Full of flavour, lamb shanks come from the lower end of the leg and are best slow-cooked to achieve their favoured falling-off-the-bone consistency. These Greek-style lamb shanks are tasty, filling and oh-so-good. Browning the meat guarantees a rich flavour and helps to seal in the juices. In the unlikely event you have leftovers, remove the meat from the bone and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days or in the freezer for up to one month.  This is a great recipe for your slow cooker or you can cook them in a large ovenproof casserole dish with a tight fitting lid.

Cook Time: 6 Hours |  Serves: 4

Ingredients

Method

1. Heat oil in a frying pan and brown shanks on all sides

2. Transfer shanks to a slow cooker or casserole dish

3. Add onion to frying pan and cook, stirring for 5 minutes.

4. Add coriander seeds and cook for 1 minute.

5. Stir in flour, add the stock, sherry, bay leaves and honey.

6. Season with salt and pepper.

7. Bring to the boil and then pour over lamb shanks.

8. Cover with lid and cook in slow cooker on high for 5 to 6 hours or until the meat is almost falling off the bone. If cooking in a casserole dish, cook at 140C for 5 to 6 hours.

9. Transfer lamb to a serving bowl, cover and keep hot.

10. Carefully pour the contents of the slow cooker or casserole dish into a saucepan and boil rapidly to reduce the liquid by half.

11. Remove bay leaves and spoon the sauce over the lamb shanks to serve.

Mediterranean flavours abound in this simple one-pan dish using budget-friendly chicken thighs. Serve with crusty bread, to dip in the flavourful sauce on your plate.

Cook Time: 1 Hour |  Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

Method

1. Combine chicken thighs, oregano, garlic, lemon zest and the oil in a large bowl. Add ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper and toss to coat thoroughly with mixture.

2. Heat a large heavy-based frying pan or casserole dish over medium-high heat. Place the chicken skin-side down in the pan and cook until dark golden brown and crispy, about 8 minutes. Turn and cook for a further 4 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

3. Reduce heat to medium, add artichoke hearts, both types of beans and lemon slices to the pan. Season with a generous pinch of  salt and pepper and sprinkle over paprika. Stir and cook for 3 minutes before adding chicken stock. Add 75 grams of the feta and then return chicken to the pan, skin side up. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, for a further 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

4. Remove from heat and sprinkle remaining feta and parsley over the top before serving.

These sweet caramelised brussel sprouts will be your new go-to-recipe!

Cook Time: 45 Minutes |  Serves: 4

Ingredients

Method

1. Heat oven to 200 degrees. Trim bottom of brussels sprouts, and slice each in half top to bottom. Heat oil in cast-iron pan over medium-high heat until it shimmers; put sprouts cut side down in one layer in pan. Put in garlic, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Cook, undisturbed, until sprouts begin to brown on bottom, and transfer to oven. Roast, shaking pan every 5 minutes, until sprouts are quite brown and tender, about 10 to 20 minutes.
3. Taste, and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Stir in balsamic vinegar, sprinkle on parmesan cheese and serve hot or warm.

An elegant and easy to make entree

Prep Time: 15 Minutes |  Serves: 8

Ingredients

Method

1. Add finely diced shallot to lemon juice and set aside.

2. Chop salmon fillet and smoked salmon into a fine dice and place in a bowl. Add dill, capers, mustard, crème fraiche and olive oil to a bowl and stir to combine. Add lemon juice and shallot to bowl and fold through salmon mixture. Taste and season if desired.

3. Serve atop crackers, melba toast or toasted sourdough bread with a lemon wedge on the side.

Up your Roast game with these garlicky hasselback roasties!

Prep Time: 15 Minutes |  Serves: 12

Ingredients

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Place 1 potato, cut-side down, on a board and make thin, evenly spaced cuts at 5mm intervals, about two-thirds of the way through. Place in a bowl. Repeat with remaining potatoes. Add oil
2. Place in a roasting pan. Bake in oven, turning occasionally, for 1 hour or until golden brown and crisp. Transfer to a serving bowl to serve.

