Category: Recipe Index

Posted on

Triple Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients

100g dark chocolate
2 eggs
100g caster sugar
50g plain flour
50g cocoa powder/drinking chocolate (your preference)
1 teaspoon baking powder
150g chocolate chips


Method
Preheat the (fan) oven to 170 degrees Celcius. Line a square brownie baking tin well.


Melt the dark chocolate either in a bowl sitting over steaming hot water (bain marie) or by zapping in a pyrex bowl in the microwave at 30 second intervals. Stir after every 30 seconds until you have all the chocolate melted.


In a second bowl whisk the eggs and sugar until they are light and frothy. Once the chocolate is melted, carefully whisk it in bit by bit. Don’t put it in all at once or you’ll end up with scrambled eggs!


Finally, blend in the remaining dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder and baking powder) into the whisked egg, sugar, and chocolate froth. I use a stand mixer so just turf them all in together and whisk quickly until they are combined. Chocolate chips on top are optional but I do recommend them!


Bake the batter in the oven for 25 minutes. Then leave to cool completely before slicing and serving. It is very squishy

Posted on

Lemon Drizzle Cake Recipe

cake with a lemon drizzle

Make a large batter for twice the joy.
Ingredients
* 227g unsalted butter *
* 350g caster sugar *
* 6 free range eggs *
* 400g self raising flour *
* 3-4 organic lemons *
* 250g icing sugar for the drizzle *

~ Method ~
Preheat a fan oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Beat together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Slowly add the eggs, one-by-one, until combined. Add half the flour, beat and then add the second half. Grate the rind of 2 lemons, add to the batter and mix. Squeeze in the juice of 2 lemons (that you grated the rind off). Mix well. Pour your batter into 2 baking tins. This is the perfect amount for 2 large loaf tins. Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes until a skewer test comes out clean. Allow to cool before icing. To make the icing combine 250g of icing sugar with lemon juice until you get a dropping consistency – see the video for how this should look. Ice and slice

Posted on

Slow Cooker Beef Ragout Recipe

stewing beef, onion and peppers

Serves 6

Ingredients

450g stewing beef, chopped into chunks
1 chopped large onion
2 chopped peppers
3 chopped & peeled carrots
1 tin of chopped tomatoes OR 300g cherry tomatoes
4-5 cloves of crushed garlic (more or less if you prefer)
2 tablespoons tomato puree
1 teaspoon each of salt, white pepper, onion salt, paprika, and dried oregano
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

Method

Combine all the ingredients in the slow cooker pot and stir well. Cook on high for 5-6 hours or until the beef is fall-apart tender. If cooking in a pressure cooker this dish will take about 1 hour.

To serve, break up the meat with a spoon and stir in some freshly cooked pasta. Garnish with chopped basil.

To make this meal stretch further add a drained can of chickpeas at the start.

Posted on

Gin & Grapefruit Cranberry Sauce Recipe

grapefruit juice and cranberries and gin mashed together

Ingredients

Juice of 1 & half grapefruits
600g fresh cranberries
Good glug of decent gin
150g sugar

Method
Take the juice of 1 & a half grapefruits and place into a large saucepan on a medium heat. Add the cranberries, cover the saucepan and wait until the contents begin to bubble lightly. You will hear the cranberries begin to pop in the pan. Add a glug of decent gin and the sugar. Stir so that all the ingredients are combined.

Simmer for 10 minutes before mashing. Mash until all the cranberries have popped. Simmer again for a further 6 minutes. Decant the sauce into a warm, sterilised jar, allow to cool completely before placing the lid on top. This sauce will keep for up to 10 days in the fridge

Posted on

Soy Garlic Chicken Recipe

Soy chicken, which is served in a bowl with veggies and rice


Mouth watering chicken which is perfect served in a bowl with veggies and rice (serves 4 hungry adults).

Ingredients
10 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 scallions (spring onion) chopped
1 tablespoon each of ground white pepper, coriander, and cumin
A pinch to a teaspoon of chipotle chilli flakes (season with your heart folks)
4-5 tablespoons of soy sauce
8 chicken thigh fillets (boneless and skinless)

Method
Add the garlic, white section of the scallions, spices, and soy sauce to a large tray. Stir. Add the chicken thigh fillets to the marinade and coat well.

Cover the tray and allow the chicken to marinate in the fridge for 1-3 hours.

I’m cooking for a gang so it’s quicker to sear the chicken off on the griddle, then return to the tray and bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.

