Jade: Bitemypotatoes

Dinner is usually a hurried affair for me..a quick stir-fry, soupy noodles that take 5 minutes to throw together...and it's sad really because the fact that I hardly ever have time to eat breakfast

or lunch means dinner is the only meal I look forward to at the end of each day. So the rare times I get the luxury of lazing around on a weekday night, I milk it for all its worth.

Supper for 2 days in a row now has been marinated lamb, pan fried to perfection~ buttery soft and juicy with just a blush of pink in the middle. But what I really want to talk about is the lovely creamy gravy and luscious sides; Both embarrassingly simple to make, yet so so yummy. Honestly, I would've been perfectly happy to eat them on their own with maybe some blanched baby french beans. Come to think of it, maybe I'll do that tonight ;)

Pan fried lamb with mushroom sauce

150g lamb shoulder fillet

Few sploshes of worchestershire sauce

pinch of dried thyme

drizzle of olive oil

salt and cracked black pepper

Chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced

Single cream

1 tbsp good quality mustard

salt and pepper to taste

1. Rub the herbs and seasoning all over the lamb, and leave to marinate overnight or longer if you're patient.

2. Drizzle some olive oil into a pan and cook the lamb

for about 10 minutes of each side on medium heat until it's deliciously crusty. I know 20 minutes

sounds like an awfully long time, but my cut of lamb was really thick...so adjust it accordingly.

3. Remove the lamb from the pan and let it sit.

4. Throw the mushrooms into the same pan to soak up all

the gorgeous juices from the lamb, and let them brown

5. Pour in about 75ml of cream, depending how much gravy

you're after, taking it off the heat while stirring so it doesn't curdle

6. Quickly stir in the mustard and season to taste.

7. Dip a finger in the pan....Can you taste the nuttiness of the mushrooms..the richness of the cream, and the faint heat from the mustard? Beautiful isn't it.. :)

Ruby's Mashed potatoes

1 medium-large potato

cream

salted butter

salt and pepper to taste

1. Peel potatoes and cut into large chunks

2. Boil for about 20 minutes or until fork tender

3. Mash it up with a fork, fluffing as you go along

4. Add some cream and a generous slab of butter, and season to taste. Please please dont over mix it. You'll just end up with a gloopy mess.

5. Pour the mushroom sauce over it and tuck in. I wouldn't even bother with a bowl.

Sweet potato wedges

* If you don't cook another meal for the rest of the week, at least promise me you'll make these wedges. Minimal effort for a LOT of pleasure;)

1 medium-large sweet potato

Olive oil

paprika/ cracked black pepper

Coarse salt/ rock salt [ You could use table salt, I just find there is so much more character to rock salt, not to mention the extra crunch you get with it]

Dried thyme or rosemary

Fresh parsley, chopped to garnish

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees

2. Boil sweet potatoes whole, skin on for 10-15 minutes

3. When they're cool enough to handle, cut into chunky wedges

4. Toss in the oil and herb mix until every surface of the wedges is well coated

5. Arrange them on a foil-lined cookie sheet....you don't need the foil..I just don't like washing up.

6. Bake for about 20 minutes, turn them over and bake for another 10 minutes.

7. You know when they're done when your kitchen smells like christmas, and your wedges are crisp and golden brown....salty, crunchy, spicy..mmm...so so good....