Cookes Restaurant,14 South William Street , Dublin, Ireland
A quality restaurant, very tasty and inventive food.
We went out for dinner in Dublin on Thursday evening, to celebrate Sofie getting a job! We hadn't booked anywhere so we ended up going for a bit of a walk to find a place we both liked!
After a walk down South William St, up Georges St, and through Georges St. Arcade we ended up stumbling into Cookes, who were offering a set menu of, starter and main course for €21.95, probably the best priced set menu for it's class we came across that evening.
Unlike my last meal in town, the waiting staff were extremely professional and very attentive. I was asked three times if I was finished my starter but in general they paced the courses quite well, leaving time to digest and have a good chat!
For a starter I had a Caesar salad, and Sofie ordered a Beef Carpaccio with rocket. The Caesar salad was very tasty but lacked croutons and had just that bit too much cheese. Sofie's Carpaccio was excellent, a perfect balance of taste and texture. For me the perfect dish is one that has a variety flavours that combine to become the perfect mouthful!
For mains, in a bit of turning of the tables Sofie went for the Caesar salad, and I chose the Duck Confit with Beans. The salad was standard again with the same criticism, however the duck was very tasty, I felt that the beans could have been stewed a little longer in the sauce as they were still a bit hard and didn't really compliment the texture of the dish.
All in all the meal was really enjoyable and perfect for an early meal out. I would definitely recommend Cookes, it definitely has a feel for food.
Brrrr it sure is getting chilly out there! Ireland has been taken over by the wind and rain and it's fairly miserable, but pretty much to be expected. I love this sort of weather for cooking, lots of winter, warming dishes packed with flavours. I have two really tasty dishes that will do the trick and will post them during the week but for now, I cooked up a batch of caramelised balsamic red onion to go on top of crostini spread with a little paté. It makes a super little starter perfect pass around food for Christmas parties.
Caramelised Balsamic Red Onion
This method reduces pungent red onion to a sticky delicious delight which goes wonderfully with meat, mashed potato or even as a tasty addition to a quick starter. I love having that extra little touch that takes a meal to another level, with very little effort! You could use red wine vinegar here if you don't have balsamic vinegar to hand.
Serves 4-6 3 red onions, sliced into half moons 1 tablespoon of olive oil 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon of sugar
In a large frying pan, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the red onion, stir to coat in the oil and fry gently for about 15 minutes or until soft. Add the balsamic vinegar and sugar and stir through. Cook gently for a further 15 minutes until you are left with rich, sticky onions. Serve with a little paté on a crisp crostini.
This was the piece I wrote for my feature in the Irish Independent Weekend Magazine, about the fantastic cookclub I attended recently:
Bright and bubbly Sadhbh McCarthy hosted one of her regular dinner parties as part of her cook club with a celebration of some of her favourite recipes for pals, Brid, Fiona, Karen, Peter and Colm. Sadhbh who works as a European policy advisor, chose her menu which was a hearty mix of cultures, based around a refreshing and aromatic starter of Vietnamese beef and noodle soup, Beef Pho. A dish which she fell in love with on a trip travelling from Ho Chi Minh City to Shanghai and was determined to recreate it when she came home. The soup caused a friendly heated debate as some of the more apprehensive guests were unsure about the addition of red chilli. However the debate quickly dissipated when Sadhbh helped by Peter, presented a glowing platter of hot sizzling Thai Fish Cakes straight from the pan. Originally a Rick Stein recipe, Sadhbh adapted it using her own blend of curry paste and spoke encouragingly about being flexible when cooking Asian dishes as long as you keep the base flavours.
All the ingredients used for the recipes were sourced from the indoor Honest2Goodness farmers market in Glasnevin, run by Sadhbh’s friend Brid Carter. The pair met through a combined love of good food and Brid provided the secret ingredient for a wonderfully tender pork belly and added an extra zing to the dish by using her own blend of 5 spice powder sourced from the market.
