Category Archives: Family Favourites

Lamb and Lentil Chilli

Family Favourites, Hot & Spicy, Lamb, Main Courses

For 4 to 6 people

Ingredients

1 large onion finely chopped

2 garlic cloves

400g tin chopped tomatoes

1 x 300g aubergine cut into 1/2 ” dices

5 0z red lentils

10 oz diced lamb leg steak

1 teaspoonful turmeric

2 teaspoonfuls mild chilli power

2 teaspoonfuls ground cumin

1 teaspoonful ground coriander

1 teaspoonful light brown sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Small bunch of mint, roughly chopped

5 fl oz natural yoghurt

Method

Put onion and garlic into a large pan with 100mls of water, simmer for 5 minutes, then add tomato, aubergine, lentils, lamb, spices, sugar, lemon juice and 300mls of water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 1 hour until tender. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the mint and yoghurt. Remove from heat and serve with basmati rice.

 

John’s Lentil Soup

Family Favourites, Soups

Makes about 10 Bowls

Ingredients:

  • 3 Cups Lentils
  • 1 Cup Yellow Split Peas
  • 1 Smoked Gammon Joint
  • 3 Small Leeks
  • 1 Onion
  • 4 Large Carrots
  • 1 Small Turnip about equal quantities to the carrots.
  • ½ Head of Celery
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Ham Stock Cubes

Method:

In a large soup pot, boil the ham for 1 ½ hours, then add the yellow split peas and boil for a further 30 minutes.

Remove the gammon and use for main meal (Dress and Roast) cut of the ends and chop up for putting in the soup later.

Into the pot add all your lentils and chopped veg.

Add about 2.5 litres of water or enough that it looks about right!

Boil for 40 minutes on a rolling simmer.

Blent everything. If it is too thick add more water.

Taste – if not hammy enough add another Ham stock cube, before seasoning, then season to taste after.

Add back the chopped up ham.

Hamish’s Egg & Cress Sandwiches

Family Favourites, Vegetarian

Every Christmas Eve Hamish insists on making egg and cress sandwiches when we have neighbours round for a few drinks and snacks.
INGREDIENTS
1 half loaf white good quality medium cut bread
9 medium eggs
3 punnets cress
1 tbls good salted butter
1 tbls Hellmans
Salt to taste
METHOD
How difficult can it be. Boil eggs for no more than 5 minutes and scoop out while still hot and crush with a fork whilst adding the mayo and butter. Keep aside to cool but don’t put in fridge because it makes it too difficult to spread. Then go for it and spread eggs onto buttered slices. Cut the cress 1cm from the top and sprinkle over the slices. Top up and cut off the crusts leaving some to look home made. Sprinkle a wee drop cress over to make it look good.

Messy Pavlova

Desserts, Family Favourites

IMG_0002
Serves 6 to 8.

Ingredients
300ml double cream
1 tbl spoonful icing sugar
1 cup full fat Greek yoghurt
8 shop bought meringue nests, crushed coarsly
200ml lemon curd, best quality gives best result
4 passion fruits, pulp from
100g fresh raspberries

Method
Beat cream and sugar until soft peaks form, fold in yoghurt. Arrange the meringue over a plate and spoon the creamy mixture over the meringue. Drop spoonfuls of lemon curd over the cream, swirl with a fork and top with passion fruit pulp and raspberries. I use Pertshire Preserves Lemon Curd which I get from Iain at the Stockbridge Sunday market in Edinburgh, it’s the best apart from when my Mum made lemon curd. Best assemble no more than an hour before eating