Monday 4 August 2008

Monday's Menu Plan

I've decided I need to learn to dance. I went to see 'Mama Mia' with three wonderful friends last night. If ever there was a movie that would make you want to learn that was it. A fellow school Mum tells me it's never too late. I dunno. She's been dancing for 20 years. I grew up in a town where the only white people were almost all Brethren Missionaries. Bretho's don't dance. Anyway, that's something that will go on the "If I get a chance" list of things to do I think.

It's a great movie. If you want a good laugh and to enjoy some great music then go and see it. It's the perfect thing to go and see with girlfriends like mine....especially when you have a husband who prefers action movies with blood and guts everywhere!

Anyway, onto more important things. Like food! Lucky for me, I had this week's menu all sorted well before a weekend of early morning bed times.

Monday: Lamb chops with cranberry & orange sauce and vegies
Tuesday: Oven Risotto
Wednesday: Herbed Ricotta Fritters & vegies
Thursday: Pasta Bolognaise
Friday: Soup with homemade dinner rolls
Saturday: Singapore Noodles
Sunday: Homemade Meat Pie with potato wedges & vegies

Tuesday will be a 'guinea pig' meal. The last time I tried cooking rice in the oven I had the world's most stupid oven and it didn't work. I now have the most wonderful oven I've ever had so I'm going to be game and have another go. And yep, I'm going with the pastry thing again on Sunday.

Now, because Rel keeps telling me I need to post more recipes I'm going to go ahead and post tonight's without anyone asking for it. Why? Because it is sooooooo yummy and I think you'll be glad you tried it.

Lamb Cutlets Cranberry & Orange Sauce

8 lamb cutlets
plain flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups packaged breadcrumbs
olive oil
30g butter
Sauce
1/4 cup cranberry jelly (whole berry or jelly ~ either is fine)
2/3 cup orange juice
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornflour
1/2 cup water

  1. Trim fat from cutlets.
  2. Dip cutlets into flour, then combined egg & milk, then coat in breadcrumbs.
  3. Heat oil & butter in a large frying pan and add cutlets; cook until golden on both sides and cooked through.
  4. Remove from pan and keep warm.
  5. Add combined cranberry jelly, orange juice, rosemary and sugar to pan and bring to the boil.
  6. Reduce heat and simmer for one minute.
  7. Blend cornflour and water and ad to pan. heat until sauce boils and thickens.
  8. Serve sauce over the cutlets.
Serves 4

I use whatever lamb chops I can get on special or at a good price. When I can't be bothered with egg & breadcrumbing I just press some breadcrumbs onto the meat. It may not have the complete effect, but oh well. Near enough is good enough when you're feeling lazy!

8 comments:

Rel said...

Yum!! I'll have to nag you more often - hehehe! This sounds lovely and I will definitely try it.

It was a lovely night, wasn't it?!

Left-Handed Housewife said...

I think learning to dance is a fabulous idea! One of the things I miss most from my younger days is going out dancing once or twice a week. If my knees would let me, I'd take up dancing, too!

Aprille Roberts said...

Once again, another harsh reminder that lamb is not readily available to me here! Can I please just come over for dinner??? LOL! This sounds really delicious!

I think you should absolutely learn to dance! What fun, and what a great way to stay fit! My aunt started dancing in her late 50s, so I don't think it's ever too late! She still dances and loves it!

Could you possibly post the Homemade Meat Pie with potato wedges and veggies recipe?

Love,
April :0)

Tracy said...

I will most certainly do that April. I will tell you now though about the wedges & vegies...or should that be wedgies and vegies?! LOL

I simmer peeled & sliced carrots for about 15 minutes. I throw some cauliflower & broccoli florets in the microwave. The wedges is just spuds, chopped into 6ths. I boil them for about 10 minutes. Drain and then drizzle with a little olive oil. I then put them on a preheated oven tray and bake at about 200C for 30 minutes.

I'll post the pie recipe tomorrow.

Anonymous said...

Oh yum, your menu and lamb chops look great. Hasn't lamb gotten expensive over the past few years? It used to be such a staple.

Good luck with the dancing lessons. They sound like fun.

Kate

Anonymous said...

I had a fabulous time also, it took a fair amount of self control to keep myself in my seat. ABBA music just makes you want to dance! And I would have been happy to dance with you even without the dance lessons, lol! Thanks for your great company, was a lot of fun.

Tracy said...

Kate, I pick the cheapest kind of lamb pieces I can find. This time it was bbq chops.

Fi, be careful what you're willing to do!!!!!! My sense of rhythm and timing is severely limited to the piano LOL.

Aprille Roberts said...

Thank you Tracy for letting me know how you do the "wedgies and vegies"! This all sounds really wonderful! Thank you!
Love,
April :0)