Dessert was provided by Sadhbh’s son Jamie, who is training to become a chef in DIT, he made a mouth-watering cheesecake topped with summer berries adapted from a Bill Granger recipe which was accompanied by a smooth berry coulis which cut through the creaminess to add another dimension to the dish. It was a unanimous decision around the table that the addition of Moonshine Organic Cream Cheese from artisan producers Gerry and Mary Kelly in Mullingar set the standard when it came to adding an extra creaminess to the dessert.
Wines were carefully selected by trained sommelier and wine obsessive Colm Carter who works alongside Brid at the market every Saturday. He chose Domaine de l'Amandine Cotes du Rhone 2007 for the starter, a Vina Marro, Crianza 2006 Rioja Doca for the rich pork belly and a fruity Oddero Moscato d'Asti 2007 to go with the cheesecake.
I hadn't intended on interrupting by staying the whole evening, but Sadhbh and her friends fully welcomed me with a glass of wine and in a true case of Irish hospitality I found myself polishing off dessert with a full belly! Sadhbh summed up the fantastic evening by sharing her ethos on her cook club which was to “Cook with love and a desire to share and enjoy the experience”.
Pho Bo – Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup (from Annabel Jackson’s Street Café Vietnam)
For the broth 1.7 litres beef stock or canned beef consommé 115g piece fresh ginger, peeled and smashed 2 sticks cinnamon bark ½ teaspoon coriander seeds 3 pieces star anise 1 teaspoon each caster sugar, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 teaspoons nuoc mam (Vietnamese equivalent of nam pla (fish sauce)
To serve: Hoi sin sauce and chilli sauce 2 limes, cut in half 2 fresh red chillies, thinly sliced Bunch of fresh ngo gai (if available) – this is a Vietnamese herb Bunch of fresh Thai Basil
To make the broth: bring the stock to boiling point. Add the ginger, cinnamon sticks, coriander seeds and star anise. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the sugar, salt, pepper and fish sauce. Strain the broth and return to the pan. Keep hot over a low heat. Bring a pan of water to the boil, and warn through fresh noodles or cook rice sticks until al dente. Drain and divide among individual bowls. Add a handful of blanched beansprouts and some shallots and coriander to each bowl and top with the beef (still raw). Ladle the hot broth over the food in the bowl (this will cook the beef slightly). At the table, each diner can add hoi sin, chilli sauce, lime juice, fresh chilli ngo gai and basil leaves to taste. - I will be posting the rest of the delicious recipes from the dinner party this week!
I had planned to post both the chicken recipe and the roast beetroot starter but the terrible weather means low light conditions which in turn means terrible photos, so I will be shooting the starter recipe for the twinnerparty tomorrow morning and posting it before 12!
Yesterday both Market Kitchen and Nationwide aired and although I wasn't nervous doing them, having sit through them was another story! But thankfully it went quite well and everyone I have spoken too has been only complimentary, so I am relieved. I don't think you can see Market Kitchen online but the Nationwide interview can be seen here and here.
Herby Roast Chicken and Honey and Thyme Parsnips
Normally I make this herb paste for a full roast chicken, but I find pre-portioned chicken legs and thighs are perfect for entertaining as you don't have to fuss around with carving. The great thing about this dish is that you can prepare the two trays a few hours ahead of your guest arriving and pop them in the oven just before they arrive! If you don't grow your own herbs you can pick up little packets for about €1 in most supermarkets which are really handy for one off dishes. I love roasting whole garlic bulbs but if it's too much garlic for you just leave these out.
Serves 6 6 Chicken legs and thighs 4 red onions, peeled and quartered 2 bulbs of garlic,with the top sliced off 4 cloves of garlic 40g or a large handful of fresh herbs, basil, rosemary, thyme 6 medium sized parsnips, peeled and quartered A few sprigs of fresh thyme 1 tablespoon of honey A good drizzle of olive oil A good pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper
In a pestle and mortar or a food processor, blitz the mixed herbs, garlic cloves, and a little olive oil. Add a little more olive oil until you have a loose paste. Place the parsnips on a large roasting tray with the thyme, drizzle with honey and oil and spoonful of the herb paste. Toss together until everything is combined. On another roasting tray arrange the chickens pieces, garlic bulbs and red onion. Add the rest of the herb paste and toss everything together until the the chicken and onions have a nice coating of herbs. Place both roasting trays in the oven at 190°C/Gas Mark 5, for about 45-50 minutes or until the chicken is cooked right through. The parsnips will cook slightly quicker than the chicken so you may need to take them out of the oven before the chicken. Serve the chicken straight away, with the parsnips, red onion, garlic and an little drizzle of the juices.
