Moroccan Lamb with mint, apricots, almonds and dates

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 hours
Serves approx 4

600 g of lean lamb meat diced
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 onion chopped
2 garlic cloves crushed
700 ml of lamb or chicken stock
1 cinnamon stick (if you desire this flavour) - note take this out after one hour
one teaspoon of zest of orange and juice of one orange
1 tablespoon of fresh mint chopped
50 g almonds flaked
200 g read to eat dried apricots
1 tablespoon of honey
handful of dates pitted cut in half
Salt and pepper to your taste
12 broccoli florets

Heat a little oil in a large casserole pot to cook on stove top.  Add lamb and cook until brown, set aside.

In the same casserole pot add a little more oil and the onion and garlic.  Cook until opaque then add the lamb and the stock and stir through.  Then you can add the zest of orange, honey, orange juice, cinnamon stick (only for an hour in this casserole) and also add a little salt and pepper.  Bring this to the boil carefully slowly and cook for an hour covered.

After an hour add the apricots, almonds, dates and the mint.  This can be cooked slowly for another hour and served with either Cous cous or rice.

Lamb and date Tagine

Serves approx 4-6 people
Cooking Time: 2-3 hours

1kg Lamb diced
1 teaspoon of oil
1 small red onion chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
2 large tablespoons of honey
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
400g sweet potato peeled and diced up
1 cinnamon stick
3 cups of beef
8 fresh dates pitted and halved
Couscous make as per pack instruction
Coriander leaves




Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook lamb meat in two batches until brown and set aside.

In a saucepan cook the onion for two minutes til softened.  Add paprika, cumin and a dash of honey.  Add the sweet potato and cook for another five minutes slowly then add the stock with the cinnamon stick. Bring to the boil and add dates.

Slowly add the lamb meat and then transfer into a 1.5 litre tagine on stove top on a slow simmering heat or you can cook in a casserole dish covered with foil or a lid and placed in an oven at temperature 160 degrees celcius.  Check the water level is always over the meat for the first hour in oven. Remove the cinnamon stick after the first hour.

Cook for 2-3 hours slowly and then serve with the cous cous and top with coriander leaves.

You can always top with almond flakes if you desire.

Amazing Lamb Ragu !!

Serves around 6 people as a sauce over any type of pasta

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 3 hours simmer minimum for maximum flavor if possible

One stick of celery grated 

1 small clove of garlic finely chopped

Half a brown onion chopped finely

Olive oil for pan

5 Lamb Sausages (i used coles brand with thyme and fennel) 

1 can of tomatoes with one can of water

Basil leaves fresh (handful of leaves)

1/2 chicken stock cube

In a deep fry pan place some olive oil and add the garlic, onion, celery and simmer gently until beginning to become opaque.  Then add the inners of the sausages discarding the casings.  Using a large wooden spoon break the meat down gently and keep cooking on a medium heat adding more oil if it gets a little dry.

Add the tomatoes and the can of water, the stock cube, basil leaves and stir gently.  

Cook gently simmering for 2-3 hours for a very soft meat and full flavour and serve over pastas for example : fettuccine, penne, spaghetti etc... amazing...  delicious!!! 

Spicy Vegetable and Lamb Couscous

 Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4 people

Olive oil for each frypan (2)

1 small red chilli diced finely

1 white end of leek diced up finely

1 teaspoon of cumin ground

1 teaspoon of turmeric

shake of black pepper

1 sweet potato peeled and diced

500 ml vegetable stock

1 zuccini diced

1 bunch of broccolini (just the florets)

1 small tomato diced

1 tablespoon of parsley

1 tablespoon of thyme

400g lamb diced

6 pitted dates chopped

1 cup of vegetable stock

shake of black pepper

1 teaspoon of moroccan spice

Couscous

1 cup instant couscous

30 g butter

1 cup of hot vegetable stock

 Add a little oil to a frypan and add the lamb pieces, dates, vege stock, pepper and moraccan spice. Simmer on medium heat on stovetop making sure to add stock to just cover the meat. This makes a gorgeous thick sweet lamb after around 30 min simmering.  

To make the vegetables place some oil in a deep frypan and add the chilli, leek, cumin and turmeric and cook til leek is slightly opaque.  Then add the sweet potato and half the vegetable stock and simmer.  Add the broccoli florets, tomato, parsley and thyme and simmer uncovered for around 20 minutes (or until vegetables are tender). Add stock as required .

Make the couscous by placing the couscous grains in a large glass bowl and place butter and hot vegetable stock over the cous cous.  Leave to absorb for around 5 minutes then fluff gently with a fork to separate the grains.

To serve place Couscous in serving bowl then place vegetables and meat on top or you can mix meat into vegetables first then onto couscous.  Delicious food!

Lamb and Rosemary pie

Makes one medium sized pie in a glass pie dish
Preparation Time: 10 minutes approx
Cooking Time: 15 minutes for contents and then 40 minutes approx in oven when ready to bake

Use frozen puff pastry from supermarket for the lid. Follow the directions on the pack.

To make the meat inside the pie:

700g lamb shoulder meat from butcher diced (must be shoulder as its the soft meat)
1 onion diced roughly
1 tablespoon of cornflour
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup beef stock (this can vary so add more if its too dry)
50g sachet of tomato paste
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce (optional)
1 tablespoon of fresh garden rosemary chopped fine
Optional use of Moroccan seasoning on the meat while cooking ( i use a pinch)
Handful of dates chopped (optional)

Place the lamb meat in a fry pan with a little low fat butter or oil and cook in batches until brown. Set aside and then cook the onion until soft in the same pan and add the cornflour with the stock, paste, sauce and wine. Add dates chopped if you like with additional Moroccan spices.

