Happy St. Patricks Day everyone! Yes today is the big day, Ireland's answer to Christmas, when the Guinness is flowing, the food is a plenty and it all generally ends messily! I was in Dublin city yesterday and the amount of tourists with cameras strapped around their necks, I presume to catch a glimpse of an elusive leprechaun or two, was nothing less than impressive. I think there is something about our fine land of green, which musters up a somewhat mystical notion in the hearts of foreigners, that we are simple folk who tend to the fields by day and drink ourselves to sleep at night. Sure if it makes for a good story, why argue with it, I say! Right I will leave you with this traditional Irish dish of Bacon and Cabbage which will be part of The Daily Spud's Paddy's Day food parade and I'm off out to pull some potatoes from the ground, have a pint of guinness and kiss the blarney stone... Slán abhaile agus go n-éirí on bóthar leat!
Good Auld Bacon and Cabbage This dish would have been traditionally served quite regularly in homes all over Ireland, as the ingredients are quite readily available. It's real comfort food for me and I love the fresh flavours of the veg.
Serves 4 900g of Shoulder of bacon 1/2 head of savoy cabbage, sliced finely 2 Carrots, chopped 1 onion sliced 2 tablespoons of butter A good pinch of sea salt and black pepper
Creamy Leek and Parsley Sauce: 2 tablespoons of butter (a generous knob) 2 tablespoons of flour 2 large leeks, sliced finely 100-150ml bacon stock 1 teaspoon of English mustard A good handful of parsley, chopped 1 tablespoon of fresh cream
Remove the bacon from any packaging and place in a pot of cold water over heat. Bring to the boil and simmer for approximately 40 minutes or until cooked. Remove from the water, place on a plate and set aside. Save the bacon stock.
To make the creamy leek and parsley sauce, melt the butter in a sauce pot and sweat the leeks until soft but not coloured. Add the flour, mixing to combine, then add a little of the bacon stock stirring until the sauce thickens. Judge the consistency of the sauce by eye, and you may want to use a little more or less to your taste. Season with a little sea salt and black pepper and stir through the English mustard. Keep warm until you have the consistency you require and then stir through the chopped parsley and tablespoon of cream.
To make the cabbage, melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat and add the onion and carrots, cooking until soft. Add the cabbage to the pan and allow to wilt down slowly, turning every now and then until it has wilted down and become tender.
Serve the bacon in slices topped with the creamy leek and parsley sauce alongside the cabbage. Enjoy!
Originally a middle eastern ingredient bulgar wheat is made from cracked wheat kernels. It's an excellent store cupboard ingredient which is highly nutritious and can be stored for long periods of time. This wholegrain product is packed with fiber and protein, but is low in calories, plus it's so easy to make. If you have never tried it before I would describe it as mix between couscous and brown rice.
Bulgarwheat Chicken Rocket and Parsley Salad This sort of recipe is perfect for entertaining, it can easily be made the night before and stored in the fridge.
Serves 4-6 people. 200g bulgar wheat. 1 teaspoon of vegetable bouillon powder. 3 chicken breasts. A large handful of parsley, roughly chopped. A large handful of rocket, roughly chopped. 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and roughly chopped. 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. A good pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper.
Place the bulgar wheat in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Stir through the vegetable bouillon powder, cover with cloth or a cling film and allow to sit for about 30 minutes or until all the water is soaked up. Brush the chicken breasts with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Heat a griddle pan over a high heat and just before it begins smoking add the chicken breasts. Reduce the heat slightly and cook on both sides for approximately 6-7 minutes either side depending on the size of the chicken breasts. Remove the chicken from the pan and roughly chop into bitesize pieces. Add the chicken, parsley and rocket to the bulgar wheat and stir through to combine. Season with a good pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper and stir through the remaining olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy!
First of all a big thank you to some of the readers here who nominated "The Good Mood Food Blog" for this year's Irish Blog Awards and a big congratulations to everyone else nominated- Fingers crossed!
The last few months have been a little crazy and things don't look to be settling down, I'm going to be in Sweden for the next week and bit so hopefully will be able to stick up a few pictures up here. Even if they aren't food related!
In other news, myself and Sofie have been busy planning our very own little vegetable patch as an experiment for this year. The aim is to expand our herb garden and learn a little more about growing our own vegetables, with the hope to provide enough, to include in a good few recipe's during the spring, summer, and autumn. We will be documenting the process as we go along, so stay tuned to keep up with our progress!
