Eating porridge in the morning is one of the most perfect ways to set your body up for the rest of the day. It is high in complex carbohydrates and provides the body with slow releasing energy. In the last few years porridge has slowly become one of the hottest super foods, and understandably so, the oats have so many health benefits that they are often linked to long and healthy lifestyles.
Here are just a few benefits of porridge, it can help dieting, prevents childhood obesity, helps concentration, heals the skin, improves sex life, and can even beat depression!
I'm going to write a bit about my thoughts on milk and the whole dairy industry issue, but for now let me just recommend that you make your porridge with water and if you can't avoid milk, at least try goats, or soya.
Apple and Cinnamon Porridge
1 Cup of porridge oats
2 and a half cups of water
1 Large apple grated
A good sprinkling of Cinnamon powder
A quick drizzle of honey
I know some of you may be thinking this is hardly rocket science, but porridge can get a bit boring to eat so, I always try and experiment a little to make it that bit more interesting. You can do this in the microwave or on a stove.
Microwave: Combine the oats and water and place in microwave for about 4 minutes or until you get the desired consistency. Then add the grated apple, sprinkle with cinnamon, drizzle the honey and serve straight away.
Pot: Combine the water and the oats int he pot and place over heat, stir continuously usually takes about ten mins to get the right consistency, Then add the grated apple, sprinkle with cinnamon, drizzle the honey and serve straight away.
A pretty simple and easy breakie with an interesting texture from the apple.
I am still playing catch up with all the photos from the last few weeks, so you will have to excuse me if my timeline is slightly skewed! We were in Sweden to celebrate Sofie's grandad's 80th and on the day of his birthday, we all rented snow mobiles and went on a guided snow mobile safari through an amazing snow covered forest. We drove to this little cabin in the woods which had a blazing fire going and we were given sticks to cook hot dogs on!
I had made a chocolate fudge birthday cake and after everyone had had a slice and we had sung happy birthday in both English and Swedish we were ushered into a changing room to get ready for an outdoor hot bath. Everyone sat in a massive indoor sauna to get really hot and then when I was adequately cooked I was sent out to tip toe across the freezing wooden floor to jump into a massive wooden bath filled with water at 42 degrees! Not being used to any of this my weak Irish body was ready for a serious lie down after but when were done, I was hoisting myself back up on the snow mobile for the journey back!
One of Sweden's big things in my experience is that they love their dairy products, and cheese is served at breakfast on a daily basis, so it can get a little heavy going. Plus I'm more a porridge with honey and cinnamon type of guy when it comes to breakfast, so I did bake these little muffins to keep myself going. They went down well with the Swedes too! :)
Big Boy Apple Breakfast Muffins I made these lovely muffins when we were in Sweden skiing. They are like a whole breakfast in one muffin, with everything you could need, porridge oats, raisins, apple and yoghurt oh my! To make the cool paper cases in the photos, cut squares of parchment paper, wrap them around a tumbler glass and tie them tightly with some kitchen string. Then simply remove the glass and your left with really cool homemade paper cases!
Makes 12-16 muffins 3 teaspoons of baking powder 1 teaspoon of ground ginger 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon 150g of flour 150g of rolled oats 4 eggs 125ml of natural yoghurt 240g of honey 4 apples, cored, peeled and chopped in small chunks 110g of raisins A few slices of apple and a sprinkle of brown sugar to top the muffins
Preheat the oven to 190oC/Gas Mark 5. Place baking cases on a baking tray. Sift the flour, baking powder, ginger and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl and stir through the rolled oats. Mix the natural yoghurt and honey in a large measuring jug until combined. Separate the eggs, placing the whites in a large steel bowl and the yolks in with the yoghurt and honey. Make a well in to the oats and flour bowl and pour the yoghurt, honey and egg mix and raisin and apple chunks in. Using a wooden spoon mix gently until everything is combined. Using a whisk, beat the egg whites until soft white peaks form, then gently tip this in to the muffin mix and fold through gently until it is evenly incorporated. Spoon heaped tablespoons of the mix into the paper cases and place a slice of apple and a sprinkle of brown sugar on top. Place in the oven to bake for around 25 minutes.
I am not a big alcohol drinker, I never have been, mainly due to being a complete lightweight, who feels the effects of it after one glass! Unlike many other fellas my age I don't love beer and generally stick to spirits if I am drinking on a night out. Which leads me on to my little confession... I have a, not so secret, penchant for cocktails! I have no shame in ordering an apple martini or a mohito while everyone around me is skulling pints and generally don't care if the glass is frosted with pink sugar or if a tropical mini umbrella has been elegantly plopped in the glass. I just feel if I am going to spend money on alcohol it might as well be worth it and have a sense of occassion about it. Probably one of the best things I have done for nights in, with friends over has been, to create my homemade versions of my favourite cocktails. Check out this quick and easy recipe for Strawberry Daiquiris. If you aren't big on specific measurements think of the recipe as, half rum, half apple juice, a handful of strawberries, a tablespoon of caster sugar and a handful of ice cubes- blitz and enjoy!