Let the mixture cook for 5 minutes then add the lamb meat and cook for a further 40 minutes until thickened.

Pour meat mix into the pie dish and let the meat cool for around  10 - 20 minutes then you can place your pastry lid on and glaze pie lid with a little beaten egg.

Make a little hole in the lid somewhere so the heat can escape while cooking.  Bake for around 40 minutes on 180 degrees celsius fan forced.  Check often with your oven as some may cook faster. Cover with foil if over browning.

This pie can be prepared a day ahead and placed in fridge until ready to cook and eat.

Moroccan Lamb pie

 Makes one large pie for 4 people

Preparation Time: 45 minutes
Cooking Time around 40 minutes

1/2 large shallot diced finely
500g diced lamb meat
1 tablespoon of Moroccan seasoning
1 handful of chopped rosemary
1 clove of garlic crushed
400g  tomato passata (or crushed)
1/2 cup vege or beef stock
4 small potatoes diced small
1 handful of pitted dates torn in half
Puff pastry for the lid (defrosted on benchtop ready)
one egg beaten in a cup for the glaze
One glass pie baker

Cook shallot onion in a large fry pan with a little olive oil until softened.  Add lamb and stir with wooden spoon until browned.  Then add the seasoning and rosemary. Add the tomatoes, stock, potato and dates.  Simmer on low heat for around 20 minutes until thickening.

Place the meat mix into the glass baking dish and if you like add a little pepper to the top layer.  Then place a piece of pastry on top and press to the sides of the dish.  you can make a small hole in the centre so the heat can escape.  Decorate with sprigs of rosemary.
Now you can glaze with a pastry brush with the egg mixture to make the pie amazingly brown.

Bake in oven around 160 degrees celcius fan forced for 40 minutes. Check as some ovens are different.

Spicy lamb salad with mango lime dressing

Serves 4 small side plates
Preparation Time: 20 minutes


150g thin sliced lamb shoulder meat
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1 teaspoon of cumin powder
1-2  shakes of dried garlic powder
1 small butter lettuce or similar leaves separated and washed
5 diced in half cherry tomatoes
1/4 red onion slices thinly
1 avocado sliced in lengths with no skin
salt and pepper

Mango Lime Dressing:
1/2 mango pureed
1 lime juiced


Combine the spices in a bowl and roll the meat into the spice mix.  Pan fry the meat on low heat with some olive oil.  Turn heat off when cooked and set aside.

Place your lettuce, cherry tomatoes, onion, avocado and salt and pepper together arranged on a small plate.  Place the cooked meat into each and then pour over the mango lime dressing.

Fantastic!!

Lamb pie

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Serves one (adjust ingredients to how many people you are serving)


This little pie i made on its own as a test for my kids and they loved them so its a great idea for kids meals and if you cant get them to eat veggies you can add whatever you like and see if they like it this style.


Ramekin dish for the pie/s


A piece of puff pastry 


3 lamb back straps diced  (3 make one little pie in a larger size ramekin bowl)
1/4 cup onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic crushed
1/4 cup of sugo (tomato passata)
1/4 of a beef stock cube ( in the passata above)
1/2 teaspoon of cornflower
shake of salt and pepper
shake of Moroccan spice (if desired)
diced corn was added for my kids in this idea



Place your onion in some olive oil in a saucepan and cook for a little while until soft.  Then add the garlic and stir in the lamb meat.  Cook around 5 minutes until browning then add your remaining ingredients.  Simmer this collection for around 10 minutes stirring occasionally.  This will create a gorgeous gravy and once the liquid slightly evaporates you will have some amazing pie contents.

Place your ramekin face down onto the puff pastry to get the lid imprint for your pie lid.  Then cut this out and place aside.

Once the meat looks ready remove the garlic clove if you can find it and  place the meat mix  into the ramekin and place puff pastry on top and slightly brush with egg for a beautiful brown pastry puff glow.

Cook the pie in the oven at around 180 degrees for around 25 minutes.

Lamb and Rosemary Casserole with potato topping

Lamb and Rosemary Casserole with sliced potato topping

Serves: 6

Preparation Time: 2 hours approx

Require a baker that can be used on both stovetop and move to oven.

2 tablespoons of butter

700g shoulder lamb diced

1/4 brown onion cut up

2 tablespoons of diced fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon of oregano fresh diced

2 garlic cloves crushed

shake of pepper

1 carrot cut up thin

1 stalk celery cut up thin

4 potatoes skinned and finely sliced to top

2 cups of chicken stock home style

salt to taste

Cook the butter in a large casserole baker on the stovetop and add the meat to brown. Add the onion and rosemary and cook for another 5 minutes.  Add the garlic cloves. Pour your stock in and add vegetables and herbs. Place the potato slices over the top of the dish.  

Bake in oven for around 2 hours until the potatoes are nice and crispy on the edges.

Winter warmer with amazing tender lamb!

Irish Lamb Casserole

Irish Lamb Casserole

Serves: 4 approx

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 2 hours

500g lamb diced (no fat)

olive oil for frypan

2 Potatoes peeled and diced

2 Carrots peeled and diced

1 onion cut into four pieces

2 stalks of celery diced

1 handful of rosemary

1 handful of oregano

2 massel beef stock cubes in 700ml of hot water

Add the lamb meat to a frypan and cook until brown.  Then set aside in a covered bowl.  Add the vegetables to the frypan and cook for approx 5 minutes turning over so to soften them a little.

Then add all ingredients to a casserole pot and mix in the beef or vegetable stock.

Stir through and place lid on and cook for approx 2 hours on around 180 degrees celcius in fan forced oven .  Serve with crusty bread.