lamb and mushroom flatbread

Does it deliver?

When you're in the pressure cooker we call work, your boss or client expects you to 'deliver.' They don't care about your excuses, or why it might not be possible, they just want you to DELIVER.

After an agitating (don't ask me why?) week, and feeling particularly tired and strained, my tongue was asking me to deliver. My mouth didn't give a flying rats ass to why I might not be able to achieve the flavours that they were craving (which was difficult, as I didn't know what that was). All I knew for certain, is I wanted to get my teeth around something proper. I wanted to be left sated. I wanted something that would make me verbally um and ah about how gloriously on the money it was.  I wanted to be fed.

I also had a friend coming around for dinner, so I'm sure she was feeling the same.

It's easier when you're cooked for by someone else, as the decision making is made for you and you just accept the consequences. When I travel home, I always phone ahead to ask 'now, we're having something tasty for supper aren't we?' to which I always get the reply 'baaah, when have I not cooked you something delicious and healthy?' But my mother always 'delivers' the goods...so she's alright.

After my recent trip to Le Comptoir Lebanais I was in the mood for lamb and the burst of a pomegranate seed. I found this WONDERFUL recipe by Nigel Slater.

Guess what?

IT DELIVERED!! Every inch of this meal, oozes with yumminess, drips with textures and slams every taste bud.

To ravage or not to ravage?

• 3 tbsp groundnut oil (I used olive oil)
• 100g small mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic (I used 3, he he he)
• 2 small hot red chillies
• 300g minced lamb (I ended up using all of the 500g pack)
• small handful of mint leaves
• 4 heaped tbsp yogurt
• 2 tbsp pine kernels
• large flatbreads (I used the large wholemeal tortilla wraps)
• 2 handfuls of salad leaves
• 1/2 pomegranate
• 12 stoned green olives

Warming the oil in a pan over a moderate heat, add the halved mushrooms, occasionally stirring them until they colour. Stir in the finely chopped garlic and allow to brown for a few minutes.

Remove the seeds of the chilli and add the finely chopped flesh to the contents in the pan and leave for another minute. Tip in the minced lamb. Stir into the mushrooms and let it colour.
(Don't be frightened if you see a big mass of water. This is from the mushrooms and the initial dropping in of the mince. Be patient and let it evaporate off. It will eventually leave the pan and the mince will nicely colour).

Meanwhile, mix together the chopped mint, yogurt and salt and pepper and leave to the side.

When the lamb looks cooked, add the pine kernels to the pan and a generous grinding of sea salt and pepper.

I transferred the lamb mixture to a serving bowl using a draining spoon, so to leave behind all the unnecessary oil and fat. I then scattered the olives, pomegranate seeds and yogurt mixture on top (you can do this separately on each individual flatbread).

Warm up the flatbreads, and then fill with the lamb mixture and some salad leaves. Roll. Tightly secure and devour!!

I dare you not to have seconds!!!

Ecstasy!

paschal lamb

I don't know about you, but I went a little doolally over the double bank holiday weekend. Too much time, sugar and celebration sometimes isn't good for one. I'm glad that wedding fever is firmly off our radar (except for following Kate's vanishing waistline or Pippa's derriere) and chocolate eating can be left for depression. Phew!

Heston's Roast leg of lamb

Needless to say, you don't have to wait until Easter again to gnaw on a good old lamb leg with some flavoursome accompaniments, any Sunday will do! Some dare to say that they find lamb too lamb'ish in taste (I might mention that it's not meant to taste of beef) but I find it always deliciously juicy and moreish and a welcome treat away from the usuals. So sip a glass of Beaujolais and get cooking.

The brain, memory and senses are a wonderful thing. This picture is making me salivate a wee bit, so I'm hoping you feel the same, otherwise I'm just a greedy f***er! Once again this is Mr Heston Blumenthal for Waitrose. Such an easy, simple recipe so it doesn't need re-writing. Everything you need is all there!

Our lamb was beautifully paired with a warm potato puttanesca and a pea, broad bean and edamame bean salad (both of which were found in the Telegraph Magazine).

a day in food

Have you ever done a food diary? Well I can probably guess that you might have missed half the things you ate that day. We like to forget the little things. 'They don't matter...do they?' Well they do and they all add up. This isn't for the purpose of a food diary, but I thought it would be a rather good idea wouldn't it? To photograph everything you eat in the day? Then you really can't get away with it...
Breakfast

Scrambled egg on toast with green pesto

Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day. My very good flat mate told me of this tip. A dollop of green pesto. Added at the end of cooking really livens it up. I use 2 eggs and I always cook in a little bit of butter.