Tag Archives: mince

Paleo Shepherd’s Pie

Dinner, , , , , , , ,

Paleo Shepherd's pie

This recipe calls out for a Winter’s dining room, complete with a log fire burning and candles on the table. Unfortunately we live in Singapore, so we enjoyed this rosemary and thyme laden dish in the heat of the summer instead. With the cold snap in New Zealand at the moment, I am sure it could warm many a stomach.

Ingredients

  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • coconut oil to fry
  • 500g beef mince
  • 4 Tbsp soya sauce, tamari or coconut aminos
  • 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp thyme leaves, dried
  • leaves of one stick of fresh rosemary, chopped (or 1 tsp rosemary, dried)
  • 50ml water
  • 1 sweet potato (yellow looks best, but any colour will do), sliced finely
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
  2. Heat the pan to a moderate heat and add the coconut oil. Fry off the onion, garlic and carrot until the onion is soft and fragrant – about 3 minutes
  3. Add the beef mince and fry until it has browned
  4. Add the soya sauce / coconut aminos, balsamic vinegar, thyme and rosemary to the pan and stir well. Cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally
  5. Sprinkle over a pinch of sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine.
  6. Add the water and turn the heat down to a low heat. Leave it to slowly cook for around 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it and add a little more water if needed to stop it from drying out.
  7. Remove the meat from the heat and pour into a pie dish. I used one 25cm x 15cm.
  8. Slice the sweet potato finely and layer over the top of the pie in overlapping rows. Sprinkle over sea salt and more rosemary (fresh or dried)
  9. Place the pie dish into the hot oven and cook at 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15-20 minutes until the sweet potato has cooked through and become crispy. They should be like potato chips on top of the pie.
  10. Serves 2-3

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify:Tourist LeMC – En Route

Lamb Koftas with Thai spices

Lunch and Light Meals, , , , , , , ,

Thai koftas

In its simplest form, koftas consist of balls or sausages of minced or ground meat—usually beef or lamb—mixed with spices and/or onions. They can be found from Greece, all the way across to Pakistan and India. This version uses Thai rather than Middle Eastern spices to make a simple but flavorsome meat dish.

Ingredients

Koftas

  • 2 Tbsp yellow curry paste
  • 60ml coconut milk
  • 500g minced lamb
  • 1 white onion, very finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
  • salt and pepper

Sauce

  • 1 shallot
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp yellow curry
  • 100ml coconut milk
  • cucumber and salad leaves

Directions

  1. First mix the coconut milk with the curry paste in a bowl
  2. Add the minced lamb, onion, garlic, salt and pepper in another bowl. 
  3. Wet your hands and shape the meat into 6 sausage roll shaped koftas
  4. Brush the outside of the koftas with the curry paste mixture.
  5. Put them into the fridge for 30 minutes
  6. Bake in a little coconut oil for about 3 minutes in a hot pan until brown all over. 
  7. After making the koftas, fry the shallots, garlic from the sauce ingredients in a pan. 
  8. Add the curry paste and coconut milk and stir until it thickens. 
  9. Serve over the koftas with some cucumber slices and salad leaves. 

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify:  Hurray for the Riff Raff – Small Town Heroes

Stuffed Courgettes with Minced Lamb

Lunch and Light Meals, , , , , , , , , ,

Stuffed courgette with lamb mince

While this recipe reads like a side dish, if you use large enough courgettes, it can also be the main dish. Add a simple lettuce for a full meal.

Ingredients

  • 1 green courgette (zucchini)
  • 1 yellow courgette (zucchini)
  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped finely
  • 2 slices parma ham, chopped
  • 500g minced lamb
  • 100g mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped, seeds discarded.
  • 1/2 Tbsp Lebanese seven spice powder
  • salt and pepper
  • handful of fresh mint
  • handful of fresh oregano
  • handful of pine nuts
  • coconut oil

Directions

  1. Scoop the meat of the courgette. Place it into a tea towel and squeeze out the excess moisture. 
  2. Heat a frying pan with a little coconut oil. Fry the onion and garlic over a moderate heat until it is golden brown and fragrant. 
  3. Add the parma ham and cook for a couple of minutes until crispy. 
  4. Add the minced lamb to the pan and cook it until it is all brown – about 5 minutes. 
  5. Add the mushrooms and chopped courgette meat (removed from the courgettes) to the pan and cook them through – about 5 minutes. 
  6. Add the Lebanese seven spice powder, salt and pepper to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes until fragrant. 
  7. Fill the courgettes with the mince mixture, top with the pine nuts, and place on an oven tray, and cook in the oven at 180 degrees C for 8-10 minutes until the courgettes have softened.
  8. Garnish the filled courgettes with the pine nuts, fresh herbs and a little freshly ground black pepper.
  9. Serve with a simple salad to make a complete meal. 

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Damien Jurado – Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son