A spring in my step: Rosemary pesto lamb rack

There has been a change around here of late. I can't say for certain if it is the turn of the season, with the blossoms of spring all around me and the sun peeking out with it's promise of summer to come, or that I am simply finding a balance in my life, but I am definitely feeling more like myself. And with the return of myself comes the call of the kitchen. This call is made all the louder by the fact that all the new recipes I was trying were coming from "Feeding your baby and toddler". It was time to get my gastronomical groove back on.

We have been very fortunate in the last few months to join a local food co op, and this has given us great access to fantastic organic produce. The beauty of the box, is that we try to buy as locally as possible, and are getting what is in season at the moment.

As tribute to all things spring, I recently cooked a lovely little lamb rack, with a rosemary pesto, served with Jamie Oliver's 'mushy peas' - a smash up of potatoes, broccoli, peas and a hint of mint. Our taste buds were very pleased with the result.

Rosemary Pesto Lamb Rack

1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
1 garlic clove
3 tablespoons olive oil

500gm lamb rack

• Preheat oven to 220°C
• Place parsley, rosemary, parmesan cheese, and garlic in food processor, and blitz to a coarse pesto. With the processor still going, gradually add the oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Place the lamb on a baking tray, season with salt and pepper, the coat all over the top and sides with the pesto.
• Roast for 10 minutes, then reduce oven to 200°C and roast for a remaining 10-15 minutes (medium rare) or longer, to your liking.
• Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes the slice (I reserve the resting juices for pouring over the meat when you serve it).

Recipe via of Epicurious

Jamie Oliver's Mushy Peas as seen on 'Jamie's 30 minute meals'

2 medium potatoes

1/2 a head of broccoli

250gm frozen peas

knob of butter

1-2 dessert spoons mint sauce

• Peel the potatoes and chop into 2cm chunks, add to a large saucepan with a pinch of salt and cover with boiling water, put a lid on and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
• Cut the very end off the broccoli and discard, then slice the rest of the stem and throw it in with the potatoes. Cut the head of the broccoli into florets and set aside.
• When the potatoes and stems have been on for about 10 minutes, add the broccoli florets and the peas and continue to bubble away for about 5 more minutes, or until everything is soft.
• When the veggies are ready, drain the water off and return to the pot, allowing them to steam ry a little. 
• Add a food knob of butter, a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper, and 1-2 dessert spoons of mint sauce, and then roughly mash about 10 times. It's quite a chunky mash so you should still have some whole peas in there.

All the quantities I have given are for two serves. When plating up, you could cut the rack into little chops if you prefer, I like the chunkier look so just kept the rack whole and sliced it in two. 

Enjoy.

xx

Chocolate cake with peppermint buttercream

It was my husband's birthday on the weekend and I, naturally, wanted to make him a cake. Every year around his birthday we have the same conversation. It goes like this:

I ask him "What sort of cake would you like?" 

And every year he says "Chocolate ripple cake."

Then I say "Wouldn't you like something a bit better than chocolate ripple cake?" 

And he says "What is better than chocolate ripple cake?"

So I end up making him chocolate ripple cake (for those who may not know, chocolate ripple cake is essentially a row of chocolate biscuits sandwiched together and covered all over with whipped cream).

This year we were going away with friends, and I was determined to make something other than the stock standard. Aaron loves chocolate and peppermint together, and this cake was a perfect combination of the two. Even better, it is ridiculously easy.

This would work with any chocolate cake recipe you like. I used old faithful Betty Crocker's extra moist chocolate cake (the packet mix... we're not too fancy for that), and simply split the batter between two pans.

For the frosting, I made peppermint buttercream using the recipe I got from Pip and Ebby's fabulous blog. Her version is for cupcakes, and it makes a lot of frosting, so you might want to make a half quantity and see how you go. I used the frosting in between the cakes and also on top and it was delicious but pretty intense. I think it would also be great with whipped cream in the middle, and the frosting on top.

And then, to jazz it up a little, I crushed up a peppermint crisp bar and piled that in the centre of the top. You could use and sort of choc mint bar, I guess, or even just shaved chocolate.

The mint flavouring was only in the frosting, you could do any other version you like. Caramel frosting with crushed up honeycomb on top, or strawberry frosting with fresh berries, or coffee frosting with those little choc coated beans on top... the options are endless.

Anyway, I think he was pretty happy with the result and that is all that matters.

xx