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Posts Tagged ‘cheese’

Barbecued Meatloaf

Posted in Barbecue, Beef, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 3 August 2025| 2 Comments »

Here is something a bit different for the barbecue. It’s a meatloaf stuffed with cheese and tomato chutney and wrapped in a bacon lattice. Serve in slices with salads and sides.

Wine Suggestion: a lovely, juicy red is what we like with this. Roc des Anges “Segna de Cor” a blend of Grenache, Carignan and Syrah fits this bill with good deal of panache. It’s a wine that reflects the unique soils of Roussillon, but with a layer of brambly, juicy fruits on top.

Barbecued meatloaf – serves 4 to 6

  • 16 slices smoked streaky bacon
  • 400g beef mince
  • 2 tbsp barbecue spice rub (we used Pitt Bros Charr’d Rub)
  • 100g mature cheddar, grated
  • 3 tbsp spicy tomato relish (we used Ballymaloe)

You need to get your barbecue prepared for indirect cooking so you can cook the meatloaf away from the direct heat of the fire.

Start by making the bacon lattice to wrap the meatloaf. Line up 8 slices of bacon vertically on a flat baking sheet. From left to right, fold every other slice in half upwards. Lay a slice horizontally across the centre of the vertical slices. Unfold the vertical slices back over the horizontal one then fold up the other set of vertical slices. Lay over another horizontal slice and unfold the foleded ones. Repeat until you have a neat lattice.

Place the beef mince over the bacon in an even layer. Sprinkle over the barbecue rub and season with salt and pepper. Scatter the cheese in a line down the centre, then spoon over the relish.

Roll the meatloaf up as tightly as you can into a neat, fat sausage. Place the meatloaf on the barbecue, seam side down, away from the fire. Cover with the lid and cook gently for 35 to 40 minutes, turning with tongs a few times so it browns all over. The meatloaf is cooked when a probe reads 65-70C.

Rest the meatloaf for a few minutes, then carve into thick slices.

(Original recipe from Foolproof BBQ by Genevieve Taylor, Hardie Grant: Quadrille, 2021.)

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Cheese & Tapenade Puffs

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 9 February 2025| Leave a Comment »

These little savoury diamonds are perfect with aperitifs.

Cheese & tapenade puffs – makes 28-32

  • 1 x 320g ready-rolled puff pastry sheet
  • 2 tbsp black olive tapenade
  • 55g mature Cheddar, grated
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 55g Parmesan, grated

Place the puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured work surface.

Spread the tapenade over one half of the pastry. Sprinkle the Cheddar cheese over the tapenade then fold the other side of the pastry over to encase the tapenade.

Dust the top of the pastry with a little flour then reroll to the oringal size and shape. Brush the surface with beaten egg and sprinkle over the Parmesan. Very gently roll the rolling pin over the top just to press the cheese into the pastry. Transfer to a tray lined with baking paper and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 200C/180C/Gas 6.

Line 2 baking sheets with non-stick baking paper.

Trim the edges of the rectangle to make it neat, if needed, then divide the pastry into 4 strips vertically. Remove a small triangle from each end, then slice each strip into 6-7 diamond shapes. Chill in the fridge again for just 10 minutes.

Put the diamonds the prepared baking sheets and bake in the hot oven vor about 15 minutes, or until golden brown . Leave to cool slightly on a wire rack and serve warm.

(Original recipe from Mary’s Foolproof Dinners by Mary Berry, Penguin: Random House UK, 2024.)

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Smoked Haddock and Spinach Gnocchi

Posted in Fish, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 8 October 2023| 3 Comments »

We had planned to cook this outside on a fire pit until Jono lit a blazing inferno and scared us off. It was the excitement of being outside after a year of rain! A simple dish and such a treat.

Wine Suggestion: We just think smoked haddock and a good, oaked Chardonnay are a match, with some of the best value and superb quality coming from the new world. Tonight was Neudorf’s Tiritiri Chardonnay which was elegant and rounded, with a supreme balance, hints of smoky oak and layers of texture, nuts and finishing fresh and vibrant. Under-rated and such a treat.

