A Moroccan lamb recipe that the whole family will enjoy.

So Yesterday saw the launch of the third series of Channel 5’s Shop Smart Save money and what a build up that has been !

The team and I have literally travelled the whole of the UK since January and to say it has been tough is an understatement. I think we have graced the majority of the UK,s train platforms, met ever kind of passenger from Chatty Patty to Miserable Mick and seen some of the most beautiful scenery along the way.

Our first port of call was at the fab Mousley House cookery school in Warwickshire to show a family of four how to do a Lamb dinner on a budget of £20 or less . They family usually spend around £40 on a single roast for the four of them, and both the girls and I were given a mission to show them the bargain light !

The Twins decided to cook a traditional roast with some impressive Yorkshire puddings, and they have kindly shared the recipe on their blog. This went down really well and was followed by a Lemon Victoria Sponge cake. However, I wanted to opt for something a little different and decided to make a simple but effective flavoursome lamb dish. I love Arabic flavours and they are still relatively new to our shores, so with a bit of a gamble I prepared Moroccan lamb with Orzo rice followed by a Cardamom and pistachio syrup cake. This came in at a fab price of £14.85 which worked out at £3.71 per person, But most importantly, the family really enjoyed the meal and were pleased with there new taste discovery.

The majority of my shop was picked up at Lidl, even the  leg of lamb which was around the £7 mark (Not an advert !). If you fancy having a go at this recipe, have a gander at the recipe below and please let me know how you get on.

Good Luck, happy Easter and may you scoff loads of chocolate eggs without feeling guilty !

  x x

Moroccan lamb

Leg of Lamb
2 cups long grain rice
1 cup Orzo rice
Aubergine finely diced
red onion finely diced
red pepper finely diced
 1 cup of plain yogurt
fresh parsley

75g Butter

2 chicken stock cubes
 2 tbsp. dried mint
olive oil
salt
black pepper
 2 tsp cumin
 2tsp ground coriander
2tsp all spice
 garlic 2 cloves crushed

Turn the oven on to a medium heat and put half a cup of water into a roasting tray. Make several scores in the lamb and pop to the side. In a bowl mix half a cup of olive oil with the  crushed garlic, spices and 1 tsp of salt and pepper, mix this well and then massage into the lamb. Cover the lamb loosely  with foil and then pop into the oven to cook for 2 hours, baste a couple of times while cooking. Throw the chopped veg into the bowl of spices and toss around so they pick up the last remaining bits of spices. Put the veg onto a baking tray, ready to go into the oven at the last 30 minutes of cooking time for the lamb.

Dissolve the stock cubes in some boiling water and heat 75g of butter in a pan, put the orzo in and cook until it is golden. Add the rice and coat well in the butter. Add 2 tsp of salt and the stock, turn the heat down and cover. Cook until the water has disappeared, keep the rice covered until you need to use it.

When the lamb has been removed from the oven, let it sit tight for around 15 minutes and then carve. If you fancy making a gravy, put some cornflour into the lamb juices and stir to get a paste, add some of the left over stock (slowly!) into the paste and stir over a low heat until it is hot and bubbly, but remember to continually stir the gravy or it will go lumpy. Serve with the rice and veg, but do sprinkle some fresh parsley over the top as this will add some extra taste that will compliment the lamb and also make it look prettier.

if you like the idea of serving it with a nice mint yogurt, just add 2 tbsp of dried mint to some natural yogurt with a good pinch of salt and  granulated sweetener, stir and serve.