Simple Strawberry Daiquiris In my opinion nothing is more impressive than a good cocktail at a dinner party, to get a great night started! Now although strawberry daiquiris may not be the most manly of cocktails, they are my drink of choice and this is my recipe for foolproof super tasty daiquiris. Though I have to add, this recipe does come with a warning, once you learn it, you may find yourself making them all too often! I use frozen strawberries here as it is so convenient to have a few packets of them stocked up in the freezer. Using frozen berries means you end up with a really delicious slush and you can also use any other frozen berries in this mix, so experiment with the ingredients!
Serves 6 400g strawberries, frozen 300ml white rum 300ml pressed apple juice 1 tablespoon of caster sugar A small handful of ice cubes
Place the strawberries and ice cubes in a food processor, pour in the apple juice, rum and sprinkle in the sugar. Blitz for about 30 seconds until you get a smooth slushy mixture. Taste a teaspoonful as you may need to add a little more sugar to taste. Serve in frosted cocktail glasses, it's the only way to enjoy them!
After a fairly busy weekend the majority of my worldly belongings have been moved into our new house! The bad news we got today however is that it's going to take a whopping 25 days to get broadband installed in the house because there hasn't been a line there since 1994. So a life of robbing other peoples internet is what's on the cards for the next 25 days. Which isn't a bad thing really, I mean I would get far more things done if I wasn't drooling over my new favourite food blog What Katie Ate and talking crap on twitter. The truth is that I will probably far more focused now on cooking in the kitchen without my laptop keys getting covered in flour, corners nearly being singed and screen getting a lovely smattering of grease.
We should really talk about the kitchen, it is a bit of a work in progress but there is lots and lots of light and space so in the next few days I'll be adding a few touches to make it perfect and then you most definitely will be due a photo or two. Very exciting stuff! The other advantage this new lovely house has is a big back garden, which at the moment looks like an overgrown jungle, but with a bit of work, by next spring will make the perfect little vegetable garden! Right enough new house talk how about a recipe?
Rustic Apple and Blackberry Galettes These are one of my favorite little autumnal (yes I said autumnal, it rolls off the tongue doesn't it!) desserts, because they are really easy and make you look like a baking genius, when, realistically all you do is make some pastry and fill it with apples and blackberries. No messing around with blind baking, pie tins, or fancy latticing here, this is a no fuss dessert which you have to serve with cream or, even better, a soft scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Serves 4 Pastry: 250g of plain flour 3 tablespoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 140g of chilled butter, cut into pieces 1 large egg yolk 3 tablespoons of cold water
Filling: 250g of blackberries 250g of cooking apples, peeled and sliced thinly 4 tablespoons of light brown sugar A good squeeze of lemon juice 1 egg whisked together with a drop of milk to brush on the galettes
Add the flour, sugar, salt and butter to a mixing bowl. Using your fingertips, combine the dry ingredients with the butter, until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. This can take time, but don't worry the mixture will come together. Add the egg yolk and water and form the dough using your hands. Press the dough into a sausage shape and cover it in clingfilm, place in the fridge to chill for at least 30-40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 190oC/Gas mark 5. Mix together the blackberries, apples, sugar, and lemon juice in a bowl and set aside. Split the dough in four and roll each quarter out into 6"/15cm circles on a floured work surface with a rolling pin. Transfer the rounds to a baking sheet with a non stick surface. Add a handful of the blackberry apple mix to the centre of each pastry circle and fold the sides of the pastry up and over the sides of the fruit mix. Brush with the pastry with egg wash and place in the oven to bake for 20-30 minutes. Allow to cool before serving with a dollop of thick, cool whipped cream and dust with a little icing sugar.
The blog and book got a great mention in today's Irish Independent LoveFood magazine. This recipe was used and I have been saving it especially until the piece was published! So here to get you in the Christmas spirit, is my Christmas Mince Pie Star Slices!
Christmas Mince Pie Star Slices
These mince pie slices are a wonderful alternative to the traditional mince pie. Use your own mince meat recipe here if you have one, if not most supermarkets stock handy jars of the stuff!
Serves 4-6 For the pastry: 170g flour 1 teaspoon of cinnamon 100g cold butter, cut into small chunks 1 tablespoon of caster sugar 1 egg yolk 2 tablespoons of water
For the filling: 420g jar of mince meat 1 large cooking apple, peeled and cored A sprinkle of brown sugar
Place the flour and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub in using your finger tips until you have a rough breadcrumb like mixture. Don't worry it will come together! Add the sugar and the egg yolk and mix through with a spoon. Add the water slowly until a dough comes together. Form a ball with your hands, cover in cling film and place in the fridge to chill for at least 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200oC/Gas Mark 6. Chop the apple into small rough slices and combine in a bowl with the mince meat. Roll the pastry dough out to about half a centimetre in thickness and line a fluted tart tin with it. Make sure to cut out little stars from the pastry to decorate with later! Prick the base with a fork and fill with baking paper and ceramic baking beans. Place in the oven and blind bake for 10 minutes, remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 5 minutes. Fill the pastry base with the apple and mincemeat mixture and top with the pastry stars and a sprinkle of brown sugar. Bake in the oven for approximately 15 minutes or until the pastry turns golden brown. Serve cut into slices with a drizzle of cream!
