Slow cooked lamb shanks

Ingredients: 1 tsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 fresh chilli - de-seeded and finely chopped, 4 garlic cloves, 50 ml sunflower oil, grated rind of 1 lime, 2 lamb shanks, 1 onion - chopped, 2 carrots - chopped, 2 celery sticks - chopped, 1 lime - chopped, 300 ml beef stock, 2 fresh mint springs, 2 fresh rosemary springs, salt, pepper.

Dry-fry the coriander and cumin seeds until fragrant.

Pound the seeds with the cinnamon, chilli and 2 garlic cloves.

Stir in half the oil and lime rind. Rub the paste all over the lamb and marinate it for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven at 200° C. Heat the remaining oil in a pan and cook the lamb, turning frequently, until browned.

Put the lamb in an oven-proof casserole. Fry the garlic, onions, carrots, celery and lime.

Add the beef stock and bring to a boil. Pour everything over the lamb. Cook in the oven for 3 hours.

Chocolate muffins

For chocolate lovers all over the world! these are the best I have baked until now, and trust me, I've done my fair share.

Ingredients: 250 g butter, 190 g caster sugar, 5 eggs, 250 g strong flour, 20 g baking powder, 60 ml milk, 100 g chocolate chips, 150 g drinking chocolate.

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar, until white and fluffy.

Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well.

Add the flour and baking powder. Fold together until well blended.

Add in the milk and drinking chocolate and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Preheat the oven at 200° C. Pour the chocolate mix into a muffin tray.

Bake for 15 - 20 min, until cooked through and risen.

Meatballs with tomato sauce and mashed potatoes

Ingredients: 400 g beef mince, 1 onion - finely chopped, 3 garlic cloves - finely chopped, bunch of parsley leaves - chopped, salt, 1 bay leaf, pepper, potatoes, milk, butter, 400 g canned tomatoes.

Mix the meat with pepper, salt, parsley, onion and garlic. Prepare small round meatballs from the mixture. Fry them in a little bit of oil until golden all around.

Prepare a tomato sauce from the canned tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the bay leaf. Pour in the meatballs.  Let them moist in the sauce for 10 min.

Serve with mashed potatoes. For creamy mash, add both milk and butter to the boiled potatoes.