Author: Caitríona

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Leek & Potato Soup Recipe

potato leek and onion soup


Ingredients
· 1 large knob of butter
· 2 leeks, washed and chopped
· 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
· 4 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
· 1.5 pints vegetable stock
· Fresh thyme & parsley

Method
Melt the butter in a large saucepan on a medium heat. Add the onions first and cook for about 5 minutes so that they begin to soften. Add the leeks and cook for another 5 minutes.
Stir in the potato chunks and coat well in the leek and onion mixture.

Pour the vegetable stock into the saucepan, stir. Add some fresh thyme leaves. Cover the saucepan and bring the contents to a slow simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly before blending with a stick blender.

Serve with fresh parsley & oodles of white pepper – which is my preference. Apparently this carb-full soup is best enjoyed with a doorstep of fresh buttered batch but honestly I find it filling enough.

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Crispy Slice Recipe

marshmallow and rice cake


Ingredients
300g marshmallows
300g of crisp rice cereal
75 margarine
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Method
On a very low heat melt the margarine in a large saucepan. Line a baking tray well with non stick baking parchment.

Once melted, pour in the marshmallows and keep on stirring on a low heat until all have melted and there are no lumps. Stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Pour in the crisp rice in thirds, stirring after adding each section so that they are completely covered with the marshmallow mixture. Once all the crisp rice has been stirred in and coated with the marshmallow remove from the heat and pour onto the lined baking tray.

Spread the mixture over the baking tray and press down firmly. Leave in a cold place to cool.

Slice with a sharp, wetted knife to stop it from sticking to the marshmallow slices. Slices will keep in a sealed box for up to a week, if they last that long!

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Breakfast Burrito

Soft tortilla wraps with peppers, onion, eggs

Portions: 5
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 peppers, chopped
• 12 eggs
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp garlic granules/powder
• Salt & pepper
• 5 soft tortilla wraps
• 200g grated cheese

Method

Heat the sunflower oil on a medium heat in a large frying pan.
Add the onion and peppers and soft in the heat. Season with salt and pepper.
Once the vegetables are soft, crack in the 12 eggs, sprinkle in the paprika and garlic, then stir so that the ingredients are combined.
Keep on stirring until the egg mixture is cooked (scrambled egg texture).
Turn off the heat. Lay out the tortilla wraps and divide the mixture evenly between them.
Sprinkle the grated cheese on top before rolling into burrito parcels.
Allow to cool before wrapping in baking parchment and then tinfoil (this insulates the burritos) and freezing.
In the morning, remove the tinfoil wrapping and microwave the burrito for 3-4 minutes on medium until piping hot all the way through. Enjoy.

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Homemade Brown Bread Recipe

Irish brown bread with pinhead oatmeal, sesame seeds, and buttermilk


Ingredients
• 225g coarse wholemeal flour
• 30g wheatgerm
• 30g pinhead oatmeal
• 30g sesame seeds
• 170g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 90g butter, melted
• 330ml buttermilk

Method
Preheat a fan oven to 210 degrees Celsius. Line a 2lb loaf tin with baking paper.

Take a large mixing bowl and place all the dried ingredients inside. These are the 2 flours, seeds, wheatgerm, oatmeal, baking soda and salt if you’re using it. Using a fork, mix the dried ingredients together until they’re combined.

Make a well in the centre of the dried ingredients and crack in the 2 eggs, pour in half the buttermilk. Using the fork, stir everything together until it starts to clump. Pour in the rest of the buttermilk and stir once more. You will end up with a very thick batter. It doesn’t look one bit like bread dough!

Pour the batter into the lined loaf tin. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top and put the loaf tin into the hot oven.

Bake at 210 degrees for 20 minutes. Then, turn the heat down to 200 degrees Celsius and bake for a further 45 minutes.

After this time, check the bread is cooked by inserting a skewer into the deepest part of the loaf. If it comes out dry and clean then the bread is baked. If not, return it to the oven for another 10 minutes before testing again.

Once the bread is cooked, take the tin out of the oven, and lift the bread from the tin carefully (it’s very hot). Wrap in a damp teatowel and place it on a cooling rack. This will soften the crust to make it easier to slice. If you prefer a crispy crust, turn off the oven and put the bread back onto the rack in the oven while it cools.

Once completely cold the bread will keep for 3 days in a bread bin, you can freeze it for up to 3 months if well wrapped. You can also slice the loaf, then freeze individual slices which will keep for up to 1 month. If cooking for one or two people I recommend this method of baking, slicing, then freezing.