We have guests staying with us in our new place this week and one of my favourite things that happens when people stay over is that breakfast time becomes a bit more of an occasion. While most mornings are spent rushing around desperately trying to shove a piece of toast into your gob while you struggle to put on your shoes, the beauty of guests means there is a bit more pressure to entertain in the morning. I don't mean firing up the hob and pulling out a full Irish brekkie, as tempting as that is, I'm talking about being a little more creative. This week we had blueberry pancakes (batter easily thrown together the night before and popped in the fridge), fruit salad and these delicious and highly addictive Caramel Apple Granola Pots. At this time of year, with its dark, miserable mornings there is even more reason to go all out and make a big deal of your first meal of the day. I find the key to making sure you eat well in the morning is a little bit of preparation just before you go to bed; decide what you want to eat and lay out the ingredients you need, so you can switch to autopilot in the AM! These little granola pots will make the perfect little weekend breakfast so get cooking!
Caramel Apple Granola Pots I admit that this is quite a sweet breakfast but it is quite filling with the addition of granola. You can buy premade granola or else toast some rolled oats with some honey, cinnamon, and raisins in the oven until golden. It will store quite nicely in an airtight jar for use throughout the week so I often make a double batch.
Serves 4 For the caramel apples: 75g of butter 5 tablespoons of golden syrup 3 golden delicious apples, peeled and cored 1 tablespoon of caster sugar 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
To serve: Handful of Granola per person 2 tablespoons of Vanilla yoghurt per person
In a small sauce pan bring the butter and golden syrup to the boil. Allow to simmer and bubble for approximately 4-5 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Set aside. Chop the apples into chunky slices. Melt a knob of butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the apples slices. Sprinkle over the cinnamon and caster sugar, toss to combine. Fry the apples, tossing every now and then until you get a nice golden colour on all sides and they have become soft (About 3-4 minutes either side). When the apples are ready, add them to the butter and golden syrup sauce and stir gently to combine. Layer the caramel apples with granola and yoghurt in small glasses and serve straight away.
Happy Pancake Tuesday! I hope you have your batter ready! If not find the recipe in the post below. This caramel apple sauce is perfect for pancakes and ideal to jazz up pancake Tuesday. I'm in Stockholm and away from the kitchen this week so have a few pancakes on me.
Caramel Apple Sauce I originally made this to go with pancakes but it works so well as part of other desserts like waffles, ice cream, and even my American style oaty pancakes!
75g of butter. 5 tablespoons of golden syrup. 3 golden delicious apples, peeled and cored. 1 tablespoon of caster sugar. 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder.
In a small sauce pan bring the butter and golden syrup to the boil. Allow to simmer and bubble for approximately 4-5 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Set aside. Chop the apples into chunky slices. Melt a knob of butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the apples slices. Sprinkle over the cinnamon and caster sugar, toss to combine. Fry the apples, tossing every now and then until you get a nice golden colour on all sides and they have become soft (About 3-4 minutes either side). When the apples are ready, add them to the butter and golden syrup sauce and stir gently to combine. Serve the sauce with homemade pancakes and some sneaky vanilla ice cream!
Blackberry picking always reminds me of my childhood. Quiet late summer evenings were spent grazing the edges of golden fields, slowly wandering down the sides of little lane ways in search of overgrown brambles full and heavy with blackberries ripe for the picking. Time was spent in comfortable silences with my mom, as we focused on finding the biggest, plumpest fruits on offer, quickly passing over the bushes which had already been scoured by fellow, free, berry hunters. With a warm smile she would bend down the brambles of the higher bushes, so I could reach them and squeeze the little black pearls off into my red bucket, being extraordinarily careful so not to get pricked by the giant thorns.
By the end of a long evening out in the open, with pink stained fingers, we would bring the buckets, heavy with our bounty, back through the dusk light to the kitchen. I would be occupied with stirring the pot, standing on a stool, while she got on with making fresh scones. All the while the comforting smells of hot blackberries wafted around the room. Cold butter melting rapidly on a freshly baked warm scone, served with a little runny blackberry jam was always the best way to end those evenings.
Homemade Blackberry and Apple Tart
(Adapted from FoodandWine.com) I absolutely love the look of this pie, it is the epitome of everything home baking should be- local ingredients, homemade pastry and little bit of love and care thrown in for good measure! If you can't get your hands on cooking apples, pears also work nicely in this tart.
Serves 6-8 Pastry: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup sugar Pinch of salt 170g cold butter, cut into cubes 2 large egg yolks mixed with 3 tablespoons water
Filling: 750g blackberries 750g cooking apples, peeled cored and sliced into small chunks 100g cup granulated sugar 35g flour 1 large egg yolk, mixed with 1 tablespoon water A little extra sprinkle of sugar on top
In a mixing bowl, using your fingertips, combine the dry ingredients with the butter, until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. It takes a few minutes but it will eventually come together. Add the egg yolk mixture and combine until you get large clumps. Turn the pastry out onto a work surface and form it into a disc. Wrap the pastry in cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. Make sure to take the pastry out and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out two-thirds of the pastry to an 11 1/2-inch round. Gently lift the pastry with a tray or the rolling pin and transfer it to a 9-inch tart pan 1 inch deep. Press into the pan, folding in the overhanging dough to reinforce the sides. Trim the overhang and knead the scraps into the remaining dough. Dust the work surface with flour again and roll out the remaining pastry to a 9 1/2-inch round. Using a pastry wheel, cut the round into 3/4-inch-wide strips.
