Beetroot, Black Pudding and Pomegranate Salad

Beetroot, Black Pudding and Pomegranate Salad

This is epic, the earthy flavours from the beetroot and the black pudding up against the sharpness from the pomegranate along with the tang from the feta cheese… well it works, it works so well.

Serves 2:

4-6 pre-cooked baby beetroots

1 small black pudding

1 pomegranate

1 lemon

Rocket

Olive oil

1-2 little gem lettuce

Feta cheese

Sea salt and black pepper

Method

Cut the pre-cooked beetroots into quarters and slice the black pudding into 1cm slices. Place a medium frying pan on a medium high heat and add a splash of oil, fry the black pudding slices for 2 minutes, turn them over and add in the beetroot, a squeeze of pomegranate juice and a squeeze of lemon juice, cook for a further 3 mins until the pudding slices are cooked and the beets warmed through. Set aside.

In a bowl dress a large handful of rocket with good olive oil. Carefully pull the leaves from the little gem lettuces keeping them intact.

To serve the salad, place 4 little gem lettuce leaves on each plate so they look like little bowls, divide the rocket between all the ‘bowls’ and divide out the pudding and beets on top of the rocket. Tap out the pomegranate seeds over the dish and crumble off little wedges of the feta cheese. Season the salad with a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Avocado, Crispy Bacon and Lime on Toast

Avocado, Crispy Bacon and Lime on Toast

Hey… you… yes you reading this… do yourself a favour and make this recipe.

I use this for a breakfast where I can take my time to savour and enjoy! It is also great for a light lunch, I try and use nice fresh rye bread or a spelt and honey loaf. The addition of butter or margarine is not needed on the toast as the avocado it nice and soft and eliminates the need… in my humble opinion. Try and get the bacon nice and crispy and the fatty bits slightly charred for maximum flavour.

Calories 1532

383 per portion

Serves 4:

2 ripe avocados

Juice of a lime

8 slices of streaky bacon

8 thick slices of rye bread (or similar)

Parsley to garnish

Method

Halve, de-stone and slice the avocado into 1cm slices, remove the skin. Place in a large bowl and drizzle the lime juice over, season will with salt and pepper and give it all a good toss and set aside for 10 mins.

In the meantime grill the streaky bacon until well coloured both sides and set on kitchen paper to crisp up.

Toast the thick bread slices then arrange the avocado slices on top, add the crispy bacon over these and lightly spoon over any remaining juice from the bowl. 

Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

Light Lemon Meringue

Lemon Meringue

I've been so busy lately writing, cooking and photographing for my book, along with starting back into gardening, cake making, everyday household tasks and still some handyman work... that it's easy to set the blog to one side... but I cant do that!! 

My whole blog needs a major makeover, I have really stepped up a gear lately with my food that the blog is looking a bit dated, but that makeover definitely wont happen until at least April. So for now I'll keep plugging away and do what I can do... here is a recipe for all to try.

A homemade lemon meringue can seem daunting to some people, all I can say is this… follow this set of instructions and it won’t go wrong. you can buy pastry cases already made or make a simple shortcrust pastry case yourself.

1 9inch bought pastry case (or make your own, see below)

280g sugar

30g cornflour

A pinch of salt

250ml boiling water

125ml lemon juice

Zest of 3 lemons grated

2 eggs (1 whole and one yolk)

A teaspoon of butter

Meringue

3 large egg whites

A pinch of salt

A dash of vanilla extract

115g caster sugar

Lemon Meringue Pie

Method

In a large saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornflour and salt. Slowly pour in the boiling water while whisking to make a smooth sauce. Place the saucepan on a medium heat and continue whisking while bringing to the boil, reduce the heat slightly and cook for a further 2 mins without whisking. Remove from the heat.

