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Posts Tagged ‘Gluten-free’

Italian Seared Beef

Posted in Beef, Food, Gluten-free, Italian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 25 July 2018| Leave a Comment »

Italian seared beef

So this is a bit of a treat and yet has very few ingredients and takes very little time to prepare. Hail to that.

Wine Suggestion: fresher and bit more rustic than Bordeaux is Bergerac, into the Dordogne River to the east. The best vineyards are in the Pecharmant AC and have Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot as the dominant varieties. We found some unoaked wines on our last trip from Domaine des Costes, Cuvée Tradition which, while simple, had a joy and juiciness that perfectly complemented the beef, pesto and rocket.

Italian Seared Beef – serves 2

  • 1 tbsp pine nuts, toasted in a dry pan until golden
  • 250g rump steak
  • 2 heaped teaspoons pesto
  • 40g rocket
  • 15g Parmesan cheese

Put a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Cut the fat of the steak, finely chop the fat and put into the hot pan to crisp up. Cut the sinew off the rump and season with salt and black pepper. Put the steak between two sheets of greaseproof paper and bash with a rolling pin until it is an even thickness of about 1 cm. Scoop out the crispy fat and set aside, then sear the steak in the hot pan for 1 minute per side or until golden but still pink in the middle (as per photo). Remove the steak to a board to rest.

Spread the pesto over a serving plate. Thinly slice the steak at an angle and scatter over the plate. Pile the rocket on top, then scatter over the pine nuts and crispy fat (you don’t have to eat the fat if you would rather not –  we’ll have it!). Mix the resting juices with a tbsp of good olive oil and drizzle over. Shave the Parmesan over to serve.

(Original recipe from 5 Ingredients by Jamie Oliver, Michael Joseph, 2017.)

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Pork Tenderloin with Madeira & Sage

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Pork, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 24 July 2018| Leave a Comment »

 

Pork tenderloin with madeira & sage

We cooked this just before we went on holidays and were determined not to buy any ingredients that needed used up. We have a huge sage bush in the garden that we definitely under-utilize and there are always bottles of all sorts of beverages lurking in the back of our cupboards. Madeira lasts forever, even when opened which is very useful.

Wine Suggestion: The madeira sauce with the sage is richer than you may expect and we find it works with juicy Côtes du Rhône reds, especially with a good dollop of Grenache. We had an uncomplicated Reserve des Armoiries which was juicy and had hints of Southern French spices made without oak; complimentary and almost celebratory of our impending holiday with its joyful fruit.

Pork tenderloin with madeira and sage – serves 4

  • butter
  • 1 pork tenderloin c. 400g
  • 100ml madeira
  • a small bunch of sage, leaves picked and chopped

Heat the oven to 220C/Fan 200C/Gas 7.

Heat a knob of butter and a splash of olive oil in an ovenproof frying pan. Season the pork and brown really well on all sides to form a crust. Add the madeira then transfer to the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes.

Remove the meat from the pan, cover with foil and leave aside to rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, reduce the pan juices with another knob of butter on a low heat, and season.

To serve, cut the pork into thick slices, then dress with the pan juices and lots of chopped sage.

(Original recipe by Alex Szrok in BBC Olive Magazine, May 2016.)

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Chargrilled Pepper & Lime Chicken with Lime Aïoli

Posted in Barbecue, Chicken, Gluten-free, Healthy, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 9 July 2018| Leave a Comment »

Chargrilled Pepper & Lime Chicken with Lime Aïoli

We’re just back from holidays in France and there seems to be a little heatwave going on. You can’t get more straight forward than this for tasty barbecued chicken and a cheat’s aïoli. Less time spent inside and more time to sit in the sun. We actually cooked this back in May when the sun was also shining – serve with some seasonal veg or salad.

Wine Suggestion: one of the wines we picked up on our trip was Chateau du Hureau’s Foudre blanc, 100% Chenin Blanc made and matured in large 20hl oak casks. A good choice.

Chargrilled pepper chicken with lime aïoli – serves 2

  • 4-6 skinless boneless chicken thighs
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 4 tbsp mayonnaise
  • ½ a clove of garlic, crushed

Trim any big bits of fat off the chicken thighs. Lay them out on a piece of cling film and put another piece of cling film on top. Gently bash the chicken with a rolling pin to flatten.

