Lamb backstrap & pumpkin salad

Rub lamb with: (in mortar & pestle) cumin seeds, coriander seeds, garlic, crushed chilli, cinnamon, olive oil. Leave for 2+ hours. Seal in frypan, finish in oven.

Roast pumpkin in small cubes. Mix with fetta, spinach leaves and pinenuts, with olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing.

Result: 4.5

Preparation: ridiculously quick and easy. Make sure lamb is done in advance.

Pizza

Mr Pitta bases, passata, eggplant (thinly sliced, fried in non-stick pan), capsicum, mushroom, artichoke, salami, onion, olives, fetta, parmesan. Cook at 200 degrees (fan bake) for about 12 minutes.

Result: 4

Preparation: quick and easy, not much washing up.

Chicken and Leek bake

Chicken breast, mushrooms, leek, celery (fry up together)
Broccoli, green beans (steam over pasta)
Pasta (cooked for 10 mins)
White sauce with cheese and seeded mustard
Bake for 1/2 hour

Result: 4

Preparation: a bit fiddling for white sauce, but rest quick and easy. Prepare ahead.

Bean Soup

Cam's take on Harira (Middle Eastern soup)

Peppers, celery, onion, garlic, cumin, cayenne pepper, powdered ginger, chicken stock, preserved lemon, mint, chickpeas, kidney beans, red lentils, yellow lentils, cup of passata. Served with yoghurt.

Result: 4

Preparation: very easy.

Chicken and Plum Sauce

Chicken, broccoli, carrot, leek, capsicum, mushroom, soy sauce, plum sauce, dry sherry, block rice noodles.

Stir fry.

Result: 3 (or 3.5 if Cam makes it)

Preparation: really quick.

Pasta with spinach, chicken and ricotta

Chicken, onion, spinach, capsicum, mushrooms, tinned tomatoes, fresh ricotta, pasta.

Result: 2 (a bit wet from the spinach)
Preparation: easy, but spinach is a bit fiddly.

Penang Fish or Lamb Curry

Tin of penang curry paste. Light coconut milk. Pumpkin, zucchini, green beans, dory fillets, sugar. Follow instructions on tin. Or with lamb instead of fish.

Result: 4
Preparation: about 6 minutes prep, 20 mins to cook.

Corned beef

Buy piece of corned beef (~1.5kg) from butcher. Put in big saucepan with onion studded with cloves, carrot, celery, bay leaves, brown sugar and vinegar. Bring to boil and simmer very slowly for 1 hour per kg. Cool in water if needed. Serve with mashed potato or roasted veges and white sauce with mustard.

Result: 3 (4 if not overcooked)
Preparation: dead easy, but needs to be supervised to keep it at a low simmer

Lamb with preserved lemon

Diced lamb, onion, garlic, preserved lemon, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, lemon juice, pepper, cube chicken stock. Cook. Serve with veges and burritos heated in frypan. Also good with pumpkin.

Result: 4
Preparation: very quick and easy. About 20mins cooking time.

Pumpkin and Parsnip soup

based on a recipe from Charmaine's vegetarian book

simmer parsnip peel with parsley and spring onion green bits for 30 mins, strain.

Fry up rest of spring onion and add chicken stock cubes and salt and pepper. Cook parsnip and pumpkin then puree. Add a bit of yoghurt.

Result: 2 - high in veges but a bit runny.
Preparation: pretty easy