Lamb with minted zucchini salad and onion relish, Lemon-ricotta cheesecake with blueberries

Lamb with minted zucchini salad and onion relish

Preparation + cooking: 50 minutes

Ingredients

·           6 zucchini, trimmed and sliced on the diagonal

·           Olive oil spray

·           4 x 250g lamb leg chops, trimmed of fat

·           ½ cup pitted kalamata olives

·           Small handful mint leaves (optional)

·           Onion relish

·           2 teaspoons olive oil

·           2 large onions, very thinly sliced

·           1 cup red wine

·           1 cup salt-reduced chicken stock

·           2 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar

·           2 teaspoons caster sugar

Directions

1.    To make the relish, heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, then cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until very soft. Remove the lid, add the wine, stock, vinegar and sugar, then cook, stirring frequently, for 15 – 20 minutes or until the liquid has reduced and the mixture is jammy.

2.    Meanwhile, heat a chargrill plate or large heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Spray the zucchini with olive oil, then, working in batches, cook for 3 minutes, turning once, or until cooked through. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

3.    Place the lamb on the chargrill plate or in the pan and cook for 3 minutes on each side for medium-rare or until cooked to your liking. Meanwhile, add the olives and mint (if using) to the bowl of zucchini and toss to combine well

4.    Divide the zucchini mixture among plates, add a lamb steak and spoon some of the onion relish over. Season with pepper and serve.

Serves 4.

Tips: slow cooking makes the onions in the relish meltingly soft, so don't be tempted to rush the process

Lemon-ricotta cheesecake with blueberries

Preparation + cooking: 65 minutes

Ingredients

·           1 kg fresh reduced-fat ricotta

·           1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

·           2 ½ tablespoons lemon juice

·           ½ cup caster sugar

·           5 eggs

·           ¼ cup plain flour

·           ½ cup flaked almonds (optional)

·           300g blueberries

·           Icing sugar (optional), to serve

Directions

1.    Preheat the oven to 180^oC.

2.    Lightly grease, then flour a 24cm spring form cake tin. Line the base with baking paper. Place the ricotta, lemon zest and juice, sugar and eggs in a food processor. Process the mixture until very smooth, stopping to scrape the mixture down with a flexible spatula as necessary. Add the flour, and then pulse just until the flour is combined.

3.    Transfer the ricotta mixture to the prepared tin, smoothing the top so it is even. Sprinkle over the flaked almonds, if using, then bake for 50 minutes or until light golden and just set in the middle. Turn off the oven, and then leave the cheesecake to cool in the oven with the door ajar.

4.    Serve the cheesecake in wedges, with blueberries scattered over and dusted with icing sugar, if using.

Serve 10.

Tip: Use orange or lime zest and juice for a totally different flavor.