Put the chicken into a dish and add half of the lime juice, 1 tbsp of olive oil, some salt and lots of black pepper. Leave to marinate for about 15 minutes.

To make the aïoli, put the mayonnaise into a dish and add the rest of the lime juice, the garlic and some seasoning. Stir together until combined.

Shake off excess marinade and cook the chicken on a hot griddle or barbecue for about 4 minutes on each side.

Serve with the aïoli. Some chips would also be good.

(Original recipe from BBC Olive Magazine, June 2011.)

 

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Courgette & Lemon Risotto

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Italian, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 23 June 2018| 1 Comment »

Courgette & lemon risotto

A weekend lunch treat for the three of us as we had courgettes lying around begging to be used.

Wine Suggestion: a crunchy white was demanded here and an old favourite was opened to match; the Chateau du Hureau Saumur Blanc “Argile”. A vibrant Chenin Blanc with texture, vibrant, crunchy, apply fruit plus a real sense of place.

Courgette & lemon risotto – serves 2

  • 50g butter
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 large garlic clove, crushed
  • 180g risotto rice
  • 1 litre of hot vegetable stock
  • zest and juice 1 lemon
  • 2 lemon thyme sprigs
  • 250g courgette, diced
  • 50g parmesan, grated
  • 2 tbsp crème fraîche

Melt the butter in a deep frying pan and gently fry the onion until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for another minute. Pour in the rice and stir for a couple of minutes until it glistens.

Add a ladle of the stock to the rice, along with the lemon juice and thyme. Bubble over a medium heat, stirring constantly. When almost all the liquid has been absorbed, add another ladle and continue to stir. Tip in the courgette and keep adding the stock, stirring every now and then until the rice is just tender and creamy.

Season to taste and stir in the lemon zest, Parmesan and crème fraîche.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Feta & Cucumber Bites

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Party Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 10 June 2018| 1 Comment »

Feta & Cucumber Bites

We served these on New Year’s Day with other canapés but by the time we’d typed up the recipe we thought everyone might be a bit partied out. So we’ve saved this post for summertime when these tasty bites would be delicious served outside with cool drinks before dinner.

Feta & Cucumber Bites – makes 24

  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 200g feta
  • 100g ricotta
  • 4 tbsp chopped dill, plus extra fronds, to garnish
  • 1 large cucumber, halved lengthways, seeds scooped out and discarded

Whizz the garlic, feta, ricotta and dill in a food processor until smooth but thick.

Fill the scooped out cucumber with the cheese mixture and smooth over. Cut into 3-cm thick slices. Grind over some black pepper and garnish with some more dill.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food.)

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Ginger Pork Stir-fry

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Pork, tagged , , , , , , , on 15 May 2018| Leave a Comment »

Ginger pork stir-fry

A light and tasty stir-fry to use up bits of veg leftover from the weekend. Feel free to use what you have rather than the suggestions below and prep all the ingredients before you start as this takes minutes to cook. Serve with rice or noodles.

Wine Suggestion: If you can find it, the Zind Humbrecht Muscat Grand Cru Goldberg 2013, was an amazing match. This is a truly astonishing wine that confounds the stereotype of Muscat because of the terroir and winemaker, being fresh, vibrant and dry. Alongside the ginger and soy this danced a fine line of complementary and contrasting flavours.

Ginger Pork Stir-fry – serves 4

  • 25g root ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
  • 1 tbsp finely grated root ginger
  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 200g pork fillet, trimmed and sliced into 5mm slices
  • 2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed/grated
  • 150g carrots, peeled and finely sliced
  • 150g purple-sprouting broccoli or small broccoli florets
  • 1 red or yellow pepper, finely sliced
  • 75g kale (stalks removed), shredded
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1-2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp roughly chopped coriander (leaves & stalks)

Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil, add the sliced ginger and boil for 1 minute, then drain.

Get a wok or a large frying pan smoking hot, then pour in the oil and stir-fry the boiled ginger for 30-60 seconds, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

Add the pork, garlic, grated ginger and carrots. Stir-fry for 2 minutes or until the pork is cooked, then add the broccoli and peppers.

Keep frying for another minute, then add the kale and toss for briefly to wilt.

Finally, add the sesame oil, soy sauce and chopped coriander. Toss together quickly then serve over rice or noodles and garnish with the crispy ginger.

