'Lite' and easy
This was my David challenge of last week - actually we had to do it on Saturday rather than Friday, but still ... The spelling was his. And of course, it's also the spelling and the phrase for that weight loss program you see advertised on the television. Which I looked up, just out of interest.
According to Choice people do actually like it and do actually lose weight, though eventually many become bored with the lack of variety (there are 50 different dinners), and also the expense ($187.00 for their 7 day 1800 calories option for three meals a day). Actually not quite as much as I was expecting I think, but still you could feed yourself for less. It was liked because it was - well - easy. No need to think and no need to prepare or buy. So probably overall a good thing.
But this was not what David meant. Although I bet there was some sort of subliminal message there.
It was actually a tiny bit difficult to fix on something suitable in response to the challenge. I mean it's a bit vague really. I don't have any recipe books that are specifically aimed at light and easy, although of course virtually all of them have something. It's the concept behind most modern cooks isn't it? Unless you are into comfort food and nostalgia - which tends to be a winter thing. But I knew he wouldn't fancy fish, or chicken either probably, which are the obvious choices for the light component. And I really didn't fancy salad.
In the end I decided to fix on searching through the few Donna Hay and similar books that I have. Her stuff is usually pretty minimal after all - in every way. Or maybe I'm just seduced by the beautiful photography. And eventually I fixed on something from the Marie Claire book Zest, written by Michelle Cranston who I think was Donna Hay's successor at Marie Claire.
The choice was something they called Moroccan Lamb. Here it is on the left - with my rather more feeble effort on the right.
Well I almost got it. We don't have a professional photographer of course or a professional stylist and so the tomatoes and herbs got rather lost underneath the meat. And the picture you have there is heavily cropped and doesn't have enough light on it. I did try though. Also I have to point out that the original called for lamb fillet or backstraps as they are sometimes called, but when it came to it I just couldn't bring myself to spend the over $40.00 a kilo for the fillet, and settled on lamb rump steaks (which happened to be on a special in Aldi) instead. And I obviously overcooked it too. Not pink enough - which David probably didn't mind. I actually waited for the blood to ooze out as directed in the recipe. But it didn't. Ooze I mean. In the end I got impatient and turned it over anyway. And as you see it really wasn't pink at all.
Definitely 'lite'. I think even David thought there was not really enough there. We both tucked into bread and cheese afterwards. Which rather loses the point of the 'lite' I fear. That and the pinot we had with it.
It was pretty nice and a bit different - I even cut back on accompanying vegetables - we had the tomatoes and herbs after all - and just served it with bread. So very light and very, very easy I have to say. It took all of about 10 minutes to cook and about the same to prepare. I think my only slight criticism would be a touch too much lemon juice. They also didn't suggest using the marinade juices in the finished meal either. I did heat it up in the pan but it went a bit gluggy.
Anyway here's the recipe if you're interested. It's also the kind of thing you can fiddle around with a bit. The quantities below are for four. I halved it since there were only two of us.
MOROCCAN LAMB
125ml (1/2 cup) lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 teaspoon cumin
finely grated zest of 1 orange
2 lamb backstraps, trimmed (about 500g)
1 handful flat-leaf parsley
20 mint leaves, roughly chopped
20 fresh oregano leaves
2 vine-ripened tomatoes, roughly chopped
Put the lemon juice, olive oil, cinnamon, garlic, cumin and orange zest in a glass or ceramic bowl and stir to combine. Add the lamb, cover and place in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight.
Remove the lamb from the marinade and sear in a non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Cook until the uncooked side is beginning to look a little bloody, then turn the lamb over, reduce the heat and cook for a further 5 minutes. Allow the lamb to rest for a few minutes. Toss the fresh herbs and tomato together in a bowl and divide between four plates. Slice the lamb across the grain and arrange over the tomato salad. Serve with warm couscous.
David's not that keen on couscous so that's why I went for the bread.