Preheat the oven to 180°C. In a bowl, toss the blackberries, apples, sugar and flour; spoon into the tart shell. Scatter the butter on top. Arrange the strips over the berries in a lattice pattern, pressing the ends onto the pastry rim. (Just think over under and start from one corner of the pie) Trim any excess pastry. Brush the lattice with the egg yolk mixture and sprinkle with a little extra sugar.
Bake the tart for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until the pastry is golden and the juices are bubbling. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool.
This is what we woke up to this morning. Now if that doesn't get you going on a Monday morning I don't know what will! After a pretty unsettled couple of weeks were back on track with a healthy lifestyle starting with a nice healthy jog last night, unfortunately I know it's going to be broken up yet again when we hit Sweden on Friday!
This is a great breakfast to start the week. So many people forget about breakfast, but when your mother told you to eat it, she was right! When you think about it logically, your body hasn't received any nutrients since the night before and is therefore running practically on empty! When you wait till twelve to nourish your body you have wasted a whole morning, when you could have had your body full of nutrients releasing energy.
As a general rule it is always better to eat something for breakfast rather than nothing. People who are making the time excuse generally aren't being realistic, I made this breakfast and ate it in 20 mins and it was a fairly big one, every person can make the time in the morning, by setting the alarm that little bit earlier.
Getting out of bed is a mental thing, when the alarm goes off I get straight out of bed and don't leave myself time to consider those extra few minutes I could waste by staying there. Try it tomorrow, just get straight up when the alarm rings, it's not that hard and you feel great about yourself too! Well that's what I told the girlfriend when I dragged her out of bed this morning! :)
Mixed Fruit Smoothie
1/2 cup of Mixed Frozen Berries
1 Banana
Orange or Apple Juice (not from concentrate)
I always keep some frozen mixed berries (Boylan's) which you can get in most supermarkets these days, as there perfect for smoothies because they last for a long time in the freezer. Throw the Berries in a container with the banana and fill the container up as far as the berries with Orange or Apple juice.
Then blend and serve, it's really quick and really easy.
Everyone has their favourite way of enjoying pancakes, personally I love them nice and simple with a sprinkle of sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice, sweet and fresh! Generally the more simple ideas seem to work when it comes to serving up really tasty pancakes and to be honest nothing gets more simple than a spread of nutella and scattering of chopped toasted hazelnuts. To make life easy zap the nutella in the microwave for about 30 seconds and it will be much easier to spread or drizzle! I posted this basic pancake recipe I use all the time last year but in case you're looking for one today here it is again. If you're not a chocolate fan, why not try these caramel apple pancakes!
Basic Pancake Recipe You can easily make this batter the night before to save time in the morning. Have a little melted butter in a bowl and some kitchen paper so you can wipe the pan before adding a ladle of the batter.
Makes 12-14 pancakes 110g of plain flour. A pinch of salt. 2 large eggs. 200ml of milk. 75ml of water. 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl and with a spoon make a well in the center. Break the eggs into the well and using a whisk slowly incorporate them with the flour. Don't worry too much about lumps as they should disappear when you add the rest of the liquid. Gradually add the milk and water until you have a light batter. Heat a little butter in your frying pan over a hot heat, and add 2 tablespoons of melted butter to the batter, stir through to combine. Add a ladle full of the batter to the hot pan and move from side to side until it evenly covers the surface of the pan. Reduce the heat and cook for about a minute each side or until the batter begins to take a nice golden colour. Feel free to try your hand at flipping half way through! Serve straight away with your filling of choice, or try the classic filling of lemon juice and sugar. You can cook all the batter off and save the pancakes for later. Simply layer the crepes on top each other, cover with some cling film and store in the fridge. They should heat up well in a microwave.
The lovely Elisabeth Ryan from Sheridans has passed me on some interesting notes on each of the cheeses she suggested for the Christmas cheese board the other day. To be honest I have just discovered an appreciation for cheese myself and I am finding this latest food discovery absolutely fascinating, there is so many back stories to each one, so have a quick read!
