The slow food option

LAMB AND LENTIL STEW

Serves 4

30ml olive oil

30g butter

1 large onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 carrot, chopped

10ml cumin seeds

pinch of chilli flakes

10ml chopped ginger

1kg lamb knuckles

10ml chopped rosemary leaves

750ml lamb or chicken stock

250ml brown lentils

15ml brown sugar

10ml balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

Heat the oil and butter in an ovenproof saucepan and fry the onion, garlic and carrot until soft and golden. Add cumin seeds, chilli flakes and ginger and cook for a minute. Remove and set aside.

Brown the meat in batches and set aside. Add the rosemary to the saucepan with 500ml of the stock, scraping all the browned bits from the base of the saucepan.

Return the onion and lamb to the saucepan, add remaining stock and mix well. Cover and cook in the oven at 180°C for one hour.

Remove and stir in the lentils, sugar and vinegar and cook for another hour or until the meat is meltingly tender. Add extra stock if necessary. Season to taste and serve garnished with rosemary.




BEEF AND BARLEY SOUP

Serves 6

45ml olive oil

1kg blade of beef, cubed

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 onions, chopped

250ml pearl barley

1 litre beef stock

1.5 litres water

2 bay leaves

sprig of rosemary

sprig of thyme

2 potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 carrots, peeled and diced

4 baby marrow, diced

4-6 patty pans, halved

250g portabellini mushrooms

salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a large pan and brown the beef in batches. Set aside.

Add the garlic and onions to the pan and cook over a medium heat until soft.

Return the meat to the pan and add the barley, stock, water and herbs. Cover and simmer for about an hour.

Add the vegetables and simmer until vegetables are soft and meat is tender. Add more stock if the soup seems too thick.

Remove and discard the bay leaf and season well. Serve in bowls garnished with a sprig of rosemary.




CHICKEN AND RICE SOUP

Serves 6

2 litres chicken stock

1 onion, cut into thin wedges

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

4 chicken breast fillets

200g rice

50ml chopped fresh mint

salt and pepper

extra mint for serving

Combine the stock, onion, celery, lemon rind and tomatoes in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil.

Add the chicken, then reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked. Remove chicken and set aside to cool enough to handle.

Shred the chicken finely. Add the rice to the stock and simmer again for 25 minutes until rice is tender.

Return chicken to the soup along with the lemon juice and mint. Season to taste and heat through.

Serve in bowls sprinkled with extra mint.




SPICY PORK AND BUTTER BEAN STEW

Serves 4-6

50ml olive oil

1 kg boneless pork neck, cubed

2 large onions, chopped

10ml chopped ginger

10ml chopped garlic

10ml ground cumin

10ml ground coriander

1 litre chicken stock

2 potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 whole red chillies

250g butternut, cubed

1 apple, grated

400g can of butter beans, drained

salt and pepper

125ml cream

Heat the oil and fry the meat in batches, then remove and set aside.

Add the onions, ginger and garlic and cook for a minute. Add the spices and cook for another minute.

Return the meat to the pan. Add the stock, potatoes and whole chillies. Cover and simmer for one and a half hours.

Add the butternut, apple and butter beans and simmer for another 30-40 minutes until butternut is tender.

Remove the whole chillies and season well.

Stir in the cream and heat through.

Serve with mashed potatoes or rice.




CHICKEN AND LEEK CASSEROLE

Serves 4

60ml seasoned flour

800g chicken thigh fillets, cut into three pieces

30g butter

30ml olive oil

3 leeks, washed and sliced

250g bacon bits

2 cloves garlic, crushed

500ml chicken stock

125ml white wine

250g button mushrooms

125g green beans, halved

salt and pepper

Toss the chicken in the seasoned flour. Heat butter and oil and fry the chicken in batches until golden brown. Remove and set aside.

Add the leeks, bacon and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until leeks are tender. Add the stock, wine and mushrooms and bring to the boil.

Return chicken to the pan and place in the oven at 180?C for 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven, add the beans and season well. Add extra stock if necessary.

Return to oven for another 15 minutes.

Serve with couscous.

• This article was originally published on page 11 of The Star on April 19, 2010

Source : Babynet