Slam in the Lamb... Sunday and Monday May 27th and 28th 2013

Well you will have to do without a picture of the slow roast lamb shoulder, with the crunchy roast potatoes and the roast sweet potatoes and the carrots and broccoli and the smooth, delicious gravy made with Essential lamb stock...

but it looks remarkably like the one I had last April... I would show you a later pic of a roast lamb dinner as served in this house, but sadly it seems to be so delicious I never get to take a photo of it!!

Anyway, just be assured it was very very good. Slow roasting a shoulder renders all the fat away so you just get beautifully tender, soft meat, with a really strong lamb flavour. You honestly can't beat it for lambiness. Not a lot left after the family Sunday dinner, just a handful but enough not to waste, and a jugful of gravy, solidified from all the goodness and gelatine in the meat juices from the lamb.

So Monday's leftovers this week was a lamb pilaf - it was a fasting day (I am following the 5:2 diet) so this was my one meal of the day, and needed to come in under 500 cals.  Sorry, it isn't as pretty as some dishes but it was very yummy and comforting and just what was needed.

I wandered around the web and couldn't find anything particularly definitive, so simply made it up as I went along. Here is what I did..

Heat 1tsp olive oil and a tablespoon of water in a large saucepan.
Chop a medium onion, and grate two two medium carrots, saute gently until soft.
Add the chopped lamb (about 100g ), half tsp each of ground cinnamon, cardamom and cumin, salt and pepper, 75g basmati rice, and stir around until thoroughly coated with the oil. 
Add double the volume of rice in lamb gravy (or lamb stock).
Bring to a boil and stir thoroughly, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
Add in 25 grams of something sweet, I used dried sour cherries, but you could use raisins or chopped dried apricots, stir in and put the lid on tightly.
Cook at a very gentle simmer for 15 minutes without removing the lid.
Check the rice is cooked, and stir in 10g of toasted pinenuts and a handful of chopped coriander and parsley.

Serves two, with watercress, spinach and rocket salad on the side.