Not quite vegetarian

I don’t really like meat very much and sometimes think I could be semi-vegetarian (I love fish and could not give that up!), but one weakness I do have which might sound disgusting, is things made with mince! Whether it be pork mince, beef mince or lamb mince, I am usually a fan. Although in saying that one thing I really don’t like is what in my family we called mince stew! The kind of mince that you brown, and cook with onions and mixed vegetables and serve with black sauce and mashed potatoes. The kind you have reheated on toast for breakfast the next day. That kind of mince does nothing for me. But things like meatballs, meatloaf, bolognaise, chilli con carne etc, I love!

Last night I made lamb mince meatballs and they were delicious. I mixed the meat with Moroccan style flavours – garlic, ground cumin and coriander and fresh coriander, some breadcrumbs, an egg yolk and of course salt and pepper. They were really yummy. I served them with a salad made using ebly wheat (kind of like barley) mixed with toasted pinenuts, red peppers diced and cooked in a little oil, the zest and juice of a lemon and lots of chopped flat leaf parsley. We had some pan fried organic red chard that I bought from the Takapuna markets in the morning on the side (actually the Takapuna market will definitely be mentioned in another post!). A dollop of leftover romesco sauce on the side and it was a yummy meal (if not very vegetarian!!). Leftovers are for lunch today.