Lamb Backstrap with Harissa Yoghurt

Lamb backstrap, little sprinkle of cumin and salt, and rubbed in oil. Sear in hot griddle for about 10 mins, then 10 mins in 180 degree oven, then 5 mins rest. Slice.

Zucchini slices, grilled on hot griddle with spray of olive oil. Make salad with fried onion, cannellini beans and chopped fresh mint and parsley. Dress with red wine vinegar, olive oil and sugar.

Harissa yoghurt: 1 tsp home-made harissa (from Jo's cooking class) mixed with 1/2 cup yoghurt.

Serve with a crusty bread roll.

Result: 5
Preparation: quite quick, but need to allow time for zucchini to cook.

Pork with Cheese

Pork chops, about 1 inch thick. Make a slice in the middle and poke in some cheese - blue cheese or tasty. Bake on fan grill, 190 degrees, for about 20 mins, turning after 10. Serve with fennel and potatoes, and some green veg would have been good too.

Result: 3.5
Preparation: dead easy, and very quick.

Bhindi Do Piaza

Sliced 3 onions and garlic, slowly fried in ghee. 3 tsp coriander seeds, 2 tsp cumin seeds, roasted and blitzed in grinder. 1/2 tsp ginger powder, 1/2 tsp nigella seeds, curry leaves. Cook with onion for a bit, then add bhindis (defrosted somewhat). Add 4 tomatoes. Finish with 1 tbsp yoghurt, squeeze lemon.

Serve with pilaf rice and grilled fish, sprinkled with garam masala and lemon juice.

Result: 4
Preparation: quick and easy.

Souvlaki Birthday Lunch

(feeds 14 adults and a couple of kids)

Lamb: from Poh's Kitchen:
2x 2kg legs of lamb, bone taken out, and cut (by the butcher) into a single flattish piece. Marinated for 4 hours in garlic, lemon juice, dried oregano, rosemary and olive oil. Cook on BBQ: 10 mins hot on fatty side, 5 mins on other side, then heat down and about 20 mins more cooking, turning occasionally. Rest for 10 mins. Slice.

Felafel: from page 2 of Charmaine's vegetarian cookbook. Fry in frypan day before and heat on rack in BBQ.

Hommus: 3 x tins chick peas, drained. Whiz in blender with lemon juice, garlic, salt, olive oil (all to taste), 3 tbsp tahini. When almost done, add 3 ice cubes and blend until crushed.

Tzatziki: 1kg Greek (10% fat) yoghurt. 4 lebanese cucumbers, grated and drained. 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 6 cloves crushed garlic. Leave overnight.

Eggplant salad: Cut eggplant into chips. Boil for 5 mins and drain. Marinate in olive oil, white wine vinegar, fresh mint, garlic.

Serve with: shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, sliced onions, sauces, and tabouli, and flat bread.

Follow with fruit, pavlova and galactobureko.

Result: 5 (6 for lamb)
Preparation: a lot easier than previous years.

Simple Indian Fish Curry

Remove skin from fish fillets e.g. blue grenadier. This is easy while it is still slightly frozen. Chop into chunks.

Fry sliced onion and jar garlic in ghee with yellow mustard seeds and a dozen fresh curry leaves, and then 1 tsp "curry powder premium" from D'Souza's. Put fish in, seal slightly, then throw on chopped fresh tomatoes. Add half a little can of coconut milk and a squeeze of lemon. Cook gently for 10 mins. Remove fish and thicken sauce if required by cooking down a bit more.

Serve with rice pilaf (or plain rice).

Result: 5. Curry matches the fish perfectly.
Preparation: Easy - and about 20 mins.

Eggplant Parmigiana

Slice eggplant lengthways into ~7-8mm thick slices. Dip in egg and breadcrumbs and shallow fry in olive oil for about 5 mins each side. It doesn't need to be completely cooked through.

Make a tomato sauce with a finely diced onion, 3 chopped fresh tomatoes, a little passata, sugar, chicken stock and pepper. Cook for about 20 mins.

Assemble: Put a little sauce under each piece of eggplant in an oven dish. Place eggplant on top and top with more sauce and mixed grated tasty cheese and parmesan. Cook in slow (140 degree) oven for about 30 mins, or longer if starting from cold.

Serve with mashed potato and fennel.

Result: 4.5

Preparation: Frying the eggplant can be a bit fiddly. Uses up most of the dishes in the kitchen! Easy to do most of it in advance and baby can help with assembling.