Smoked haddock and spinach gnocchi – serves 2

  • 100ml double cream
  • a few big handfuls of young spinach, roughly chopped
  • 200g skinless smoked haddock fillet, cut into bitesize pieces
  • 200g fresh gnocchi (from the fridge section)
  • 1 tsp grainy mustard
  • 25g mature cheddar cheese, grated
  • a handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped

Put a large, deep frying pan over a medium-high heat.

Pour the cream into the pan with a few tablespoons of water. Add the spinach and fish and cook for a minute or two. Add the gnocchi, mustard and cheese and stir gently. Add a bit more water if the sauce is too thick.

When everything is heated through, remove the pan from the heat and add plenty of black pepper. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley to serve.

(Original recipe from Outside by Gill Meller, Quadrille, 2022.)

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Chicken, Chorizo & Spinach Pie

Posted in Cheese, Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 1 October 2023| Leave a Comment »

There are a few bits to this but it’s not complicated – trust the process and start the night before, dinner will be easy tomorrow. Serve with a green salad.

Wine Suggestion: We think this dish works really well with a fruit forward, medium bodied red like a Grenache. We’re particularly enamoured at the moment by Jesus Romero’s Rubus, a Garnacha Tempranillo blend made with minimal intervention. Good grapes that ferment themselves in tank, then left to settle for a few months and bottled with a touch of sulphur to keep it stable. Pure brambly red fruits with a purple fruited core, gentle spices and tannins and an easy, but complex nonetheless, finish.

Chicken, chorizo & spinach pie – serves 6

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 125g cooking chorizo or chorizo ring, skin removed and chopped
  • 2 onions, thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 250g baby spinach
  • 200g leftover roast chicken, shredded
  • 4 tbsp crème fraîche
  • 500g Maris Piper or similar potatoes
  • 2 x 320g sheets ready-rolled puff pastry
  • plain flour, for dusting
  • 125g mature cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1 egg, beaten

Make the filling first. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat and cook the chorizo for a few minutes or until the oil is released. Add the onions, season and cook for 10 minutes or until soft and starting to caramelise.

Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, then add the spinach in batches, stirring until wilted. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chicken and crème fraîche. Season to taste, then tip into a bowl and leave to cool, then chill in the fridge.

Peel the potatoes and thinly slice. Boil in salted water for about 5 minutes or until tender. Use a slotted spoon to remove the potato slices from the water and set onto a cloth-lined tray to dry and cool.

Unroll one of the pastry sheets on a floured surface and roll out to make a square shape, transfer to a lined baking sheet and cut out a 28cm diameter circle (a dinner plate will help with this). Chill in the freezer for 5 minutes to firm up.

Season the potatoes and lay a quarter of them onto the pastry circle, leaving a 2.5cm border around the edge. Next add a thrid of the chicken and chorizo mixture, then a third of the cheese. Repeat these layers, gradually forming a dome shape and finishing with a layer of potatoes.

Brush beaten egg all around the border.

Next, roll out the second sheet of pastry and drape over the top. Smooth over the filling and press the edges together to seal, then trim off the excess pastry and crimp the border. Brush with the egg and chill again – you can cook the pie at this stage or you can leave it in the fridge until tomorrow.

Heat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6.

When the oven is heated, brush the pie again with the remaining egg and score gently down the sides with a sharp knife. Cut a small hole in the top to let out the steam.

Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas 4 and bake for a further 40 minutes or until golden brown and piping hot throughout (especially important if you’ve had it in the fridge for a long time). Rest for about 5 minutes before slicing.

(Original recipe by Tom Mitchell-Dawson in Sainsbury’s Magazine, September 2023.)

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Smoked Haddock, Cheese & Leek Pie

Posted in Fish, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 16 April 2022| Leave a Comment »

We recently discovered the ‘Theo’s’ brand of filo pastry in one of our local shops; definitely better than most others we’ve used. It’s usefully a touch larger per sheet, and very easy to work with. Combined with a light, crispy finish we’ll definitely be putting some in our freezer for whenever the mood strikes.