Stilton
Alongside Cheddar, Stilton is the best known of all English cheeses. Unlike Cheddar, however, Stilton’s name protected status has prevented the proliferation of imitators which has blighted the image of cheddar as a quality, artisanal cheese. The Colston Bassett Dairy stands out amongst these producers for the consistently high quality of its Stilton, if Stilton is the King of Cheeses then Colston Bassett are the Kings of Stilton Production. Colston Bassett Dairy was established as a local farmers cooperative in 1913 with the specific intention of making Stilton. The dairy makes every effort to keep all aspects of production as close to traditional practices as possible. It takes 72 litres of milk to make a standard 6.5kg wheel of Stilton. The milk is pasteurized upon arrival at the dairy- all Stilton has been pasteurized since 1990- it is then cooled to 30 degrees and put into vats. Here starter and penicillum roqueforti, the blue mould culture are added. Vegetarian rennet is then used to set the curds, which are cut an hour later. The mixture is then left to settle, thus allowing the curds to separate from the whey. The whey is drained off and the curds are ladled into trays for the night. The next day the curd is milled, salted, mixed and placed into hoops. The curd drains in the hoops for a further five days, after which time the curd has drained and solidified sufficiently to allow the cheese moulds (hoops) to be removed. The surface of the cheese is then rubbed over with a knife, thus smoothing the exterior and facilitating the later development of a natural rind. The cheese is then aged for 20 days to allow the surface to dry out. By the end of this period it is ready for the maturing room. The young Stilton is kept in the maturing room for around six weeks. Towards the end of this period the cheese is pierced with long stainless steel needles at regular intervals around its circumference. This allows air to come in contact with the penicillum roqueforti and lets the cheese develop its latent blue potential. As the blue culture reacts to air it is concentrated along the lines left by the needles, thus giving Stilton its characteristic blue veining. The cheeses are given a second piercing about a week later, at which point they are ready for sale.
Mont D'ore
Mont d’Or is a seasonal soft cheese from Franche-Comté, made using raw cow’s milk. The AOC stipulates that production must take place between 15th August and 15th March. The cheese may be sold from 10th September to 10th May. The milk used must come from Montbeliard and Pie Rouge breeds feeding exclusively on grass and hay at altitudes above 700m. No fermented feed is permitted. The cheese must be encircled by a strip of spruce or pine and packaged in a wooden box. During the summer months milk from these herds goes into the production of the region’s other great cheese, Comté, but as the season changes from Summer into Autumn changes take place in the milk being produced. The cattle are producing less milk, making the production of the huge Comté cheeses less viable (an average Comté wheel weighs 36kg). Equally the protein/ butterfat ratio of the milk has changed making it less suited to the production of hard cheese. Other considerations also have a role to play in the gradual changeover from Comté to Mont d’Or production. In the days before motorized transport as the weather deteriorated it became more difficult, and less worthwhile, to make the daily delivery of increasingly small amounts of milk to the fruitières, or cooperatives, where the Comté is made. So the farmers began to make smaller cheeses with which they could feed their families throughout the winter. Mont d’Or has a washed rind, covered in a dusting of white mould and a soft, near liquid cream-coloured paste, it is a wonderfully rich cheese. The aromas are of hay, mushrooms, earth and balsam, as both the box and the spruce impart wonderful woody flavour (the black colour which often occurs around the wood is perfectly normal and is no cause for alarm). On the palate the texture is unctuous and creamy. The flavours are of cream, wood and dry undergrowth with a slightly saline finish. Baked Mont d’Or is probably one of the most hedonistic dishes there is, and is perfect for a winter’s night.
Montgomery
Montgomery’s Cheddar is generally regarded as the best of the unpasteurised, animal rennet cheddars still being made in England, in other words the best of the best. The cheese is made on the family farm near Cadbury in Somerset, with milk from the Montgomery’s own pedigree herd. Montgomery can be aged anywhere up to two years, although most people prefer it at somewhere between 12 and 18 months. Such is the demand for Montgomery Cheddar nowadays that a couple of years ago a shipment of the cheese was hijacked by thieves, who then made off with tens of thousands worth of Cheddar! Our own annual allocation of this sought after cheese is such that, in order to have ‘Monty’ in stock at Christmas we have to do without it for a couple of months beforehand. By the time the cheese finally arrives in December people are literally clamoring to get their hands on it.
Cashel Blue
Jane and Louis Grubb have been making Cashel Blue on their farm at Beechmount, near Fethard, in County Tipperary since 1984. Since then the cheese has gone on to become the best known of all the Irish farmhouse cheeses. Over half of all the milk used in the production of Cashel comes from the Grubb’s own select herd of Holstein-Fresians, with the remainder coming from carefully chosen local herds Cashel Blue is a natural-rind blue cow’s milk with a soft, yellow paste and a distinctive blue/green mould. In perfect condition, ie over about 14 weeks the cheese should show little, if any, chalkiness in the paste and should bulge ever so slightly near the rind. In terms of flavour Cashel provides a wonderful contrast between the slowly dissolving, creamy paste and a well rounded blue flavour. Cashel has none of the mouth-stinging harshness of certain blues, relying far more on finesse than sheer raw power. This classic Irish cheese is great with dessert wines, the Grubbs recommend Vin Santo. For a less upmarket treat, try it with a Braeburn apple. Cashel is also a wonderful cooking cheese.