Fork Crushed Herb and Roast Garlic Potatoes This recipe always has my mouth watering at the thoughts of it. Roast garlic has to be one of my absolute favourite roast ingredients. The process takes the pungent cloves and transforms them into a smoky, sweet and wonderfully creamy mush. This is a super side dish which goes really well with any main course, or even on its own as a tasty belly filler!
750g or about 16 Baby Potatoes. 2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. A Large handful of Flat Leaf Parsley. A Handful of Chives, chopped coarsely. A Handful of roughly chopped Dill. 1 Bulb of Garlic. A Good Pinch of Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper.
Before you start anything get the garlic in the oven. Cut off the top of the garlic so the tips of the cloves can just about be seen. Drizzle with a few drops of olive oil so the exposed tips are covered. Now cover in tinfoil and pop in the oven for 40 minutes at 200oC/ Gas Mark 6. While the garlic is roasting, place the potatoes in a large pot of water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender, you can check this with a fork. While the potatoes are cooking prepare and chop your herbs. Drain the potatoes and tumble into a large mixing bowl.
With a fork roughly crush each potato and season with salt and pepper. When the Garlic is ready, pop out the cloves from their skins and mash with a fork on a chopping board. Transfer the garlic to the mixing bowl and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and scatter the dill, chives and parsley on top. Gently mix all the ingredients to combine, and be careful not to break up the potato too much. Serve in a large bowl with a final scattering of Parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.
I did promise some great winter warmer meals, and here is one! Coq Au Vin sounds fancy and complicated buts it's basically chicken cooked in a creamy wine sauce. It's a delicious meal which goes great with steamed vegetables, brown rice, or salad. The other thing to mention is that this is another dish which can be easily frozen and reheated at your leisure. Wait until the dish has cooled, place in a freezer bag and place in the freezer. It should last you up to 3 months.
Coq Au Vin
Coq au vin was a regular winter dish in my house when we were growing up. It's a wonderfully warming meal which is perfect for cold November evenings! Chicken joints like thighs and legs are often far cheaper to buy than chicken breasts and there is something special about meat cooked on the bone that adds extra flavour.
Serves 4 1 tablespoon of butter 1 tablespoon of olive oil 150g of bacon or pancetta pieces 2 onions, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, chopped 4 chicken legs 200g of mushrooms sliced in quarters (about 10-15 mushrooms) 500ml of white wine 300ml of cream A good pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper A good handful of freshly chopped parsley
In a large heavy casserole pot, add the butter and olive oil. When the butter has melted add the pancetta pieces and fry until crisp. Add the garlic and onion and fry until soft. Remove and set aside. Brown the chicken thighs and legs on all sides in the same pot and then add the mushrooms, white wine, garlic, onions and pancetta. Bring to the boil and simmer over a low heat for 20-25 minutes. Turn the chicken legs halfway through the cooking time and remove any fat or scum that rises to the top. When the chicken is cooked remove from the pot and set aside. Stir the cream into the juices, add a pinch of sea salt and black pepper and simmer for a further 10 minutes or until the sauce is has become a little thicker. Place the chicken back in the pot, add the parsley, stir through and make sure it's hot when you serve it at the table!
With 10,000 athletes expected to take part and raise €3 million for over 150 charities this year, the Cork city marathon is one of the biggest sporting events in the country. I have been asked to put together some really quick, tasty and nutritious pasta dishes to help out those folks already in training! Dishes like my Speedy Spaghetti Amatriciana and Rocket Fuelled Pasta will be sure to get athletes of all levels fuelled up and ready to rock on the big day!
Hopefully my pasta recipes will appeal to both foodies and fitness enthusiasts and you can check them all out on www.readysteadycork.com alongside several fitness schedules and training guides designed to help a wide range of people - from experienced athletes to first-time marathoners. If you are planning on running a marathon these Power Pasta recipes are packed with foods and ingredients rich in protein and ‘good fats’ such as avocados, salmon, chicken and olive oil, providing vital nutrients and ensuring that there is plenty of variety in runners’ diets!
Simple Spicy Tuna and Garlic Penne Tuna is a fantastic healthy store cupboard ingredient which is perfect for quick dishes just like this. You can use tinned tuna, but I really love the tuna you can buy in jars stored in olive oil.
Serves 4 250g of wholemeal penne 2 tablespoons of olive oil 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced 1 teaspoon of dried chilli flakes A good handful of parsley, roughly chopped 230g jar of tuna fillets in olive oil A good pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper
Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet In a large frying pan heat the oil over a medium heat and add the garlic and chilli flakes. Fry gently until golden. Add the cooked pasta and the parsley to the pan and toss until the pasta is nicely coated. Break the tuna into rough chunks, add to the pasta and stir through. Season with a little sea salt and black pepper and serve straight away!
