Lamb Mafe

Mafe is a west African stew made with tomatoes, peanuts and meat. Cooked for a couple of hours with root vegetables such as yam and served with fluffy couscous, moorish and never enough to go round.

1kg diced lamb
800g canned chopped tomatoes
250ml tomato juice
300g crunchy peanut butter
300ml water
600g yam
1 large sweet potato
2 carrots
2 parsnips
1 white onion
4 cloves garlic
2 dried red chillies
2 bay leaves
1 small bunch coriander
50ml tablespoon vegetable oil
Sea salt

METHOD:
Peel yam, sweet potato and cut into 5cm cubes, peel carrots and parsnips and slice into 1cm thick rounds. Peel onion and cut in half then slice thinly lengthways, peel garlic and slice thinly.
Place a large heavy based pot over high heat, once the base is hot add half the oil, lamb and season with a good pinch of sea salt. Cook lamb and stir periodically till it starts to brown, remove the lamb from pot and place in a side bowl. Put pot back over a medium heat and add remainder of the vegetable oil pour in the onions and cook till translucent and soft. Add carrot, parsnips, garlic, chilli, bay and cook till vegetables are warmed through then pour in water, tomato, tomato juice, peanut butter, yam, sweet potato and cook till liquid starts to simmer then add lamb. Turn heat down to low and cover, cook for 50 minutes making sure you stir every 10 minutes. After the 50 minuets of cooking remove the cover and cook for another 40-45 minutes till lamb is tender. Once cooked serve with couscous and fresh coriander leaves.

Peanut Butter and Grape Muffins

OK another nutty combination but just think peanut butter and jelly! Nutty and fruity and lovely for a spot of morning tea or a afternoon treat. Long live the Muffin!

450g plain flour
200 sugar
100g butter
100ml buttermilk
125ml milk
250g black or red grapes
200g crunchy peanut butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

METHOD:
Place butter in small sauce pan and melt over medium heat, once melted place aside to cool slightly.
In large mixing bowl add flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, cinnamon and roughly mix together. Wash and slice grapes in half and add to the dry mixture with peanut butter. Beat eggs into butter and pour on dry mixture along with milk and vanilla. Using a butter knife cut the dry into the wet till just combined.
Grease a 12 hold muffin pan with oil spray or butter and evenly distribute muffin mixture into pan. Bake muffins in pre-heated oven set at 180oC for 30 minutes, once cooked leave to cool in pan for 15 minutes before removing.