Crafty Meals – easy recipes for healthy meals

Spiced Lamb Pizza
Serves 2
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 20 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
1 red onion, chopped finely.
1 teaspoon ground cumin.
1 teaspoon ground coriander.
250 grams lamb mince.
Salt and pepper.
175 grams butternut pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, sliced thinly.
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste.
2 large rounds Lebanese bread.
150 grams feta, crumbled.
2 tablespoons pinenuts.
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped.

Method
Preheat oven to 200°C.
When to temperature, place 2 flat baking trays in the oven to heat.
Place a frying pan over high heat and spray with olive oil.
Cook the onion for 5 minutes until golden.
Add the cumin and coriander and cook for 1 minute. A
Add the mince, stirring to break it up with the back of a wooden spoon, and cook for 5 minutes or until browned.
Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.
Steam the pumpkin for 2-3 minutes until just tender.
Spoon the tomato paste over the Lebanese bread.
Divide the pumpkin, lamb mixture, feta and pinenuts between the 2 rounds of bread. Place on the preheated baking trays and bake for 8 minutes until crisp.

Serving
Scatter with parsley and serve immediately.

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Lamb Shanks with Thyme and Rosemary
Serves 4
Prep time : 15 minutes
Cooking time : 90 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
4-6 lamb shanks, French trimmed.
Flour, for dusting.
Olive oil.
Salt and cracked black pepper.
1 large carrot, chopped roughly.
1 large celery stick, chopped roughly.
6 pickling onions, peeled and halved.
400 gram can crushed tomatoes.
3 cups beef stock.
3 sprigs rosemary.
3 sprigs thyme.
150 grams baby spinach leaves.
Couscous, to serve.

Method
In a shallow bowl place the flour, salt and pepper, and stir to combine.
Dust the lamb shanks in the flour mixture and shake off the excess.
Place a large deep saucepan over medium-high heat and add a little olive oil.
Cook the lamb shanks, in batches, for 3-4 minutes or until browned.
Reduce the heat to low and return all the lamb shanks to the pan.
Add the carrot, celery and onion and cook, stirring for 3-4 minutes.
Add the tomato, beef stock, rosemary and thyme and stir to combine.
Cook for 1 hour, covered.
Uncover and continue cooking, stirring frequently, for another 30 minutes until shanks are very tender.
Stir through the baby spinach leaves and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until wilted.

Serving
Serve with couscous.

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Lamb Cutlets with Couscous Salad
Serves 4
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 15 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
1 1/2 teaspoons hot piri piri seasoning.
2 teaspoons lemon rind, grated finely.
1/4 cup lemon juice.
2 cloves, garlic, crushed.
8 lean lamb cutlets.
Canola cooking spray.
1 cup couscous.
1 cup frozen sliced green beans.
1 cup boiling water.
2 green onions, sliced thinly.
1 red capsicum, sliced.
420 gram can four bean mix, drained, rinsed.
1/4 cup French olive oil vinagrette.

Method
To a large shallow glass or ceramic dish, add seasoning, lemon rind, lemon juice and garlic. Stir to combine.
Add lamb and turn to coat.
Cover and chill for 15 minutes.
Place couscous and green beans in a bowl and add boiling water.
Cover and stand until liquid has been absorbed. Stir with a fork to separate the grains.
Add onion, capsicum, bean mix and vinagrette and toss to combine.
Heat a barbecue grill over medium-high heat and spray with oil.
Cook lamb for 4 minutes on each side for medium, or until cooked as desired.
Cover with foil and allow to rest for 2 minutes.

Serving
Serve lamb with couscous salad.

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Mongolian Lamb
Serves 4 to 6
Prep time : 8 minutes
Cooking time : 14 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
750 grams lean lamb strips.
1 1/2 cups rice.
3 teaspoons olive oil.
4 medium onions, quartered.
2 cloves garlic, crushed.
3 shallots, chopped.
2 red chilies, chopped finely.
2 teaspoons cornflour.
2 tablespoons light soy sauce.
1 tablespoon oyster sauce.
1/2 cup chicken stock.

Method
In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook rice, following packet directions.
Over high heat, place a wok or large frypan and add oil. Tilt pan to coat surface.
Stir fry lamb in batches and remove to a plate.
Add onions, garlic, shallots and chilies and stir fry for 2 minutes.
In a jug, combine cornflour, soy sauce, oyster sauce and stock.
Return lamb and any juices to the pan.
Stir through the corn flour mixture and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly.

Serving
Serve with rice.

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Mediterranean Lamb Skewers
Serves 4
Prep time : 7 minutes
Cooking time : 20 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
500 grams lean leg steak, diced.
1 red capsicum, cut into 2cm pieces.
2 cloves garlic, crushed.
1 lemon, juiced.
1/2 teaspoon dried mint.
1/2 cup Greek-style yoghurt.
4 large coliban potatoes.
Olive oil cooking spray.
80 grams mixed salad leaves.
1 Lebanese cucumber, sliced thinly.

Method
In a small jug, mix half the garlic, 1/4 cup lemon juice and mint together.
Thread the lamb and capsicum onto 8 pre-soaked bamboo skewers, and place in a shallow glass or ceramic dish.
Pour garlic mixture over the top of the skewers and turn to coat.
Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, for 30 minutes.
Combine the yoghurt and remaining garlic in a small serving bowl.
Season with salt and pepper and chill until ready to serve.
Pierce each potato with a fork and place in the Microwave wrapped in a paper towel.
Cook for 8 to 10 minutes on High. Potatoes should be just cooked through.
Remove and allow to cool enough to handle, and cut into 1cm thick slices.
Over medium-high heat, preheat a barbecue grill.
Spray the skewers with oil and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked as you prefer.
Spray the potato slices with oil and cook for 2 minute each side.
Remove potato to a plate.