This, I'll be honest with you, is a bit of an experimental recipe! I like fishcakes but it just feels a bit wasteful, to spend money on a nice bit fish, and mash it up, with potatoes. I know that it's a bit weird, but it got me thinking that even though its not exactly the height of culinary excellence, I could substitute the fresh fish with some cheap and cheerful canned fish like tuna.
As a recipe this works fine, the cakes form well and cook evenly, the only thing is that if you use canned tuna like I did, you have the flavor of canned tuna, which can be a bit over powering in something like this. When I make it again, I'm going to use tuna packaged with oil in a jar which might be a little less in your face. But really the recipe works with any fish, so just substitute that part.
Cheap and Cheerful Fishcakes
300g of baby potatoes
2 cans of tuna
1 egg lightly beaten
Bunch of spring onions chopped
Handful of Parsley roughly chopped
A good pinch of salt and pepper
Bring the potatoes to a boil in some water and cook for about 10 mins, or stick a fork in the them to see if there soft and tender. Drain the water and mash the potatoes.
Drain the tuna or fish of choice and add to the the pot of potatoes along with the egg, spring onions, salt, pepper and parsley. Mix together and form into palm sized cakes and set aside.
Heat a large frying pan, add a little bit of vegetable oil, and fry the cakes on both sides for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with a side salad and some sweet chili dipping sauce.
I thought I would post one last recipe for the week before we head off to Galway. We've decided to head towards The Burren for a bit of tourist style exploring, and then on to the cliffs of Moher, so you can expect some pictures next week!
This is one of the quickest little dishes I make when I'm stuck for time, but am in need of a big bowl of comfort without skimping on the nutrition. It's not exactly the most decadant uses of Asparagus, but when I first made it, I was trying to use them up before they went off. Doesn't that make this recipe sound appealing?! But honestly you can have this whole dish cooked in the time it takes to boil the pasta.
Aparagus and Garlic Pasta (Serves 2)
225g of Wholemeal Spaghetti.
400g of Aspargus Spears.
1 Clove of Garlic.
A Squeeze of Lemon Juice.
One handful of Fresh Parsley.
Pinch of Salt and Pepper.
Parmesan Cheese.
Before anything else happens, stick two pots of water on the boil, then add the spaghetti to one and cook for approx 15 mins or until tender (Wholemeal pasta takes a little bit longer than refined). While the spaghetti is cooking, chop the Asparagus into one inch pieces and tip into the boiling water, it takes approx 5 mins until they are tender, but check with a fork. Once they're cooked, drain, and in a pestle and mortar, mash with the garlic, parsley, lemon, and Salt.
Once the spaghetti is cooked, drain the water and return to the pot. Tip in the vivid green asparagus paste and mix through, serve in two bowls, topped with grated Parmesan and a generous sprinkling of black pepper. A quick fix for any hungry belly!
After an early start this morning and pretty little organisation on my part I managed to miss breakfast. So all day I've been dreaming up a simple tasty lunch- I wanted to have something quick that I could make the minute I got in the door. I baked a big hunk of foccacia last week and froze half of it- which came in extremely handy for today! Make this dish when you need a quick blast of tastiness!
Fried Mushroom and Garlic on Toast
About 8 Button Mushrooms
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 teaspoon of Butter
Finely shopped fresh Parsley
A good pinch of Sea Salt and Freshly ground Pepper
A few slices of bread toasted.
This doesn't exactly need a complex written recipe, it takes under 15 mins to make. Slice the mushrooms and chop the garlic roughly. Slice your bread and set aside to toast. In a hot frying pan, throw in the butter and sizzle over the whole pan- add the garlic till brown and then toss in the mushrooms. Sizzle gently for about 5 minutes until soft. Tumble the mushrooms out onto the slices of toast and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and fresh Parsley.
Serve and devour in less time than it took to make!
Of all the dishes we prepared for Foodstock, I am pretty certain that the Irish Seafood Chowder was the biggest success. I am told that the French absolutely love their seafood which is probably why! The chowder we made had a great selection of fish, haddock, cod, smoked fish, and prawns which the amazing chefs at the Chalet meticulously prepared for us. I have to admit that cooking on such a large scale can be quite daunting in terms of producing a similar end product to that of a smaller quantity, but that said between the whole team we served up some damn tasty chowder!
