We love lamb!

But when you're busy, no matter how much you might crave a mouth-watering roast, the last thing you feel like doing when you walk through the door is spending precious time slaving over a hot stove to produce your favourite evening meal.

Well you don't have to thanks to some quick and easy lamb recipes from British Meat, inspired by the exotic dishes that we typically enjoy eating on a night out.

Ranging from tangy citrus roast lamb with mashed potatoes, tasty slow roast lamb with tomato and red wine, and a taste of summers past with Mediterranean lamb chops, get set to spice up your kitchen with a selection of stunning culinary creations that really do take only moments to make.

The research -- carried out for British Meat -- found that, whilst people enjoy eating foreign food such as curries and stir-fries when they go to a restaurant, they are less tempted to try to reproduce them at home because they think the dishes are too difficult or time-consuming. But these recipes turn preparing authentic dishes such as Oriental roast lamb into a complete breeze.

There is no need to stick to conventional roast lamb with mint sauce -- top chef Phil Vickery, of Ready Steady Cook and This Morning fame, recommends lamb as the ideal meat to add a fresh twist to, simply because it is so versatile.

"Take a shoulder of lamb -- the beauty of this is that if you overcook it for an hour or so then it still tastes really nice. Mix together a touch of English mustard powder, some redcurrant jelly, chopped rosemary and fresh kumquats and smear the mixture all over the lamb joint about half way through cooking. For about 2.5 lbs of lamb, roast for about three hours. The lamb will become caramelised and beautifully glazed, which takes away the greasiness of the meat, as well as making it taste amazing."

According to James Martin, a regular on BBC's Housecall and Read Steady Cook, lamb is the most malleable of all meats, "Make incisions in the lamb and then rub salt, garlic and chilli flakes over the top. Or else, why not add orange marmalade which creates a glaze similar to that of adding honey glaze to ham."

And not only are lamb dishes easy and speedy to make, but late autumn is also the best time of year to buy and eat lamb: "There's no better time to be buying lamb, in terms of both quality and flavour," recommends Holland. When it comes to choosing the right cut of meat Martin advises: "There are a number of different lamb cuts you can use to produce fantastic roasts. A shoulder of lamb works just as well as a leg and is frequently favoured by chefs."

Citrus Roast Lamb

(Serves 4-6)

Lean lamb leg joint

Orange zest and juice

Garlic

Fresh rosemary

Oil

Orange marmalade

Gravy granules

Time to cook:

Medium: 25 minutes per 450g/1lb plus 25 minutes

Well done: 30 minute per 450g/1lb plus 30 minutes

Oven temperature: Gas mark 4-5/180C/350F

1. Take a 1.25kg/2.5lb lean lamb leg joint and make several slits into the joint. Mix together the zest of 1 orange, shredded, 2 cloves of garlic, sliced, and 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves taken off the stalk with 15ml (1tbsp) oil. Stuff this mixture into the slits, weigh the joint and calculate cooking time. Place onto a rack in a roasting tray and open roast in a preheated oven.

2. 10 - 15 minutes before the end of cooking time glaze the joint with 30ml (2tbsp) orange marmalade.

3. To make the gravy mix together 150ml (1/4 pint) of water with the juice of the orange and the juices from the pan (drain off any fat first). Add 15ml (1tbsp) orange marmalade, 15ml (1tbsp) fresh rosemary chopped, and 30ml (2tbsp) gravy granules. Bring to the boil and heat until thickened.

4. Serve with roast or mashed potato and roasted or steamed seasonal vegetables.

Mediterranean Lamb Chops

(Serves 2)

Lean lamb chops or cutlets

Fresh mint

Fresh rosemary

Garlic

Olive oil

Aubergine

Courgette

Red or yellow pepper

Feta cheese

Cherry tomatoes

Time to cook: 30 minutes

Oven temperature: Gas mark 4-5/180C/350F

1. Pound together (using a pestle and mortar or wooden spoon and bowl) 15ml (1tbsp) fresh mint, 15ml (1tbsp) fresh rosemary, and 2 cloves garlic, then mix with 15ml (1tbsp) olive oil. Smear over 4 lean lamb chops or cutlets.

2. Place 1 small aubergine, sliced, 1 courgette, sliced, and 1 red or yellow pepper, cut into large chunks into a baking tray. Drizzle with 15ml (1tbsp) olive oil and place lamb chops in top. Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.

3. Top the chops with 50g (2oz) feta cheese, crumbled, and add 250g (9oz) cherry tomatoes to the pan. Cook for further 10 minutes until cheese just starts to brown.

4. Serve with the roasted vegetables, toasted ciabatta bread and mixed leaf salad.