The Suns out at last.*I think Summer is just knocking on the door here in South Africa.Hooray!!!I hope you all had a good weekend,mine was busy so that kept me out of mischeif!.Here is what we had for Sunday.........To Start with we had some crumbed calimari which I served with some cherry tomatoes and some mayonnaise flavoured with freshly chopped Dill,they were *Scrummy*

Deep fried crumbed calamari
****************************** 1 lb calamari rings
2 Tbls Lemon juice
Tabasco sauce to taste
1 egg
8 Tbls dried white breadcrumbs
8 Tbls Flour
1/2 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper
oil for deep frying 1 Place the calamari rings into the lemon juice along with Tabasco sauce to taste.
2. Marinate for 30 minutes.
3. Beat the egg and place into a shallow, wide bowl.
4. Combine the breadcrumbs, flour and seasoning
5. Dip each ring into the egg and then the flour mixture.
6. Place the calamari on a flat tray for 10 minutes to allow the crumbs to settle - do not pile them on top of one another
7. Heat the oil for deep frying to about 200deg.C
8. Cook the calamari in batches, frying each for about 14 seconds.
9. The crumbs should just colour, any longer and the calamari will toughen
10. Drain on paper towel and serve immediately.Then on to the Lamb.........

KNUCKLES OF LAMB
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Serves 6

6 Knuckles or shanks of lamb
Extra virgin olive oil
1 large carrot roughly sliced
1 large onion roughly sliced
6 peppercorns
8 garlic cloves with skins
Big sprig of thyme
4 bay leaves
2 tsp honey
½ bottle red wine(I used Chateau Libertas,a local wine)
1 sliced celery
3 level dsp molasses sugar
1 tbs soy sauce

Oven 150C/200F/ gas mark 2Trim the knuckles, make them look neat exposing the bone
In a large frying pan heat the oil and fry the knuckles on all sides. Put into a large ovenproof dish with a lid, big enough to hold all the knuckles and vegetables. Repeat cooking until all the knuckles are sealed
Add all the sliced veg in dish with lamb.
Add the peppercorns, garlic, bay leaf, salt, honey and wine to the lamb and put into a slow oven for 2 hours. The lamb should be coming away from the bone when it is ready. Remove and put on to a dish and cover with tin foil.
Put the rest on top of the heat and add the molasses sugar and soy and reduce to a third until it becomes syrupy and able to coat the lamb knuckles. Strain through a fine sieve into a smaller saucepan.
Put the knuckles back into the oven proof dish, coat with sauce and roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Baste the knuckles in a couple of times while cooking.

With it we had lots of creamy mashed potatoes,steamed baby carrots and brussel sprouts.

Dessert was.........a simple pud done in the microwave!

Microwave Steamed Sponge Pudding
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Serves:6
2 Tbls marmalade
1/3 cup and 1 Tbls butter
1/2 cup castor sugar (superfine)
2 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup milk Lightly grease a 2 pint pudding bowl, place marmalade in the base. Using a beater, cream the butter and the sugar, slowly beat the eggs, add the flour, baking powder and milk. Mix until smooth. Pour into the basin. Microwave on high for 7 - 9 minutes. Serve with custard.

I hope you all have a great day
love
Julie