For about an hour on the Wednesday night I did feel like I was in a soup kitchen and there was a high chance of some sort of repetitive strain injury after ladling the chowder 350 times! Luckily we had the lovely ladies from Bord Bia to help us out, one of whom was out on her first assignment with them, though I’m pretty sure she is well inducted after Foodstock.
Irish Seafood Chowder This is the kind of soup that if you put a lot of love and time in you will get the best results. The key is to add the fish at the very end leaving just enough time to let them cook. Cook the fish pieces too long and you will be left with an Irish seafood mush rather than a chunky creamy chowder! Serves 8 (Makes 3.15 litres) 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 medium onions, finely chopped 100g salt pork diced (or pancetta/bacon bits)
2 dried bay leaves 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped 1 kg of peeled and diced potatoes 1.125 litre of fish stock salt and freshly ground black pepper 1.25kg of cod (or similar white fish) 750g of fresh salmon 500g of mussels 500g of smoked haddock 330ml of heavy cream 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, chopped finely 100g of smoked salmon, cut into fine strips for garnish
In a large pot, heat the butter and sauté the onions for 3-4 minutes. Add the salt pork and continue to fry until it colours. Add in the fresh thyme, bay leaves and potatoes and cook gently for 2-3 minutes before adding the fish stock. Season well with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are tender yet firm. (Some of the potato will break down and help thicken the chowder). Add the haddock, salmon, cod and mussels and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and allow to sit before finally and gently stirring in the parsley and cream. Serve with the strips of smoked salmon as a garnish on top.
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!
Sofie recently turned 22 and to celebrate her mom and brother came over to visit. Since we are always treated to some tasty traditional Swedish dishes when we visit them, I thought I would try and serve something traditionally Irish for our first meal! One of the few dishes that I know well as being traditionally Irish is this Irish Stew.
We always had it growing up and I’m sure most homes across the country were the same. I used to have a serious problem with the potatoes, insisting they were picked out before I was served- much to my mom’s disgust!
There are many different takes on this recipe with many using lamb instead of beef, but this is the one we grew up with. I actually rang my mom the other day for the recipe, and she got a little bit excited and started adding all sorts of mad vegetables to it to make it more exciting, but at the end of the day Irish stew is Irish stew, so I’ve tried to keep it simple! Just like mammy used to make- without parsnips thank you very much! ;)
Irish Stew This is a really tasty one pot dinner which is perfect for cold winter evenings. Ask your butcher for stew steak, which is normally available, but you can also use any other cheap cuts of meat. This recipe serves 6 people and you will need a large casserole.
3 tablespoons of wholemeal flour. 3 teaspoons of ground black pepper. 1 ½ pounds of stew steak. 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil. 4 large carrots, chopped roughly. 2 large onions, chopped into half moon pieces. 1 ½ litres of beef stock. A good pinch of sea salt. 2 bay leaves. 5 large potatoes peeled and sliced into 1cm discs. A good handful of freshly chopped parsley.
Preheat the oven to 200˚C/390˚F/Gas 6. Place the stew steak, wholemeal flour, and black pepper in a resealable plastic bag. Seal the bag and give it a good shake so that all the steak pieces have a nice coating of flour and pepper. Heat a large frying pan with a good glug of sunflower oil and brown half the steak pieces. Transfer the steak pieces to the casserole. Repeat with the rest of the meat. Fry the onions in the meat juices on the pan for 2 minutes, adding an extra drop of oil if necessary. Transfer the onions to the casserole. Add in the carrots, beef stock, sea salt, bay leaves, and stir through. Add the potato slices on top, season with a generous amount of black pepper and cover with the lid. Transfer the casserole to the oven and cook for 1 ½ hours. Serve straight from the casserole to some large bowls with some tasty wholemeal bread. Sprinkle the parsley on top and enjoy!
Rehearsals for the panto are in full swing at the moment so I have been doing a spot of batch cooking to keep up with posts on the blog. If your hoping to come along to the show, it starts on December 11th and runs right through to the end of January. But according to inside sources the tickets are going pretty quick, so make sure to get your tickets early!
I have a serious weakness for garlic, and even more severe weakness for this garlic bread! It's great to plonk on the table when you have friends over or even as a simple snack. This recipe can easily be made ahead of time, wrap it up in tin foil and pop it in the freezer until you need it. It should last for at least a month.
Chunky Garlic Bread You can use any bread for this really, but try and pick a loaf with a chunky crust. The bread on the inside will stay nice and soft and you will be left with a crunchy crust. I love garlic and have used four cloves here, but reduce the amount if don't want to be warding off vampires for the next week!
