Sunday is my very favourite day of the week. I make an effort not to over-schedule Sundays which at times can be a little tricky especially in a household of eight; six of whom are energetic, enthusiastic, growing children. Oh and don’t even get me started about the dog, who has maintained her fascination with fresh basil, gobbling up every last leaf in my herb garden. 

Sunday is the one day in the school and working week when I do not feel rushed when cooking. I can actually potter about, peruse my collection of recipes – some from cookbooks, others scrawled on mismatched scraps of paper – and then meander my way through preparing a meal or dabble in a bit of baking bliss. It is even more enjoyable when I am able to share the cooking with my mum, exchange ideas, ingredients and methods and have a good laugh along the way. Mum headed back to Perth today after spending a week with us and before she left, we enjoyed this Tender, Tasty Lamb Casserole with Saffron Raisin Rice for lunch. The rice is best made using a rice cooker. Once you add the long grain rice – I used 4 cups to serve 8 people – include 1/2 teaspoon of saffron threads, a handful of plump raisins and 30 grams of unsalted butter. The flavours from these ingredients will infuse the rice, which needs to be fluffed up with a fork once ready to serve. 

Whether you are cooking for many or a few, having a collection of casserole recipes will make home cooking so much more manageable. A casserole almost cooks itself. It leaves a wonderfully comforting aroma in the house, leftovers always taste sensational the next day and can even be frozen for up to a month. According to my three older children, popular singer, songwriter and musician Taylor Swift cites the not-so-humble casserole as a favourite comfort food. I think she would be particularly impressed by this one which my mum and I served up with slightly sour plain yoghurt.  

Tender, Tasty Lamb Casserole to serve 8 – 10 people

Ingredients
olive oil
1 large Spanish onion finely diced
3 cloves garlic crushed
3 large carrots cut into bite sized pieces
2 kg diced lamb (shoulder and leg) tossed in 1.5 tablespoons plain flour
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon each of ground cinnamon and ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon dried chillies – you may like to double this if cooking only for adults, but I find my littlest ones are not able to stomach too much chilli.
1 tablespoon runny honey
sea salt and black pepper to taste
500 ml tap water

Preheat oven to 160 degrees on a conventional setting. 

Heat up a decent splash of olive oil in an oven-proof pot and sauté all of the veggies for about 5 minutes over a medium heat with the spices. 

Add the lamb and the flour and brown it quickly in the pot. You do not need to remove the veggies when doing this. Just keep stirring to avoid anything sticking.

Add the honey, salt and pepper and water. Stir to combine and bring briefly to the boil. Clamp on the lid and place in the oven to cook for about 2.5 – 3 hours depending on the size of your lamb pieces. When ready, remove from the oven, serve up and enjoy how the tender, delicately flavoured lamb melts in your mouth.

Now for something sweet…

The Buttery Fluffy Citrus Cake pictured in the background of the photograph above had just been pulled out of the oven. I was desperately trying to keep at bay the many little hands keen to pick up and sample a slice. Ordinarily I would dish up generous portions to my brood, but today I had made this supremely moist, soft cake for a lovely family who had kindly invited us over for afternoon tea. 

The recipe is a variation on a version from The Australian Women’s Weekly Cake Stall Cookbook. I have made this multiple times in its original form and with the variation listed below. Just before wrapping the cake, I drizzled over a simple Icing Glaze made by whisking until smooth, 2 cups of icing sugar mixture with about 4 tablespoons of boiling water. This sets very quickly, so pour the glaze over in one go to achieve an even finish. Do not allow yourself to be distracted from the task by a barking dog standing on the outside table, a child who has put their sandals on the wrong feet, or another child asking for help with tuning their cello. 

Citrus Cake to serve 12 people

Ingredients
250 g softened unsalted butter
330 g caster sugar
finely grated rind of 1 orange, 1 lemon, 1 lime
4 large free range or organic eggs
juice from the orange, lemon and lime (about 185 mls) – you may need to use squeeze an extra lemon but see how you go. 
250 g self raising flour
50 g plain flour

Preheat oven to 160 degrees on a conventional setting. Lightly grease a 23 cm springform baking tin with butter and line with baking paper. It is important to use the correct sized tin to avoid the cake under or overcooking.

Using a freestanding mixer like a KitchenAid or a handheld electric mixer, beat together the butter, sugar and citrus rinds until a very pale, pastel lemon colour. 

Add the eggs and beat in until combined. I add them all at once. 

Add the citrus juices and the flour and beat again until smooth, creamy and combined. 

Scrape into your prepared tin and bake for 70 minutes, until the cake comes away from the sides of the tin and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. 

Leave to cool in the tin for at least 10 minutes, then place on a cake rack to cool completely – that is if you can wait that long before devouring a slice.