Lamb Fillet with Paprika Potatoes and Grilled Halloumi Cheese

Recipe Ingredients:

• 10 Small potatoes with skin (cut into quarters)
  
• 2 Garlic cloves (minced)
  
• 6 sliced of halloumi cheese about 1/2cm thick
  
• 1 Lamb fillet (about 300grs, marinated in salt, pepper, garlic and lemon juice..for 20-30mins)
• 300grs mushrooms (cut into quarter, I used mixed brown and white for greater flavour)
  
• 1 parsley bunch (finely chopped)
  
• 1 soup spoon of butter
  
• a little olive oil
  
• 1 tea spoon of paprika
  
• salt and pepper to taste
  
• a little lemon juice
  

Place a pan with water and salt on the stove, once boiling add the quartered potatoes and let these cook until they are about 3 minutes from being fully cooked (is intentional that I am not giving you times as cooking times vary depending on potato quality and time, you should know the potatoes you use cooking times). Once that happens remove them from the stove and drain them and place them in a bowl, adding to them salt pepper a drizzle of olive oil 1 garlic minced and the paprika, toss the potatoes in the bowl (not using instrument, only by moving bowl as you want potatoes to remain whole), and once they are all covered you place these in a tray and in a pre-heated oven to 200c for about 25 minutes.

Now place a frying pan with a glug of olive oil on the stove and once very hot, place the lamb fillet within. The idea is to seal and brown off all the way around the fillet, once this is achieved you set the meat aside and let it rest, until there is only about 15 minutes till the potatoes are done, once that happens, place the fillet in a Pyrex and insert it in the oven as well.

Five minutes away from what is in the oven being cooked, place the same pan you used for the meat, on the stove add a little more olive oil, the butter , and the remaining garlic (minced) a little seasoning salt and pepper, and the mushrooms, as it get hot with the pan start tossing the mushroom, regularly until they are 1 minute away from fully cooked (as they take about 5 minutes in all) at this stage add the parsley turn the fire off and toss them a few times. And as you can see all is done at the same time.

While someone serves, you should have a hot griddle, and a little pepper and lemon drops over each halloumi cheese, the griddle must be non stick (don't have one use a non stick pan or frying pan) put a drizzle of olive oil and grill the cheese for about 1 &1/2 minute on each side, and then plate it ...see picture.

This meal also goes well, if you want to replace the meat , with for example home made fish cakes..you decide.. bom apetite!!!

Xau-Xau Rice (vegetarian)

I was in a hurry so I thought to make a rice similar to what I used to eat when I lived in Africa, Mozambique, they called it there xau-xau Rice. This is a rich rice, rich in the sense that was full of veg as well as fish or meat protein. But my wife is vegetarian and I wanted to make something we all could eat at the same time, so with this one I used no meat and replaced it with quorn instead (be aware this is not vegan as has egg). recipe bellow feeds 4.


Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 large onion
  
• 3 garlic cloves
• one large bell pepper
• a full cup of peas (frozen will do)
• one large chilli (2 - 3 flames rating or medium)
• 2 standard size carrots
• a bit of fresh ginger
• 1 star anaseed
  
• a tea spoon of chinese five spice
• a tea spoon of sugar
• some light or normal soy sauce
• a full pack of quorn pieces (this can be other things, like soya pieces etc)
• 2 eggs
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 mugs of rice

Chop the following very finely: Garlic, onion, carrot, chilli, ginger, pepper, and quorn (be aware you may add more things like mushroom, corn whatever)(and that instead of quorn if you not vegetarian, you should use a mixture of very finly choped cooked beef, pork, chicken and prawns)
cook the rice in a seperate pan and in the cooking water add a crushed garlic, star anaseed and a little oil.
On a little frying pan scramble the two eggs, then put them in a bowl and chop them finely.
Seperatley get a little oil in a wok (about two soup spoons full) once pipping hot add the onions, garlic, ginger, chilli and pepper a little salt some pepper and the sugar. Once the onion goes transparent (after about 3-4 mins) add the rest, the peas, quorn bits & egg bits also add a good splosh of light soy sauce and the chinese five spice mix, stirr at all times you cook this for about 6 minutes, keep tasting and if needs more salt just add more soy sauce. Then drain the rice and rinse it in boiling water wich will leave it light and fluffy (I use basmati good quality) make sure it has been drained properly, and pore it into the wok, continue to stirr it at all times for about another 3 minutes (for more taste you can add a little fish sauce and rice wine, but not necessary).
It all just takes about 10-15 minutes to make and is delicious, and cheap. Sometimes I do this rice when I have left overs of chicken or beef etc.