Garlic mushrooms

4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 pounds cleaned baby bella mushrooms (white would be fine too)
1 container cherry tomatoes, halved (I did not do this but should have)
1/2 cup broth (chicken, veggie or beef would all work)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 bag cleaned spinach ( 2 bunches?)
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste (I added no salt because the tomato paste, butter and cheese are salted)

fresh basil for garnish

Melt the butter in a large skillet add the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and swirl until it is wilted the  add the tomato paste. Stir it a couple of times then add the mushrooms and stir continually for about a minute. Throw in the cherry tomatoes and the veggie broth and basil. Cook until the mushrooms and tomatoes are soft. (add more broth or water as needed)  Add the spinach and cook until it is wilted. Stir in the cream until it is all blended then add the cheese and stir until it is melted.
Top strips of fresh basil.

Lamb souvlaki

• 1½ kg lamb
  
   leg or shoulder (fat trimmed), cut into chunks
• 100ml olive oil
  
• 100ml red wine
• 2 tsp dried oregano
  
• zest and juice 2 lemons
  
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

Method

1. Put the lamb into a large bowl or strong food bag. Add the olive oil, wine, oregano, lemon zest and juice, garlic and black pepper – don’t add salt yet. Mix together so that all the lamb is completely coated, then chill and marinate for at least a few hrs or overnight.
2. Lift the chunks of lamb out of the marinade and thread onto 10 metal skewers, or wooden ones that have been soaked. Freeze (see freezing tips, below), or heat a grill, barbecue or griddle pan if you want to eat them straight away.

Chicken Gyros

ngredients

for 8 servings

• 2 lb
   boneless, skinless chicken thighs, pounded flat (910 g)
• ½ large yellow onion, peeled and root side removed
• 1 wooden skewers, sturdy, roughly 10 inches (25 cm)

MARINADE

• 2 cups
   greek yogurt(570 g)
• ¼ cup
   lemon juice (60 mL)
• ¾ cup
   olive oil (180 mL)
• 1 tablespoon
   kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon
   garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon
   coriander powder
• 1 tablespoon
   paprika
• 1 tablespoon
   ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon
   cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon
   cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon
   black pepper

paration

1. In a large bowl, combine marinade ingredients and stir well.
2. On a cutting board, place a piece of plastic wrap over the chicken thighs and pound until about ½ inch (1 cm) thick with a meat mallet, rolling pin, or heavy pan.
3. In another large bowl or gallon plastic bag, combine chicken thighs and marinade, stirring well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to one day.
4. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
5. Shred the cucumber, be sure to squeeze out any excess liquid.
6. In a medium bowl, combine tzatziki ingredients and stir well. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
7. On a baking sheet or a large cast-iron skillet, use the onion half as a base and position the skewer vertically like a spit. Skewer the chicken thighs individually, rotating each one 90 degrees.
8. Bake for 1.5 to 2 hours, until internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C). Let cool for 10 minutes.
9. Carve off slices of chicken to fill a pita. Top with onion slices, tomato slices, and tzatziki.

Lamb Keema

Ingredients

• 2 onions, chopped
• 50g butter
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 6 whole cloves
• 6 whole black peppercorns
• 3 small pieces of cassia bark or about an inch piece of cinnamon
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 2 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tin good quality (not sour) plum / san marzano tomatoes
• 2 -5 finger chillis (depending on your heat preference), chopped
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 inch piece of ginger root
• 3 tsp salt
• 500g very lean lamb mince
• 1 small cup frozen peas

Method

1. Roast the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry frying pan until fragrant and then grind in a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder. This is known as 'dhana-jeeru' and features frequently in Indian cooking.
2. Melt the butter with the oil in a large pan and add the onion, cloves, cassia (or cinnamon), and peppercorns. Cook, stirring occasionally, over a medium high heat until the onion is well browned.
3. Discard the cassia (or cinnamon). Add 1 tablespoon of the dhana-jeeru mix, the garam masala, and the turmeric and fry for about 30 seconds stirring.
4. Add the tin of tomatoes and break them up with a spatula. Peel and mince the garlic and ginger and add to the pan with the chillis.
5. Cook the mixture over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the oil separates from the mixture at the edges.
6. Add the minced lamb and break up and mix into the mixture. Cover and cook over a low simmer for 35-45 minutes, adding the peas 10 minutes before the end. Check the seasoning and add more salt and garam masala if reqired.

