MINCE, BASIL & RED KIDNEY BEANS

This is what I would call a classic Chris meal (my fiancee) as it contains only two major ingredients: meat and vegetables. Not a fan of lamb myself (I personally do not like the taste) I prefer this simple, low carb dinner with beef however after grabbing lamb mince by accident the other day I had no choice but to cook with it. Chris informed me that lamb works just as well in this recipe. I love the colours of this dish; the bright orange of the carrot, the deep purple of the kidney beans, the vibrant red of the tomatoes and the striking green of the basil. 

The secret ingredient here is smoked ground paprika- you must add it! It gives the dish a woody yet mildly spicy aroma. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 x 400g tin red kidney beans, rinsed and drained well
• 1 large carrot, roughly chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, roughly diced
• 1 medium red capsicum, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely diced
• 1 teaspoon rice bran oil 
• 500g extra lean beef / lamb mince
• 2 teaspoons smoked ground paprika 
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil, plus extra to serve 

COOKING 

1. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and swirl to coat well. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute or until garlic is soft. Add mince, smoked paprika and 2 tablespoons chopped basil and stir continuously until the beef has browned and no meat lumps remain. 

2. Add carrot and capsicum and stir to combine, then cover for 3 minutes to cook. Remove from heat and place in a large serving bowl. Add red kidney beans and tomato and toss to combine. Top with basil leaves, if desired. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 
Total Cooking time / 12 minutes 

x Emily 

LAMB KEBABS / SKEWERS

I am endeavouring to cook with lamb more, as it is a red meat and therefore high in iron. A word to the wise; be careful with lamb as it can be super fatty if fat is not removed before cooking. Last week when I made this recipe, I needed some brightening up. Life can sometimes get us down and we all have our own unique ways of dealing with stress, anxiety or restlessness. Some people choose to drink, others to paint, shop, read, write, kick things…I choose to cook. My purple, green, red and brown lamb skewers served the all-important purpose of cheering me up on my blue day. As a plus, they were super tasty.  

INGREDIENTS

• 400g lean lamb fillet, all fat removed and cut into even 3cm pieces 
• 1 medium green or red capsicum, seeds removed & cut into even 4 - 5cm pieces
• 1/2 red onion, chopped into thin 4cm pieces
• 1 teaspoon sumac
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil (in liquid form)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice 
• 8 skewers 

COOKING 

1. Combine lamb pieces, capsicum, red onion, sumac, oil and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Toss well to combine and marinade in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, place skewers in water for 30 minutes to soak (do not skip this step or your skewers will break whilst cooking in the oven). 

3. Preheat a fan forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Thread lamb and vegetables onto the skewers, alternating with each ingredient or making whatever pattern you like. Place skewers in the oven for 10 minutes or until lamb is cooked through and capsicum and onion are just slightly char-grilled. 

Serve warm with a yoghurt dressing or my tomato & parsley dressing (1 tomato, finely chopped, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh parsley, tossed well). 

Serves / 4 (2 skewers each)

Total Preparation time / 12 minutes (plus 30 minutes to soak & marinade)

Total Cooking time / 10 minutes 

x E

LAMB SOUVLAKI WRAP

Isn’t Souvlaki one of the best meals in the world? Whenever I go out to West End in Brisbane I love to go to Greek restaurants, however I usually can’t go past chicken souvlaki. On Saturday lunch I decided to try my hand at cooking with lamb. Now, if you are a regular reader of the blog, you know that I rarely cook with lamb. Very, very rarely. However, sometimes you must explore the unfamiliar. A very simple recipe, the most difficult part being that you have to marinade the lamb for 30 minutes. Unfortunately it is not dairy-free, as I have yet to figure out how to make tzatziki dairy-free (but I will find a way!). 

INGREDIENTS


Lamb

• 350g lean lamb, cut into small 3cm pieces
• 3 teaspoons dukkah (any mix will do, I used almond dukkah)
• 1/2 a red onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• a handful of washed lettuce
• 1 tomato, finely sliced into thin wedges
• 4 x Gluten-free wraps or 4 x Pita Bread

Yoghurt tzatziki 

• 1/2 cup natural yoghurt, 99% fat free
• 1 large lebanese cucumber, finely grated
• 1/8 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• pinch of sea salt 

COOKING 

1. Combine the lamb pieces, dukkah, red onion and garlic cloves in a medium bowl. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

2. After grating the cucumber finely, place the cucumber in a tea towel tightly. Rinse the excess moisture from the tea towel, then place the cucumber in a small bowl. Add the yoghurt, chilli, coriander and sea salt and stir well to combine. Add 2 tablespoons water to thin out the tzatziki. 

3. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line a baking tray with baking paper and spread lamb around the tray. Cook for around 10 minutes or until lamb is browned and cooked through. Remove from the oven. 

4. On each wrap / pita bread, spread tzatziki and top with cooked lamb, tomato and lettuce. Serve whilst lamb is warm. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 30 minutes (inclusive of refrigeration time)

Total Cooking time / 12 minutes 

x E

LEMONGRASS LAMB VERMICELLI NOODLES

Day 5 on the challenge called for an Asian dish. It’s funny, some people desire chocolate, others have a hankering for potato chips but I crave vermicelli noodles a minimum of 4 times a week. Its rather comical if you knew me, as I am the whitest woman alive. Anyways, the heart wants what it wants. In my effort to eat more red meat, I decided to cook with lamb, something that I rarely do as I was spoiled with one too many lamb roasts when I was young. However, this lamb mixed with garlic, chilli flakes, shallots and lemongrass completely won me over.  Whilst the recipe may look a little time consuming due to the somewhat lengthy list of ingredients and the 5 cooking steps, the end result is well worth the preparation! Lemongrass has quickly become my favourite ingredient to look with, as it adds a citrusy freshness to dishes that cannot be acquired with any other herb or vegetable. It does not even feel like I’m participating in a healthy challenge when I can devour food such as this! 

INGREDIENTS

• 300-350g lean lamb steak, cut into even strips
• 15-20cm stick fresh lemongrass, finely chopped
• 2 green shallots, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil 
• 1 garlic clove, finely diced 
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce 
• 1 avocado, roughly chopped
• 1 lebanese cucumber, diced
• 200g vermicelli noodles 

Dressing 

• 1 garlic clove, finely diced
• 3 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce 
• 5cm stick fresh lemongrass, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice 

COOKING 

1. Combine the lamb, 15-20cm lemongrass, the shallots, chilli flakes, 1 garlic clove, sesame oil and soy sauce in a medium bowl. Toss to combine. Leave to stand for 5-10 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, place vermicelli noodles in a large heatproof bowl (I use a saucepan) and cover with boiling water. Leave to stand for around 4 minutes or until just tender and drain well. Rinse under cold water and drain again. 

3. Cook marinated lamb in a medium frying pan on low to medium heat for around 5 minutes or until just cooked through. 

4. Combine all dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake well to combine. 

5. In a large serving bowl, arrange the cooked lamb, cooked noodles and avocado & lebanese cucumber. Drizzle the dressing over the top and serve. 

x E