This is a rich and substantial dish, but you can divide it all between two pie dishes and freeze one for later if you like. Serve with a green salad with bacon bits and lemony dressing.

Wine Suggestion: This is worth splashing out on a good Chardonnay that has both body and a nutty, mineral freshness. An old favourite of ours would be something from the Jura, but given their scarcity opened an Olivier Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc “les Sétilles”, a cuvée from Puligny and Meursault vineyards that while inexpensive has some serious chops behind it. All citrussy, deep and bubbling with energy.

Smoked haddock, cheese & leek pie – serves 6 to 8

  • 600ml full fat milk
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp white peppercorns
  • 650g smoked haddock fillets
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 75g butter, plus extra for frying
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, grated
  • 2 large leeks, halved and finely sliced
  • 75g plain flour
  • 1 tbsp English mustard powder
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 175g strong cheddar, diced

FOR THE FILO CRUST:

  • 140g butter
  • 6 cloves of garlic, grated
  • 400g filo pastry, preferably Theo’s brand
  • large bunch of chives, finely snipped

Bring the milk, bay and peppercorns to a simmer in a large shallow pan. Add the smoked haddock fillets, then remove from the heat and cover with a lid. Leave for 30 minutes. Remove the haddock from the liquid onto a plate, then strain the milk into a jug.

Remove any skin and bones from the haddock and break into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

Heat the oil and a small knob of butter in a pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 15 minutes, or until softened. Add the leeks and cook for 2 minutes, then set aside to cool (drain in a colander if there is liquid).

In the same pan, melt the 75g butter, then stir in the flour to make a paste. Cook for a few minutes, then slowly add the warm milk, stirring constantly, until you have a smooth sauce. Stir in the mustard powder, lemon juice and some seasoning, then pass through a fine sieve.

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

Put the leeks into the base of a 1.6 litre pie dish and top with a third of the sauce. Next add the smoked haddock and another third of the sauce. Finally, scatter over the cheese and top with the remaining sauce, making sure the filling is completely covered.

For the filo pastry, melt the butter in a small pan, then add the galric and heat gently for about 5 minutes. Lay a sheet of filo pastry on a wooden board and brush all over with the garlic butter, then sprinkle with chives and some black pepper. Put another sheet of pastry on top, at a slight angle and repeat. Continue until all of the pastry is used, you will end up with a sort of pastry circle. Lay this over the pie dish, trim the edges with scissors or a sharp knife, but still leave an overhang. Brush with a final layer of butter, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and bake for 40 minutes or until crisp.

(Original recipe by Tom Kerridge in BBC Good Food Magazine, March 2015.)

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Grilled Cheese & Kimchi Toastie

Posted in Cheese, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 1 February 2022| Leave a Comment »

Breakfast, brunch or lunch; it’s delicious!

Grilled cheese & kimchi on toast – serves 4

  • 4 slices sourdough bread
  • 4 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 clove of garlic, crushed
  • 200g kimchi
  • 120g cheddar, grated
  • 120g comté, grated
  • 80g mozzarella, grated
  • a handful of coriander leaves
  • 2 scallions, finely sliced
  • 1 red chilli, finely sliced

Heat the grill to medium-high.

Lightly toast the sourdough on one side until golden.

Mix the mayonnaise with the garlic and spread onto the untoasted side of the bread, then top with the kimchi. Mix the cheeses together and sprinkle over the bread, pressing down gently. Grill for a few minutes until melted and golden.

Serve sprinkled with coriander, scallions and chilli.

(Original recipe from Australian Food by Bill Granger, Murdoch Books, 2020.)

