Baked Courgettes Stuffed With Spiced Lamb Tomato Sauce Food

SPICED LAMB-STUFFED EGGPLANTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, including the stems. Using a sharp paring knife, scoop out some of the flesh, leaving a shell that is 1/3 inch thick and reserving the scooped-out eggplant. Place the eggplant shells snugly in a single layer in a large (10-by-14-inch) rectangular baking dish. Brush the eggplant all over with 1/4 cup olive oil (use it all!) and sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour 1/4 cup water in the baking dish, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes, until the shells are tender when pierced with a small knife. Remove from the oven, discard the foil, and leave the oven on.
• Meanwhile, for the lamb filling, in a large (12-inch) skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, tossing occasionally, until tender. Cut the reserved scooped-out eggplant into 1/2-inch dice (you should have about 2 cups). Add the eggplant to the onion and cook for 5 minutes, adding more oil if it seems dry. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the ground lamb and cook, mashing lightly with a fork, for 5 to 7 minutes, until no longer pink. Add the oregano and cinnamon and cook for one minute. Add the wine, tomatoes, marinara, parsley, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until the liquid evaporates. Spoon the filling into the eggplant halves in the baking dish. (You may have a little extra filling.)
• In a medium bowl, mash the ricotta, goat cheese, egg yolks, mint, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper with a fork. With a spoon, place large dollops of the ricotta mixture on the lamb filling and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the filling is hot and the topping is lightly browned. Serve warm, sprinkled with extra mint.

HERBY BAKED LAMB IN TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Put the lamb into a large ovenproof dish. Pour the oil into a small food processor with the oregano and rosemary leaves and the garlic, then whizz to a rough paste. Season the paste well, rub all over the lamb, then roast for 20 mins. Cover, lower the oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2, then roast for a further 3 hrs.
• Remove the lamb from the oven and carefully pour off all the fat, leaving any meat juices in the dish if you can. Pour over the wine and tomatoes, poke in the remaining herb sprigs, then return, uncovered, to the oven for a further 40 mins. The lamb should now be tender enough to cut with a fork or spoon.
• Carefully pour or spoon the wine and tomato sauce into another pan, skimming off any fat that rises to the surface, then re-cover the lamb. Let it rest for up to 30 mins while you roast the potatoes and finish the sauce. Heat the tomato mixture until bubbling, then simmer for 10-15 mins until thickened and saucy. Season with the sugar, and some salt and pepper if it needs it, then pour back around the lamb to serve.