Clonmore Goat farmers, Tom and Lena Beggane, learnt cheesemaking from a Dutch neighbour. They started making Clonmore at their farm in the heart of Cork Hurling country, Newtownshandrum, outside Charleville in the late 1990’s. Clonmore is handmade using milk from their tiny, free-range herd of goats. Cheesemakers like the Begganes are very much part of the new wave of lesser known, Irish cheesemakers who have broken away from the classic Irish wash-rind tradition to explore other cheesemaking styles. The Beggane’s goats are fortunate enough to enjoy some of the finest grazing in the heart of the Golden Vale. This pasture, more usually associated with dairy farming, lends wonderful richness to their cheese. Tom and Lena are also part of that dying breed of Irish cheesemakers who are still involved in the maintenance of their own herd, the majority of Irish farmhouse cheesemakers nowadays prefer to buy their milk from one or two well trusted local sources. The combination of farming and cheesemaking makes huge demands on both time and patience and anyone still willing to commit themselves wholeheartedly to both is to greatly be admired. The Begganes also run their herd in coincidence with the animal’s natural lactation cycle, allowing their herd to dry out at the end of November. They start making cheese again in March. Clonmore is a small, gouda-shaped cheese with a beige waxed exterior and a bone-white paste that is intermittently freckled with small holes. In good condition the cheese is milky on the palate with a mild tang that gently gives way to the unmistakable rounded, goaty finish that typifies Clonmore. This is a wonderful hard goat’s cheese. It is in no way sharp or soapy yet has a distinctive, smooth flavour. Clonmore is one of those cheeses that is better served below room temperature, left out in a warm room it has a tendency to become slightly oily. This is very much a lesser known Irish cheese and is not widely available, so sit back and enjoy this treasure.
Coolea Coolea is a pasteurized cow’s milk cheese made in the mountains of Coolea, near Macroom on the Cork/Kerry border. It has been made there since 1980 when a Dutch woman, Helen Willems, began to make Dutch style cheese from the milk of her husband, Dick’s, herd. Nowadays Coolea is made by their son Dick Jnr. This is a classic Gouda style cheese made in traditional four and eight kilo rounds and is characterized by a yellow wax rind and a hard golden amber paste. It is now made from the milk of two neighbouring herd of Holsteins and Freisians. During the summer the Willems use milk from a herd about two miles from their farm, whilst during the winter they use milk from a different herd, feeding on pasture which is drier than most at that time. Dickie insists that all milk used comes from grass-fed animals as he says that silage can taints the flavour of the cheese as it ages. Since Coolea’s flavour is wholly reliant on the quality of the milk used Dickie is insistent that only the very best milk goes into making his cheese. He also uses traditional rennet because it makes far more age-worthy cheeses than those made using vegetarian rennets. Young Coolea is mild and semi firm, whilst older cheeses have a harder paste and a fuller, more robust flavour that continue to develop for over two years. At this stage of maturity the cheese takes on a sweet, almost toffee like flavour and a slight crystalline consistency, not dissimilar to that of mature Parmesan. Dickie’s preference is for wheels between 14-18 months. In 2006, Sheridans began experimenting with increasing the age profile, and now most of the Coolea we sell is between 20 months and 2 years. Amazingly, we still find that it has enough moisture to keep it lively on the palate, but is backed by a wonderfully deep finish and is just starting to become tacky in the mouth.
Durrus Jeffa Gil has been making Durrus at her hillside farmhouse in West Cork since 1979. Since then Durrus has gone on to become one of the most highly regarded of all the Irish farmhouse cheeses, collecting many prizes and accolades along the way, including Best Irish Cheese at the British Cheese Awards in 2003. West Cork has long been associated with milk production in Ireland, thus making it an ideal location for cheesemakers; whilst the wet, saline sea air makes the area eminently suited to washed rind production. Durrus is one of those true artisanal products which reflect the environment in which they are produced. It is unique in being the only Irish wash rind cheese which is still made using raw milk and traditional rennet and is one of the cheeses chosen as ambassador for the Slow Food Presidium on Irish Raw Cow’s Milk Cheese. Durrus’ success continues, it was named Supreme Champion at the IFEX in 1996 - for the second year running- and Jeffa was named best cheesemaker. Durrus is a semi-soft washed rind cheese made using raw cow’s milk from the neighboring Buckley and Lynch family’s herds. Jeffa’s cheese has a mottled pinkorange rind and a semi-firm creamy paste that has a tendency to bulge slightly when cut. The aroma is one of hay and wet soil, punctuated with a small dose of the pungency so characteristic of washed rind cheeses. The flavour is long, round and earthy with - depending on condition - a slight washed rind whiff. It is a flavour which is uniquely and unmistakably Durrus. This is what Jeffa describes as ‘a deep, complex flavour which captures the elemental nature of this part of Ireland.’ Jeffa reckons the cheese is best at around 6 weeks old and is not overly affected by seasonality because the milk comes from staggered breeding. Durrus is one of the consistently great Irish farmhouse cheeses. Try it on toast, in place of raclette or with pears.
Nigel Cobbe from Simply Sourced has agreed to offer readers of The Good Mood Food Blog a chance to win a "Pork and Beef Taster Teaser pack" worth €60! The pack includes 3lbs of sausages, 4 pork and apple burgers, 2 thick boneless chops, 10 back rashers, 2 rib eye steaks, and 4 pure steak 1/4 pounders! The lucky winner will have the pack hand delivered to their door!
TO ENTER! All you have to do to get your hands on this tasty pack is leave a comment with your favourite way to eat steak!
Sorry to international readers but the competition is open to residents of Dublin and Wicklow. It will close at 12 noon next Tuesday 15th Sept. A winner will be selected randomly from the comments!
Since it's pancake Tuesday tomorrow, I thought I'd post a basic pancake recipe so you can prepare the batter ahead of time- Tomorrow I have a super tasty caramel apple sauce to post which goes perfect with pancakes, so stay tuned for that!