1 loaf of wholemeal bread. 5 tablespoons of butter at room temperature. 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped. A large handful of freshly chopped parsley. A pinch of sea salt.
Preheat the oven to 200oC/390oF/Gas 6. Slice the bread into slices being careful not to cut the whole way through and set aside. The slices should all still be joined at the bottom. Mash the butter, salt, garlic and parsley together on a chopping board with the back of a fork. When the ingredients are combined scoop up the garlic butter and slather the slices on the inside. Don't be afraid to get messy here, if there's butter on the crust all the better! Wrap the loaf in tinfoil leaving the tops of the slices exposed. You can also sprinkle the tops of the slices with a little grated Parmesan cheese at this point. Place the wrapped loaf in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden and crisp on top. Serve piping hot! If you can't get through a whole loaf in one go, freeze the slices individually and pop them in the toaster when you want to reheat them!
I remember first tasting duck confit on a family holiday in the south of France, which is where my love for this deliciously tender dish first sprang from. The dish is prepared in an age old traditional method by salting the duck meat and then poaching it in its own fat. By salting the meat the duck is preserved, before it is cooked extremely slowly at a low temperature for up to 10 hours. The duck is cooled and then transferred to jars or cans. It is then topped up with duck fat and some jars and cans can be stored for up to several years!
Duck Confit and A Tasty Bean Stew
I absolutely love duck confit and this little dish is a perfect compliment. If you don't order online you should be able to pick up some in most gourmet food stores, but beware they can be pricey so do shop around.
Serves 4 1 x 400g tin of cannellini beans 4 Confit Duck Legs at room temperature 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 onions, finely chopped 2 large carrots, finely chopped 2 celery stalks, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 bay leaf 2 sprigs of thyme 1 litre of chicken stock 1 x 250g tin of chopped tomatoes 1/2 glass of white wine A handful of freshly chopped parsley
Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat and add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and cloves, stirring occasionally, until all the vegetables are soft and tender, about 8 minutes.
Add the chicken stock, white wine and tomatoes and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the stew has reduced a little. Stir every few minutes and spoon off any froth that bubbles to the top. 5 minutes before you serve add the beans and stir through.
Place the duck confit legs on a baking tray and cook for 20 minutes at 200˚C/Gas Mark 6 or until the skin is sizzling.
Serve the duck confit on top of the bean stew and sprinkle with a little parsley! Serve straightaway!
Now I am not going to profess a love for aubergines but I ate this dish on a holiday recently in Rome, and was pleasantly surprised with the fresh full flavoured taste! I immediately wanted to know how to recreate it, so when I came home I looked through some Italian cookbooks and unfortunately what I came up with were deep fried or cheese laden version's.
So just the other day I experimented with what I thought was the closest to the recipe I had eaten. I fried the aubergine slices in olive oil but I think it would be easier to grill them in future! So here goes:
Aubergine Parmigiana
2 Large Aubergine slice length ways
A good splash of Olive Oil
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 Red Onion
2 400g Tins of Chopped Tomatoes
2 Teaspoons of dried Oregano
2 Teaspoons of fresh parsley finely chopped
1/3 of a cup of grated Parmesan cheese
I read about preparing Aubergine's and there seems to be some sort of argument over whether or not to soak them in salted water before cooking. But I decided to soak them not wanting to go against tradition!
Soak the aubergine slices in salted water for 20 minutes, then remove from the water and pat dry. As I said already I fried the slices but I think it would be far more healthier and less time consuming to grill them till soft. Put the cooked slices to the side.
While the Aubergine slices are soaking, in a saucepan fry the garlic and red onion till soft. Then add the two tins of tomatoes, Oregano and Parsley. Bring the sauce to the boil and leave to simmer for about 15 Min's or until reduced. When the sauce has cooked stir in some salt and pepper to taste and leave to cool.
In a large roasting tin, spread a thin layer of the tomato sauce and place the aubergine slices on top, add more tomato sauce, sprinkle some Parmesan cheese, and repeat the process until you run out.
Bake in a preheated oven at 150 degrees Fahrenheit for about 25 Min's.
The beauty of a good hearty chicken stock is, that not only is it packed with health benefits, it can be the base for hundreds of different, quick and simple recipe's. The recipe I'm posting is fairly basic, but really you can add whatever herbs or root veg you have in your kitchen, and experiment with the flavors. The cooking process breaks down the ingredients and the finished product contains minerals like calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, in a form which the body can easily absorb.
