I live in Sydney, Australia. We are one of the most multicultural cities per head of population in the world and as a result, have many varieties of foods. We also live in a country that is considered wealthy so unfortunately a lot of food get’s wasted but companies are starting to recognise this. Companies like Auss Harvest pick up unwanted foods from shopping centres and food that would be considered not such high quality so that they can prepare meals for families doing it tough, which is a wonderful project and a step in the right direction. Also, our fisheries departments here are stopping farming fish in the same areas to let the fish regroup and this has been very successful with keeping the numbers up for future generations.
The one thing that influences our food is the extreme weather as we go from severe drought in one part of the country so the farmers’ crops and feed for the animals are affected to a tropical cyclone(only last week) in northern Queensland which has affected banana crops and in turn will affect the farmer and the prices at the checkout. So Australia has many challenges because of weather extremes.
Quick and Simple Roast Lamb with Veggies and gravy
Ingredients
lamb:
1.5 kg lamb
Ex virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 large sprigs of rosemary (chopped into small sprigs)
3 garlic cloves (sliced thinly)
Vegetables:
Your choice
Gravy:
Instant (easy)
Lamb:
- Pre-heat oven 180C fan forced.
- Get lamb out of packaging, wash with running water and dry completely with kitchen paper and stand on a board. Cut lots of little holes all over lamb.
Drizzle lamb with olive oil and sprinkle with S & P all over the lamb and then push a small
sprig of rosemary and a slither of garlic into each hole.
- Put lamb in oven for 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Put onto clean chopping board, let rest for approx 10 minutes, carve and serve
Veggies:
- Put Potatoes, sweet potato, pumpkin, carrots or any vegetable to your liking on a greased tray or baking dish, drizzle ex virgin olive oil, S & P over them.
- Cook with meat, approx 1 hour 30 minutes, less if you don’t like them well cooked.
- Boil or steam i.e Peas/green beans etc., that you wouldn’t want roasted.
Gravy:
Instant.
This meal still ranks in the top ten of Aussie meals and is known to bring the kids home for mum’s Sunday roast.
I still cook a Sunday roast as it has been a tradition for me since I was a child in England and I often have memories of smelling the roasts in the air on a Sunday while the church bells rang.
In England we had it for lunch; here in Australia, for dinner.