Healthy Family, Happy Family (24 page)

Meanwhile, make the gravy: drain all the fat and oil from the baking dish, leaving only the browned bits. Add to the baking dish the beef stock, water and tamari sauce and place the dish over a hotplate and stir. Heat on medium-high heat until boiling, then reduce to a simmer. Mix the brown rice flour with 1⁄4 cup of water until lump-free then mix it into the gravy, stirring until thickened. Reserve 1 1⁄2 cups of gravy so you can make the leftovers into Lefty Lamb Casserole with Apricots tomorrow night; also reserve 2 onions, 300g (101⁄2oz) meat (the inner pink bits) and some of the roast vegies.

Steam the peas for 5 minutes and add the broccoli for the last 3 minutes, until just cooked (do not overcook). Serve with gravy and Alkaline Mint Sauce if desired.

GF:
use gluten-free stock when making the gravy or omit the gravy altogether.

EP:
make this without gravy and broccoli and use green beans instead.

Fresh meat: when shopping for a leg of lamb, look for signs of freshness such as bright red flesh and white fat.

Calculating cooking time: Allow 20 minutes per 500g (1lb) plus 20 minutes extra. For example a 1.6kg (3lb) roast will take 1 hour 20 minutes.

Is it cooked yet? Pierce the thickest part of the roast with a skewer. Leave it in for a minute. Remove and immediately test the warmth of the stick on your lower lip—if it’s cooked the skewer should feel hot (lukewarm is a sign it’s undercooked). The juices from the hole left by the skewer, when pressed, should run clear/pink, not red.

Salivation is here. Redeem your roast and freshen up your fridge leftovers with this delicious tagine. The secret ingredients, apricot, ginger and cinnamon, turn humble gravy into something wickedly exotic.

leftover vegetables from the fridge (approx. 3 cups of quick-cooking vegetables) such as:

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook the rice for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan or wok and add a little olive oil then sauté the garlic and ginger for 1 minute. Add the roast lamb strips and gravy and mix. Add 2–3 tablespoons of water if necessary. Then add the leftover roast vegetables, apricots, sultanas, cinnamon and quick-cooking vegetables of choice (including at least one green vegetable). Heat for 5 minutes, stirring gently once or twice.

Top with fresh herbs if available and serve on a bed of rice.

If you don’t have leftover gravy, heat 1 1⁄2 cups quality beef stock and 1 tablespoon salt reduced tamari or soy sauce. Then mix together 1⁄2 cup water with 1–2 tablespoons brown rice flour (or wholemeal plain/all purpose flour or cornflour/cornstarch), then add it to the simmering stock. Mix constantly until the gravy thickens.

This iron-rich meal can warm the heart of even the most irate toddler or frazzled partner. Serve it with love.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (or use a slow cooker).

Mix the oregano, coriander, rosemary and pepper and roll the meat in this mixture, pressing in well. Then coat the meat in the flour.

Heat a splash of olive oil in a large frying pan (or use a large non-stick casserole dish which can go in the oven) and brown the lamb on all sides. Remove from the pan. Add to the same pan the celery, carrot, onion and garlic and cook on high heat until softened. Add the apple cider vinegar, stock, anchovies and tomatoes and stir. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes.

There are two ways to cook this meal. Option 1: add the lamb shanks to the casserole dish, cover with a lid (or aluminium foil) and then place in the oven. Cook for 2 hours, then remove lid and cook for a further 30 minutes (not necessary to remove lid if using aluminium foil). Option 2: transfer the shanks and sauce to a slow cooker and cook on high for 3–4 hours or on low for 6 hours, or until meat is juicy and falls off the bone when tested.

Meanwhile, peel and dice the sweet potato and cook in a steamer for 10 minutes or until very soft (small pieces will steam in 10 minutes). Transfer to a bowl and mash well. Add the milk and season with a little minced garlic and a splash of tamari sauce if desired.

Remove the casserole from the heat, stir in the parsley and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Steam the broccoli for 2–3 minutes (do not overcook the broccoli). (Thanks Mel Moloney for this recipe.)

Lamb shanks or cutlets that have been ‘Frenched’ have had the meat and fat cut away to expose more of the bone. Ask your butcher to do this for you.

GF:
use gluten-free beef stock and malt-free soy milk or cow’s milk.