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

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Broad Beans with Pancetta

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 10 May 2018| 1 Comment »

Broadbeans with pancetta

A tasty side dish that works at any time of the year provided you’ve a stash of broad beans in the freezer.

Broad beans with pancetta – serves 4

  • 500g frozen broad beans
  • 70g cubetti di pancetta
  • 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • a small bunch of flatleaf parsley, chopped

Cook the beans in boiling water for 2 minutes then drain and remove from the skins.

Fry the pancetta in a dry pan until the fat runs, then turn the heat up and brown well. Add the shallots for a couple of minutes to soften, then add the broad beans to heat through. Stir through the parsley and season before serving.

 

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Cherry Tomato Salad with Wholegrain Mustard

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 4 May 2018| 1 Comment »

Cherry tomato salad with wholegrain mustardSuch a nice tomato salad with lots of delicious dressing for which you will require some crusty bread. You do need to skin the tomatoes but it actually takes no time at all if you follow the instructions below and it allows them to soak up the dressing so don’t be tempted to leave that step out.

Cherry tomato salad with wholegrain mustard – serves 4 to 6

  • 900g cherry tomatoes
  • 50g walnuts, coarsely chopped

FOR THE DRESSING:

  • small bunch of tarragon
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 heaped tbsp wholegrain Dijon mustard
  • 125ml walnut oil or olive oil

Peel the tomatoes by cutting a slit in the base of each then putting them into a large bowl. Pour over some boiling water from the kettle and immediately drain – the skins should peel of easily.

Keep a sprig of tarragon to garnish and remove the rest of the leaves from the stalks. Coarsely chop the leaves and discard the stalks. Whisk the vinegar and mustard together with some salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in the oil so the dressing thickens slightly, then whisk in the chopped tarragon.

Pour the dressing over the tomatoes,  mix gently and taste for seasoning. You can leave at room temperature for a couple of hours at this point. Pile into a salad bowl and sprinkle with the walnuts and the reserved tarragon just before serving.

(Original recipe by Anne Willan IN: BBC Good Food Magazine, April 2002)

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Watercress & Scallion salad

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 2 May 2018| Leave a Comment »

Watercress & Scallion salad

We love this green salad with barbecues as the scallions taste amazing and you’re not likely to get the barbecue out just for a green salad.

Watercress & scallion salad – serves 8 to 10

  • 6 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 shallots, sliced into fine rings
  • 2 tsp caster sugar
  • 4 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 3 bunches scallions, trimmed
  • 4 bunches of watercress (or failing that a bag of mixed salad leaves as we had to resort to this time but it we prefer it with watercress)

Heat a pan over a medium heat, then fry the shallots for a few minutes with a splash of oil, then add the sugar and vinegar. Bring to the boil, then set to one side.

Toss the scallions in a little oil then cook on a hot barbecue for a a couple of minutes on each side (use a griddle pan if that’s easier). Put the scallions in a bowl with the shallots and the rest of the olive oil. Season and toss with the watercress.

(Original recipe by James Martin IN: BBC Good Food Magazine, April 2008)

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Leftover Chicken Curry

Posted in Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , on 1 May 2018| 6 Comments »

Left-over Chicken Curry

A quick curry made with leftover roast chicken. We liked it and the fresh tomatoes definitely lighten things up for this time of year. We didn’t have any coriander but mint was a good substitute. Rachel Kelly also says that you can just use 2 tsp each of garam masala, coriander and ground cumin if you don’t have all the spices.

Wine Suggestion: This is quite a mild curry and we think you could choose most fruity, white wines and lighter, juicy reds easily. We had a glass of La Piuma Pecorino from the Marches in Italy and it was a refreshing match.

Leftover Chicken Curry – serves 4

  • vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, very finely chopped
  • 2-3 large tomatoes, chopped (plus some extra to serve)
  • 300ml chicken stock
  • leftover roast chicken, roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp plain yoghurt
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • ½ tsp ground cardamom
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • ½ tsp chilli powder
  • cooked basmati rice, to serve
  • coriander, chopped, to serve

Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large heavy-based saucepan. Gently fry the onion with a pinch of salt for about 15 minutes or until softened, then add the garlic and ginger. Continue to fry gently for another few minutes.

Add the spices and mix well with the onion. Fry for another 3 minutes.

Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for another minute or two then add the chicken stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the cooked chicken and warm through. Dollop in about 2 tbsp of yoghurt, then warm gently – easy does it here so the sauce doesn’t curdle.

Serve with steamed rice and sprinkle over some fresh coriander and chopped tomato.

(Original recipe by Rachel Kelly in The Guardian)

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And another idea for wild garlic…

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 24 April 2018| 3 Comments »

Wild Garlic Omelette with goats cheese

We just loved this simple omelette with lots of wild garlic and some melting goat’s cheese. You could leave the goat’s cheese out and it would still be a super supper dish with some salad and crusty bread.

Wild Garlic & Goat’s Cheese Omelette – serves 2

  • a good handful of wild garlic leaves – about 50g
  • 4 large eggs, lightly beaten (beat 2 eggs in 2 separate cups for ease)
  • 25g butter
  • 50g goat’s cheese crumbled

Finely shred the wild garlic and season the eggs.

Heat half the butter in a nonstick frying pan. Add half the wild garlic and wild for about 20 seconds, then add half the eggs. Leave for about 15 seconds, then tilt the pan and gradually scrape up the set bits of omelette around the edge into the middle of the pan, letting the raw egg run out to the edges.

When the omelette is still a bit liquid on top but set underneath, put half the cheese over one half. Fold the other half over the filling, then let the cheese melt for about 20 seconds before turning out onto a warm plate.

Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make another omelette, then serve right away.

(Original recipe from Food from Plenty by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley, 2010.)

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Roast Chicken Drumsticks with Parsley & Garlic

Posted in Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , on 22 March 2018| Leave a Comment »

Roast drumsticks with parsley and garlic

The title is a little bit deceptive as you don’t actually need to put these in the oven. They are very cheap and tasty and especially good with some potatoes and green veg. We’ve given the recipe to feed four people but we used just four drumsticks to feed two and scaled down the extra bits slightly and it worked perfectly.

Wine Suggestion: We had a simple, unoaked Viura (the grape used in white Rioja) from Castilla in Spain and the flinty texture and balance between fruit, freshness and a lighter body worked even better than we hoped.

Roast chicken drumsticks with parsley & garlic – serves 4

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 12-16 chicken drumsticks
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Season the drumsticks generously with salt and pepper.

Heat a large, heavy-based casserole with a lid or a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the oil and half the butter. When the butter is foaming, add the drumsticks, and fry until browned all over.

Cover the pan with a lid and continue to fry gently for 20-25 minutes, turning often. Remove the lid and add the rest of the butter, the garlic, parsley and lemon juice. Remove the pan from the heat and rest for a few minutes before serving.

(Original recipe by Paul & Jeanne Rankin IN: BBC Good Food Magazine, March 2014.)

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So it’s still winter even though it’s March – make soup!

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Healthy, Soup, Vegan, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 28 February 2018| 1 Comment »

Winter root vegetable soup

So here we are almost March and we are experiencing an artic blast. The snow is piled up at the back door and Dubliners have been advised to stay indoors tomorrow as more is on the way. Soup seems like our only defence. Nothing fancy here but full of fresh vegetable flavours. It will protect you against almost all weather eventualities, or at least both fill and warm you up.

Winter Root Vegetable Soup – serves 6 to 8

  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 leek, sliced
  • 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 2 litres vegetable stock
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 1 parsnip, chopped
  • 1 small celeriac, peeled and chopped

Melt the butter in a large pot over a medium to high heat. As soon as it has melted and started to froth, add the onion, leek and potatoes. Sauté for a couple of minutes, then cover and sweat over a low heat for 8 minutes.

Add the stock, the rest of the vegetables and some salt and pepper (white pepper would be our preference), then lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, partially covered. Taste the vegetables to check that they are completely soft, then check the seasoning before serving.

(Original recipe from Fresh by Donal Skeehan, Hodder & Stoughton, 2015.)

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Spiced Sweet Potato, Puy Lentils and Rocket with Honey-roasted Walnuts

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 23 February 2018| Leave a Comment »

Spiced Sweet Potato, Puy Lentils and Rocket with Honey-roasted Walnuts

We picked up an amazing salad book, called Community, on our last trip to Australia which really pushes salad to centre stage. The recipes can all be served as a main course or as a side and they portions are accordingly generous. This one is good but the predominant flavour is honey so if that’s not your thing then perhaps give it a miss. We thought it might be nice with some roast pork.