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.
Last Twinnerparty recipe today! Hope you are all set for tomorrow night, I will write a few tips later on to save time, like the things you can make ahead and so on. A huge thank you to Julian from Bubble Brothers who has posted his suggestions for wines to go with the full meal, so if you are into your wines, head over there to see which wine goes with what! Kick off time for the twinnerparty is 7pm, with an aim to serve the first course at 7.30pm, but as we are all mostly from Ireland, timing of things normally goes out the window, but sure we'll see!
Beetroot, Goats Cheese, Pine Nut and Rocket Salad
This is a really tasty starter dish which is perfect for preparing the ingredients ahead of time and simply assembling them at the last minute to create a pretty impressive salad. If you don't want to roast the beetroot yourself, you can by precooked vac packed ones in the supermarket.
Serves 6 6 medium sized beetroot 75g pine nuts 250g goats cheese, cut into bitesize pieces 60g rocket leaves 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard Half a clove of garlic, minced A good pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper
You can cook the beetroot ahead of time if you wish, simply wrap them in tinfoil, place on an oven tray and bake for about an hour at 190C/Gas Mark 5 or until you can insert a fork smoothly. Remove from the oven, allow to cool, then peel with knife and slice into quarters. On a large frying pan, over a medium heat, toast the pine nuts, until golden brown, make sure to keep an eye on them as they can burn quite easily. In a large bowl whisk together the Dijon mustard, oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper and set aside. When you are ready to serve the salad, arrange the beetroot quarters and goats cheese pieces on each plate. Toss the rocket leaves in the dressing and place a little on each plate. Finally scatter each plate with the toasted pine nuts and serve straight away!
Pizza was one of the first things I learned to cook when I was a kid, I think it was because the preparation is fairly hands on so it's a perfect starter recipe for younger aspiring cooks! The great thing about homemade pizza is that you can cater for the taste of every person you make it for. This recipes topping is just a suggestion but the same day I made this I made a pizza's with parma ham, goats cheese and peppers, so you can really use whatever takes your fancy.
For the pizza baking session, I had the help of my cousin Harry, who had decided to miss out on his Sunday morning rugby practice to make pizza. I don't know about you but I would obviously have made the same decision! His favourite part was getting to punch down the dough!
Chorizo and Mushroom Thin Crust Pizza
This dough creates a wonderfully, thin, crisp yet still chewy dough which ticks all the boxes for me! You can easily freeze the dough after it has finished rising, punch down, and pop in a freezer bag. Take it out the day before you plan to use it and allow to it to defrost in the fridge.
Makes 3-4 thin bases 255g of flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 175ml of very warm water 1 x 7.5g sachet of active dried yeast 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
For the topping About 3 tablespoons of tomato sauce per pizza 175g of mozzarella 100g of chorizo, sliced thinly 1 large mushroom per pizza, sliced thinly
Combine the water, sugar, and yeast in a measuring jug. Set aside in a warm place in the kitchen for about 10-15 minutes or until it becomes frothy. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. When the yeast and water mixture has become frothy stir through the olive oil. Make a well in the flour and pour in the yeast and water mixture, using your fingers slowly combine the flour in from the sides and continue to mix until a rough dough forms. Turn the dough out on a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes. If the dough is too sticky add a little extra flour until it becomes smooth. Form the dough into a ball and turn in an oiled bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel and set in a warm spot for about 45 minutes or until it has doubled in size. Punch the dough down, knead again for a minute and place back in the bowl to rise for an additional 10 minutes. Split the dough into 3-4 pieces and roll out as thin as possible. Flour a baking sheet and transfer the pizza base to it. Spread the base with the tomato sauce, sprinkle with mozzarella, chorizo slices and mushroom pieces. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 200C/Gas Mark 6 or until the cheese turns golden and the crust becomes crisp. Serve straightaway!