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Pumpkin Pasta Recipe

Pasta with pumpkin, spinach, and cheese


Serves: 4
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Preparation Time: 40 mins
Ingredients
• 1 large bag of fresh spinach
• 3 cloves of garlic minced
• Decent glug of olive oil.
• 1 small pumpkin, sliced (seeds scooped out)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried garlic
• Salt & Pepper
• 650ml passata
• 250g fresh lasagne sheets
• 200g grated mozzarella
• 75g grated parmesan

Method
In a large pan saute fresh spinach leaves with olive oil and garlic, plenty of salt and pepper utnil the spinach is wilted. Set to one side to drain and cool.

Coat the pumpkin slices well in olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. Once cooked, set to one side to cool a little.
Blitz the spinach mixture to a paste. Mash the cooled pumpkin with dried garlic and oregano.

Grease a deep baking dish well with butter or olive oil then pour half the passata into the bottom of the baking dish and season well.

Take the fresh lasagne sheets and slice them in half lengthways so that you have long rectangular pieces. Take the first piece and spoon a small amount of the spinach mixture onto the length of the fresh pasta, sprinkle some grated mozzarella on top of the spinach. Roll the the pasta into a tube then sit the tube upright in the baking dish. Take the second piece and fill with the pumpkin mixture, sprinkle grated mozzarella on top, roll and sit upright.

Continue filling and rolling the pasta pieces until the baking dish is full. Pour the remaining passata on top of the tubes and gently rock the baking dish back and forth until the passata sinks into the dish. Season well then sprinkle the top of the pasta with the remaining mozzarella and the grated parmesan.

Bake in the oven at 170 degrees for 30 minutes before serving.

You’ll have wonderfully crispy cheese and pasta bits on top but soft and yielding pasta underneath. This dish is all about the texture. I like to eat mine with a fresh salad. The kids love theirs with the other main food groups for lasagne eating; that is potato wedges and garlic bread. No coleslaw here!

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Batty Bourbons Recipe

This is a fudgy, chewy biscuit recipe perfect for filling with chocolate buttercream.

Batty Bourbons Recipe
This is a fudgy chewy biscuit recipe which is perfect for filling with chocolate buttercream.
Ingredients
• 300g plain flour
• 100g cocoa powder
• 90g of caster sugar
• 85g of butter at room temperature
• 2 medium eggs
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (or the seeds from 1 vanilla pod)
Method
Beat the butter and sugar together until soft and fluffy.
Add the eggs one by one and beat until they are well mixed into the batter.
Add the vanilla extract or seeds from a pod.
Pour the flour and baking powder slowly into the bowl and beat until mixed with the eggs, sugar and butter. Then the cocoa powder
Beat until everything becomes a tight dough.
Cut a large piece of cling film and turn out the dough onto the cling film.
Wrap well and place into the fridge for at least 1 hour before rolling and baking.
At this point you can put the dough into the freezer to keep for up to a month. Just remember to take it out to defrost in the fridge until you are ready to cut it to size and bake.
After at least an hour heat your (fan) oven to 180 degrees Celcius.
Dust your worksurface and rolling pin with flour.
Cut as you please with whatever shape cutters you like. I used a variety of different cutters this time.
The amount of time the cookies will take to cook depends on their size. A medium (palm of your hand) sized cookie takes approximately 10 mins. Adjust your cooking time up if they are bigger or thicker, down if they are thinner or smaller.
For the chocolate buttercream – beat together 225g of unsalted butter with 350g of icing sugar and 150g of melted chocolate.


Recipe notes: I made any leftover cookie dough into small balls which I put into a box and froze. I can make instant cookies at short notice now with these offcuts.
Yes, I made far too much buttercream, just as well it freezes perfectly for another day.

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Burger Wheels Recipe

Burger wheels with puff pastry, beef and pepper

Burger Wheels Recipe
Serves: 6-8 people

Ingredients
• 1 roll puff pastry
• 450g mince beef
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried garlic
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 200g grated cheese

Method

1. Preheat a fan oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Line a baking tray.

2. Spread out the puff pastry and press the mince beef to an even layer on top. Sprinkle liberally with the cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, and dried garlic.

3. Add the chopped onions as the next layer, then half the grated cheese.

4. Carefully roll the pastry and then slice into circles. Place the circles onto the baking tray.

5. Sprinkle the top with the remaining grated cheese.

6. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, until golden on top & the pastry has puffed up.

