Your Poll Results Are In!

Well the results are in and most off you selected Italian as your favorite type of food!

Italian food is more than just pizza and spaghetti. There’s a wide range of ingredients, flavors, and dishes to experiment with in your own home. 

“Italian food is bold and satisfying without being heavy.  It’s rich and textural and uses a whole palette of flavors,”says Michael Chiarello, the chef and owner of Bottega, in California’s Napa Valley. From that initial crescendo to the last savored bite, every authentic Italian dish is built upon the most basic yet most flavorful ingredients. Italian cuisine follows the Mediterranean pattern of eating—it focuses on simple, natural ingredients, such as tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, dark leafy greens and whole grains, making it one of the world’s healthiest diets. 

Here are two simple shrimp pasta dishes for you to experiment with.

Firstly, a Spicy Seafood Pasta with linguine, shrimp and scallops.

Next we have a creamy Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo

Mary had a Little.....

Lamb, which comes from sheep less than a year old, is a lean, tender meat with delicate flavor. It is a great source of protein, vitamins and minerals, but just be sure to choose leaner cuts on most occasions, reserving the fattier pieces for weekend treats.

Common cuts include lamb chops (which come in loin, rib and shoulder varieties), leg of lamb, shoulder, top round and ground lamb. The loin offers the most expensive and tender cuts, and is leaner than meat from the rack. The leg also offers large, lean cuts that can be quite tender, like those from the sirloin, or less tender from the shank half.

This guide can  help you understand more about the different cuts of lamb available.

In this recipe we see how to prepare  Roast Leg of Lamb with Rosemary.

                                                                    

For a  different flavor you could do Asian Lamb Cutlets with Peanut Sauce.

Ingredients:

 8 lamb cutlets, trimmed

 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

 2 teaspoons peanut oil

 1/2 onion, chopped

 1 garlic clove, crushed

 1/2 teaspoon finely grated ginger

 1 teaspoon ground cumin

 1 teaspoon ground coriander

 Pinch chilli powder (optional)

 2 teaspoons teriyaki sauce, extra

 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter

 1 cup water

 Carrot and celery sticks, to serve

 Blanched green beans, to serve

Method:

1. Place the lamb in a large non-metallic bowl and add teriyaki sauce. Toss to coat, then cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened and light golden. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander and chilli (if using) and cook for 1 minute. Stir in extra teriyaki sauce, peanut butter and water.
3. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring regularly, for 5 minutes or until well combined and slightly thickened. Remove from heat, set aside and keep warm.
4. Heat a grill or barbecue to high heat. Remove the lamb from the marinade. Grill lamb in batches for 2-3 minutes each side or until cooked to your liking.
5. Place lamb on serving plates and serve with peanut sauce and carrot, celery and green beans.

Quinoa, the Healthy Alternative

Quinoa, pronounced “keen-wah” is broadly referred to as a grain, although technically, it isn’t one. Quinoa is what one would call a “pseudo-cereal,” because it is eaten and cooked like a grain and has similar nutritive properties. However, the quinoa plant is actually in the same family as beets, Swiss chard, and spinach. Quinoa may be having an identity crisis, but its remarkable nutrient density puts many grains to shame, specifically in terms of protein, fat, and mineral content. 

Quinoa is native to the Andes mountains regions of South America and is considered a valuable superfood. It looks a bit like couscous and is as versatile as rice, but quinoa has a richer, nuttier flavor than either of them. 

Quinoa can be eaten on its own as a side dish, with a bit of butter or oil, salt and pepper, or other seasonings. It also makes a great breakfast dish mixed with dried fruit, cinnamon, milk, and maple syrup or honey. Paired with chili, stir-fries, beans or curries, quinoa is a healthy substitute for rice, and it also makes a tasty pilaf. As a main course, use it to make meat-free burgers, mix it into stews or toss it into salads. Quinoa works as a baking grain as well, and makes for delicious and nutritious breads and muffins.

Here's how to cook Quinoa as a simple Side Dish.

Or try Quinoa and Black Beans as an alternative to Rice and Black Beans.

Maybe you'd just like to have this Kale, Quinoa and Avocado Salad instead.