I Quit Sugar for Life (34 page)
Read I Quit Sugar for Life Online
Authors: Sarah Wilson
1.
‘BLOODY MARY’ TOASTIES
Crush 2 sardines with a dash of Homemade Tomato Sauce (see
here
), Tabasco and Worcestershire sauces, lemon juice (and a splash of vodka). Spread on
toast.
2.
PRUNE SARDINES ON BISCUITS
(Prune’s a famous Manhattan brunch joint and they serve a version of this at their bar.) Mash 2 sardines with 1 teaspoon each of mustard and mayo and serve with a hearty
cracker.
3.
CHOPPED ‘SHARP’ SALAD WITH SARDINES
Simply serve a few sardines crumbled over a plate of chopped vegetables and herbs with a bit of tang (watercress, rocket, radish, fennel and red onion). Drizzle with oil and
throw on some avocado for extra measure.
SERVES
Between you and me, I find some shanks rather large and can often ‘extend’ 4 shanks to serve 6 by taking the meat off the bone,
shredding it and returning it to the sauce before serving. Of course, I ensure I save any marrow from the bones – the best bit!
1 onion, chopped
2 small carrots, cut into 2-cm chunks
2 celery stalks, cut into 2-cm chunks, reserving the leaves for the gremolata
4 lamb shanks (about 1 kg in total)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ cup (125 ml) Bone Broth (see
here
) or Leftovers Chicken Stock (see
here
), or water with good-quality stock powder
or paste
½ cup (125 ml) red wine (or white wine or just a dash of apple cider vinegar)
1 bay leaf
4 sprigs of thyme or rosemary (or a good sprinkle of dried thyme)
½ teaspoon granulated stevia (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped preserved lemon, or grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
steamed greens (see
here
) and Cauliflower Cream (see
here
), to serve
LEMONY GREMOLATA
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, very finely chopped
6–8 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
grated zest and juice of 2 lemons or 2 tablespoons chopped preserved lemon
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
chopped celery leaves, reserved from shanks (see above)
Throw the onion, carrot and celery (not the leaves) into a slow cooker. Arrange the shanks on top, then place the remaining ingredients (except the celery leaves, greens and
cauliflower) over the lot. Stir a little (but don’t worry about mixing completely). Put on the lid and cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.
Meanwhile, make the gremolata by combining all the ingredients in a jar and shaking. Serve one shank per person, with plenty of the sauce mixture, greens and Cauliflower
Cream.
SOLO COOKERS + FOURSOME FAMILIES:
Freeze any remaining meat in half cup (75 g) portions in zip-lock bags and use to make the
Shanky Shepherd’s Pie or Lamb Shank One-Pot Pasta recipes on the following pages. Also freeze the remaining sauce in 1-cup (250 ml) portions.
TIP
Freeze any leftover gremolata in an ice-cube tray. Pop out to use in soups, pastas or on toast.
2. LAMB SHANK ONE-POT PASTA SERVES 1
½ cup (125 ml) lamb shank braising liquid
¾ cup (180 ml) water
100 g penne
1 portion leftover shank meat (see
here
), shredded
¼ cup (40 g) large pitted green olives, (feta-stuffed olives are great for this)
4 cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
1 cup (30 g) baby spinach
ground cinnamon, to taste
freshly ground black pepper
parmesan cheese, to serve
leftover Lemony Gremolata (see
here
), to serve
Pour the liquid into a large stockpot and bring to the boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 5 minutes, then add the shredded lamb and olives, and stir through.
Cook for a further 2 minutes for the meat to warm up and the pasta to cook through. Add the cherry tomatoes, baby spinach, cinnamon and pepper. Mix through and serve with a good grating of parmesan
and the gremolata.
3. SHANKY SHEPHERD’S PIE
SERVES 1
1 teaspoon coconut oil, butter or ghee
1 small carrot, finely diced
½ onion, finely diced
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1 portion leftover shank meat, shredded
2 tablespoons lamb shank braising liquid or any stock, or water with good-quality stock powder or paste
½ cup (125 ml) Sweet Potato Purée (see Pumpkin Purée variation
here
)
1 tablespoon butter
Preheat the oven to 200°C (gas 6) and tightly grease a small pie dish or ramekin. Heat the oil, butter or ghee in a small saucepan and sauté the carrot and onion with
the cumin until soft. Add the shredded meat and liquid or stock and simmer for 2–3 minutes. Spoon into the prepared pie dish or ramekin and spread the Sweet Potato Purée over the top.
Dot with the butter and bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden.
FOURSOME FAMILIES:
This recipe is easy to quadruple. You can also add a 440 g can brown lentils if you want to bulk it out
further.