7. Serve with pickles, mayonnaise, fresh tomatoes and lettuce if you like. Or eat in the hand as you go. This is messy food but it’s very very satisfying!


Recipe Notes:
Don’t use lean meat in this recipe as it needs the cheaper beef with the higher fat content.
I’d probably chop up the gherkins to add to the mixture if I thought my family would eat them.

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Raspberry Bakewell Tart Recipe

Raspberry Bakewell tart with shortcrust pastry and almonds


Serves 10-12 Adults

Ingredients
• 1 roll premade shortcrust pastry
• 125g butter
• 150g caster sugar
• 3 medium eggs
• 125g self raising flour
• 125g ground almonds
• 2-3 drops almond flavouring
• 200g raspberry jam
• 125g flaked almonds

Method

1. Preheat the fan oven to 160 degrees Celsius.

2. Line a baking tin with the pastry. Patch up any holes – you can see here that my roll of pastry wasn’t the right shape but that was grand. Prick the pastry, then line with some baking parchment. Pour some baking beans/dried beans/clean coins into the baking parchment. Spread evenly. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes remove from the oven and set the tray to one side while you prepare the filling.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until combined, then add the eggs. Beat again. Next add the flour and ground almonds, followed by the almond flavouring. You will be left with a stiff batter.

4. Spoon the raspberry jam into the par-baked pastry case, spread evenly. Gently spoon the cake batter on top, making sure there are no gaps in the tart for the jam to escape.

5. Smooth the top of the cake batter. Sprinkle the flaked almonds on top of the cake batter and gently press the almonds onto the top so that they stick to the batter.

6. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes until the cake area is cooked through. It should be golden on top and if you use a skewer or a cocktail stick to test, it should come out clean.

7. Remove the tart from the oven and leave it to sit to one side for at least 15 minutes before removing from the tin, slicing, and serving.

8. Enjoy with lashings of tea, maybe some cream on the side.

Recipe Notes:
Yes this freezes so it’s a perfect make in advance tart.
Use whatever jam you prefer.
I only use free range eggs because that’s my preference.
The tin I use here is 30cm x 12cm with a removable base.
If you have a nut allergy you can substitute the 125g of ground almonds for more self raising flour. Do not use the almond flavouring.

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Warming Beef Stew Recipe!

beef stew with onion, carrot, chickpea, garlic


Serves 6 hungry adults.

Ingredients
• 500g stewing beef
• 100g frozen chopped onions
• 200g frozen chopped carrots
• 100g frozen chopped turnip/swede
• 1 tin drained chickpeas
• 1 tbsp dried garlic
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 150ml beef stock (made from stock cube)
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1.5 tsp smoked paprika

Method
Combine all the ingredients in a slow cooker/crockpot/heavy casserole dish. Stir well so that the herbs and spices coat the meat and vegetables.

If cooking in the slow cooker/crockpot, put the lid on and cook on high for 6 hours.

If cooking in a heavy casserole dish in the oven, add a further 400ml of hot water to the pot. Put the lid on and cook at 160 degrees for 3 hours.

The dish is ready when the meat is tender. Serve with rice or mash. Eat with a spoon.

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Porridge Bars Or Flapjack Bars

porridge oats, golden syrup, and salt

Recipe: Porridge Bars Or Flapjack Bars

Ingredients
• 125g margarine
• 125g soft brown sugar
• 100ml/g golden syrup
• 450g rolled oats (make sure these are gluten free if you are catering for a gluten free diet)
• Pinch of salt

Method
1. Melt the margarine, sugar, and golden syrup together on a low heat until the sugar crystals are dissolved.
2. Pour in the oats and salt, stir until well coated in the mixture.
3. Press into a lined tin firmly (see the notes below about the tin size and resulting texture).
4. Bake in the oven at 180oC for 20 minutes.
5. Once baked, impress the bar lines into the hot mixture (carefully). Cover with a teatowel and allow to cool completely before lifting from the tin and breaking into chunks.

Recipe Notes:
I make these bars super thick so that they are fudgy and chewy rather than crunchy and brittle. Make them in a bigger tray if you prefer your bars crisp.

You might note that I am using Stork rather than butter in this recipe in the video. Making the bars plant based makes them last longer and dairy free – this accommodates certain dietary requirements in my house. By all means, sub out the Stork for butter or Coconut Oil, whichever you prefer!

The same applies for golden syrup. Maple syrup is fine as a substitute, it’s just far more expensive than golden syrup and this recipe is on a budget.

Add in soaked raisins, sunflower seeds or any other topping that you like. This is a basic recipe that you can play around with.