Mediterranean Lamb Salad

This dish was inspired by one I saw on Nigella Express where she used lamb tenderloin to make a thai inspired salad. Since I was out of both thai fish sauce and soy sauce, I thought I'd adapt the recipe to what I had on hand. This ended up being mainly Mediterranean additions such as vinegar and olive oil, which is where the title came from. I had planned to use Balsamic vinegar but only realized at the last minute that we were out so I used the cider vinegar instead.

Dressing mix, waiting for the lamb! 

Lamb steaks browning

Lamb cocoon

I highly recommend this dish for a weekday dinner because it was so quick to prepare. The actual cooking only takes five - six minutes depending on your lamb steaks and preferences. Then the lamb sits in it's little foil cocoon until the other elements are ready. I think this method could probably work with any cut of lamb so don't worry if you can't find these particular steaks. Nigella used lamb tenderloin for her dish but my supermarket didn't have any in stock unfortunately! One thing to remember: be careful with the vinegar as the amount used will vary depending on your personal tastes.

Salad!

Prep Time: 5-10 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

2 lamb leg steaks
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
8-10 cherry tomatoes
Salad leaves
2-3 tbsp cider vinegar
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
1 tsp mixed herbs
8-10 new potatoes

Method:

In a pan large enough for the lamb steaks, saute the onion and green onion in a teaspoon of olive oil until softened. Remove from pan and place into a shallow baking dish. Season the steaks with salt and pepper and then add a little more oil to the pan if needed and saute the steaks until brown on both sides. When they have finished browning, wrap them in a foil parcel and leave to sit for 5 minutes (or more depending on the thickness of your steaks and how well done you prefer them to be). Meanwhile, boil the potatoes until they are soft and then drain and set aside. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and divide the salad leaves, tomatoes and potatoes between two plates. In the baking dish, whisk the chives, herbs and vinegar along with a few dashes of olive oil into the onion mixture. When the lamb has rested, open the foil packet and pour the accumulated juices into the baking dish with the dressing. Slice the lamb carefully and add the pieces and any further juices to the dressing. Leave to sit for a minute before pouring over the plates. Enjoy! 

Beat the Heat Summer Salad

Tasty salad!

Hello! I'm back from lovely Rome to scorching heat here in London. With only my small desk fan for company, it's been absolutely baking all day both inside the flat and out. After running a few errands, I was ready for a tasty treat that wouldn't require too much energy and wouldn't add to the heat! Although this recipe does require the use of an oven, it's only for five minutes. Plus, I recommend doubling the kale and enjoying it as a snack later. I also cooked all six vegetarian sausages so that they'd be ready to go next time so that I wouldn't have to use the stove more this evening.

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 5-10 min

Serves: 1

Ingredients: 

2 handfuls of chopped Kale
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt
Pepper
1 beetroot, cooked and chopped
1/4 red pepper, chopped
1/2 an avocado, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1 veggie sausage
2 tbsp hummus
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp honey

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C.

Mix the kale, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl and tip out onto a baking tray. Pop into the oven for 5-10 minutes, until the kale is crispy. Set aside.

Saute the veggie sausage for 3 minutes in a dash of oil until it is browned on all sides. Slice into disks and set aside.

Whisk the hummus, vinegar and honey into a dressing. Add a splash of water if it seems too thick. Finally, assemble the kale, sausage and remaining ingredients in your salad bowl and drizzle with the dressing. Enjoy! 

Weekday Dinner: Bulgur Wheat Leftover Salad

Obviously there are some nights when you just don't feel like making dinner. And there are nights when you have lots of leftover bits and bobs but nothing is really looking all that appealing. The best nights are when those two elements come together. Tonight was one of those. I was hungry but everything looked super boring and I didn't have any new and interesting groceries. So I had to make do with what I had: leftovers! This is a great recipe to jazz them up and make something completely different and it's easily adjusted to whatever you have on hand. For example, I used bulgur wheat because that's what I had but couscous would be equally nice. I also had some leftover chicken breast and sweet potato but sausages and roast veg might also go well here. The secret is the dressing: spicy, takes seconds to make and can completely change the whole flavor of a dish. I had hoped to make a recipe from Smitten Kitchen but I didn't have lemons (since I used the last of them to clean my shower glass... seriously, try it. Amazing) so I went with cider vinegar and it was still delicious. So use what you have and give it a go - leftovers reborn! I also made 1/2 a cup of bulgur wheat so that I'd have some for my lunch as well.

Inspired by www.smittenkitchen.com

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 30 min

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup bulgur wheat
1/2 chicken breast, chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/4 onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 sweet potato, chopped
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp - 1 tbsp honey
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil

Method: 

Place the bulgur wheat in a heat proof bowl and cover with boiling water. There should be about a centimeter of water above the top of the bulgur wheat. Cover with a plate and leave for half an hour.

Meanwhile, place the chopped chicken breast, bell pepper, onion and garlic into a pan over medium high heat with a splash of olive oil. Saute for a few minutes until the chicken is heated through, the pepper and onion is softening and the garlic is fragrant. Add the sweet potato and turn the heat to medium-low. Continue to saute gently until everything is warmed through.

When the bulgur wheat is ready, start on the dressing. Mix the cider vinegar, honey, cumin and cayenne in a small jar. Add the salt and pepper before slowly pouring in the olive oil while mixing continuously. When the dressing is ready, mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Add more salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!