep warm. Reserve pan with rissole drippings.
3. Meanwhile, boil, steam or microwave potatoes until tender; drain. Mash potatoes in medium bowl with potato masher; stir in butter.
4. Cook flour in rissole pan, stirring, until mixture browns and bubbles. Gradually stir in stock; stir until gravy boils and thickens. Strain gravy; stir in rosemary.
5. Meanwhile, cook tomatoes, stirring, in heated small frying pan about 2 minutes or until split and just softened.
6. Divide potatoes among serving plates, top with rissoles then with rosemary gravy and tomatoes.

Notes & Tips

If you're feeling lazy and don't want to use a potato masher to mash up the potatoes, try using a hand mixer. A friend of mine provided me with this useful tip and to my surprise, the potatoes turned out really nice and fluffy. Start off with the low setting initially to break the potatoes up then increase the speed to combine the butter and potatoes together. Be careful to not mix them for too long or you might run the risk of turning your mashed potato into sticky, wallpaper paste!

Lamb Shanks with Thyme and Rosemary

I love eating lamb shanks with the meat falling off the bone and this slow cooker recipe will do just exactly that! This is a great Winter recipe that I keep going back to. It's so easy to make since all I have to do is just pop all the ingredients into the slow cooker, set it on low heat and 4-6 hours later, a nice hearty meal awaits- minimal time, minimal fuss, maximum flavour!

Recipe adapted from taste.com.au- July 2008, page 4

Ingredients

4 lamb shanks, French trimmed
plain flour, for dusting
salt and cracked black pepper
1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
1 Spanish onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
400g can crushed tomatoes (with roasted capsicum)
3 cups (750ml) beef stock
3 sprigs rosemary
3 sprigs thyme
75g baby spinach leaves
100g mushrooms, sliced
Roast potatoes, to serve, if desired

Method

1. Add the carrot, onion, garlic, tomatoes, beef stock, rosemary and thyme into a slow cooker. 
2. Dust the lamb shanks in the flour, salt and pepper, and shake off excess. 
3. Heat a little olive oil in a large fry pan over medium-high heat. Cook the lamb shanks, in batches, for 3-4 minutes or until browned. 
4. Add lamb shanks into the slow cooker, cover with the lid and cook for 4-6 hours on low setting.
5. When almost ready to serve, stir through the mushrooms and baby spinach leaves. Cook for a few more minutes or until leaves are wilted. Serve with roast potatoes if desired.

Notes & Tips

The size of shanks can vary, so ensure all the shanks will fit in the pot before commencing.

Lamb and Potato in Lettuce Cups

This is kinda like a sang chow bow where the meat is wrapped up in the lettuce. It's a very refreshing and light entree to eat, particularly in the Summer months.

This dish can be cooked up to the stage of stirring in the cooked potato (step 8), the day before required. Reheat and add potato when ready to serve.

Serves 4-6


Ingredients

500g lamb mince
6 large iceberg lettuce leaves
8 dried Chinese mushrooms
1 large potato, diced into small cubes
¾ cup oil
1 large onion, diced into small cubes
1 small red capsicum, diced into small cubes
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
2 teaspoons cornflour
½ cup water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
Salt, to taste


Method

1. Refresh lettuce leaves in iced water, drain, then trim them into cups of even size with kitchen scissors. Refrigerate until required.
   
2. In a bowl, cover mushrooms with boiling water and stand for 1 hour. Drain, then remove and discard stems. Finely dice the mushroom caps into small cubes.
3. Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Add potato cubes and fry until golden brown and just tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels.
4. Remove oil from wok, reserving 1 tablespoon. Reheat oil, then add lamb and stir fry over high heat until lamb is well browned all over.
5. Add onion, red capsicum, garlic and ginger. Stir-fry until onion is soft, then add mushrooms and stir-fry for 1 minute.
6. Combine the cornflour, water, sesame oil and sauces in a separate bowl or jug and mix well.
7. Pour the sauce into the wok and stir constantly over heat until mixture boils and thickens. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
   
8. Stir in potatoes, cook until heated through. Add salt to taste. Let mixture cool for a few minutes, then spoon into lettuce cups to serve.
   

Tandoori Chicken

Make sure to use spices bought from an Indian grocery store to obtain the true and authentic flavours of India!

