Hello all!
Have realised, looking at my stats, that some people who have viewed this blog aren't British and therefore I want to apologise about my last recipe. Sweet Potato = Yam!! Or at least, in the same family! I have a few recipes for you tonight and one... or 4 recommendations!
First was my lunch yesterday. I had the day off and because Scotland seems to have gone straight from summer to winter (autumn/fall where are you??) I spent the entire day in the flat, trying to stay warm. I have the kind of flatmate who believes fresh air is a given (yes that is true), but not just outside, INSIDE the flat too. So waking up with a cold nose because he has left both the windows in the bathroom and kitchen open over a foot wide (no joke!) when he has gone to work. Nooo! I am constantly closing them after he's gone, just to stay warm! So here are a few recipes to warm you up.
Like me, if you are a single person, you may have had leftovers of your salad on Tuesday. So I added some more lettuce leaves and some smoked (Scottish) mackerel fillet. Mackerel fillet is really, really cheap over here, maybe £2.50 at most for 5 pieces, and it's a really good source of omega 3. This was the result of my salad, and I must say, very tasty!
Next was my dinner this evening, definitely something to warm you up!
Scottish Lamb with Sweet Potato and Veg
Serves 2
What you need:
3-4 lamb shoulder steaks (if it is a different cut then look it up as it will be cooked differently)
1 medium-sized sweet potato or yam, cut into 1cm cubes
1 onion, peeled and sliced into strips
1 courgette (zucchini) cut into coins
2 cloves garlic, sliced but not finely
3-4 mushrooms, cut into quarters
A handful of cherry tomatoes, washed
Italian herb seasoning, e.g. oregano, rosemary, thyme...
salt & pepper
2 tbsp oil
Method
Warm up the oven and stick the sweet potato in a baking tray with tinfoil for around 20-25 minutes at 180C. Take your lamb pieces out of the container and rub with olive oil and herbs. Make a small slice in each part twice and stick a slice of garlic in. Season lightly with salt & pepper and rub into meat and oil and herbs with your fingers. You can let these rest for 10-15 minutes or longer. I didn't have a lot of time so just stuck to 15 minutes while everything else cooked.
Slice your onion, courgette, mushrooms and garlic and put in a pan with a little oil over a medium heat. Let them fry, turning occasionally, for about 10 minutes. While you are doing this, heat up a heavy based pan with a little oil and after a few minutes throw in a slice of garlic in the oil to make sure the pan is hot.
Carefully place lamb steaks into the pan and let sizzle for around 2 minutes before turning them. For rare, you'll want about 2-3 minutes on each side, medium 3-4 and well-done 5-6+. I don't see the point in going over 4 minutes as it's a shame to not be able to taste the meat as lamb is a wonderful flavour. Do keep an eye on your meat, you do not want it to be overcooked!
Test your sweet potatoes. You should be able to squish them with a spoon and if this is the case, take them out of the oven. Your vegetables in the pan should now be ready and your steaks almost done. Ladle your veg and sweet potatoes onto a dish, shortly followed by the hot lamb, and serve. Lamb goes really well with mint jelly, so if you have some you can add some to the side of your plate, but I didn't bother.
As I am only cooking for one, I'm even managing to take some of this to work for leftovers tomorrow. Yum! Can't wait for lunch now!
And a recommendation last. Now, I know chips aren't exactly healthy and in Edinburgh, this means salt 'n' sauce, the sauce being some sort of malt vinegar mixture with, I believe, brown sauce. So here are my top 3 places in Edinburgh to find chips, a bit on the healthier side!! I know all of these places are in New Town, but these are all near where I work.
1. Holyrood 9A
Sweet Potato fries (and I usually have the Pioneer burger with this, mushrooms, yum!)
£2.75
2. Hemma, Holyrood road
Herby fries, fries with Italian herbs, no need for salt or any kind of sauce!
£2.50
3. Serenity Café (an eco café run entirely by volunteers), The Tun, Holyrood road
Chunky fries with a homemade burger and 'slaw
£4.50
And one more recommendation. I had a bit of a late night last Friday (dressed as the Tardis no less, from Doctor Who) and while coming home, I passed a late night Italian take away. This is not unusual in any city I am sure! They were selling pizza and chips galore, but as I hadn't eaten very much that night (silly!) I needed something a little less greasy so ordered their Bruschetta. I was given 4 large slices of garlic/herb toast with the juiciest chopped tomatoes on top I have ever tasted. So, go and try it!
Dario's
85-87 Lothian road, Edinburgh
Bruschetta, £2.95.
As always, please read and review, in case you have some views on my cooking!!
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