Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Menu Plan Monday on Tuesday

Monday - had lamb shanks with rice and sauteed spinach. Excellent recipe below!
Tuesday - venison sausages (nice low fat ones) and some other veges... haven't decided what
Wednesday - soba noodle salad recipe here
Thursday - grilled chick with lime and ginger from a Vietnamese book DH got out of the library, stir fry veg, rice
Friday - DH's Moroccan birthday tea
Sat - not sure, maybe bbq, maybe casserole
Sun - roast chook

ILs are coming on Friday so have to modify my menus a bit since they aren't very adventurous eaters. As it is, Moroccan is going to be stretching it for them, but DH has requested it and it's his birthday. They are staying for a week (!) Don't get me wrong, I get on well with them but I will probably need some space during that time to escape and do my own thing. Hoping my friend G hurries up and lets me know if she can do a crop next week.

SBO and Paper Pesto have some beautiful kits out for May and this month respectively. I am suffering from paper covetousness.

Lamb Shank & Prune Tagine
from Cooking Moroccan/ text & recipes Tess Mallos , Millers Pt, NSW, Australia: Murdoch Books Pty Ltd, pg 78

You will need 4 frenched lamb shanks. If unavailable, use whole lamb shanks and ask the butcher to saw them in half for you. Place a heavy based saucepan over high heat add 1 T oil and 30g butter, then add lamb shanks. Brown shanks on all sides and remove to plate. Reduce heat to medium and add 1 chopped onion, cook gently for 5 mins until soft. Add 375 ml (1 1/2 cups) water, 1/4 t grounds saffron threads, 1/2 t ground ginger, 2 cinnamon sticks and 4 coriander (cilantro) sprigs tied in a bunch. Season, to taste. Stir well and return lamb to pan. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour. Remove zest of 1/2 lemon in wide strips and add to the pan, cook for further 30 mins. Add 300g pitted prunes and 2 T honey, cover and simmer for a further 30 mins or until lamb is tender. Remove and discard coriander sprigs. Serve hot, sprinkled with 1 T roasted seasame seeds.

Penny's modifications: Soften the onion in the microwave, and bung everything into a big casserole pot. (I used my big clay pot which is similar in philosophy to a tagine). Stick in the oven for 2-3 hours until cooked.

7 comments:

  1. Eek, I know what you mean about the Ils! 1 week breaches the 3 day rule & you sure will need some time out!

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  2. Anonymous3:49 pm

    my mil arrives this afternoon and bless her. she has arranged dinenr out two nigths to catch up with friends who work. She has organised with others to see them during the day. Gotta love that. So it means the time we spend together is quality time.

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  3. Good luck with the feast :-) Got your costume sorted? Hope you can get to have a crop to. I'll be thinking of you if you do! I bought the April kit from PP - L is picking it up for me this week. I am SO excited. Can't wait to get it. Cheers R

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  4. Your blog always makes me feel hungry! And are we going to get photos of the belly dancing????

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  5. Your family is a much more adventursome eating family than mine. I just learned I have to share part of my vacation with my MIL. She purposefully scheduled her vacation to intersect with ours. We are all going to see the new baby. I love my MIL, but I love her more from a distance.

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  6. I love seeing these menus! Thanks for sharing...

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  7. Anonymous3:13 am

    I love the sound of the lime chicken. BTW - If I don't have any of my homemade chutney, I actually just use the Rosella basic fruit chutney as it is a favourite of the kids.

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