What to do with the leftover lamb roast. Sandwiches, sandwiches, dog.  Not anymore!    The inspiration for this recipe didn’t only come from the humble lamb roast but also from a wonderful local producer that I found at the Newcastle Farmers Markets.  The Pukara Estate Pomegranate Balsamic vinegar and Extra Virgin Olive Oil are to die for and paired with grilled lamb and mediterranean style veggies, rocket and quinoa this salad was an instant hit!  Head to  www.pukaraestate.com.au to see the wonderful selection of olive oils and vinegars they have available online or to find a stockist near you.

Prep time: 15 minutes                   Cooking time:  20 minutes              $ Low budget

Serves 4

1 Leftover lamb leg, sliced into thin strips (about 300gms)

1 bag of baby rocket leaves

1 yellow capsicum, ends removed and sliced into 4 large pieces

1 zucchini, ends removed and sliced diagonally

1 baby eggplant, ends removed and sliced diagonally

1 cup of quinoa

1 cup of pitted kalamata olives, halved

11/2 cups of water

1 punnet of grape or cherry tomatoes

1/2 a red onion, finely sliced…..top to bottom

A handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped

1/4 cup of Pukara Estate Pomegranate Vinegar

1/4 cup of Pukara Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper

Place the quinoa and water in a small saucepan with a pinch of salt.  Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low and pop a lid on.  Simmer for 12 minutes, remove from the heat and allow to rest for approximately 6 minutes before fluffing with a fork.  Don’t lift the lid before then as you will allow the steam to escape.

Heat a griddle pan to nice and hot and grill the capsicum, zucchini and eggplant in batches, until they are nice and caramelised.  No need to add any oil to them as the natural sugars in the veggies will give you that nice chargrilled look.  Once cooked place in a large bowl and set aside to cool slightly.  You will need to chop the capsicum into bite sized chunks.

In the same pan, grill the lamb pieces for a couple of minutes on each side.  Add the lamb to the bowl along with the cooked quinoa, olives, rocket leaves, mint and onion.  Toss the mixture gently with your hands so all the ingredients are combined.  Whisk the olive oil and vinegar in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.  Pour over the salad and toss gently.

Divide the salad among four nice serving bowls and serve……