Now I know that making stock is not the most exciting of recipe's to talk about, but once you do have the rich golden finished product, it can be transformed so easily. Boil a portion of the stock, add some minced garlic, ginger and chili, some fish sauce and rice wine vinegar and drop in some cooked noodles. Top with some spring onion sliced thinly and within minutes you have a healthy, hearty, Asian inspired soup.
The easiest time to make this stock is probably right after you have devoured a roast chicken, as the bones are more than likely ready for use! Just throw the ingredients in the pot and let it boil away for a few hours- effort level zero! Alternatively you can throw the bones into a zip lock bag and store in the freezer until you find a perfect stock making day.
Basic Chicken Stock
Leftover bones and carcass of chicken
8 Litres of Water
12fl oz White Wine
1 white onion Chopped
1 large carrot Sliced
1 Large Leek Sliced
1 Stick of Celery chopped
3 Stalks of Parsley
8 Black peppercorns
Place the chicken bones and carcass in a large pot with the water and bring to a steady boil.
Then add the rest of the ingredients and allow to simmer consistently for 3 hours or until the flavour is right for you.
Make sure to check on the pot ever now and then to skim any fat that rises to the surface- this while make sure you have a nice clear stock.
The stock can be kept in the fridge for a few days or frozen in handy bags in the freezer. You can also store some of the liquid in ice cube trays, which comes in handy to add an extra bit of flavour to sauces, and gravy.
And if thats not enough about stock for one day check out this interesting article.
Unfortunately I have gotten into a seriously bad habit of taking photo's of the food I cook and then doing nothing with them for a week or two, which means I end up forgetting what I have actually done, very irritating indeed! The good news is I have managed to recover this recipe, from the deep dark depths of my memory bank, and have also made a pact with myself to finally start writing my recipe's down. We'll just have to wait and see how that works out.
I haven't been doing any serious cooking this week as I'm doing a 3 day course in Dublin city for Adobe After Effects. And being in town has meant making my ritual stops at Aya, Cafe Mao, and Wagamama, for lunch time- I'm so glad I don't work in town, because my bank balance would be zero!
Today is my last day in the big smoke, so I'll be soaking up all the culture I can before I head back to the sticks of Ashbourne, Co. Meath to earn my daily bread. Not that I'm complaining though, I once loved the hustle and bustle of the city, but nowadays, I seem to much prefer the calmer side of life. And anyway who really enjoys the scrum with the 5 million Spanish students on Grafton St.?
Personal soul searching aside it's time for a recipe, when I made this a few weeks ago I wasn't so sure that it was going to come out the way I wanted and had set myself up for disappointment as soon as the over door was closed. But I was pleasantly surprised with the results- the baking of the salmon with the mix creates a really interesting texture to the bite, but doesn't loose any of the peppery spice from the chopped garlic.
Baked Dill and Garlic Salmon
2 large Organic Salmon Fillets.
A large handful of Dill.
A small handful of Basil
2 Cloves of Garlic crushed.
3 Tbsp of Olive Oil.
Sea Salt
Preheat the oven to 200o C. Place the salmon fillets in a large roasting tin. I used my handheld food processor to blend the crushed garlic, dill, basil and olive oil together. Season it with Sea Salt to taste. You can adapt this mix further with the addition of parsley, or coriander for an even more herby version. Spread the mix on the salmon fillets and pop in the oven for about 12 minutes or until cooked through. I served this with some steamed asparagus and thinly sliced roast potato's.
A few weeks ago, I received a lovely email from Monique McQuaid who runs The Cookery School at Donnybrook Fair, inviting me to a cookery demonstration with English chef, Fergus Henderson. To be perfectly honest I had never heard of Fergus before, but after a quick search on Wikipedia, I discovered he is the man behind the highly respected St. John's restaurant in London, which is famous for it's use of off cuts and using the whole body of an animal. Fergus was coming to Dublin to demonstrate cooking a pig from nose to tail, which was enough to grab my attention and I confirmed my attendance!
We arrived slightly late and had to clamber over people to find seats at the back of the room, which wasn't all bad, with the tiered seating, we could still see the whole thing. The cookery school is located above the shop, and is a fantastic set up with plasma screens showing everything going on in the beautiful, modern kitchen which is fully equipped with everything you could imagine! Monique, a graduate of the famous Ballymaloe Cookery school, was dressed in chefs whites and although Fergus was doing all the talking, it was quite clear she was the one keeping things ticking over, pulling things out of ovens and prepping things as she went!