Serve on a bed of sticky rice with fresh vegetables. Pour over the marinade from the tray for additional sauce and sprinkle with the green sliced scallions

Posted on

Last Minute Limoncello Recipe

lemon vodka and sugar

You only need 4 days to make this incredible zingy limoncello which makes the perfect handmade Christmas gift. Makes just over 1 litre of limoncello in total. I decant it into 100ml bottles for gifts.

Ingredients
6 organic lemons (washed)
70cl bottle of vodka
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Method
Peel the lemons, taking care to cut as little of the white pith as possible. Place the lemon peel into a large jar. Pour the vodka on top. Put the jar into a cool dry place for 4 days.

After 4 days, combine 1 cup of sugar with 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer until all the sugar has dissolved and allow to cool.

Decant the cooled sugar syrup into a large jug, strain the lemon vodka into the jug. Mix until well combined. Fill up bottles of your choice.

Serve neat over ice or diluted with soda water. Always drink responsibly.

Posted on

Sausage Tray Bake


As a busy working parent, I am always on the hunt for an easy recipe for dinner! Single pan/tray bakes save the day at least once a week here. The dressing makes the final result super-punchy but you can always leave it off for the fussy ones (they’ll probably have ketchup on the side if we are all honest).
Serves 4 hungry adults. Cooking Time is approx 55 minutes


Ingredients
• 500g sausages
• 6 large spuds, peeled and chopped
• 1 large onion, sliced
• Small amount of sunflower oil, salt and pepper
• 2-3 peppers chopped into chunks
• 1 small head of broccoli cut into florets
• For the dressing: Oil, salt & pepper, basalmic vinegar, 1 crushed/minced clove of garlic, plenty of fresh chopped coriander


Method
Preheat a fan oven to 180 degrees Celsius. You can also lash this into a cold oven but do increase the overall cooking time at the end!
Line a deep dish baking tray. Put the spuds, onions, and sausages into the tray with the oil and seasoning. Stir well to make sure everything is coated. Put the baking tray into the oven and roast for 40 minutes.
After 40 minutes, remove the tray from the oven and add the tender vegetables. Stir around in the tray to combine. Roast for a further 15 minutes.
To make the dressing: combine all the dressing ingredients in a jam jar. Put the lid on and shake well. Pour over the tray bake, stir to coat all the ingredients and serve immediately.

Posted on

Maccaroons

Ingredients
200g caster sugar
2 medium egg whites
300g dried coconut


Method
Preheat a fan oven to 170°C. Line a baking tray with a sheet of non-stick greaseproof paper.
Combine the sugar, egg white and coconut with a fork in a large bowl, until you get a sticky paste.

Wet your hands and shape the mixture into balls. Space the eight balls of mixture on the baking tray.

Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, or until golden. Allow to cool before lifting them off the paper, otherwise they will stick.

Dip in chocolate and drizzle with chocolate if you like.

Posted on

Cowboy Beans


Servings: 12-15 people

Ingredients
• 1 lb sausage Meat
• 2 red onions, chopped
• Lots of garlic (I used 7 cloves finely chopped)
• 1 big mug of beefstock
• 2 tablespoons tomato puree
• 1 teaspoon chipotle chilli flakes
• ½ teaspoon white pepper
• 3 stalks celery chopped
• 1 large courgette, chopped
• 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 tin of blackbeans, drained
• 1 tin of butterbeans, drained
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• ¼ teaspoon of black treacle


Method
Take a massive saucepan and place it onto a medium heat. Start by frying off the sausage meat. Then add the onions and a little splash of stock at this stage if you notice the bottom of the pan getting sticky. Add the garlic, seasonings, and tomato puree before stiring in the vegetables, beans, tomatoes, and finally a little bit of black treacle.
Cover, bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 hours on low until the vegetables are tender. I put the lid onto my casserole and cooked it in the oven at 150 degrees for 2 hours.
Serve on a bed of fresh potato wedges, lashings of parsley or coriander (or both) and maybe some chopped cooked bacon if you’re feeling very luxurious.
Allow to cool before bagging or boxing and freezing for another day.

Posted on

Rocky Road (to Dublin)



Ingredients
75g unsalted butter
3 tablespoons golden syrup
220g milk chocolate
150g rich tea biscuits
120g mixed mini marshmallows
75 dark chocolate chips (optional)

Method
Melt the butter, golden syrup and chocolate together on a very low heat until completely melted and combined.
Bash the biscuits into tiny pieces. Mix the biscuits and marshmallows into the chocolate mixture.

Press the biscuity marshmallowy chocolatey goo into a lined baking tin. Press chocolate chips on top.

Chill for at least 2 hours before slicing and enjoying