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Diesel Rogers Dining with Diesel www.sunlive.co.nz |
Well a jolly happy new year to you all and if, like me, you made a resolution with no intention of keeping it, you'll be in good company with the rest of the world. My resolution for 2011, (actually it is the same as 2010, 09, 08, 07 and the rest) is ‘do not actively seek out food'.
Why I even think about doing this is way beyond me as I am a Labrador, and it's just what we do, but every new year is the same. Me lying on the deck with a bellyache from cleaning up all the food scraps and accepting donations from people who just can't resist my charming ways and pleading eyes. Works every time. The boss is constantly telling me I am overweight although he is a diplomat the old boss; he will not just say I am fat.
Chocolate crusader
This year it was a little worse than normal though, I cannot tell if it was the heat or my advancing years, but I may just try to stick with attempting to lose some weight this year by watching Oprah's new TV channel to find out how she went from a balloon, to well, a half full balloon. Yeah right, it's never going to happen, and I will just keep on keeping on being on the trail of fine cuisine everywhere as the ‘Chocolate Crusader'.
My last comment on the matter is that if you make your resolutions realistic and stick to them, well good on you, you goody-two-shoes. If you are like me and are just what you are, well don't bother, it's not worth the effort, it may make you feel good for the first hour, but as soon as you are tempted with another morsel under the picnic table, well what the hell, let's eat!
And talking about eating, it's back to singing the praises of my good mate Johnny the Aussie Butcher boy in Gate Pa. All I can say is it's great he has the best meat in town, and is good at doing what he does because his brothers are sure hopeless at chasing a cricket ball around – or should I say hitting it.
I am going to tell him there is nothing worse in this world than a group of gloating ‘Poms' and tell him it's time he travelled over the ditch and whacked a few of his cricketing mates around the ears with one of his salamis. Only problem is, a few of them may actually like it as they seem not to mind being beaten.
I hope there is not a canine scribe over there who can point out that our cricketing exploits lately do not actually make very good reading.
Make sure you get in and see him though and stock up on your meaty treats and enjoy the sunshine and do not let the beach bugs bite.
Lamb kebabs
Ingredients
1kg lamb, diced into bite-size pieces
2 medium onions, quartered and separated
Bamboo skewers (soak in water first)
Marinade ingredients
1/3 cup pomegranate molasses
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red onion, sliced
1 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cardamom
1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Method
Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a saucepan. Over medium heat, bring to a simmer and whisk, making sure the sauce doesn't boil. Simmer for
five minutes, remove from heat
and let cool.
Mix meat and marinade, cover and refrigerate at least three hours or overnight. Thread lamb onto skewers, alternating with quartered onion slices.
Barbecue to desired temperature and serve with a salad of carrot, cucumber, olives and feta cheese.
Cheers all see you next week, I have got to go, and I have just heard the subtle thud of a windfall avocado hitting the ground in my backyard.