Ginger Chicken

• 1kg pack boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 thumb-size piece of fresh ginger
  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  , peeled and very finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp mild chilli powder
• 15g pack fresh coriander, chopped
• juice of 1 lime
  
  

  
  

  
  

  
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
  
  

  
  

  
  

  
• 2 medium onions
  
  

  
  

  
  

  
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 400ml can reduced-fat coconut milk
• 1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and sliced
• 1 chicken stock cube

• Method

  1. Slice each chicken thigh into 2 or 3 large chunks, then put in a bowl with the ginger, garlic, chilli powder, half the coriander, lime juice and 1 tbsp of the oil. Stir well, then cover and leave in the fridge to marinate until ready to cook. For the best flavour, do this in the morning or, better still, the night before.
  2. Peel and quarter the onions, then very finely chop them in a food processor; for a curry you want the onion really fine. Heat the remaining oil in a wok or large frying pan, then add the onion and stir-fry for about 8 mins until soft. Stir in the turmeric and cook for 1 min more, stirring well.
  3. Tip in the chicken mixture with the marinade and cook over a high heat until the chicken changes colour. Pour in the coconut milk, add the chilli and stock, then cover and simmer for 20 mins until the chicken is tender.

Sag Aloo

• 4 cooked potatoes
• 1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon asafetida
• 1 teaspoon coconut sugar or brown sugar
• juice from a lemon
• 2 tablespoons water
• 5 tablespoons ghee or sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 to 3 fresh green chilies, seeded and finely chopped
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced or grated
• 1 medium tomato, finely chopped
• 1 lb (450 g) fresh spinach, trimmed, and roughly choppped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

Instructions:

• Remove the skin from the potatoes and cut into small wedges. In a small bowl, whisk together the ground coriander, garam masala, ground turmeric, ground cumin, asafetida, sugar, lemon juice and water.
• Heat the ghee or oil in a large heavy-bottomed non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the potatoes and fry until they are golden brown, gently stirring often, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the mustard and cumin seeds to the pan. Fry, stirring often, until the mustard seeds turn grey and begin to splutter and pop. Toss in the chilies and ginger and stir for another minute. Now add the ground spice mixture and continue to stir for another few minutes until most of the water has evaporated. Now add the tomato and simmer for another 5 minutes or until the tomato has thickened and the liquid has evaporated.
• Stir in the spinach a few handfuls at a time, until each handful is slightly wilted. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid, stir in the salt and cook for another 5 minutes or until most of the liquid from the spinach has evaporated.
• Reduce the heat to low, gently stir in the potato wedges, and cook for another 5 minutes.
• Serve hot as a vegetable side.

Meatballs

For the sauce

• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium white onion, peeled
• 1 celery stick
• 1 carrot
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 500g/1lb 2oz beef bones (optional)
• 3 tbsp tomato purée
• 4 x 400g/14oz cans peeled plum tomatoes
• 1 x 680g/1lb 8oz jar tomato passata
• 2 tsp sea salt flakes
• 1 bouquet garni
• 2 bay leaves
• 50ml/2fl oz Marsala wine
• splash balsamic vinegar
• 15–20 basil leaves, washed and torn
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the meatballs

• 150g/5½oz raisins
• 100g/3½oz sourdough bread
• 6 sprigs thyme
• 12 sage leaves
• 24 mint leaves
• 24 flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 100g/3½oz pine nuts, toasted in a heavy pan
• 3 free-range eggs
• Worcestershire sauce (optional)
• 100g/3½oz pecorino cheese, grated
• 500g/1lb 2oz lamb mince
• 500g/1lb 2oz beef mince
• sunflower oil or vegetable oil, for frying
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. For the sauce, heat the oil in a large heavy pan and add the whole onion, celery stick, carrot and garlic clove, with the beef bones if using.
2. When the bones and vegetables are nicely browned, add the tomato purée, canned tomatoes and passata.
3. Fill the tomato cans with water and add that to the pan with the salt and herbs.
4. Bring to the boil and cover the pan with a heavy lid. Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce very gently for at least two hours, preferably 4-5 hours. Stir the sauce occasionally while it cooks and as it reduces, top it up from a kettle of boiling water and allow it to reduce again. When the fat on the top of the sauce looks dark, you know it is ready.
5. After the final reduction, remove the bones, vegetables, bouquet garni and bay leaves. Add the Marsala, balsamic vinegar and basil leaves, check the seasoning and add salt and freshly ground black pepper if needed.
6. Towards the end of the cooking time, start making the meatballs. Soak the raisins in warm water for 5–10 minutes to plump them up, then drain.
7. Soak the sourdough bread in warm water for 2–3 minutes. Squeeze out as much water as you can then set aside.
8. Chop all the herbs together and mix with the garlic and toasted pine nuts.
9. Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl and add salt and freshly ground pepper and a good splash of Worcestershire sauce, if using. Add the garlic, herbs, pine nuts and grated pecorino and mix well.
10. Break the soaked bread into small pieces and add this with the raisins to the egg mixture. With very clean hands, mix in the meats and work until smooth. Shape the mixture into balls and set these aside on a plate ready for frying.
11. Pour the oil into a heavy frying pan to a depth of about 5mm/¼in. Fry the meatballs in batches until brown, turning them several times to make sure they are evenly cooked.
12. As each batch is cooked, add the meatballs to the simmering tomato sauce. When the final batch of meatballs has been added, cook for another 30-35 minutes.
13. To serve, pour the sauce over cooked pasta and place the meatballs to one side.