Lamb cutlets with mint pesto

Hello everyone, well here we are the week before Christmas and I am going to be up to my elbows in chocolate today as I am making various chocolate slices, sauces and ice-creams (yes, last week's Christmas bombe) to take to parties and to give as gifts to people. I am actually dangerously close to never wanting to see chocolate again I am using so much of it but I'm sure that will pass.

This week's recipe is prompted by a discussion with my sister this morning about the menu for Christmas day. To my delight we are all having all my favourite things on the BBQ, including lamb cutlets. Not this recipe, but one that has been around in the family for years. This one is a great summertime lamb recipe and you do the cutlets on the BBQ. The pesto is made with mint which is really refreshing. I often do these when I have people over, they are a great one for a group. Having said that, I am not a fan at all of serving lamb cutlets as finger food as there is just no way you can eat them gracefully and I always decline them regretfully in that situation, but who wants lamb and pesto all over their face at a party? So serve them when guests have plates and cutlery, OK?

Have a very happy Christmas, eat well and enjoy the festivities in whatever form they take place. Love from Jane xxx

Lamb cutlets with mint pesto

What you need:

• 20 lamb cutlets
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Pesto

• 2 bunches mint
• 1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts
• 1 tablespoon grated parmesan
• Juice of one lemon
• 100ml extra virgin olive oil

What you do:

1. Remove the bulky stems from the herbs.
2. Lightly toast the pine nuts in a preheated 200C oven, taking care to not let them burn.
3. In a food processor blend the herbs with the nuts, parmesan and lemon juice and, with the motor running, slowly add the oil. Season to taste.
4. Season both sides of the cutlets and grill on a BBQ for a few minutes on each side, to the way you like them.
5. Rest the cutlets for a few minutes, then arrange on a platter, drizzle with pesto and serve.

Lemon thyme lamb with fennel and parsley quinoa

Hello everyone, do you have a favourite cafe? I have one where I have lunch nearly every Saturday. I was first drawn to it because they serve Belgian hot chocolate. I then discovered that their limited lunch menu concentrates on toasted sandwiches, with really nice fillings and they are a sensible size! The boys who run the cafe are lovely and welcoming and there is just a great atmosphere there. It's so good to finally find somewhere that ticks ALL the boxes.

This week's recipe is yet another delicious magazine recipe, from the October 2007 edition. I loved it the first time I made it and it's one of those ones that is really quick and easy to whip up. It uses a grain called quinoa that I love. It's like couscous. I'll give you another recipe next week that also uses quinoa, so go and find some (possibly at your supermarket, definitely at your local health food store) and see how easy it is to use.

Have a lovely week! Jane x

Lemon thyme lamb with fennel and parsley quinoa

Serves four

What you need:

• 1 1/2 cups quinoa
• 4 lamb backstraps (about 200g each)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons lemon thyme leaves
• 2 small fennel bulbs, trimmed and finely sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• Finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
• Lemon wedges and harissa, to serve

What you do:

1. Cook quinoa in a large pan of boiling water for 12 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, rub the lamb backstraps with the mustard, lemon thyme leaves, salt and pepper.
3. Heat a large, lightly oiled pan on a medium high heat.
4. Cook the lamb for three minutes on each side or until done to your liking.
5. Remove the lamb from the heat and rest, covered with foil, for five minutes.
6. Toss the quinoa with the remaining ingredients and season.
7. Slice the lamb thickly and serve on top of the quinoa with the lemon wedges and harissa on the side.

Lamb cutlets with nectarines

Hello everyone,


I hope you have had a good weekend. I think there are still a lot of people on holidays, so they will be savouring this last week before they re-join those of us who have been back at work for a while. Thank goodness we have a long weekend next week! A perfect opportunity to try this week's recipe, which would work really well on the BBQ if you are a BBQ kind of person.


As some of you know, once a month I cook for a local community dinner, and in planning what I'd contribute this week, I remembered a really simple pasta dish that I cooked years ago - it used to be quite a regular when I wanted something quick and easy. However, that recipe is contained in a collection of magazines so old (the source magazine dates from Summer 2000 in fact) that they are piled on the floor of one of my wardrobes. I went hunting through them this morning and came across this week's recipe that I'm sharing with you. I have had thoughts of this dish at the edge of my mind all summer, so it was great to find it again. It is delicious.


It's a continual dilemma for me as to whether to keep cooking something new every time I cook, or to re-visit dishes I've cooked in the past. I actually toyed with the idea of making 2008 the year I would go back and cook dishes I have done before, but in the end decided to keep forging ahead and trying new things. Maybe 2009...


Have a fabulous week. Love from Jane

xxx

This recipe comes from a magazine that as far as I know, only ran for a few years and then disappeared, which is a shame, because I used it extensively. It was a Women’s Weekly magazine called Simply Lite and I treasure my copies of it.


Lamb cutlets with nectarines

Serves four

What you need:
· 4 ripe nectarines
· 2 tablespoons of orange juice
· 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
· 8 lean lamb cutlets
· 1 tablespoon olive oil
· 1 tablespoon chopped lemon thyme
· Freshly ground black pepper
· 2 tablespoons fruit chutney

What you do:
1. Pre-heat your BBQ or a griller to high.
2. Halve and stone the unpeeled nectarines.
3. Combine them in a bowl with the orange juice and brown sugar.
4. Brush the cutlets with oil and sprinkle them with lemon thyme and pepper.
5. Grill the nectarines carefully, cut side up, until golden brown (keep a close eye on them).
6. Grill the cutlets on a high heat for about two minutes on each side, or until done to your liking.Spread the cutlets with the chutney and serve with the grilled nectarines on top.