Braised Lamb & Wholemeal Cream Cheese Dumplings

Lovely lamb on the menu today! This lamb dish combines braised lamb, simmered gently with vegetables and seasonings, then finished off in the oven with wholemeal dumplings and mozzarella cheese.

The wholemeal dumplings go great with this dish and are a great alternative to mash or pasta. They really fill you up and have a surprisingly 'meaty' consistency that goes well with the veg.

The following recipe makes two main course portions. The dumpling mixture makes approximately 18-20 dumplings.

Ingredients for the lamb

• 1½ pints of boiling water

• 2 chicken stock cubes, crumbled

• 1  heaped teaspoon of tomato puree

• 2 sweeteners

• 1 teaspoon of dried or fresh thyme

• 2 teaspoons of dried or fresh parsley

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 bouquet garni

• 4 sprays of Fry Light One Cal Spray Oil

• 300g Lamb. Trimmed of all visible fat and cubed

• 5g / 1 teaspoon of low fat butter spread

• 1 medium onion. Peeled and sliced

• 2 cloves of garlic. Peeled and finely chopped

• 2 medium carrots. Washed, topped, tailed, peeled and roughly chopped

• 2 sticks of celery. Washed, topped, tailed and roughly chopped

• Salt & pepper to taste

Ingredients for the dumplings

• 4 sprays of Fry Light One Cal Spray Oil

• 80g of low fat or extra low fat cream cheese

• 1 egg. Lightly beaten

• 80g of wholemeal flour

• 1 vegetable stock cube. Crumbled

• ½ a teaspoon of dried garlic granules

• 1 teaspoon of parsley 

Ingredients to complete the dish

• 40g of grated low fat mozzarella cheese (Low Low works very well).

• 1 teaspoon of parsley 

Method

1. Add the boiling water to a large pot and crumble in the stock cubes. Turn the heat to medium and add the puree, sweeteners, seasonings, bay leaf, bouquet garni. Stir to make sure all the ingredients are combined and let it bubble away.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan on a high heat and add 2 sprays of oil. Add half the lamb and fry for 3-5 minutes until browned. Transfer the lamb to the simmering stock.
3. Then, add the second 2 sprays of oil and fry the rest of the lamb until browned. Again, transfer to the stock when browned. If the lamb has left some residue on the pan, just add a splash of water to deglaze and add this to the simmering pot.
4. Next, reduce the heat to medium and add the butter. When it’s bubbling, add the onion. Stir gently for 3-5 minutes, until lightly coloured. Then add the garlic and continue to fry for a further minute. Add the onion and garlic mixture to the simmering stock.
5. Next, add the chopped carrots and fry gently for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned. You should lightly season the carrots with salt and pepper. Transfer the carrots to the simmering stock.
6. Next, add the chopped celery to the pan and fry gently for 5 minutes until lightly browned. You should lightly season the celery with salt and pepper. Also, transfer to the stock.
7. Stir to make sure all the additional ingredients are combined. Bring the pot back to the boil for a minute or so. Then reduce the heat to low/medium and partially cover the pot with a lid and leave to simmer for a minimum of 1 hour until the lamb is tender. You might need to add another splash of boiling water if the sauce is reducing quite a lot.
8. To make the dumplings. Line a baking tray with tin foil and add the spray oil.
9. Mix the cheese and egg together in a large bowl with a fork until they have a creamy consistency.
10. Mix the flour, stock cube, garlic granules and parsley together and fold into the cheese/egg mix. Mix together for a minute or so until well combined.
11. To shape the dumplings, take a teaspoon of the mixture and roll into a sausage shape approximately an inch and a half long in the palm of your hand. (Wetting your hand helps). Place on the baking tray and continue with the rest of the mixture.
12. When the lamb has been on for half an hour or so turn the oven to 180°C to bake the dumplings. Bake the dumplings for 20 minutes until golden brown, turning once. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
13. To complete the dish, turn the oven to 200°C When the lamb is done, remove the bay leaf and bouquet garni. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.
14. Transfer the lamb to an ovenproof dish, top with the dumplings and then sprinkle the grated mozzarella on top. Bake in the oven for approximately 10-15 minutes until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling.
15. Remove from the oven. Garnish with the chopped parsley and serve in warmed bowls.