Tuesday 12 May 2009

Seasonal Recipe of the Week

British lamb is in season and at it's most tender in May and June. Try this recipe for a fantastic mid-week dinner.

Grilled Spring Lamb Chops with Spring Onion Mash and Braised Red Cabbage

Serves 4

For the chops
8 lamb chops or cutlets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2tsp dried Thyme
Grated zest of 2 lemons

Season the chops with salt and pepper and coat each side with Thyme and lemon zest.
Cook in a pre-heated grill for 12-15 minutes, turning halfway through cooking.

Potatoes
900g potatoes, peeled and diced
25g butter
1 bunch spring onions, finely chopped
1tbsp chopped Parsley
2fl oz warm milk
Salt and pepper

Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain and mash with milk and butter. Stir in the spring onions and Parsley and check the seasoning.

Braised red cabbage
1/2 red cabbage, shredded
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 apple, chopped
1/2 small glass of red wine
2tbsp red wine vinegar
30g brown sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a heavy based frying pan, add the cabbage and seasoning and fry for 2 minutes.
Add the wine, vinegar, nutmeg and brown sugar. Stir well for about 5 minutes.
Transfer to a microwavable dish and cook on high for 5 minutes.

5 comments:

  1. Hi Mary,

    I am going to be doing a cake sale next week at work to fundraise for the Princes Trust. I was thinking of making a variety of cakes, like buttlerfly cakes/rock cakes and victoria sponge. Do you have some receipes I could follow? Or any other cake suggestions? Quantity wise I would like to try and make about 50 cakes. Thanks Gemma

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Gemma

    Because this is a fundraising project I would imagine you will be keen to keep the costs at a minimum.

    Butterfly cakes are a good idea as they are inexpensive and can look so pretty and appetising, especially with a drop of colour in the butter icing.

    Basic sponge mix for butterfly cakes
    6oz sr flour
    1.5tsp vanilla extract
    1tsp baking powder
    6oz butter or margarine
    6oz caster sugar
    3 large eggs

    Place all the ingredients in a large bowl.
    Mix with a hand held mixer, until smooth and paler in colour.
    Spoon into cake cases (1 heaped dessert spoon).
    Bake at 200C/375F/gas6 for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
    This recipe makes 18-20 cakes, approx.


    What about some cookies? either chocolate chip or raisin.

    Cookies
    100g butter
    50g caster sugar
    60g brown sugar
    1/2tsp vanilla extract
    125g plain flour
    1/2tsp salt
    1/2tsp bicarbonate soda
    200g chocolate of your choice or a handful of raisins and some chopped walnuts.

    Beat the butter and flours till light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. Sieve the flour, salt and bicarb and mix well with the butter mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips (or walnuts and raisins)
    Bake at 180C/356F/gas 4 for 12-15 minutes Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.

    I have a great recipe for carrot cake , which can be sold by the slice or used to make some small cup cakes. (this recipe will be posted on Thursday 14 May).

    Cup cakes are very popular and there is great scope for colour and toppings.

    Good luck with the fundraising Gemma. Let me know how it goes.

    Mary

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Mary

    I am having my bake sale today (am part of Gemmas team) and i used your cookie recipe last night!
    I have to say, they taste amazing (bigging myself up) so I wanted to say thank you for the recipe!

    Lets hope i raise a decent ammount!

    Thanks!
    Emma

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Emma

    I hope your fundraising went well. Who could resist a chocolate chip cookie. I bet you made lots of money. Well done.

    Mary

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Gemma

    The chocolate chip recipe, comment 2, should say, beat the butter and sugars together, not the flour.

    ReplyDelete

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