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!
If you haven't heard of Sally Bee before, and I hadn't up until recently, Sally is a mother of three who at the age of 36, despite a healthy lifestyle, suffered 3 major heart attacks in the space of one week. I'm not even going to go into the amazing story of her recovery, you really just have to read it. "The Secret Ingredient" is a collection of super healthy recipes which don't go over the top and features meals which are perfect for family home cooking.
I recently got the opportunity to meet the lovely Sally Bee, and despite our extremely brief encounter she comes across as an extremely vibrant and fun individual and when I remarked on her incredible story, joked and feigned heart pains! This is one of the fantastic recipes from her book, "The Secret Ingredient" which is out on Thursday 21st of January and can be ordered online via Amazon.
Prawn, Avocado and Pecan Herb Salad
You know, salads don't have to be boring. This dish is full of flavour! You can serve it as a main meal or smaller portions for a healthy starter. If you don't like prawns, you can substitute with chicken; anything goes, really. Be adventurous with your salads and make this a regular, everyday dish. Prawns give great texture and flavour to this recipe, but they do contain cholesterol,so I have allowed only four prawns per serving. If you want to make it more substantial, you can add extra protein: such as tuna, chicken or turkey.
Serves 2 Drizzle of olive oil 2 salad onions or spring onions (scallions),peeled and finely chopped 1 garlic clove,peeled and crushed 1 tbsp soy sauce Freshly ground black pepper 8 uncooked king prawns (jumbo shrimp) Mixed salad leaves Watercress 1 ripe avocado 2 tomatoes, sliced Juice of 1 lemon Handful of fresh basil, torn Handful of shelled pecan nuts
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chopped salad onions, crushed garlic, soy sauce, black pepper and raw prawns. Sauté until the prawns have turned pink all the way through. Arrange the salad leaves, watercress, avocado and tomatoes in a big dish, then pour over the prawns and other cooked ingredients. Squeeze over the lemon juice, sprinkle with torn basil and pecan nuts and serve.
Although the Irish summer hasn't really been good to us so far- it does provide the odd worthwhile day of sunshine, when untanned arms and legs get out for the day and prove, they too can work a pair of shorts and a t-shirt! Yesterday was one of those days, and instead of missing the opportunity we jumped in head first to summer. We even kidnapped a dog!
Well almost, James, his owner was down at the Oxegen festival so we took pity on him and brought him with us. Sofie and I were joined by Michael and Senan on our little road trip which ended up at the hill of Tara. Now being the Swedish viking, my girlfriend is, she was highly unimpressed when we showed her the magic of one of Ireland's premier tourist attractions, a hill of mud. But she did set herself up for disappointment as we walked towards the hill, when she claimed she hadn't been that impressed with the Colosseum in Rome! I'm sorry to say that there is something fairly reminiscent to the hill of Tara and an episode of "Father Ted" when they all go to a funfair in "The Field" the whole place is even watched over by a flock of sheep...
For the picnic itself, I finally got to use my handy dandy food picnic carrying thing, which was one of the presents I got for my birthday. It was my mom's interpretation of the bento box I posted about back in Febuary, but the containers are way too big for just one person, so it's ideal for feeding about 4 people.
And after all that food what better activity to enjoy on a picnic than a spot of Kite Flying. Well the enjoyment only came after a long process of trying to get the bloody thing in the air, but when we finally got it up, it was great craic.
As for the food, I made some really quick and easy Mexican Quesadilla's (recipe below), tagliatelle with homemade tomato and basil sauce and the one desert recipe I can always put my faith in, Goeey Chocolate Puddings.
These Mexican Quesadilla's are not that healthy but they are a perfect party or snack food and even a simple little starter. You can spruce them up with whatever you like, a bit of chicken, sliced peppers but this is just the straight forward way of making them:
Mexican Quesidilla's
6 Wholemeal Flour Tortilla Wraps.
130g of Red Cheddar Cheese (Or enough to cover).
