Oh lordy, seriously? Wednesday again? Already? Okay then. Well, my gal's recovered from her illness that saw half the school felled in one swoop - honestly, these gastro bugs sure do know how to take hold don't they? And of course, just as her fever abated mine began. Of course. But I've been good and rested up so hopefully I'll get through today okay...
Here's what we're eating this week:
Tonight: netball training so there will be a beef and red wine casserole bubbling in the slow cooker. Served with mash. I need some comfort.
Thursday: I've got a craving for chicken noodle soup - heavy on the garlic.
Friday: Now, so far as I know we've got NOTHING planned this weekend. This makes me happy. After last weekend when the gal and I weeded the front yard I'd love for us to get out and do something in the side yard. So to sustain us, I might have to cook up a seven hour leg of lamb*. Yep, I think that'll do.
Saturday: steak and vegies.
Sunday: Roast chicken. Last Sunday we couldn't find a freerange chook, so we had pork rib roast instead {mmmmm}. So this week I'm determined to roast me some chicken.
Monday: Prawn and chorizo risotto. Would you believe that the other week The Essential Ingredient were all out of risotto rice? Well, except for these enormous sacks that would take us years to plough through. So this is back on the menu again. With a lemony rocket salad on the side.
Tuesday: French lessons. Think I'll make beef kebabs, a rice pilaf and honeyed carrots.
And that'll do us for the week I think.
Seven hour leg of lamb recipe*
1 leg of lamb, including bone, and preferably shank
Garlic cloves
Anchovies {I know, but wait...}
1 cup french lentils
1 onion
1 carrot
bay leaves
white wine
With a knife, pierce the lamb's skin all over, to a depth of around 3cm. Wiggle the knife around a little to make the pockets a little bigger. Now, peel and slice your garlic cloves lengthwise, and cut your anchovies in half. Place a garlic sliver and a piece of anchovy in each of the pockets. I like to do plenty - probably around 20 on the average leg. Push them right into the skin - if they peek out they burn.
Cover the lamb with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Now, I like to cook this in my cast iron Le Crueset oven - but if you don't have one, use a baking dish and cover firmly with foil. Place the chopped onions and carrots in the bottom of the dish and then sprinkle the lentils over the top. Toss in a few bay leaves and then cover this with white wine {probably only around a cup}. Place leg of lamb on top, cover with a lid, or two layers of foil - you want to keep the steam in.
Place lamb in an oven on its lowest setting - around 130 degrees to 150 degrees and leave it to cook for seven hours. That's it. After seven hours the lamb will fall from the bone, and the anchovies will have melted to provide the most incredible flavour. You'll also have a yummy side-dish with the lamb-infused lentils.
Serve with mash.
It's that time again, that time when I plot out all my meals, hopefully to follow them for the next week. Last week I finally managed to cook up something that's been sitting in my mind, and unmade in my meal plans for weeks: prawn and chorizo risotto. Perfection. I made a simple risotto base {garlic, white wine, arborio rice and lotsa chicken stock} and then fried up slices of chorizo. Then, in the same pan, I cooked up 250g raw prawns till they were pink and plump. These were tossed through the risotto before serving. Now, for the genius bit. I said to my gal, who was helping cook, "Should we add parmesan?" and mini masterchef said, "No, you can't have parmesan with seafood..." so instead, she made a gremolata - lemon zest, parsley and garlic all mushed together and sprinkled over the bowls of risotto. Heaven. 