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Conopida la cuptor – Romanian Cauliflower Gratin with Soured Cream

Posted in Cheese, Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 6 April 2021| 4 Comments »

The first thing to mention, is that this is not like the cauliflower in cheese sauce that we all know and love, but no less because of that. This dish is more set, more ‘eggy’ and has a distinctive tang from the soured cream. It also reheats particularly well, regular cauliflower cheese tends to split. So the verdict is that you should definitely give this a go – we served as a side with a dish of minty peas and lettuce and some baked ham. It could definitely work as a main either with a green salad or green veg.

Cauliflower gratin with soured cream – serves 4

  • a knob of butter, for greasing the dish
  • 50g breadcrumbs
  • 1 large cauliflower, about 1kg when the leaves have been removed, cut into medium-sized florets
  • 350ml soured cream
  • 125g Cheddar cheese, grated
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 3 tsp mustard
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1½ tsp black pepper
  • 50g sunflower seeds

Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

Grease a ceramic baking dish with butter, then sprinkle with the breadcrumbs.

Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the florets for about 6 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, then steam dry in the warm pot for a few minutes and drain again on some kitchen paper to make sure no water remains.

Combine the soured cream, 100g of the cheese and eggs with the nutmeg, mustard and seasoning in a large bowl.

Put the drained cauliflower into the prepared dish, then pour over the soured cream mixture. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, covering with foil if it starts to brown too quickly.

Serve with the sunflower seeds scattered over the top.

(Original recipe from Carpathia: Food from the Heart of Romania by Irina Georgescu, Frances Lincoln Publishing, 2020.)

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Quesadillas with Beans, Chipotle, Cheese & Coriander

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 28 October 2020| Leave a Comment »

Working from home definitely improves the lunch offerings. These quesadillas will fill you up and they’re super tasty too. Make up the filling in advance and it won’t take long to put them together on your lunch break. 

Quesadillas, with beans, chipotle, cheese & coriander – serves 4

  • 2 x 400g tins mixed beans
  • 3 tbsp chipotle sauce
  • a small pack of coriander, chopped
  • 140g cheddar cheese
  • 4 large tortillas

Drain the beans but reserve 2 tbsp of the liquid from the tins. 

Put the beans into a bowl with the reserved liquid, the chipotle sauce, coriander and half the cheese. Mash well with a fork or potato masher. 

Lay out the tortillas and cover half with the bean mixture. Top with the remaining cheese, then fold the tortilla over to make a semicircle. 

Heat a griddle pan or heavy frying pan, then cook the tortillas for a couple of minutes on each side, or until golden and starting to char. Cut into wedges to serve. 

(Original recipe by Sarah Buenfeld in BBC Good Food Magazine, October 2013.)

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Honey-Mustard Hot Dogs

Posted in Barbecue, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 9 October 2020| 2 Comments »

This is the sort of lunch our daughter likes after she’s run around a Camogie pitch for a couple of hours. It’s also good if you’ve been standing in the cold at the side of the pitch!

Honey-mustard hot dogs – serves 4

  • 50g grated emmental
  • 50g grated cheddar
  • 3 tsp wholegrain mustard
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 4 sausages
  • 4 brioche hot dog buns

Cook the sausages, we do them on the barbecue but whatever way you like will be fine.

Meanwhile put the emmental, cheddar, mustard and honey in a bowl and stir to combine.

Heat the grill to high.

Split the hot dog buns and fill with a sausage, then top with the cheesy mixture. Put on a baking sheet and flash under the grill for a minute or two to melt the cheese.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Penne Baked with Three Cheeses

Posted in Food, Pasta, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 1 January 2019| 3 Comments »

Penne baked with three cheeses

There is a never-ending supply of leftover cheese in our fridge but never more so than at this time of year. This is a super-easy pasta dish which will help to use up the cheeseboard leftovers.

Penne baked with three cheeses – serves 2

  • 200g penne
  • 25g butter
  • 25g plain flour
  • 350ml milk
  • 75g hard cheese e.g. cheddar/gruyère, grated
  • 50g blue cheese e.g. stilton/gorgonzola/roquefort, crumbled
  • a handful of breadcrumbs (we used panko)
  • 1 tbsp grated Parmesan

Heat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6.

