Spiced Lamb with Pasta Wheat

Way back in 2001 Jane won a recipe competition run by Merchant Gourmet, a major supplier of premium ingredients - particularly dried and semi-dried ones. Her recipe was for a Moroccan-inspired dish of spiced lamb served with Pasta Wheat. Here you can see a framed copy of Merchant Gourmet's publicity leaflet about the recipe -- which was available for a period in some of our supermarkets.

"Jane Willis, a keen amateur cook from Fleet..." gets the credit

My sole contribution to the proceedings was to grow the green beans which Jane used in her dish.

The recipe is genuinely one which we enjoy - not written solely for the competition - and Jane still makes it for us from time to time. It's definitely a permanent member of our food repertoire. You ought to try it! (It's available on my Recipes page). If you can't get, or don't like Pasta Wheat, couscous works just as well -- or indeed bulghur wheat, quinoa, rice or even mashed potato.

When we have this dish I usually put together a nice salad to go with it. For instance this vaguely-Mediterranean one made with tomatoes, cucumber, onions and olives, garnished with some dried oregano:

A cucumber and mint salad would also go very well. For a wine accompaniment, I suggest a robust red wine like an Australian Shiraz.