In a small mixing bowl whisk the lemon juice, zest and 1 egg and 1 egg yolk together. Carefully whisk a little of the cooked hot sauce into the lemon/egg mix then whisk this all back into the cooked hot sauce in the saucepan. Return the saucepan back onto a medium heat and while stirring bring to a simmer, add the butter and continue stirring until it thickens (this can take a while but stick with it). Once thickened remove from the heat and pour into the pastry case and allow to cool so it starts to set.

In the meantime, get to making the meringue. In a clean large mixing bowl add the egg whites. Whisk them until light and frothy then add the salt and vanilla extract, whisk this well in until it forms soft peaks. Add the caster sugar a tablespoon at a time while continually whisking until all the sugar is used and the meringue forms stiff peaks. Using a spatula scrape out the meringue on top of the pie and using a pallet knife gently spread it evenly. Pat the meringue with the pallet knife all over to form peaks.

Place the pie into the oven at 170c and bake for about 15 mins until the peaks have coloured. Remove from the oven and allow to cool fully before serving. Normally about 2 hours. 

Homemade shortcrust pastry:

125g plain flour

A pinch of salt

55g cubed butter

2-3 tablespoons of cold water

Method

Place the flour, salt and butter into the food processor and pulse until the butter is fully mixed through and it looks like fine breadcrumbs. With the motor still running pour the water in bit by bit until it just forms a dough.

Remove it from the mixer and wrap in cling film. Chill for at least 20 mins before rolling out with a rolling pin.

Roll out to suit your dish then blind bake for 20 mins at 180c.

(to blind bake, roll out bigger than your dish so it over hangs all around the dish then line the pastry with parchment paper and pour in ceramic beans to weigh down the pastry, alternatively you can use uncooked rice.)

When cooked trim off the edges.

Shortcrust Pastry

Pancake Tuesday

Best of both Pancakes

Pancake Tuesday is upon us again.. here is my way of making pancakes, simple but effective!

Makes around 6 pancakes:

5 heaped tablespoons of plain flour
5 heaped tablespoons of wholemeal flour
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
Skimmed milk

Method

Spoon both flours into a mixing bowl, add pinch of salt.

Pour in a cup of milk and crack 2 eggs in.

Give it all a good whisk and add more milk if required, your looking for the consistency of double cream.

Pop a pan on a hot hob and put a light drizzle of oil, wait until pan starts to smoke a little and pour some mixture in the center. Lift the pan and rotate your wrist around spreading the mixture.

After a minute flip it over using a fish slice. Another minute or 2 should see it through. You only need to flip it the once!



Serve however you see fit… its butter and sugar for me!



Chinese Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup

Chinese Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup

I love this soup, authentic Chinese food is what I aim to cook, and you can be guaranteed that the Chinese people do not eat the kinda food we get in Ireland in their takeaways. There is a little bit more work in this soup than in most others but it is worth it.

Serves 6:

1 large chicken fillet

1 litre of chicken stock

A dash of sesame oil

An inch sized piece of ginger

1 tin of sweetcorn

2 tablespoons of corn flour

2 egg whites

Spring onion to garnish

Method

Poach the chicken fillet by covering it with water in a medium saucepan, place it on a high heat until it starts to bubble then reduce to an easy simmer for 20 mins until cooked and tender. Remove it from the water and allow cooling on a plate, reserving the cooking water for later. When the fillet is cool shred it by pulling it into long thin strips.

In a large saucepan pour in a litre of stock and a dash of sesame oil, grate in the ginger and add the sweetcorn from the tin. Place on a high heat and bring to the boil. In the meantime using some of the poaching water in a cup; make a thin paste with the corn flour. Also beat the 2 egg white lightly with another dash of the poaching water in a separate cup.

When the large saucepan has reached boiling point, add the shredded chicken, return to the boil and stir in the corn flour paste. Now from a height of about 15cm gently drizzle in the egg white mix while stirring (this will ensure it doesn't clump together and that it will cook fully).

Check for seasoning and add a pinch of salt if needed. Serve with a garnish of spring onion cut on the diagonal.