Cook the pasta until al dente then rinse under cold water to stop it cooking any further and drain.

Melt the butter in a saucepan, then stir in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes. Gradually stir in the milk, stirring continuously, to make a white sauce. When the sauce has thickened and is starting to bubble, add the hard and blue cheese and stir until melted. Season to taste, then mix with the cooked pasta and pour into an ovenproof dish.

Mix the breadcrumbs and Parmesan together and sprinkle over the top, then bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until golden and bubbling.

(Original Recipe from BBC Olive Magazine, December 2009.)

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Cheesy Broccoli Baked Potatoes

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Potato, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 22 October 2018| Leave a Comment »

Cheesy broccoli baked potatoes

These are great for a mid-week dinner with a salad or you could serve alongside a meat dish. Absolute comfort food.

Cheesy Broccoli Baked Potatoes – serves 4

  • 4 baking potatoes
  • 300g broccoli, cut into small florets
  • 1 tbsp grain mustard
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 140g grated Cheddar
  • a generous lump of butter

Heat the oven to 220ºC.

Rub a little bit of oil over the potato skins and place in the oven on a baking tray for 20 minutes. Turn the heat down to 200ºC and continue to bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until tender.

Meanwhile, steam the broccoli for a few minutes and drain well.

Cut the potatoes in half lengthways and scoop the insides into a bowl or pot. Mash the cooked potatoes with a fork, then stir in a generous lump of butter, the mustard, egg, most of the cheese and broccoli. Season, then pile back into the shells. Sprinkle with the reserved cheese and bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are crisp and golden. Serve with salad.

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Potato Pie with Beaufort Cheese

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 23 March 2018| 5 Comments »

Potato Pie with Beaufort Cheese

What can we tell you about this pie? Well first of all it doesn’t look remotely like the picture in the book and there were a few moments of panic when the cream started to run out the sides. Despite our wholly inadequate pastry skills and some last minute patching to stop the leaks, it tasted pretty good and didn’t look half as bad when it came out of the oven as it did going in. If you have a similar leak we advise remaining calm and sticking some pastry over the hole – pronto!

If you have trouble finding Beaufort,  Gruyere is a good substitute. Serve with a green salad.

Wine Suggestion:  an oaked white with a good freshness and texture is the best match for both the cheese and pastry. If you can find a white from Jura or Savoie you’re in for a treat but otherwise there are plenty of options. For something a little different we tried both the Sartarelli Balciana Verdicchio from the Marche in Italy and the Soalheiro Alvarinho Reserva from the Melgaço in Portugal and had a great match with both.

Potato pie with Beaufort cheese – serves 4 

  • 500g medium-sized waxy potatoes – we used Charlotte
  • 100ml double cream
  • 2 cloves of garlic, lightly bruised
  • 25g-30g butter
  • 375g ready-made puff pastry in 2 sheets
  • 75g Beaufort cheese, very thinly sliced (a vegetable peeler works well)
  • ½ tsp thyme leaves
  • 1 egg beaten, to glaze

Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6.

Steam the potatoes until tender, then cool and peel. Slice moderately thickly and set aside.

Put the cream into a small saucepan with the garlic and bring to the boil, then take off the heat, cover and leave to infuse.

Lightly smear a baking sheet with some of the butter. Roll out 1 pastry sheet thinly (about 2-3mm) and lay onto the baking sheet. Mark a circle on the pastry about 20cm in diameter. Cover the circle with half of the potatoes, arranging in a slightly overlapping layer. Season with salt and pepper then cover with half the cheese and thyme leaves, adding a few flecks of butter. Repeat these layers, then brush the pastry edges with beaten egg.

Roll out the other sheet and place over the filling. Clamp down the edges with your fingers and either trim to a round or if it’s easier fold in the extra pastry to create a thicker edge.

