Braised Lamb Shank

Ingredients

8 lamb shanks, trimmed
all-purpose flour for coating
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup red wine
2½ cups beef stock
400 g can crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp rosemary leaves
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
salt and pepper
mashed potatoes to serve

Method

1. Toss the lamb in flour, shaking off any excess.
2. Place 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add lamb and brown well. Remove and set aside.
3. Add the remaining oil to the pan. Cook the onions and garlic until golden. Return the lamb to the pan. Add wine, stock, tomatoes and rosemary. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
4. Remove the lamb and continue to simmer the sauce, uncovered for 10 minutes or until reduced and thickened.
5. Return the lamb to the pan. Add parsley, salt and pepper. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Donna Hay

In Pictures: Decorative Sushi

Kazari Maki Sushi

Sunday Funnies

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Three Cooks

Three cooks, one from Kentucky, one from California and one from Oregon were sitting on a park bench passing the time. Suddenly, the cook from Kentucky reaches under the bench and drags out a new bottle of bourbon, takes a big swig, tosses the bottle into the air and shoots it with a pistol.

“What did you do that for?” asks the cook from California.

“We got lots of bourbon in Kentucky,” was the reply.

Next the cook from California takes out a bottle of fine wine, takes a huge swig, throws the bottle into the air and shoots it with a pistol.

“What did you do that for?” asks the cook from Oregon.

“We got lots of wine in California,” was the reply.

The cook from Oregon takes out a bottle of Henry’s Private Reserve beer, takes a humongous swig and shoots the cook from California.

“What did you do that for?” asks the cook from Kentucky.

“We got lots of Californians in Oregon,” was the reply.

* * * * * * * *

Food

Customer: “Waiter, is this a lamb chop or a pork chop?”

Waiter: “Can’t you tell by the taste?”

Customer: “No, I can’t.”

Waiter: “Then what does it matter?”

* * * * * * * *

Got Nuts

A woman walks into a grocery store and asks the stock boy if he has any nuts.

The says, “No, ma’am.”

She says, “Well, do you have any

He replies, “Ma’am, if I don’t have nuts, do you really expect me to have dates?”

Menus for Heart-healthy Eating: Cut the Fat and Salt

Do you want to adopt a heart-healthy diet, but aren’t sure where to start? One way to begin is to create a daily meal plan that emphasizes vegetables, fruits and whole grains and limits high-fat foods (such as red meat, cheese and baked goods) and high-sodium foods (such as canned or processed foods).

Below are two days’ worth of heart-healthy menus. Use them as examples of heart-healthy eating.

Day 1 menu

Breakfast

1 cup cooked oatmeal, sprinkled with 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts and 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 banana
1 cup skim milk

Lunch

1 cup low-fat (1 percent or lower) plain yogurt with 1 teaspoon ground flaxseed
1/2 cup peach halves, canned in juice
5 Melba toast crackers
1 cup raw broccoli and cauliflower
2 tablespoons low-fat cream cheese, plain or vegetable flavor (as a spread for crackers or vegetable dip)
Sparkling water

Dinner
Grilled turkey burger (4 ounces) with a whole-grain bun
1/2 cup green beans with 1 tablespoon toasted almonds
2 cups mixed salad greens
2 tablespoons low-fat salad dressing
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1 cup skim milk
1 small orange

Snack
1 cup skim milk
9 animal crackers

* * * * * * * *

Day 2 menu

Breakfast

1 cup plain, low-fat yogurt, topped with 3/4 cup blueberries
3/4 cup calcium-fortified orange juice

Lunch

1 whole-wheat pita stuffed with 1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
1/2 cup sliced tomato
1/4 cup sliced cucumber
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
1 tablespoon reduced-fat ranch dressing
1 kiwi
1 cup skim milk

Dinner

Chicken stir-fry with eggplant and basil
1 cup brown rice with 1 tablespoon chopped dried apricots
1 cup steamed broccoli
4 ounces red wine or concord grape juice

Snack

3 graham cracker squares
1 cup fat-free frozen yogurt

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Nutrient Analysis

Nutrients	Day 1	Day 2
Calories	1,557	1,564
Total fat	45 g	23 g
Saturated fat	10 g	9 g
Monounsaturated fat	15 g	6 g
Cholesterol	89 mg	84 mg
Sodium	1,462 mg	1,318 mg
Total carbohydrate	218 g	262 g
Dietary fiber	25 g	24
Protein	82 g	67 g

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On both days, if you’re thirsty, drink water as a calorie-free way to hydrate.

Source: Mayo Clinic