Lamb and/or salmon in spice marinade. Lentil salad

Just cooked the lamb (with the salads) but did make me think that having a non-lamb alternative would be good. For the non-lamb eaters (first born included) and non-meat eaters.
Upping the amount of lentil salad means a good lunch or two with the other left overs.

Marinade
150g yoghurt
3 garlic cloves crushed plus grated one inch of garlic (or 3tsp of minced garlic and ginger paste)
1 tbsp Tom purée
Juice of half a lime
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp crushed chilli flakes (or 1 tsp cayenne)
1 tsp crushed fennel seeds

Marinate 2kg leg of lamb (slashed) or 4 salmon fillets or some combination. In more detail - put meat / fish in bag(s) and add marinade ensuring marinade is rubbed into slashes. Seal and refrigerate overnight.

Cook
Lamb - in foil lined tray, cook for 20 mins at 200C then at 170C for 1 hour 20. Cover with foil half way through.
Salmon - haven't tried. 20 mins in oven turning once?

Lentil Salad
Cook 250g puy lentils according to packet. Drain and leave to cool.

Combine 1 sliced red onion with juice of half a lime, juice of half lemon and 1tbsp cider vinegar. Leave for about 5 minutes to pickle.

Mix together 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 crushed garlic clove and 2 tbsp mango chutney.

Finally - combine all of the above with 250g halved cherry tomatoes, 85g baby spinach and 1+tbsp chopped parsley

Raita (Cucumber salad)
1 finely sliced cucumber (use mandolin). 350g yoghurt. Juice of half a lemon. Finely chopped handful mint.  Combine.
Optional extra - half tsp of crushed fennel seeds.

Savoury bread and butter pudding

Yesterday I was thrown a challenge by Mr B - he had a couple of friends coming down from Stoke who 'might welcome being fed'. One is a vegetarian. Vegetarian meals are very rarely cooked by Mr B. 

We had a loaf of bread, leeks and mushrooms that needed using up. They converted beautifully into Leek and Mushroom Bread and Butter pudding. As and when have bread to use up again will try out different vegetable combinations.

Cut day old loaf of bread into 2cm cubes. Dry in a low (150C) oven until lightly browned on edges. Leave to cool.
Slice two medium leeks and fry over medium heat in 2tbsp olive oil until light golden. Remove from frying pan and add a further couple of tbsp of olive oil and fry 200g sliced mushrooms again until golden. Leave to cool
Whisk 2 large eggs + 2 egg yolks + 0.5l milk together. Add 2tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley.

Melt 50g butter. Toss bread cubes in the butter then combine with the vegetables and 225g grated cheese (Gruyere went well with the leeks and mushrooms). Pile into an ovenproof dish (7x11" worked well). Pour over the milk mixture trying to ensure all the top level has been included. Grate some more cheese over the top if you're not too worried about the calories etc.
Cover loosely with foil (ie don't press the mixture down) and leave for about half an hour.

Cook at 180C for an hour. It should be set, or close to, by that time. If not cook some more (10 mins at a time)
Take off the foil so top layer/cheese browns.
Serve with salad and, in our household, lashings of ketchup.

Wild garlic and walnut pesto

That time of year! First batch of pesto will be going back with second born to Uni. Will make more later this week.

Dry fry (toast) 50g Walnut pieces until golden. When cool put in food processor with 75g wild garlic (aka ransoms) - roughly chopped if large leaves - and 35g grated Parmesan cheese. Process and, whilst processing, drizzle in 150ml extra virgin olive oil.

Season to taste with good splash of lemon juice and salt and pepper.

Put in a jar unless using straight away. In theory it last a number of days in the fridge.

Now to go make some wild garlic butter (I store small pats of this in the freezer. Lovely melted on new potatoes to accompany ham/gammon)