Brush the pastry all over with the egg and decorate with a fork (the decorating was beyond us and may have caused the hole so skip this step if you like). Make a hole in the centre of the pie about 5mm in diameter. Remove the garlic from the cream, then slowly pour into the pie using a small funnel. Do this slowly and allow the cream to settle before adding more. Stop when no more will fit – you might have a bit left over.

Put the pie into the oven and bake for 20 minutes, then turn the oven down to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas 4. Continue to bake for a further 20 minutes – cover loosely with foil if the pastry browns too quickly.

Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving in wedges with some dressed salad leaves.

(Original recipe from The Vegetarian Option by Simon Hopkinson, Quadrille Publishing Ltd, 2012.)

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Jacket Potatoes Stuffed with Creamy Leeks

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 1 March 2017| Leave a Comment »

Cheesy leek baked potatoes

We’re regularly left with a rogue leek in the bottom of the fridge and it usually finds its way into a dish like this, particularly if there is some cream lurking as well. Quantities don’t matter too much here so use what you’ve got.

  • Baking potatoes
  • Butter
  • Leeks, sliced finely
  • Cream
  • Cheddar cheese, grated

Heat the oven to 220°C.

Rub the potatoes with olive oil and place on a tray in the oven to bake for 20 minutes. Turn the oven down to 200ºC and continue to cook for about another hour.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large frying pan and gently sauté the leeks until they are meltingly tender. Add the cream and bubble together until you have a thick sauce.

When the potatoes are soft, cut them in half and scoop out the centres, leaving a thin layer of potato on the skins. Mash the removed potato, mix with the creamy leeks and season with salt and lots of pepper. Pile this mixture back into the potato skins and sprinkle over the grated cheese. Return to the oven for a few minutes until the cheese has melted and started to brown.

Serve this on its own for a midweek supper or as a side dish with chargrilled chops or sausages.

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Marsala Honey Pears with Gorgonzola

Posted in Cheese, Dessert, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 22 October 2016| Leave a Comment »

Marsala honey pears with Gorgonzola & walnuts

A dessert and a cheese course all at once, solving the problem of which goes first. This is really delicious Autumn dish. Make sure you serve the creamy gorgonzola at room temperature. Marsala is a dessert wine from Sicily which is relatively easy to find, it also works well with figs – see Roast Figs with Marsala.

Wine Suggestion: naturally the Marsala from the recipe is a great match, look out for Florio or Pellegrino amongst others. Alternately a really good Sauternes emphasises the honey or a white Maury brings out the pears and all will work well with the Gorgonzola.

Marsala Honey Pears with Gorgonzola – serves 6-8

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 pears, about 500g in total, cored and cut into eighths
  • 3 tbsp Marsala
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 50g walnut halves
  • 500g ripe Gorgonzola – keep in a cool place but avoid putting it in the fridge if at all possible

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, then fry the pears for 3 minutes per side.

Mix the Marsala and honey together,  add to the pears and allow the mixture to bubble furiously, then transfer to a plate.

Add the walnut halves to the juices left in the pan and stir-fry for about a minute or until browned and sticky. Remove from the pan and scatter over the pears. Serve with the creamy slab of Gorgonzola on the side.

(Original recipe from Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson, Chatto & Windus, 2007.)

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Leek Gratin

Posted in Cheese, Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 21 December 2014| 1 Comment »

Leek Gratin

 

A true comfort food if there ever was one, and a versatile side for simply barbecued meats, roast chicken and a whole host of mains. It’s fairly rich so a little goes a long way.

Baked Creamy Leeks – serves 6 as a side dish

  • 800g leeks, roughly chopped and rinsed well in a sieve
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
  • 2 knobs of butter
  • olive oil
  • 6 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked
  • 100g Cheddar cheese, grated
  • 200ml single cream

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°C/gas 6.

Warm a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the butter with a splash of olive oil and the garlic.

As soon as the garlic starts to colour, add the leeks and thyme leaves and stir. Turn up the heat and continue to cook for about 10 minutes or until the leeks have softened.

Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Add the cream and half the cheese. Mix well in a suitably sized baking dish (you want a layer about 2.5cm thick). Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and bake for about 20 minutes or until brown and bubbling.