To say Fergus is a slightly off-beat individual is an understatement, but I suppose I should have expected it, from a creative genius who is famous for cooking a pig from nose to tail. Throughout the course of his charming 2 hour long demonstration, amongst the amazing dishes he produced, he left us with with some fantastic uncommonly eccentric quotes, which had us chuckling in our seats, such as: 1. "I spent my wedding night talking to my trotter." 2. "Tripe is sexy, tripe is the way forward." 3. "There is a certain Jedi knight quality to cooking."
Fergus worked his way through the different cuts of pig, cooking up goodies like deep fried crispy pig tails which he suggested were perfect for a child's dinner, braised pig head, crispy pig's ear, and thinly sliced pig heart served in a delicious salad with pickled walnuts. I will leave you with Fergus's recipe below and make sure to check out Monique's website which has details of all the upcoming cookery demonstrations.
Fergus Henderson's Pot-Roast Half Pig's Head I say only half a head, as it is a perfect romantic supper for two. Imagine gazing into the eyes of your loved one over a golden pig's cheek, ear and snout.
Serves 2 A dollop of duck fat 8 Shallots, peeled and left whole 8 cloves of garlic, peeled and left whole 1/2 pigs head (your butcher should have no problems supplying this) - remove any hairs with a razor A glass of brandy 1 bundle of joy- thyme, parsley and a little rosemary 1/2 bottle of white wine Chicken stock A healthy spoonful of Dijon mustard 1 bunch of watercress, trimmed, or other greens- a case of Liberty Hall Sea salt and black pepper
Dollop the duck fat into an oven tray wide and deep enough to accommodate your half pig's head and put it on the heat. Add the shallots and garlic and leave them to do a little sweating to improve the flavour of the dish. Shuffle the tin occasionally to prevent any burning, but you do want some colour. When happy with these, cover the ear of your demi-head with foil so that it doesn't frazzle, then rest the head in the tin. To welcome it to its new environment, pour the glass of brandy over it, nustle in your bundle of joy, add the wine and then the chicken stock in a not dissimilar fashion to an alligator in a swamp! Season with salt and pepper, cover the tin with greaseproof paper, offering some protection but not denying the need for the rigours of the hours to come in the oven- which is where you should now put your tin, in a medium oven for 3 hours, until the head is totally giving. Check it after 2-2 1/2 hours; you could remove the greaseproof paper at this point and get a little colour on your cheek. When ready, remove the head to a warm place. Whisk the Dijon mustard into the pan liquor, in which you should then wilt the bunch of watercress. Finally, on the head presentation platter, make a pillow of shallots, garlic and wilted watercress, where you then rest your head. There you have it- dinner for two; open something red and delicious: Moon, June, Spoon.
We got back from Turkey last night and are already feeling the cold! I'm going to be posting a little bit about each place we sailed through over the next two weeks and I have over 2000 photo's to sift through and edit so I'll be sticking them up too.
I also have some very exciting news about the book- tomorrow is the first official photoshoot complete with food stylist and photographer! We have spent most of the day preparing for tomorrow and all I can say is it's a stark contrast, going from tanning in 30 degree heat to prowling through boxes of peppers for the most photogenic, within hours of stepping off a plane! We have been cooking all day and the first shots will be taken tomorrow morning, so I'm hoping to feature a few behind the scenes pics later this week.
For now here is my travel log day 1 to 3! The pictures are more foodie related as the days progress so stay tuned and Enjoy!
Orhaniye The whole holiday was booked through Sunsail an English based yacht charter company, and unlike previous visits to Gocek, we decided to explore the new base of Orhaniye. After a long day which started in the early hours at Dublin airport, and a fairly erratic drive from Dalaman airport we finally arrived at our destination of Marti Marina, Orhaniye, in one piece. I always find it a bit disorientating arriving somewhere in the dark, but even the dim light could not disguise the fact that Marti Marina looked very much like a boat yard, and the website featured a hotel overlooking the marina. However on closer inspection the hotel was still in the process of being built and the building site gave the impression that the builders had given up and left a long time ago! But this was not our problem, in little under a few hours of well needed sleep, we would be on the water sailing, the overlooking building site, a distant memory. We picked up our yacht, a Cyclades 42, which would be home for the next two weeks and gave it a quick once over before hitting the pillow. The marina itself is fully functional with Shower and Laundry facilites, a small supermarket, a salt water swimming pool, and two restaurants overlooking the bay. After a briefing at the sunsail office, picking up provisions in the supermarket, and a quick application of much needed suncream we were out sailing. Two of the best things about a sailing holiday, is that you are outdoors practically all the time, surrounded by fresh air and with the water being so warm and clear, you find yourself in and out quite regularly to cool off from the sun’s heat. The second, you get too see so much, travelling to a brand new destination everyday!
