Lamb And Sangria

Finally the weather here in Melbourne has decided to warm up. Yay! But what to do with the half empty bottle of red wine that we opened last night when it was still cool? It's too hot to have red wine with the lamb dish I'd planned tonight. The answer is sangria!

We actually drink quite a lot of sangria, well my version of it at least, and it's a great way to make a refreshing drink out of a bottle of red wine. I have also made a couple of versions using white wine too. Rather than adding citrus and strawberries, peaches and apricots tend to work much better with the stone fruit flavours in a lot of white wines.

Tonights version is really just a combination of what's in the cupboard and fridge. You can almost add anything you like, as long as the flavours are complimentary. Mint work really well too, but I didn't have any in the garden. As well as strawberries, you could also use orange slices or pieces, cherries or grapes. I marinated my strawberries in some brandy for a bit of extra oomph, but if you want the sangria to be less alcoholic, then just leave it out.

Obviously, if you were making this recipe for a party, you'd probably need to double everything and use a whole bottle of vino. Add more or less fruit and soft drink depending on your tastes and how sweet you prefer your sangria. Instead of lemonade, you could use soda or even dry ginger.

Simple Sangria

1/2 a bottle of red wine, chilled

30ml brandy

6 strawberries sliced

100ml sparkling cranberry juice

1 1/2 cups lemonade

Ice 

Place the strawberries and brandy in a small bowl and allow to marinate for a few hours in the fridge.

When ready to serve, combine wine, soaked strawberries with the brandy, juice, lemonade and ice to taste.

Give a gentle mix and serve.

Lamb, Feta and Watermelon Salad

I love the combination of watermelon and feta as a summer salad, so why not make it into a meal by adding some lamb. Perfect on a hot summer's day when you want something light and easy to prepare. To add a bit of extra texture to this salad, I've also used some Israeli couscous. These little balls of goodness taste great and soak up the lemony dressing to become flavour bombs. Combined with the sweetness of the watermelon, the saltiness of the feta and the beautiful lamb, this dinner will become a regular on our table.

I coated my lamb in a Rich Glen Pistachio and wasabi pea dukkah that I received for Christmas. It has a little bit of heat from the wasabi peas, but wasn't overpowering. It was amazing! Next I want to just have it with oil and fresh bread for dipping.

Combined with a sweet, chilled sangria, could life get any better!!

1 or 2 pieces of lamb backstrap, depending on size and your hunger

A drizzle of olive oil

3/4 cup Isreali couscous

3 slices of watermelon, cut into small pieces

1/4 cup dukkah

Juice of 1 lemon

1 Tbs pomegranate molasses

100g marinated feta, oil reserved
2 spring onions, thinly sliced

1 cup rocket leaves

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and add couscous. Stir gently, then boil until cooked. This will take about 10 minutes. You want the balls to be soft, but to still have a bit of bite.

Drain, rinse and cool.

Sprinkle dukkah on a plate and press the lamb into it so that it is covered on all sides. You may need a little more or a little less, depending on the size of your lamb.

Heat a drizzle of oil in a frypan and fry the lamb on both sides until cooked to your liking. It is best served when it's still a little pink on the inside. Don't have the heat too high or the dukkah will burn.

Leave the meat to rest while you prepare the salad.

In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, pomegranate molasses and about a tablespoon of the reserved feta oil. Whisk until combined and season to taste. Add more oil if you think it is needed.

Place couscous in a larger bowl and add the dressing. Stir to coat the balls well.

Gently stir through watermelon, feta and rocket.

Pile the salads on to plates and top with thickly sliced pieces of the lamb.