RECIPE: A delicious winter meal plan, perfect for entertaining

It's the weekend and if you are like me at all and love entertaining you will enjoy this simple meal plan to spoil your friends and family. As always it is fairly quick and easy. Serves 4 comfortably. The meal consists of:

Spinach, mushroom and avocado salad (celebrating that avo's are in season and not R15,00 each anymore!)

Butternut risotto

"Rack" of lamb

Apple pie (for pudding)

Spinach, mushroom and avocado salad

Fry 1 punnet of sliced mushrooms in a little butter. Add 2 spring onions (sliced) and saute. Season with a little garlic or herbs for a little flavour. Place spinach leaves and 2 sliced and peeled avocado's on a platter. Place mushrooms on top and season with pumpkin seeds and some black pepper.

Butternut risotto

Boil 1/2 cubed butternut until soft in a small pot. Fry butternut shavings (optional) and set aside. Heat a glug of olive oil in a deep pan and fry one finely chopped onion until soft. Add 500ml arborio (risotto) rice and 250ml dry white wine and cook for a minute or two. Pour over 1,5L vegetable stock, add butternut cubes, stir and cover with foil. Bake on 180 degrees C for 15 minutes. Remove foil, stir and back for 35 minutes. Stir through 125 ml grated parmesan, butternut shavings and parsley (optional).

"Rack" of lamb

Place 8 small lamb chops on a grilling rack over a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and season with rosemary, salt, pepper and garlic (optional). Grill in oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, turn over and reseason lamb chops. Place back in oven and grill until lamb starts to crisp but not burn.

Apple Pie

Cream 125g butter and 125ml castor sugar. Add 1 extra large egg and beat until light anf fluffy. Sift 250ml Self Raising Flour and 2ml salt. Fold into butter mixture alternately with 125ml milk. Turn into a greased 23cm pie dish. Arrange a 385g can of sliced pie apples on top of the mixture. Mix 15ml sugar and 3ml ground cinnamon and sprinkle over the apples. Bake in preheated oven at 180 degrees C for 40 minutes. Heat 60ml sugar and 45ml milk, bring to the boil until sugar has melted. Remove from heat and add essence. Pour over apple pie when removed from oven. Serve hot with custard, if desired.

Advice: Make salad. Follow rack of lamb recipe and then reduce oven to 180 degrees C to cook risotto. Put chops back in the oven for a few minutes before serving. Place apple pie in oven while you serve main course. Serve salad with a balsamic dressing and offer white as well as red wine to accompany the meal.