Serving
Divide the salad leaves between serving plates and top with skewers. Serve with potatoes and yoghurt dressing.

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Indian Lamb Skewers with Salsa
Serves 4
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 10 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
1 cup plain Greek style yoghurt.
1/4 cup korma curry paste.
800 grams lamb steaks, cubed.
Olive oil cooking spray.
3 tomatoes, deseeded, chopped.
1 Lebanese cucumber, deseeded, chopped.
1/2 red onion, chopped roughly.
1/4 fresh mint leaves, chopped finely.
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar.

Method
In a glass or ceramic dish, combine yoghurt and curry paste, and season with salt and pepper.
Add lamb and stir to coat.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
In a serving bowl, combine tomato, cucumber, onion, mint and vinegar.
Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
Heat a barbecue plate to medium-high.
Remove lamb from refrigerator, and thread onto 12 pre-soaked bamboo skewers.
Spray lamb with oil and cook, turning every 2 minutes for 8 to 10 minutes, until cooked.

Serving
Serve lamb with salsa and warmed naan bread.

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Lamb Curry
Serves 4
Prep time : 8 minutes
Cooking time : 21 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
600 grams lean lamb, cubed.
1 tablespoon cornflour.
1 tablespoon curry powder.
1 tablespoon oil.
1 large onion, sliced.
2 cloves garlic, crushed.
1-2 tablespoons fruit chutney.
1 x 425 gram can unsweetened pears, drained and chopped, juice reserved.
2 apples, sliced.
1/3 cup natural yoghurt.
1 cup quick-cooking brown rice.
1/2 cup desiccated coconut.
1/2 cup sultanas.

Method
In a bowl, combine cornflour and curry powder.
Add lamb and toss to coat.
Add oil, lamb, garlic and onion to a microwave-safe casserole dish.
Cover and cook on High for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add chutney and reserved pear juice. Re-cover and cook on High for 8 to 10 minutes.
Combine apples and yoghurt in a bowl, and chill in refrigerator.
Following packet directions, cook rice.
Remove dish from microwave and stir lamb.
Return lamb and cook for a further 8 to 10 minutes.
Add pears and allow to stand for 4 minutes, covered.
Drain rice, and return to pan, covered to keep warm.
On a plate, spread out coconut and cook on High for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring at 1 minute intervals until toasted.
Add to lamb with sultanas and mix through.

Serving
Serve with rice, and apple & yoghurt.

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Roasted Lamb
Serves 4
Prep time : 12 minutes
Cooking time : 70 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
1/3 cup olive oil, plus a dash extra.
1 clove garlic, crushed.
1/2 teaspoon sea salt.
1 large bunch rosemary.
1.5kg easy-carve lamb leg.
800 grams butternut pumpkin, cut into large chunks.
200 grams green beans, trimmed.
1 tablespoon butter.

Method
Position 2 shelves in centre of oven and preheat to 200 C.
Into a roasting pan, pour a dash of olive oil, and tilt to coat base.
Mix 2 tablespoons oil, garlic and sea salt together in a small bowl.
Remove leaves from one sprig rosemary and chop roughly. Add to oil mixture.
Rub lamb all over with oil mixture.
Arrange remaining rosemary in roasting pan, and place lamb on top.
Roast on top shelf for 30 minutes.
In a separate roasting pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoon of oil.
Add pumpkin, and season with salt and pepper. Turn pumpkin to coat.
Move lamb to bottom shelf, and place pumpkin on top shelf.
Roast lamb and pumpkin for 35 to 40 minutes for medium lamb, or until cooked to your liking.
Remove lamb from oven, cover with foil and rest in a warm area for 10 minutes.
Increase the oven temperature to 230 C and cook pumpkin for a further 10 minutes.
In a saucepan of boiling water, cook beans for 3 to 4 minutes. Beans should be bright green in colour, and just tender.
Drain and place in a serving bowl. Add butter and toss to combine.

Serving
Slice lamb across the grain, and serve with roasted vegetables

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Cheesy Lamb Kebabs
Serves 4
Prep time : 15 minutes
Cooking time : 15 minutes
For conversions, click here to use our handy guide.

Ingredients
600 grams lean lamb, cubed.
1 punnet cherry tomatoes.
1 cup quick cooking brown rice.
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs.
1 cup grated swiss cheese.
2 teaspoons German mustard.
1/2 teaspoon paprika.
Freshly ground black pepper.
1 red capsicum, chopped.
1 cup chopped shallots.
310 gram can corn kernels, drained.
8 oiled bamboo skewers.

Method
Preheat grill to a high heat.
Cook rice following packet directions.
Thread lamb and tomatoes onto skewers, and grill for 6 to 8 minutes. Turn and cook for a further 2 minutes.
In a shallow bowl, mix together bread crumbs, cheese, mustard, paprika and pepper.
Press the kebabs into the bread crumb mixture, and grill for another 3 minutes.
Drain the rice, and mix through the corn, capsicum and shallots.

Serving
Serve with fresh tossed salad.

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