Lamb with mushy, peas, feta, pine nuts and mint

Despite the fact that we've retired from full time work, it's been a busy weekend for the Good Things team. Yes, I suppose it could be said that every day is a weekend for us now. But, hey, we've worked extremely hard our entire lives and now is our time to enjoy life to the max. 

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We've been swimming, shopping, booking travel, gardening, cooking, catching up with friends and family—as well as reading (newspapers, books and blogs), researching our family history, watching movies and just sitting outside under the shade of our umbrella sipping on a glass of wine. There are still plenty of items on our list of 'things to do' and I think we're blessed that we have a week with nothing in particular on the agenda. So perhaps we'll get around to some of those other matters. But it won't matter if we don't. Gone are the days of performance reviews and deadlines. Hallelujah for that! 

Anyhoo, at the end of a busy weekend, there is nothing I love more than 'shaking the fridge' in order to prepare a fresh, fast and tasty meal, such as the one I'm sharing here. This dish is my adaptation of a recipe by the fabulous Australian food writer and cookbook author, Valli Little. I think I originally saw it in a delicious magazine several years ago and it's been a showstopper on my repertoire ever since. For the life of me, I can no longer find the original publication, but it's so easy to prepare that I've shared here my quantities to serve two. I love the balance of flavours between the lean lamb, the partly-mashed peas, the pine nuts, the lemon, the oil, the mint and the feta. And, as you can see, it's absolutely fresh and delicious. 

LAMB WITH MUSHY PEAS, FETA, PINE NUTS AND MINT
2 lamb back straps
sea salt and cracked black pepper
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 tablespoon pine nuts, lightly toasted
2 tablespoons Persian feta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 a fresh lemon
a sprig of fresh mint, finely sliced
salad and hummus, to serve as an accompaniment

Heat a grill pan or BBQ and start cooking the lamb back straps, which you have brushed with a little of the oil. Meanwhile, cook the peas in a small pan of salted water, then drain them, mash them gently and keep them warm. 

When the lamb is ready, season it with the sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Plate the lamb, then spoon over the mushy peas. Crumble the feta over the top, sprinkle with the pine nuts. Drizzle (yes, I use this word and love it!) with olive oil and lemon juice and finish off with the sliced mint. Serve immediately with a side salad and hummus. Serves 2. 

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So tell me dear readers, how was your weekend and what have you been doing? Are you weekends jam-packed or do you schedule time for rest and relaxation? Thank you for taking the time to pop in and leave a comment. I really appreciate it.