This recipe is a little nostalgic for me, it comes from a Delia Smith cookbook, "Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course", which is one of the oldest cook book's we have in our house. The first page is signed by my auntie Ann who had bought it for my mom as a belated Christmas present and is dated January the 22nd 1983. The book is full of old cards, notes, and handwritten recipes which have been collected over the years. Pancakes were one of the first things I learned to cook and when I actually went to check up the proper quantities, the pages were partially stuck together and full of splatters- which is for me, the sign of a truly great recipe!
Basic Pancake Recipe You can easily make this batter the night before to save time in the morning. Have a little melted butter in a bowl and some kitchen paper so you can wipe the pan before adding a ladle of the batter.
Makes 12-14 recipes. 110g of plain flour. A pinch of salt. 2 large eggs. 200ml of milk. 75ml of water. 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl and with a spoon make a well in the center. Break the eggs into the well and using a whisk slowly incorporate them with the flour. Don't worry too much about lumps as they should disappear when you add the rest of the liquid. Gradually add the milk and water until you have a light batter. Heat a little butter in your frying pan over a hot heat, and add 2 tablespoons of melted butter to the batter, stir through to combine. Add a ladle full of the batter to the hot pan and move from side to side until it evenly covers the surface of the pan. Reduce the heat and cook for about a minute each side or until the batter begins to take a nice golden colour. Feel free to try your hand at flipping half way through! Serve straight away with your filling of choice, or try the classic filling of lemon juice and sugar. You can cook all the batter off and save the pancakes for later. Simply layer the crepes on top each other, cover with some cling film and store in the fridge. They should heat up well in a microwave.
There's a huge list of delicious ingredients coming into season this month, so now really is the time to check what your local supermarket, butcher, fishmonger or farmers market has to offer. As the season changes, bringing with it a nip in the air and beautiful crisp golden leaves, kitchen habits inevitably begin to sway a little more towards those more comforting and warming dishes.
Personally, as much as I love nice quick meals, if I have the time, delicious slow cooked meats, warm healthy soups and bubbling autumn fruit desserts always beat them hands down on a cold evening. Of course it's very important to keep active during the colder months, but nothing can be better than spending an afternoon cooking up a storm in a warm cosy kitchen, safe in the knowledge that you have a feast bubbling away in the oven. October has lots of fantastic produce coming into and already in season, including mussels, pumpkins, nuts, celeriac and blackberries.
This week's recipes are part of my Big Harvest Feast; creamy mussels steamed in cider, delicious slow cooked lamb shanks with colcannon mash, and a cosy little dessert of rustic apple and blackberry galettes. I think they make the most of what's in season right now and after devouring it all after taking these photographs, I can promise you it tastes darn good!
Mussels in Irish Cider Mussels have a reputation for being difficult to cook, but this is just not true. The hardest part in reality is the washing. Place them in cold water (they should close, if they don't you should throw them away). Scrub any dirt off the surface of the mussels and remove the beard with a small knife. If you can get this down you will have no trouble and they take minutes to cook, so they're the perfect little starter. I love serving the pot straight to the table from the stove and clunking large spoonfuls of the cooked steaming mussels onto guest's plates. Make sure to serve with some chunky bread to mop up the juices!
Serves 4 1.5kg mussels, washed and the beards removed 1 medium onion, finely chopped 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed 200g of pancetta pieces. A good knob of butter 400ml good Irish cider 4 tablespoons of cream A good handful of freshly chopped parsley, Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Discard any mussels that are open before cooking and any that stay closed after cooking. Place a large pot over a high heat and brown the pancetta pieces until just golden and sizzling. Add in a knob of butter, allow it to melt and then add the onion and garlic. Cook gently for three minutes until the onion is soft. Add in the cider and allow to bubble away for a few minutes so all the flavours mingle in together. Tumble in the mussels, cover with a lid and allow them to steam for about four minutes until they open, making sure to give the pot a good shake once or twice during the cooking time. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream and parsley and season with sea salt and ground black pepper. Serve with some crusty bread to mop up the liquid!
During my visit to Sweden a few weeks ago, I got the opportunity to visit a Swedish bakery! As it so happened it turned out to be the same bakery which supplied the desserts for the restaurant I used to work at when I lived in Sweden.
They weren't just any desserts mind you, these were delivered in their own metal case, which had shelves built inside, and each cake or roll was placed on individual gold paper plates. Princess Torte and Budapest Rulle were on our menu daily and on rare quiet days, leftovers eventually made their way back to the kitchen at the end of service, much to my delight!
I absolutely getting to visit places like this, where you get to see what goes on "backstage", it gives you a better feel for a place and means you are left with better knowledge about how the products are produced. Apparently when I was much younger, we used to regularly go to a Chinese restaurant where I felt free to walk in and out of the kitchens, watching the chefs as they prepared dishes for the customers.
As you can imagine, I don't think this would ever be the case nowadays, but I love that I have distinct memories of sitting on the kitchen counter watching the food being prepared with the waitress's while my parents sat outside. They still claim there was no neglect involved! It's experiences like this which I guess formed my love for seeing the process rather than the product.