The honey-roasted walnuts are a nice snack on their own too, so don’t be afraid of making too many.

Wine Suggestion: We went a little left-field for this and opened a Colterenzio Lagrein, a spicy, earthy red from Alto Adige – Südtirol; choose something a little earthy with a little spice and good fruit.

Spiced sweet potato, puy lentils and rocket with honey-roasted walnuts – serves 4 to 6

  • 2 kg sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
  • 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground allspice
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • 250g Puy lentils, rinsed
  • 1 x 250 ml cup of soft herbs e.g. mint, parsley, chervil, tarragon, chives, dill or coriander – finely chopped
  • 2 x 250ml cups of  baby rocket leaves
  • 50g Parmesan, shaved

SWEET VINAIGRETTE:

  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

HONEY-ROASTED WALNUTS:

  • 2 tbsp honey
  • ¼ tsp dried chilli flakes
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • pinch sea salt
  • 2 x 250ml cups walnuts

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Combine the sweet potato, olive oil, nutmeg, cinnamon, cumin and allspice in a large bowl with some salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes or until tender and turning golden.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil, then simmer the lentils for about 20 minutes or until tender but still with a little bite. Drain.

Whisk together all the ingredients for the sweet vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper. Stir the vinaigrette through the lentils while they’re still warm.

To prepare the honey-roasted walnuts, combine the honey with the chilli flakes, turmeric, salt and just enough water to make a thick paste. Toss the walnuts in the paste and spread over a baking tray. Roast for 15 minutes or until they are crunchy. They will still be a bit sticky. Watch very carefully after the first 10 minute as they can go from toasted to burnt in seconds.

Combine half the chopped herbs with the rocket, sweet potato and lentils and season well. Scatter over the walnuts, the remaining herbs and the Parmesan before serving.

(Original recipe from Community: Salad recipes from Arthur Street Kitchen by Hetty McKinnon, Pan Macmillan Australia, 2014.)

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Easiest Ever Lamb Kebabs

Posted in Barbecue, Food, Gluten-free, Lamb, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 17 February 2018| Leave a Comment »

Easy lamb kebabs

These definitely taste best off a barbecue but if you’re not up for that in February then you could cook them on a griddle pan instead. Marinade the lamb up to a day in advance if you can.

Wine Suggestion: A juicy Californian Zinfandel or Italian Primitivo; cheers!

Easiest ever lamb kebabs – serves 4

  • 600g lamb neck fillet, cut into 2cm chunks
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 red onions, cut into small wedges

Heat the barbecue or griddle pan.

Put the lamb into a large bowl and toss with the oil and oregano. Season with salt and pepper, then set aside for as long as you can (overnight ideally).

Thread alternate pieces of lamb and onions onto metal skewers (you can use wooden skewers either but you need to soak them in cold water for about 20 minutes so they don’t catch fire).

Cook the skewers for about 8 minutes, turning regularly.

 

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Thai-style Crispy Sea Bass

Posted in Fish, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , on 12 February 2018| 2 Comments »

Thai-style crispy Sea bass

This was a  delicious Friday night feast and oh so simple! Serve with some roast new potatoes.

Wine Suggestion: Although not a regular choice we had a Pinot Grigio by Bonotto delle Tezze in our fridge and it was a pleasant surprise in how well it went with this dish. However, we shouldn’t have been surprised as it has all the elements you’d need to look out for: round and generous fruit to work with the spice, and a freshness and texture despite having moderate acidity.

Thai-style crispy sea bass – serves 2

  • 4 scallions
  • ½ a bunch of coriander – about 15g
  • 2 x 300g whole sea bass, scaled, gutted & trimmed
  • 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
  • 1 lime

Trim and halve the scallions, then finely shred lengthways and put into a bowl of ice-cold water to crisp up. Pick in the coriander leaves and reserve the stalks.

Score the sea bass at 2cm intervals, then rub all over with the curry paste including inside the cavity. Put the coriander stalks into the cavities and season with salt and pepper.

Put a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-heat. When the pan is hot add a tbsp of oil and cook the fish for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until dark golden and cooked through.