RECIPE NOTES

Take the chill off a winter’s day with this vibrant soup.

Cook Time: 45 Minutes |  Serves: 4

Ingredients

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. On a tray lined with baking paper, sprinkle grated parmesan into four rough circles about 8 centimetres wide. Cook in the oven until the cheese melts and turns golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and shape by bending the cheese over a rolling pin. Set aside to cool.
3. Prepare pancetta by adding slices to a lined baking tray. Cook for 15 minutes or until the pancetta is crisp. Remove from oven and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a medium sized saucepan. Add onion, garlic, celery, potatoes, mint, thyme and basil, and sauté for about 5 minutes.  Cover with 1 litre of water and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and gently simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables have all softened.
5. Add peas to the saucepan and bring back to the boil. Remove from heat and blend with a stick blender. Taste and season.
6. Add the soup to serving bowls and top with Parmesan tuille, pancetta, and herbs to garnish.

A delicious burst of flavours combine to make this a fabulous dish for any occasion.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 3 hours |  Serves: 6

Ingredients

Method

1. Combine chilli, garlic, lemon juice and zest, rosemary, thyme, fennel, a pinch of salt and pepper and olive oil in a dish large enough to hold the leg of lamb. Add lamb and coat it with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours, turning occasionally to coat with marinade.
2. To make the slow-roasted tomatoes, preheat oven to 220C. Cut tomatoes in half and place them face up in a roasting tin. Sprinkle each tomato with sumac, sea salt and a drizzle of oil. Roast for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 130C and roast for a further 1 to 1 ½ hours (depending on size of tomatoes) until they are shrivelled but still juicy. Remove from oven.
3. To cook lamb, heat oven to 200C. Remove lamb from marinade, place in a roasting tin and drizzle coat with the oil. Cook for 35-45 minutes, depending on how well-done you prefer it (a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part should register 70C).
4. Remove lamb from oven and wrap in foil to rest for 10 minutes.
5. Return tomatoes to oven to heat up for 5 minutes
6. To serve, place salad leaves, roasted tomatoes, roasted capsicum and marinated mushrooms on a serving plate and drizzle with olive oil. Slice lamb and arrange on serving plate.

This potato bake is the perfect week night side dish

Prep Time: 25 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 1:30 Minutes. |  Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 4 bacon rashers chopped
• 1 brown onion chopped
• 1 garlic clove crushed
• 1 1/2 kg potatoes peeled thinly sliced
• 300ml thickened cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 1/2 tsp chicken stock powder
• 1/2 cup tasty cheese grated
• 1 pinch cracked pepper to taste

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Lightly grease an 8-cup capacity baking dish.
2. Heat oil in a large frying pan on high. Saute bacon, onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes until onion is tender and bacon is golden.
3. Layer potatoes and onion mixture alternately in prepared baking dish.
4. In a large jug, whisk together cream, milk and stock powder. Pour over potatoes. Cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour, until potato is tender.
5. Remove foil. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake a further 15 minutes, uncovered, until cheese has melted and is golden.

NOTES

This vegetarian pasta dish gets its rich creaminess from Greek yoghurt. We’ve kept ours simple but you can add extra vegetables or herbs to suit your taste or even chicken, salmon or bacon. It’s an easy midweek hearty meal, and if you increase the quantities you’ll have a delicious lunch for the following day.

Cook Time: 30 Minutes  |  Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 350 g dried or 450 g fresh tagliatelle1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium brown onion, peeled and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
• 400 g button mushrooms, sliced
• 125g baby spinach
• 4 tbsp Greek yoghurt
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Cook pasta according to packet directions. When cooked, drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, place a large frying pan over medium heat and add olive oil, onion and garlic and cook for 5-10 minutes or until the onion is golden and softened.

3. Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes or until they are soft.

4. Add spinach to pan and cover with a lid so that the spinach wilts. When spinach has wilted, stir through and add pasta, lemon juice and yoghurt and stir to combine. Season to taste and serve immediately with parmesan cheese.