Note: The chicken can be substituted with lamb to make tandoori lamb :)

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 kg chicken pieces or fillets
200g natural yoghurt
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated finely
1 tbsp garlic, grated finely
1-2 tbsp tandoori paste (Taj Mahal brand)
2 tsp cumin seeds, ground
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Yoghurt mint sauce, to serve
Roti or basmati rice, to serve

Yoghurt Mint Sauce

1 cup plain yoghurt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
1 tablespoon chopped mint
1 teaspoon chilli powder

Method

1. Trim away any excess fat from chicken. Prick the flesh of the chicken all over with a fork to allow the marinade to penetrate.
2. In a bowl mix together the yoghurt, salt, ginger, garlic, chilli, coriander, cumin, ground corinader, garam masala, turmeric and tandoori paste. Rub mixture into chicken, cover and refrigerate. Leave to marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight for a better result.
3. Pre-heat the oven to 220°C. 
4. Place chicken on rack over baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes or until chicken is tender. It is not necessary to turn the meat during cooking. 
5. Cut into bite sized pieces if desired before serving with yoghurt mint sauce.

For the Mint Sauce: Combine all the ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Aromatic Spiced Lamb Cutlets with Couscous

This is a very quick and easy meal to prepare. I left out the fresh coriander in the couscous since hubby isn't a big fan of coriander.Bon appetit!

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

8 lamb cutlets, trimmed, about 400g in total
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
juice of ½ lemon
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
sprigs of fresh mint to garnish

Minted yoghurt sauce

¼ - ½ cucumber
150g plain low-fat yoghurt
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp bottled mint sauce
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint


Apricot & Almond Couscous

200g couscous
100g dried apricots, chopped
500ml boiling vegetable stock
50g whole blanched almonds, toasted
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
juice of ½ lemon
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Preheat grill to high. Place the lamb cutlets in a shallow dish. Grind the cumin and coriander seeds briefly in a pestle and mortar to crack them, then mix with the lemon juice, garlic and oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the mixture over the lamb cutlets, turn them over to coat both sides and set aside to marinate while you make the sauce.
2. To make the mint sauce: cut the cucumber in half length ways and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon. Grate the cucumber coarsely and drain off any excess water. Mix with the yogurt, garlic, mint sauce and fresh mint. Set aside.
3. Place the lamb cutlets under the griller and grill for 10–12 minutes, turning once. The cutlets will be medium-rare; if you prefer them medium to well-done cook for 12–14 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, put the couscous and apricots in a large bowl and pour over the boiling stock. Stir well, then cover with a plate and set aside to soak for 5 minutes.
5. Stir the almonds, chopped mint and coriander, lemon juice and oil into the couscous. Spoon the couscous onto plates, top each serving with 2 lamb cutlets and put a spoonful of the sauce on the side. Garnish with sprigs of fresh mint and serve immediately.

Lamb, Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Cottage Pies

This recipe is a variation of the classic cottage pie. It's also freezer friendly so that you can have some now and some later :)

In this recipe, I've suggested to roast the pumpkin but you could just steam the pumpkin until it is tender. Same applies for the sweet potato. This would hasten the cooking process considerably, particularly if you are time poor!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

3 tbs olive oil
1 brown onion, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground chilli
500g lamb mince
1x400g can diced tomatoes
125ml (1/2 cup) salt reduced chicken stock
2 tbs tomato paste
800g butternut pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, coarsely chopped
400g sweet potato, peeled, coarsely chopped
1 rosemary sprig
1 cup coarsely grated cheddar cheese
2 tbs pine nuts
Salt & pepper to taste

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Arrange the pumpkin in a single layer, in a large roasting pan. Drizzle over 2 tbs olive oil, season with some sea salt and pepper and toss to coat. Add the rosemary sprig then bake in oven for 45 minutes or until pumpkin is tender.
   
2. Cook sweet potato in a saucepan of boiling salted water for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain then add to pumpkin. Use a potato masher or a fork to mash sweet potato and pumpkin until almost smooth.
   
3. Meanwhile, heat 1tbs olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 minutes or until the onion is soft. Add the garlic, ground coriander, cumin, cinnamon and chilli and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic.
4. Increase heat to high. Add the mince and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up any lumps, for 5 minutes or until browned. Stir in the tomatoes, stock and tomato paste. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt if needed.
   
5. Divide the mince mixture among individual oven proof dishes or 1 large oven proof dish. Spoon the pumpkin & potato mix evenly over the mince mixture and use the back of spoon to spread. Sprinkle with the cheddar cheese and pine nuts.
6. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cheddar is golden and the pine nuts toasted. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Serve with salad leaves.

Notes & Tips

Freezing tip: At the end of step 5, cover the dishes with lids. Alternatively, wrap in plastic wrap, then in foil or place into foil storage containers. Label, date and freeze the pies for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the portions in the fridge for 6-8 hours or until thawed. Preheat oven to 200C. Remove the lids or plastic wrap and foil. Continue from step 6.