Can anyone refuse this week’s cracker of a meal at our place?

Well the winters cold is nipping at our ears, snow is falling on the near by hills and Slow-cooked lamb shanks served on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes is all I can think of.

Here’s one of my new favourites, us in Sun-dried tomatoes and Pesto along with capsicums and Spanish onion. Well strap in as I go and give the new cast iron cooker a tryout….

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About:

Diabetic, Egg free, Heart friendly, Low Carb, Low GI, Nut free, Gluten Free

Easy to cook

Prep time: 30 Minutes

Cook time: 3 ½ Hours

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 3-4 tbs  first pressing Extra Virgin olive oil
• 6 Frenched lamb shanks
• 2 red onions, sliced
• 2 red capsicum, seeds removed, thickly sliced
• 2 yellow capsicum, seeds removed, thickly sliced
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 300ml white wine (preserved the rest to have with dinner)
• 3 tbs sun-dried tomato pesto
• 2 cups (500ml) lamb or beef stock ( I prefer Beef Consumme’)
• 10 vine-ripened tomatoes, quartered
• Leaves of 1 long sprig rosemary
• 2 tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Creamy mashed potato, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. (fan forced or conventional)
2. Heat the oil in a cast iron cooker (pot) over high heat and brown lamb shanks in batches to seal on all sides. Remove and set aside. (be careful as the hot oil really burns)
3. Reduce heat to medium and add onion, capsicum and garlic to the casserole. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes until vegetables start to soften (the onions will become translucent).
4. Add wine, pesto and stock, and then return shanks to pan.
5. Add tomato and rosemary and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, cover, and roast in oven for 2 1/2 hours.
6. Remove lid and cook for a further hour. Stir in parsley, reserving a little to garnish.
7. To serve, dollop mash on good size plates, sit a shank on top and spoon around some sauce and vegetables.
8. Garnish with parsley (optional).

Note: I make a special potato bake which I use as the base for the meal and place fresh beans on the side drizzled with a good olive oil and sea salt

Duration : 0:6:37

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You will need 2 1/2 lbs ripe/juicy tomatoes, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 pound of onion, 6 garlic cloves, 1/4 c of tomato paste, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 Tb. pepper corns, 1 tsp. thyme, 4 cups heavy cream, 1 tbsp butter. Salt to taste, 1/2 tsp white pepper, 1 lb. puff pastry, 1 egg.

Procedure:

Melt the ½ cup butter in a large stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the onions, garlic, thyme,
bay leaf and peppercorns; cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Do not let the onions color. Add
tomato paste and lightly “toast” the tomato paste to cook out the raw flavor the add tomatoes,
and water if needed. Simmer over low heat for 30-40 minutes, until the tomatoes and onions are very soft and broken down. Puree by passing through a food mill. A food mill works best however you may use a blender in batches or a handheld immersion blender until finished, the strain. Return the soup o the pot. Add the cream, salt, white pepper and remaining butter to taste. Bring soup to a simmer then remove from heat. Allow the soup to cool for two hours or overnight – in the refrigerator.
Divide the soup among six 8-ounce soup cups or bowls. Roll out the puff pastry to 1/4 inch. Cut into 6 rounds slightly larger than your cups. Paint the dough with the egg wash and turn the circles, egg wash side down, over the tops of the cups, pulling lightly on the sides to make the
dough somewhat tight like a drum. Try not to allow the dough to touch the soup. These may be made up to 24 hours in advance and covered with plastic in the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly paint the top of the dough rounds with egg wash with out pushing the dough down. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the dough is golden brown. Do not open the oven in the first several
minutes of cooking as the dough may fall. Serve immediately.

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Curry for Diabetes story:
http://www.sciencentral.com/articles/view.php3?type=article&article_id=218393140

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