Middle Eastern Lamb and Spinach Rolls with Herbed Couscous

FOR A 4.5-5 LITRE SLOW COOKER. SERVES 4-6

A little like a dolmade, a little like a cabbage roll, this dish combining spinach and lamb has a different twist and flavour all its own. If you can’t find any spinach, silver beet will do just as well. Kale leaves could even be substituted, but their flavour will be stronger and a touch on the bitter side.

700g lamb mince

1 egg, lightly whisked

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1 onion, grated

½ teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons Worcestershire

2 teaspoons tomato chutney

250g large spinach leaves, washed and stalks removed

1 clove garlic, grated

125g tin red kidney beans, drained well

½–¾ cup Greek yoghurt, to serve

2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted in a moderate oven for 5 minutes and then chopped, to serve

For the Sauce

300g ripe fresh or tinned diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons tomato chutney

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce

For the Herbed Couscous

1½ cups couscous

1½ cups boiling water

2 tablespoons chopped herbs (mint, parsley and chives)

½ teaspoons salt

Combine the lamb, egg, breadcrumbs, onion, salt, sauces and chutney. Mix well.

Place the spinach leaves in a large saucepan with ¼ cup boiling water. Bring to the boil, cover, then reduce heat and cook for 2 minutes. Drain well, squeezing out as much liquid as possible.

Divide the filling mixture into eight roll shapes. Cut the spinach leaves to form eight pieces in total. Place each portion of meat onto a piece of spinach leaf and wrap to enclose into a roll. Place in the slow cooker.

To make the sauce, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and then pour over the rolls. Cover and cook on High for 4 hours or Low for 6–7 hours.

Close to serving time, to make the herbed couscous, place the couscous in a heatproof bowl, cover with the boiling water and leave for 7–10 minutes. Stir in the chopped herbs and salt and fluff up with a fork.

Remove the spinach rolls with a slotted spoon and keep hot. Turn cooker to High and then thicken the sauce if needed with some or all of the cornflour paste, cooking uncovered for 5 minutes more.

Add the garlic and kidney beans to the slow cooker. Cover and cook for 10 minutes more.

Serve the rolls on the herbed couscous, topped with the sauce, a dollop of yoghurt and a sprinkling of pine nuts.