When we arrived at the bakery we were given lovely white coats to wear and headed straight through to the main work area. The first thing that struck me was the size of everything, all the appliances were at least twice the size of regular home kitchen appliances, as if we had stepped in to a giants kitchen. Unfortunately no giants appeared throughout the whole time we were there. A boy can still dream can't he?!
There was about five bakers busy at work making variations of Kanelbulle (cinnamon buns). There was a sort of cake being made by making a ring with the dough and then snipping at it with a scissors to make an amazing pattern the whole way around. On the other side of the counter chopped apples were being added to make a cinnamon apple pie.
I was shown how the dough was prepared by a giant machine and then carried to the work surface wrapped around a giant rolling pin. The dough is then stretched the entire length of a massive board and then spread with cinnamon butter. The dough is then rolled into a swirl and chopped into cinnamon buns!
We visited on a Friday so the staff had the fridges packed full of cakes and breads. This was my favourite part and I had to stop myself running my finger along the icing of the cakes and tasting them! When I grow up I want to be a baker boy! :)
Check out the recipe for Swedish Cinnamon Buns here!
Last month we stayed at Grouse Lodge, (the recording studios Michael Jackson used while he stayed in Ireland, don't you know!) to record Industry's new material which will be released in the UK. Now, when I'm "on the road" with the band I am usually fairly starved for foodie delights, however the lovely folks who own Grouse prepare the most amazing homecooked food! Not only that but they also have their own apple orchard, vegetable garden, and even a giant pumpkin patch. Not to mention the ducks and chickens which roam around keeping an eye on everything!
As you can imagine, I was fairly excited and spent every opportunity out taking pictures of the amazing garden! We had breakfast, lunch and dinner all freshly prepared, but one of my favourite meals was the delicious risotto which made a really tasty lunch. This is my version of it!
Pumpkin and Crispy Pancetta Risotto
I absolutely love this recipe, it is a real cosy dish, which leaves you full, satisfied and warm. Risotto may seem a little tricky, but it's just a case of giving it your full attention and slowly incorporating the liquid, so give it a go! If you can't get your hands on pancetta slices, use smoked streaky bacon. Serves 4 850g pumpkin, cut into slices A few fresh sage leaves 3 garlic cloves, roughly sliced 4 tablespoons olive oil 8 slices of pancetta 1 litre of chicken stock 150g butter 1 red onion, finely chopped 300g risotto rice 75ml white wine 150g parmesan freshly grated A good pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 220oC/425oF/Gas Mark 7. Peel and gut the pumpkin and cut into slices. Make sure to save the seeds they are super tasty roasted with a little butter and sea salt. Place the pumpkin on a roasting tray with the garlic, sage, salt and pepper, toss together. Cover with tin foil and bake until soft for about 50 minutes. 10 minutes before the pumpkin is ready remove from the oven, lay the pancetta over the pumpkin and place bake in the oven till crisp. Melt 75g of the butter and the remaining olive oil in a large frying pan and gently fry the onion until soft for about 15 minutes. Add the rice and off the heat stir through until it is totally coated with the onion mix. Return to the heat, add enough stock to cover the rice and simmer stirring until the rice has absorbed nearly all the liquid. Continue to add a little more stock at a time until it is all absorbed. This should take about 15 minutes, until the rice has a creamy coating. Add the remaining butter, roast pumpkin, white wine, garlic and parmesan. Gently stir though. Serve immediately.
I'm going to be demonstrating at Bloom 2010 which is taking place in the Phoenix Park, Dublin over the June bank holiday weekend. I haven't been before so I'm very excited to be heading down! Here's a bit about the event:
The Food Market is now firmly established as a key attraction at Bloom and this year’s Food Market will be Bloom’s biggest yet! With over 40 artisan food producers, the market highlights the very best that small artisan producers from around Ireland have to offer. The producers themselves will be on hand to provide tastings and give tips on how to prepare tasty dishes using their products. The market will include a huge variety of foods from handmade chocolates, and baked goods to farmhouse cheeses and the finest Irish honey.
Each day, Bord Bia will also host four live demonstrations on the Bloom cookery stage. Featured chefs will include award winning chef Neven Maguire; Darina Allen, Ballymaloe Cookery School; food blogger and author of “Good Mood Food” Donal Skehan (that's me!) and well known TV chef Jenny Bristow. The dishes prepared by the celebrity chefs will promote quality assured local produce and will be available to order each day in Bistro Bloom.
There will be an particular emphasis on artisan food within ‘The Food Village’, the area incorporating all the outdoor catering options, where food producers will “serve slow food fast”. A new feature for 2010 - Bord Bia will seek to bring food to life through a series of talks and demonstrations which will take place alongside the Food Market. The purpose of the showcase is to recreate the link for visitors between the food products on sale at the Market and the craft skills used in their creation. The demonstrations will also bring to life ‘forgotten’ food skills from Ireland’s past. Skills on show will include cheese making, butter churning, apple pressing and fish smoking. The demonstrators and talks will be delivered by a mix of current artisan producers and domestic practitioners.
Tickets are on sale on www.bloominthepark.com or by calling 0818 300 260, with significant discounts available in advance of the show. No booking fee applies and children go free.
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