Dirsek Our first stop was Dirsek, a stunning little bay, surrounded by tall dry mountains, about an hour’s sail south from Orhaniye . There is a small restaurant in the bay which is run by the owners, who quite inconspicuously live in tents along the edge of the water, adding to the hands on feel of the place. Boats can anchor in the bay and tie a line ashore or the restauarant offers lazy lines along a jetty. We arrived at around lunchtime and got straight in for the first swim of the holiday, the water is so clear that you can see the bottom even at about 9 meters up, this makes great conditions for snorkelling, which quickly became my new favourite activity! We motored in to the restaurant with the small dighy which comes with the boat and arrived to a scene of what I would describe as controlled chaos. The regular chef had been rushed to the dentist with some major dental urgency and a happy go lucky waiter had been drafted in as the sorry individual who was set to take up the reigns. Guests are invited to go into the kitchen and choose from large table of meat and fish for their main course. On the opposite counter, large glass dishes full of cold starters are spread out in a large row for guests to choose from.
Roast Aubergine in Tomato Sauce, Cooked Green Beans with Yoghurt, Olive Oil and Garlic, Boiled Potatoes with a simple scattering of Parsley, Fried Corgettes, A sort of Onion, red Pepper, and Chilli Salsa, Cooked Spinach and Yoghurt topped with a sprinkle of Paprika, Cheese wrapped in Filo Pastry, and Tzatzichi were among the many dishes which made up the Turkish Mezze, a term coined to describe this massive selection of dishes. The restaurant charges a set price for the Mezze and you can choose whatever dishes you want in a buffet style, it’s a brilliant way to get a chance to try all the different flavours.
Now it’s not often that I feature sickly romantic moments between myself and Sofie, apart from the picture on the "About" page, but after dinner we lay up on deck and watched the stars. I know, I know, pass the bucket, but in our defence, with the only unnatural light coming from the restaurant in the distance, it was practically unmissable. I have never seen stars as amazing as on that night, and as we lay flat on our back it was as if we were wearing 3D goggles, with every last twinkling light jumping down at us. What a perfect way to end a great day.
Monastery of Panormitis, Simi Our next stop was a long sail to the Greek island Of Simi, just on the border of Turkish waters. It was an extremely strange little port, whose mystery was heightened further, when we discovered the pilot book had absolutely no information about it. It seemed to be less of a town and more of a church with surrounding accommodation, we only came across one restaurant, there could have been more. The change from Turkish to Greek waters was quite significant in terms of cuisine and for dinner we ate a pretty standard fare of Calamari, Moussaka, Souvlaki, with large side dishes of Tzatzichi. The large abbey sits right on the water front and is lit up quite impressively at night, the whole bay has a white painted walkway which goes from the abbey right the way around and up the hill to a large old windmill which overlooks the bay.
After a bit of googeling I discovered that the Monastry is Greek Orthadox and dates back to 450 AD. It is the largest on the island and is also considered one of the most important.
Apart from a few small shops, there was a bakery which sold fresh bread in the morning and had extremely tasty coconut macaroons topped with cherries. We left the following morning for a long and bumpy sail to the small Turkish town of Datca...
This one goes down really well when entertaining! It's an easy one to make ahead of time and stick in the fridge until you are ready to cook it.
Spinach and Riccotta Stuffed Pasta Shells This is a delicious pasta dish, which is packed with fresh ingredients. It is a little bit tricky but the tastes are great and well worth the effort!
Serves 3-4 portions. 1 tablespoon of olive oil. 3 cloves of garlic chopped finely. A good glug of red wine. 2 cans of chopped tomatoes. A handful of fresh herbs chopped coarsely (Oregano, Parsley, Basil) 250g of large pasta shells. 250g of Ricotta cheese. 250g of steamed spinach. A generous pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper.
Fry the garlic in the olive oil in a large frying pan for 30-40 seconds. Add the chopped tomatoes and and the red wine. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced and become thicker. Season with a little sea salt and black pepper and make sure to stir every few minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and cook the pasta until al denté. While the pasta is cooking, mix the ricotta, herbs, steamed spinach, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl until everything is combined. Spread a layer of half the tomato sauce in a medium baking dish. When the pasta is cooked drain and allow to cool in a colander. Spoon a heaped teaspoon amount of the ricotta mixture into each one of the pasta shells and place in the baking tray. When you have added all the stuffed pasta shells to the baking tray, cover with the remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle over a handful of parmesan cheese and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese gets a nice colour. Serve straight away with a crispy green salad.
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