(Original recipe from Jamie’s Ministry of Food, Penguin, 2008.)

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Tomato & Cheese tart

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 6 September 2014| 3 Comments »

 

Tomato & cheese tart

One of those easy dishes that just bursts with fresh flavours and vitality. It really sings at the end of  summer with fully ripe and juicy tomatoes just picked and wonderful. Delicious served warm or at room temperature.

Wine Suggestion: We’d serve a classic chianti where the acidity of the Sangiovese grape works really well with the tomatoes but isn’t too heavy a red for the dish (don’t bother with the Riserva).

Cheese, Tomato & Basil Tart – serves 4-6

  • 1 shortcrust pastry case, cooked ‘blind’

FOR THE FILLING: 

  • 10 ripe tomatoes, halved widthways
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • 25g butter
  • 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 eggs
  • 200ml double or regular cream
  • 2 tbsp torn or sliced basil
  • 150g Cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4.

Put the tomatoes on a baking tray, drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the sugar and ½ tsp salt. Bake for about 45 minutes or until completely soft and browning at the edges. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add the butter. When the butter is foaming, add the onion and cook for about 10 minutes or until golden. Take off the heat and set aside to cool.

Whisk the eggs and cream together in a bowl, stir in the basil, and season with salt and pepper.

Spread out the fried onion in a layer in the tart case. Top with two-thirds of the cheese, then arrange the cooked tomatoes on top. Pour in the egg mixture and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown on top and just set in the centre.

(Original recipe from Rachel’s Everyday Kitchen by Rachel Allen, Harper Collins, 2013.)

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Onion & Taleggio Tart

Posted in Cheese, Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 27 February 2013| 1 Comment »

If you have some ready-rolled puff pastry in the freezer and a few leftovers in the fridge you can make an easy and delicious tart for supper. My friends might have been more impressed if they hadn’t seen me assemble it in 3 minutes flat before turfing it into the oven! Try this with anything you fancy on the top, though a bit of cheese is a must.

Onion & Taleggio Tart – to serve 4

  • 6 smallish onions
  • 50g butter
  • a sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry (about 200g)
  • 120g Taleggio
  • thyme

Peel the onions and cut into wedges. Put them into a shallow pan with the butter and cook over a fairly low heat until they are soft, golden and sticky. This will probably take about 40 minutes or so.

Heat the oven to 220ºC/Gas 7. Unroll the pastry onto a lightly floured baking tray. Score a border about 2cm from each edge and prick all over with a fork.

Tip the onions on to the pastry, pushing them almost to the border. Brush the rim with some melted butter or some of the onion butter if there is some left in the pan. Slice the cheese thinly, then break it into small pieces, and distribute these through the onions. Scatter over some picked thyme leaves. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden.

Serve with a green salad.

Wine Suggestion: this calls for a white wine from the mountains: try an oaked Chardonnay from the Jura or if you want something amazing look out for the “Vigna della Oche” Riserva from Fattoria San Lorenzo in the Marche, Italy; a fantastic and truly amazing Verdicchio – a white wine that lasts a decade or two and just becomes more and more complex and complete.

(Original recipe from Nigel Slater’s Appetite, Fourth Estate, 2001.)

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Party Lasagne

Posted in Beef, Food, Italian, Party Food, Pork, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 18 October 2011| 3 Comments »

This is our classic party dish – so popular that we have to fight to get a taste when we serve it in a buffet! We’ve just made it this weekend for our friends Nicola and Dave’s housewarming. Just to make sure we got some ourselves we made a little extra for the next day. So for all our friends that have asked … here’s the recipe 🙂

Simple Baked Lasagne – serves 6 but easily doubled (which can easily serve 20 or more strangely enough …)

