It looks an awful lot like this endless Summer is FINALLY coming to an end.
The cooler months are a notoriously difficult time to stay on track with healthy eating. As the days grow shorter and the nights get snugglier, we’re all drawn to those comfort favourites that make us feel good at the time, but leave us in a food coma.
The trick is to rethink those cold weather stodgy dishes and make them yourself with healthier ingredients.
Cauliflower mash makes a great substitute for the less ideal potato or pastry crust in our yummy minty lamb pie. We’ve also packed plenty of veggies into the filling to make sure this meal hits our “half a plate of plant food” goal.
You could up the green factor even more by serving with steamed green beans or a light rocket salad. (Though we’ll admit, we love a one-pot wonder).
This is a great family crowd-pleaser to try on the weekend and keep reserving throughout the week – if it lasts that long!
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Ingredients
1kg of diced lamb (preferably free range)
1 onion, peeled, diced
2 tablespoons wholemeal plain flour
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup beef stock
1 cup frozen peas
125g frozen spinach
Mash
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 knob of butter
2 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed
Generous shaving of parmesan
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Method
1) Pull the lamb out of the fridge about an hour before you start cooking to bring meat to room temperature.
2) Preheat oven to 160C.
3) Dust lamb in flour and season with salt and pepper.
4) Heat oil in a heavy based casserole dish over high heat. Add lamb in batches and brown. Set aside.
5) Reduce heat to low and add onions. Cook, stirring, for about five minutes or until softened.
6) Add tomato paste, stock and wine and increase heat to bring to the boil.
7) Return lamb to the pan and pop the lid on. Cook in the oven for around an hour or until lamb is lovely and tender.
8) Remove from the oven and stir through peas and spinach.
9) Meanwhile prepare mash. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Add cauliflower and cook for 15-20 minutes or until cauliflower is fork tender. Strain and mash with butter, garlic and a good crack of salt and pepper.
10) Increase oven to 200C.
11) Tip lamb mixture into a pie dish. Smooth cauliflower mash over the top. Rough up with a fork and then sprinkle with parmesan shavings.
12) Pop in the oven and cook until mash is nice and golden and crunchy.
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