Roast Leg of Lamb with Haricot Beans

Posted by Muriel Hedgcock

Have you ever had a Roast Leg of Lamb and the beans stole the limelight?
This is the way my mom made her Leg of Lamb for our Sunday Roast and
we absolutely loved it. She called it " Un Jigot avec des haricot" which is a
French way of cooking lamb. The beans go very well with the lamb and
they absorb all the delicious pan juices and become totally delicious.

Ingredients:

1 Leg of Lamb
3-4 clove garlic peeled & cut in strips
2 Onions peeled & cut into quarters
Olive Oil
mustard
Fresh or ground Rosemary
Salt & Pepper
or herbal salt
1 cup dried haricot beans
3 cups water



Soak 1 cup of haricot bean in 3 cups of water overnight

The haricot beans will triple in size.
Place haricot beans into a pot, cover with salted water and bring to the boil.
Turn down heat & simmer until beans turn soft but still firm approx 30 min.

Using a knitting needle, poke holes into the lamb
and insert garlic strips into the meat.
Place Lamb on greased baking tray or in roasting pan.

Rub mustard over the Leg of Lamb and sprinkle with
seasoning, then drizzle a little Olive Oil on top

Place meat under grill and brown on all sides, add onion quarters.
Turn down heat to 175 C and roast covered for about 30 minutes.

Then add the cooked haricot beans to the roasting pan.

Cover with foil and return to the oven.
The roasting time depends on the weight of the meat.
If you like your meat well done cook every 500g for approximately 30 min.
for meat medium to rare reduce cooking time from 20 to 25min per 500g
Every 15 min check on meat and add a little water about 100ml
and stir into pan juices so that the beans do not dry out.
Slice Roast lamb and serve with generous amount of haricot beans,
roast potatoes, steamed vegetables and enjoy some French style cooking.

Creamed Butternut Soup

Posted by Muriel Hedgcock

Creamed Butternut soup is light, wholesome, very tasty, and is easy to make. Served with grated cheese and a slice of buttered toast, it makes a pleasant and economical meal.

Ingredients serves 4
1 Medium Butternut Squash peeled & chopped
2 Large or 4 Small potatoes peeled & chopped
2 Large Onions peeled & chopped
1 Chicken stock cube
1 litre boiling water (or more)
1 tsp salt
herbal salt to finish off
25g butter
125ml milk or cream


Melt butter in a large pot and fry onions until almost golden
Add chopped potatoes to onions and continue to brown until golden

Add chopped butternut squash and brown. Stir
Dissolve stock cube and salt with boiling water
Pour over vegetables.

Bring to the boil
Then simmer for 20 min or until soft.

Blend until smooth

Add 125ml milk or cream

Add a touch of herbal salt and taste.

Serve with grated cheese and buttered toast

Bobotie

Posted by Muriel Hedgcock

Cape Malay Bobotie is a traditional South African dish. It is a curried meat loaf with egg topping and has a medley of curry, sweet and sour flavours. Bobotie is typically served with yellow rice which has been cooked with a little turmeric to make it yellow in colour.
Sliced bananas and chutney make a good accompaniment.


Ingredients ( serves 6)
500g beef mince
150 ml milk
1 thick slice bread crust removed
1 chopped onion
2 tbsp oil for frying
15ml apricot jam
a handful sultanas or raisins
1 tbsp curry powder ( mild or hot)
1 tsp turmeric
1tsp cumin1tsp salt
25ml vinegar
6 bay leaves
1 egg, beaten

Egg topping

2 eggs
250ml milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 180 C.
Grease oven proof dish 25cm x 25 cm


Soak slice of bread in 150ml milk.

Heat a little oil and fry chopped onion until lightly golden.
Add curry powder, cumin, turmeric, sugar, apricot jam, salt, vinegar

Add sultanas and cook gently for 2 min.


Mix bread soaked in milk with meat.

Add 1 beaten egg, mix until
completely worked into mince meat.

Add onion, raisin and curry mixture

Mix together.
Transfer into the greased ovenproof dish,
flatten with the back of a spoon
and press bay leaves into it


Place in oven and bake for 10 min


Beat the 2 eggs and 250ml milk with salt & pepper


After 10min remove Bobotie from oven and pour the egg mixture on top.

Return to oven and bake for 25 min until the egg mixture is set and golden.


Enjoy some good old SA cooking!









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