Every now and then we go on a long road trip, arriving late, and wanting to simply warm something up quickly whilst unwinding in a hot bath, with a warming, welcoming glass of red. A favourite always used to be A Sort of Cypriot Pasticcio, but recently we have changed allegiances to this.

It’s a complete meal in a roasting tin – no need for any extra carbs, the beans provide the energy.

Recipe for lamb chops with cannellini beans, black olives and artichoke hearts

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 x stalks of cherry tomatoes
• 1 jar char grilled artichokes – 160g/6 oz drained weight – in olive oil – NB don’t drain
• 110g/4 oz Crespo pitted black olives
• 400g/14 oz approx. lamb chops (two large ones each)
• a couple of springs of rosemary
• 1 x 400g/14 oz tin cannellini beans
• 1 fat clove of garlic, peeled and crushed with ½ tsp smoked salt
• juice and zest of a lemon
• a few basil leaves

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Use a little of the artichoke oil to oil a roasting tin, and place the tomatoes (still on their vine), the olives, and the artichokes (leaving the oil) onto it. If the artichokes are whole, cut them into quarters, lengthways.
3. Oil the lamb chops and then smother them with the garlic-salt mix.
4. Push them in between the tomatoes and artichokes, and tuck in tufts of rosemary in between.
5. Put the lot in the oven for 20 minutes. You may need longer if you have thick chops, but not if you are going to reheat this.
6. Leave the meat to rest for about five minutes before serving with the basil leaves torn over.