Stewed Lamb, Cream Cheese Pine Nuts & Mint Jelly in Zucchini Rolls

I think it's nice to get people involved when you're hosting a dinner party at this century - you would be from the past century if you're offended. I love to share something that surprisingly simple and tasted great when allowing someone to help in my kitchen, because then they think they can cook. Some of the best teachers, nella mia vita, always complimented my strength and gave me the time and resources to help me. These values of a teacher are rarities in Asia.

"Oh we make one another cry
Break a heart then we say goodbye
Cross our hearts and we hope to die
That the other was to blame" - Joe South

I've made 2 antipasti (or tapas if you like to be Spanish) for my last Sunday supper. I won't be sharing my yummy Spanish prawn because it's so easily found anywhere in the web and everyone should remember it on top of their head (if you're keen, click here for recipe by Yasmeen@WanderingSpice. I've added saffron, fresh tomatoes, chorizo and pan-fried potatoes for mine, otherwise more or less similar).

The other bite actually involved a long process, but the assembling is highly entertaining; so people would think that it's easy. The long complicated process is the lamb stew. However, you can omit lamb all together, and just have the cream cheese filling with other veges for a vegetarian treat. Any meat you want, you can chuck them in. Use your imagination!

Stewed Lamb, Cream Cheese Pine Nuts & Mint Jelly in Zucchini Rolls
serves 8

For Stewed Lamb,
500g lamb neck with bones
3 French shallots, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 garlic, sliced
1 cup dessert wine, any cheap ones
1 cup port
1 bayleaf
1 small sprig of thyme
3 juniper berries
1 Tbs tomato paste
2 Tbs raisins
1 ts dried oregano
1 ts chili powder
1 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
flour
salt & pepper
olive oil

1. Dust lamb neck with flour. Season with salt & pepper. In a heavy cast-iron casserole (le creuset), heat 2 Tbs olive oil to maximum. Brown the lamb for 1 minute each side. Set aside. Stir in 1 Tbs oil, bayleaf, juniper, raisins, thyme, onion, shallot, tomato paste, sugar, chili powder, dried oregano and garlic. Turn heat to medium to slowly sweat the onion to light brown colour. Deglaze with port, Worcestershire, balsamic and wine. Add in lamb neck. Stew over very low heat, semi covered with a lid, for 4 hours. Serve as it is with roast potatoes or set aside to cool overnight.

For Cream Cheese filling,
250g cream cheese
1 cup Greek yoghurt
2 Tbs Dijon mustard
1 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 ts freshly grated nutmeg
3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 ts sugar
pepper

1. Mix everything until smooth in a bowl. Set aside to chill in a fridge for 2 hours or more.

For Zucchini rolls,
2 Zucchini
about 1/2 cup mint jelly (store bought is fine)
stewed lamb, pulled/torn and re-grilled without oil, then cool (see above)
cream cheese filling (see above)
extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

1. Using vegetable peeler, slice zucchini lengthwise from end to end. Lie the slices on baking tray. Brush them with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle a little salt and pepper.
2. Scoop 1 ts worth of cream cheese filling and put on top of 1 zucchine slice in one of the end. Roll the slice lengthwise. Turn to stand and press the filling down gently. Add in 1/4 ts mint jelly and top with the lamb. Repeat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve!

Coming up next, Spaghetti Carbonara...!
(Mango tart recipe will come at the end of the year, left the recipe at home)