“Chickpeas are one of my favourite things to serve with chorizo or lamb meatballs; they also work brilliantly as the quiet partner in a vibrant alphonso mango salad.” ~ Yotam Ottolenghi
So, over the weekend I had some diced lamb shoulder and spinach that were both, erm, shall we say a little over their use by dates, and nothing else of any particular substance to turn into a meal.
So, I chucked them in a casserole dish with a few other things that I had lying around – and also needed finishing – and ended up with something I thought was actually quite tasty, and that Raj absolutely loved and thinks we should have all the time.
So, I thought that I would share my left over casserole recipe with you all.
All the amounts here are approximate because I just put a bit of this and a bit of that in without measuring any of it, not expecting to be making it again, much less sharing it.
It’s good for when you’re hungry and want something wholesome and hearty. Raj had just finished a long day shift at the hospital – 8 til 9 – and polished off more than two helpings.
Ingredients
> 3 tablespoons of olive oil
> 1 small, diced, brown onion
> 1 diced, red onion
> 1 diced carrot
> 1 diced stick of celery
> 350g diced lamb shoulder
> 3 tablespoons of honey
> 1 teaspoon of paprika
> 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds
> 1 teaspoon of sugar
> 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
> 1 teaspoon of salt
> 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
> 1/2 teaspoon of dried chilli flakes
> 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
> 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
> 1/2 teaspoon of dried mint
> 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
> 1 packet of fresh(ish) spinach
> 1 tin of chickpeas
> 1 pint of chicken stock
> 3 tablespoons of cornflour to thicken after cooking
> couscous to serve
Method
> Put all of the ingredients except the cornflour and couscous in a casserole dish in roughly the order listed above
> Place casserole dish in the oven and cook for 90 minutes at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4
> Remove casserole from the oven, stir in cornflour to thicken if required
> Serve with couscous prepared as specified on the packet
I’ve gotten back into cooking and trying different dishes since moving house around Christmas time and I’m loving rediscovering how much fantastic tasting food requires almost no effort to make.
Do you like the sound of this? What culinary delights have you discovered pretty much by accident?
Make-Up & Mirtazapine 