  • 4 rashers pancetta or smoked bacon, finely sliced
  • pinch cinnamon
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 generous handfuls of whole, fresh herbs (use your own mix of sage, oregano, rosemary and thyme)
  • 400g shin of beef, or skirt, coarsely minced
  • 200g pork belly, skin removed & coarsely minced
  • 2 x 400g tins good-quality plum tomatoes
  • 250ml red wine
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 butternut squash, halved, deseeded and roughly sliced
  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds, bashed in a mortar & pestle
  • 1 dried red chilli, also bashed
  • 400g dried, ready to cook lasagne sheets
  • 400g mozzarella

For the white sauce:

  • 1 x 250ml tubs of crème fraîche
  • 3 anchovies, finely chopped
  • 2 handfuls freshly grated parmesan
  • a little milk

Preheat oven to 180C / 350F / Gas 4

If you are making a double quantity you may want to cook the meat sauce in two quantities as it will be easier to manage unless you have a very large casserole pot. You can also make the meat sauce in advance which makes entertaining easy –  a simple assembly and cook on the night!

In a large casserole pan slowly fry the pancetta or bacon and the cinnamon until golden, add the onion, carrot, garlic and herbs and about 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Once mixed together add the beef and pork and brown for about 5 minutes. Add the tinned tomatoes, wine and bay leaves and then bring to the boil. Wet some grease-proof paper and place it on top of the pan and then place a lid on top of this as well to complete the seal. Cook in the preheated oven for 2 hours.

While this is cooking rub the butternut squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and the bashed coriander seeds and chilli. Place on a baking tray and roast in the oven for the last 45 minutes of cooking the sauce. When you remove the sauce check that the squash is cooked and slightly caramelising; if not leave in oven until done.

When sauce is done season and put to one side. Mix together crème fraîche, anchovies, a handful of parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Slowly add enough milk while mixing until the sauce becomes loose and smooth. Don’t make it too runny!

Turn oven up to 200C / 400F / Gas 6. To assemble lasagne rub a large dish, or deep tray with olive oil, lay some sheets of lasagne over the bottom (and drape over the sides too if you are using fresh lasagne). Add a layer of meat, a little white sauce, a sprinkle of parmesan and then top with another layer of lasagne sheets. Make a complete layer with the butternut, topping it again with lasagne sheets. Repeat the meat, white sauce and parmesan layers. Finish with a layer of pasta covered in white sauce. Tear over the mozzarella and sprinkle with parmesan.

Cook for 30-35 minutes and until golden. Watch the hordes descend.

[Inspired by Jamie Oliver: Jamie’s dinners, Penguin 2006]

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Rugby World Cup Brunch

Posted in Brunch, Food, tagged , , , , on 17 September 2011| 2 Comments »

This is a bit more exciting than your regular cheese and toast and it’s easy to throw together with one eye on the match. We don’t usually buy  sliced pan bread but admit it has its purposes and this is definitely one of them (bacon butties is another). Maybe we’ll try and cook something green for the next match.

Chilli Cheese Toast – to serve 2

  • approx. 100g Cheddar cheese, grated
  • 10g onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 small tomato, finely chopped
  • a little bit of sliced green chillies – or more if you like
  • 1 tsp finely chopped coriander
  • 2 slices of bread
Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Mix together all the ingredients except the bread. Pile the mixture on top of the bread and bake for a few minutes until crisp and turning brown at the edges.
(Idea from Anjum Anand Indian Food Made Easy, Quadrille, 2007.)

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Woohoo it’s sunny! An Irish/Italian Salad

Posted in Food, Italian, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 10 September 2011| 1 Comment »

Irish SaladThis caprese salad is made from all Irish ingredients – even the mozzarella (fellow Dubliners can pick some up in Fallon & Byrne). Perfect for what will probably be one of our last sunny lunches for this year.

Caprese di Mozzarella – serves 2

  • mozzarella cheese
  • 2-3 tomatoes, sliced
  • basil leaves
  • olive oil
  • salt
Drain the cheese and cut into thin slices. Arrange the tomato and mozzarella slices in concentric rings on a nice plate. Sprinkle with basil leaves, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt (salt is a necessity here!).

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