6 Tbsp of Homemade Spicy Salsa Sauce (Store bought works just fine here too).
1 Red Onion Sliced thinly.
This recipe is basically all preperation. Spread 3 of the tortilla wrap's with the salsa sauce, scatter the red onions and sprinkle the cheese. Cover them up with the other 3 tortilla wraps and heat a large frying pan. If you have a non stick pan you don't even need oil, if not add a drop of vegetable oil. Each Quesidilla will take about 2-3 minutes either side on a medium to high heat.
Serve straight away or save for later, either way they still taste great!
Looking for a quick "hands on" starter dish which comes packed with a punch? Well I'm pretty sure these quesadillas fit the bill! I am completely addicted to chorizo, it's full of great smokey spiced flavour, has a fantastic, rich, deep red colour and adds so much to any dish you use it in. I love using chorizo in hearty bean stews for a more wintery dish, but it will forever and for always remind me of summer. I first tasted it on a holiday in Spain as part of a tapas dish and was hooked forever more!
Chorizo and Spring Onion Quesadillas You can get chorizo in fine soft slices or in thick sausage form which I use in this recipe. If you are really stuck and can't get your hands on some chorizo for this recipe, don't panic, you can use a little leftover cooked chicken or some sliced cooked ham as a substitute. The great thing about quesadillas is that you can really adapt them to what you have, the classic ones I normally make are with some salsa, cheese and thinly sliced red onion, simple and delicious!
Serves 2 150g of chorizo, sliced in bite size chunky rounds 1 clove of garlic, finely minced A small handful of cherry tomatoes, finely chopped 4 wholewheat tortilla wraps A bunch of spring onions, sliced finely A small handful of grated cheddar cheese Sea salt and black pepper to season
Heat a large frying pan over a high heat and cook the chorizo on both sides until sizzling and roaring red. When it's cooked, remove from the pan and place on a plate lined with some kitchen paper. Drain a little of the chorizo oil, leaving enough to fry the quesadillas. While the chorizo is frying off, combine the minced garlic and chopped tomatoes in a bowl and season with a little salt and pepper. Spread half the tomato and garlic mix on one of the tortilla wraps, top with a little cheese, a generous amount of spring onions, and some of the cooked chorizo. Place another tortilla wrap on top and fry on both sides over a high heat, until the quesadilla is golden brown and the cheese inside has melted. Repeat with the second quesadilla. Serve the quessdillas sliced in quarters with an extra sprinkle of sliced spring onions, and a little of the leftover tomato and garlic mix.
What is it with caterers who seem to think the only solution to feeding a large amount of people means sticking everything in a deep fat fryer? Recently I have been to more than 3 events which have resorted to battered chicken nuggets, onion rings, and cocktail sausages! Now I'm not going to completely condemn them as I did have a quick nibble, as most people do, but I would far rather some simple, fresh finger food with healthy ingredients which don't rely on a vat of boiling fat to make them look pretty!
This little antipasto salad is my simple solution to any pre dinner nibbles. Three tasty ingredients combined to make a delicious little starter which can be thrown together in no time at all. Best of all it looks so damn good your guests will think you went to a whole lot of bother! To be honest this is more of a sit down affair, but if you did want to transform this dish into proper finger food, simply toast some small slices of bread, spread with a little pesto, wrap a few rocket leaves, wafers of parmesan cheese and crushed olives in some parma ham slices, place on the pesto toast and hold together with a cocktail stick.
Simple Antipasto Salad This is a great base for any salad so feel free to throw in some lovely extras if you so wish. Things like toasted pine nuts, garlic croutons, and sun dried tomatoes would all work great in this. If you buy olives unpitted, simply crush them with the back of a knife and remove the stone with your fingers.
3 large handfuls of rocket leaves. (Arugula) Half of a 100g jar of green olives (pitted). 1 packet of parma ham slices. 1 Large handful of wafer thin parmesan cheese slices. 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. A small pinch of ground black pepper.
The method for this one is so easy- Simply mix together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently. Tumble the salad onto a large serving dish and serve. Make sure to provide lots of crusty bread to eat alongside and enjoy!
