- Serves 4 - Ready in 45 minutes -
Gather together…
1 tbsp rapeseed oil / olive oil, for frying.
1 onion, thinly sliced and diced (to save time day-to-day, I keep a big box of onions I've chopped ahead-of-time, in the freezer, so I throw in 2 handfuls of those).
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped (or 1 tsp lazy garlic).
1 tbsp curry powder.
2 cups (370g equivalent-on-weighing scales) Orzo pasta (looks like rice), uncooked.
Pinch of ground pepper.
1 stock cube or 4tsp 'Marigold Less Salt Leftover Lamb stock OR Leftover Lamb gravy OR Swiss Vegetable Bouillon powder' (available in bulk 1kg tubs).
3 cups boiling water (750 ml).
1.5 cups (180g equivalent-on-weighing-scales) cooked lamb meat pieces - leftovers from the slow-cooker lamb recipe is ideal.
1 tbsp cinnamon.
¼ cup (approx. 8) dried apricots, chopped.
½ cup mixed dried fruit (including mixed peel) or just sultanas.
Plus, at the very end...
1 cup of frozen peas (defrosted and heated in 1cm water in the microwave just before adding).
2 tbsp chopped Mint leaves (I grow / buy herbs in bulk and then chop and freeze them, so they are ready to use quickly in recipes).
Serve with…
Plain yoghurt.
Toasted pitta breads.
Get cooking…
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 C (160 C fan) or gas mark 4.
2. Heat the 1 tbsp of oil on the hob, in a large, lidded oven-proof pan. Fry the onion pieces and 2 cloves of chopped garlic, gently, for 3 minutes to soften.
3. Boil a full kettle of water.
4. Add the 1 tbsp of curry powder and the 2 cups of orzo pasta to the pan, stir well and fry for 4 minutes, stirring at least once every minute (or the orzo will stick to the pan).
5. Season with a pinch of ground, black pepper.
6. Mix leftover lamb stock OR leftover lamb gravy OR 4tsp (sieved) dry stock bouillon powder, with boiling water to make up 750ml of liquid. Stir well.
7. Turn OFF the heat whilst you add the rest of the ingredients (or else the orzo will stick).
8. Add the 1.5 cups (180g) of cooked lamb pieces, sprinkle with the 1 tbsp of cinnamon and then add the 1/4 cup of chopped dried apricots (approx. 8) and the 1/2 cup of other dried fruit. Stir.
9. Turn the hob back on to medium/low. Bring the pan to the boil on the hob (this should only take a couple of minutes - KEEP STIRRING THE WHOLE TIME!) and then put the pan into the oven, with the lid on, for 30 minutes, until the orzo is tender ***BUT CHECK AFTER 15 minutes*** to see if the orzo is already tender or if it is too dry, at this point add up to 1 cup (250ml) boiling water if needed. Put the dish back in the oven for its final 15 minutes.
10. As soon as the dish is cooked, add the microwaved cup of peas and the 2tbsp of chopped Mint leaves, stir.
11. Serve with plain yoghurt on the side (to add as required) and toasted pitta breads.
Adapted from a Tesco RealFood recipe. I modified it to use cooked lamb (leftover from the slow cooker lamb recipe) and I moved the majority of the cooking off the hob and into the oven - so the dish wouldn't need me to constantly stir it. I changed the rice to orzo pasta, so that leftovers could be safely frozen and reheated.