Sweet and Sour Pork

Sweet and Sour Pork

Here is a great recipe for January, it's quite low in fat and its a hot enough sweet and sour to warm you up in the dark cold evenings. Pork fillet is lean and to make it even more so, trim away any excess fat on the outside of it although there shouldn't be much at all.

I love cooking these kinda meals in the dark evenings, Ciara normally only gets home from work about 8.10 so I start head into the kitchen (if I'm not in it already) about 7.30 to get dinner on. I normally don't like eating dinner that late unless we are out for a meal but that's life for you, it's an excuse not to load up on portion sizes and that way Ciara get's to take the left overs for her lunch to work the next day.

I serve this with fried brown rice, but you can serve it with boiled rice, egg noodles etc. also, feel free to load more veg into it to fill up on the good stuff, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, courgette, squash etc.

Calories 686

343 per portion

(Add 218 pp for brown rice)

Serves 2:

200g pork fillet

Sea salt and black pepper

1 onion

 1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

1 fat clove of garlic

Half a small red chilli

A thumb sized piece of ginger

Rapeseed oil

1 teaspoon of Chinese five-spice

1 tablespoon of corn flour

3 tablespoons of dark soy sauce

A small tin of pineapple chunks

2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

Coriander leaves to garnish

Method

Cut the pork fillet length-ways down the middle then cut each side into cubes and season with the salt and pepper. Peel, halve and chop the onion into chunks. De-seed the peppers and chop into bite size pieces. Finely slice the garlic, chilli and ginger.

Heat a large frying pan or wok on a high heat, when hot add the rapeseed oil along with the pork pieces, immediately sprinkle over the Chinese five-spice and brown off the pork for a few minutes. Remove into a clean bowl using a slotted spoon.

Give the pan/wok a wipe down then return to the heat, add more oil then add all the chopped vegetables. Cook this all for about 2 mins stirring frequently. Stir in the corn flour and add the soy sauce, cook for a further minute then add back in the pork along with the pineapple chunks, their juice and the balsamic vinegar.

Check the seasoning and cook for a further few mins ensuring the pork is cooked through (break a piece open to check). Simmer for a few mins until sauce thickens if needed.

Serve with fried rice and a garnish of coriander leaves.

I'm a bad blogger, but I'm writing a fupping cookbook!

Its the start of a brand spanking new year, 2013 and its not looking in anyway unlucky to me.
After my bizarre exploits of last year, this year is looking just as action packed but thankfully jogging will be taking a back seat. Last year I ran, walked and hobbled around Ireland for charity, something I would do again... but taking a years break from that will suit me down to the ground!

After my run finished and I was in recovery I got some great news, the publishers Mercier Press wanted me to write a cookbook, something I had aimed to achieve. So this is my excuse for not blogging of late, I have been flat to the mat experimenting, perfecting, writing, typing and photographing old and new recipes to put in the book... it's all go I can tell you but I'm loving every minute of it!!!

This year I plan a big year for my cakes, I've fallen in love with making them again after a month or so off from taking orders.. my aim as always is to make each one I do (no matter how big or small) the best one I have ever made... in my opinion if you cant bring that attitude into what you do then you may stop doing it and find something that you can work that attitude into. I know I am blessed to be doing something that I love but I did go through a lot of shit jobs to get here and to be honest still do jobs as a handyman that many's a man wouldn't take on with, they are that bad and pointless, but I take them on the chin as the bigger picture is more appealing and lets face it, you gotta paddle through a mountain of crap before you hit the big blue sea!

Well that's me for now as I'm up to my neck in glorious work!!

I will blog better in future and more recipes and gardening to come real soon but for now I'll take my punishment like a man... 100 lines...

I must be a better blogger
I must be a better blogger
I must be a better blogger
I must be a better blogger
I must be a better blogger
I must be a better blogger
I must be a better blogger
I must be a better blogger
I must be a better blogger
I must be a better blogger
I must be a better blogger
I must be a better blogger

Ah to hell with that... sue me ;)