Don’t you just love a nice bowl of spag bol? This one tastes so good you’ll swear it had been simmering for hours, gathering richness. The secret ingredient is green lentils: this quiet achiever is cheap to buy and does not steal the limelight from the beef mince. But it does halve the fat content and doubles the goodness of this family favourite.

In a large frying pan or wok on medium-high heat, heat a splash of olive oil and sauté the onion, garlic and dried mixed herbs for 2 minutes. Move the onion to one side of the pan and add the mince and cook until mostly browned.

Drain the lentils in a strainer and rinse well with water. Add the lentils, diced vegetables, tomato soup and water to the frying pan and mix well. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until sauce thickens and vegetables soften. Add 1⁄2 cup of extra water if necessary.

Meanwhile, bring a covered saucepan of water to the boil and cook the pasta until al dente (refer to packet instructions).

Remove the mince from heat and, before serving, divide the mixture in half and place one portion into the freezer for later use or to make Shepherd’s Pie (below). Serve remainder on top of a bed of pasta. (Thanks Joy Fischer for this modified recipe.)

Use frozen mixed vegetables that have been diced, including carrot, cauliflower and broccoli core, corn and peas.

If you have the time and would prefer to use fresh vegetables dice 2 medium carrots and use 1 cup peas, 2 finely diced stalks of celery and the diced stalk of 1 broccoli head. You will need to cook them for an additional 15 minutes or until soft.

Quality canned green lentils are ideal for this recipe as they do not go mushy as home-cooked lentils can.

GF:
serve with gluten-free buckwheat noodles or rice noodles and use gluten-free tomato soup.

This shepherd’s pie is like a great Abba cover band. It’s not made with lamb, like the original recipe, but we heartily enjoy the beef and lentils just as much because it’s all about the sauce. You’ll be the mash queen with this healthy twist.

Preheat the oven to 250°C (480°F). Peel and dice the sweet potato into 1.5cm (1⁄2in) pieces—smaller pieces will cook faster. Bring a large saucepan with steamer to the boil and steam the sweet potato for 10 minutes or until very soft. Drain well. Use a potato masher and mash until smooth (or use a food processor). Add soy milk and mix well.

Meanwhile, heat the cooked mince using a microwave or saucepan—this is essential to speed up the cooking process.

There are two ways you can present this meal. Option 1: as one large ‘pie’—spoon the mince into one medium sized, deep baking dish (see notes). Option 2: as mini potato ‘pies’—spoon mince into 6 or more small ovenproof bowls (these are great for presentation as the large pie can get a bit sloppy to serve). Top with mashed sweet potato and use a fork to spread it over the mince. Brush the top with melted butter or rice bran oil. Bake for 10–15 minutes until sauce is bubbling. Serve with a side salad or solo with a splash of tomato sauce/ketchup.

If making Shepherd’s Pie in a large dish, it can be sloppy to divide and serve if serving immediately. If you can make this a day earlier and refrigerate it, you will have a perfectly set ‘pie’ that serves in neat slices. If presentation is paramount and you are serving it on the same evening, then you can use 6 ovenproof bowls.

To retain more of the amazing nutrients in sweet potato, steam it, rather than boiling, for 10–15 minutes or until very soft.

There are no shortcuts to a tender beef casserole: it must be simmered slowly over a number of hours. This dish is rich in energising iron and B group vitamins, skinprotecting lycopene and antioxidant-rich spices.

Mix together the oregano, coriander, rosemary and pepper and roll the meat in this mixture. Then coat the meat in flour.

In a non-stick frying pan heat a splash of olive oil on high heat and when the pan is very hot, quickly sear the beef on all sides. Remove from the pan. Add the celery, carrot, onion and garlic and cook on medium heat until softened. Then add the apple cider vinegar, beef stock, anchovies and tomatoes and stir. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes.

Transfer to a slow cooker and cook on low for 4–5 hours, or until the meat is tender. You can also cook this on the stove top (see notes).

Meanwhile, add some water to a saucepan and add the rice. Bring to the boil then simmer for 25 minutes or until soft.

Finely chop the parsley and discard the stems. Turn off the slow cooker or hotplate and stir the parsley into the casserole. Allow to cool for 5 minutes while you steam the beans.

Steam the green beans or broccoli (using a strainer on top of the rice if possible) for 3 minutes (do not overcook).