Dining Out

Delicious winter warmers

Rump medallions with stuffed Portobello mushrooms

Preparation: 15 minutes l Cooking: 20 minutes

Ingredients
4 200g beef rump medallions
4 large Portobello mushrooms
200g ricotta cheese
2 tbsp chives, chopped
100g grated Parmesan
zest of 1 lemon
3 tbsp breadcrumbs
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
salt and pepper
Method
1. Clean the mushrooms with a damp paper towel and carefully break off stems. Season with salt and pepper and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
2. For the stuffing, mix the ricotta, chives, Parmesan, lemon zest, breadcrumbs, walnuts and salt and pepper. Fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of filling and then bake in oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
3. Heat a frypan. Brush the medallions with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for five-six minutes each side for medium-rare. Let the meat stand for five minutes before serving.
Any large mushrooms can replace the Portobellos suggested.

Persian spiced lamb shoulder
Preparation: 20 minutes l Cooking: 60 minutes

Ingredients
1 lamb shoulder, deboned and trimmed of fat (1.2kg)
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 tbsp harissa paste (or 1 tsp chilli powder)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 butternut pumpkin, cut into 2cm slices
8 baby eggplants, halved lengthways
3 bunches baby heirloom carrots, peeled, stalks trimmed to 4cm

Cranberry and kale quinoa
1 cup quinoa
3 cups Tuscan kale (cavalo nero) or spinach, finely shredded
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp orange juice
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup mint leaves
Greek yoghurt and pomegranate seeds, to serve
Method
1. Preheat oven to 200C fan-forced.
2. Place garlic, cinnamon, lemon zest and juice, harissa and oil in a large bowl and mix to combine. Spread half the marinade all over the lamb. Sprinkle raisins over the inside of the lamb and roll up into a log. Tie firmly with kitchen string at 2cm intervals to enclose.
3.Place lamb in a roasting tray and toss pumpkin, eggplant and carrots in the remaining marinade and place around the lamb.
4. Roast lamb in oven for 40 minutes or until it begins to brown, then reduce temperature to 160C and cook for 20 minutes per kilogram of lamb for medium or until cooked to your liking. Rest for 10-15 minutes, remove string and slice.
5. For quinoa, cook according to packet directions. Place kale on top of quinoa to steam for the last five minutes of cooking and replace lid. Stir kale through quinoa. Add olive oil, orange juice and cranberries and stir to combine. Scatter with mint just before serving.
6. Serve with sliced lamb, yoghurt and pomegranate seeds.

Barbecued ginger lamb satays
Preparation: 10 minutes l Cooking: 8 minutes

Easy to make and very easy to enjoy, these lamb satays are great for a casual meal. Soak the skewers in water before threading them to stop them burning.
Ingredients
700g lamb steak (round or topside)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp brown or palm sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 tbsp chopped coriander
1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
steamed jasmine rice to serve
1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
Method
1. Cut the lamb into long thin strips. Combine the lamb strips with the ginger, garlic, sugar, fish sauce and sesame oil. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours if time permits (30 mins is sufficient).
2. Soak 8 bamboo skewers in cold water. Combine the lime juice, sweet chilli sauce, chopped coriander and chilli. Spoon into a small bowl to serve as a sauce alongside the lamb.
3. Thread the lamb onto the skewers. Brush lamb lightly with oil. Preheat the barbecue char-grill plate to hot before adding the skewers.
4. Let the lamb skewers cook on one side until moisture appears before you turn. Cook for two to three minutes on each side. Remove from the heat and cover loosely with foil to rest skewers for two minutes before serving. Serve the lamb sprinkled with the toasted sesame seeds, serve the sauce on the side.
Serving suggestion: Serve with steamed jasmine rice.
• Wooden skewers hold strips of meat better than metal skewers, which are better suited to cubes of meat. Soak the skewers in water for about 30 minutes before weaving the meat onto the skewers; this stops them charring during cooking.
Replace the round or topside steaks with lamb fillet/tenderloin, lamb eye of shortloin/backstrap if you like.