Ham, Leek and Sweet Potato Pie

I discovered this receipe when trying to loose weight - it is heathy, filling and more importantly it is tasty


Serves 4
303 calories
3.5g fat
Preparation 10 Minutes
Cooking 20 minutes



Ingredients

900g sweet potatoes (peeled)
2 leeks, washed and sliced (if sliced very fine they will not need pre-cooking before adding to the potatoes.
100g thin ham, chopped
2-3 tbsps semi-skimmed milk
100g low fat mature cheese
pinch of nutmeg
4 medium-sized tomatoes
freshly ground black pepper

1.  Preheat the oven to 200C, 400F, Gas Mark 6
2.  Boil the potatoes in a large pan of water until soft.  Drain the potatoes then mash them, adding the leeks, ham and milk.
3.  Using a wooden spoon, fold in half the cheese along with the nutmeg and season to taste with black pepper, then pile the potato mixture into an ovenproof dish.
4.  Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top of the potatoes.  Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
5.  Serve with fresh vegetables (excluding potatoes) or salad.

Lamb Hot Pot

My lamb hot pot is based on a recipe I got from Mark's & Spencer a long time ago which I adapted to suit my family.  Most recipes I have found for lamb hot pot tends to taste a bit bland, and never have enough vegetables.

This recipe is a filling and tasty meal that serves 4 large portions and is ideal for a nice family meal on a Sunday evening.

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours

Ingredients

• 2lb lamb neck fillet
• 2 large leeks
• 2lb potatoes (Maris Piper)
• 4 large carrots
• Worcester sauce
• Black pepper (ground)
• Half a pint lamb stock (lamb stock cubes)
• 2 table spoons of plain flour
• 2 table spoons of olive oil
• (Optional) 2 tables spoons of red wine

Side Dishes

• Pickled red cabbage

Cooking Instructions

1. Mix the black pepper with the plain flour in a large bowl.
2. Cut the lamb neck fillets into 1inch cubes.  Coat the lamb cubes with the flour mix, make sure they are fully coated.  Fry in the olive oil until all sides of the lamb are browned.  Put in a large casserole dish.  Do not discard/wash the frying pan.
3. Finely slice the carrots and place on top of the lamb.
4. Finely slice the leeks and place on top of the carrots.
5. Finely slice the potatoes and place on top of the leek.
6. Add the Worcester sauce, black peer, and (if using) red wine on top of the potatoes.  (Step 7 washes these in to the dish.)
7. Pour the stock in to the frying pan to pick up the flavour left behind by the lamb, stir and pour in to the casserole dish.
8. Put the lid on the casserole dish and place in a pre-heated oven at 180C for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
9. Remove lid and return to oven for 45 minutes.
10. Serve with pickled red cabbage.  My son also likes large helpings of English mustard.