Drain and shake the water off the scallions & coriander then pile onto two plates. Place the sea bass on top and spoon over any spicy oil from the pan. Finely grate over the lime zest and squeeze over some juice to serve.

(Original recipe from 5 Ingredients by Jamie Oliver, Michael Joseph, 2017.)

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Mussels Cooked in Cider

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Shellfish, tagged , , , , , , , on 5 February 2018| 3 Comments »

Mussels cooked in cider

There’s been a bottle of Normandy Cider in our fridge door and we’ve been saving it for a dish like this. Fabulous and fresh for a Friday night with lots of crusty baguette. Serve with a generous glass of cider.

Mussels cooked in Cider – serves 4

  • 2.5kg mussels
  • 15g butter
  • 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated or crushed
  • 6 rashers of rindless streaky bacon, cut into small pieces
  • 400ml dry cider
  • 100ml double cream
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped chives

Scrub the mussels and remove any barnacles and beards. Throw away any open shells that don’t close when you tap them on the edge of the sink.

Put a large saucepan over a medium heat. Melt the butter in the warm pan, then add the onion, garlic & bacon and cook gently for about 6 minutes or until the onion is softened.

Pour in the cider, bring to a simmer and simmer for a minute before adding the mussels and covering with a tight-fitting lids. Turn the heat up hight and cook for 3-4 minutes until the mussels have opened, giving the pan a shake occasionally. Throw away any mussels that haven’t opened.

Drain the mussels in a colander over a bowl to catch the cooking liquid, then return to the pot to keep warm. Pour the cooking juices through a sieve into a pan, add the cream and herbs and bring to the boil, seasoning with salt & pepper.

Divide the mussels between 4 bowls and pour over the hot sauce, then serve with crusty bread.

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

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Carrot & Swede Mash

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 3 February 2018| 1 Comment »

Carrot and turnip mash

At home in Northern Ireland we call swedes turnips and we’re much more likely to make carrot & parsnip mash. Here in Dublin people serve us mashed carrot and swede which is pretty good too. Serve with meat dishes.

Mashed carrots & swedes – serves 4

  • 300g carrots, chopped small
  • 200g swede, chopped small
  • 25g butter
  • 1 tsp light brown sugar
  • pinch of grated nutmeg

Boil the vegetables in a large pan of boiling salted water for about 20 minutes or until soft. Drain well and return to the pan. Add the butter, sugar and nutmeg and mash together well.

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Fried Jerusalem Artichokes with Walnuts

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, tagged , , , , , , on 25 January 2018| 1 Comment »

Fried Jerusalem Artichokes with Walnuts

These knobbly little tubers are plentiful at this time of year and most often turn up in soups. We wanted to try something different so cooked this tasty side dish. We had hoped to serve it with some roast Guinea Fowl but had to make do with a roast chicken and some super-charged gravy. Definitely the nicest Jerusalem artichoke dish we’ve tasted and the perfect seasonal side for a roast dinner.

Fried Jerusalem artichokes with walnuts – serves 4

  • 850g Jerusalem artichokes
  • 5 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp golden caster sugar
  • 85g walnut halves
  • 1 fat garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • handful parsley leaves, chopped

Peel the artichokes with a small knife and slice into chunks. Cook in a pan of boiling water for about 5 minutes, or until just tender, then drain.

Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan and sauté the artichokes for 10 minutes or as long as it takes to turn them golden and starting to crisp. Add the sugar, season with salt and pepper, then add the walnuts. Keep cooking until the walnuts are toasted, then toss in the garlic and parsley and toss for about a minute before serving.

(Original recipe by Greg Wallace IN: BBC Good Food Magazine, January 2007.)

 

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Lamb Kofta Tagine

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Lamb, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 24 January 2018| 3 Comments »

This is really tasty and aromatic and much quicker to prepare than most tagine. You can serve with some plain buttered couscous but the Golden Couscous below is particularly good and the two brightly coloured dishes look fab when served in a bowl and scattered with fresh herbs.

Wine Suggestion: we love the wines from Lebanon as they tend to go well with the cuisine of the Middle East and North Africa. For this dish we opened the Massaya Terrasses de Baalbeck, a blend of Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah from the slopes of Mount Lebanon, above the Temple of Baalbeck. Earthy spice and pure, it provided a nice lift to the drizzly days we’ve had recently.

Lamb kofta tagine – serves 4 to 6

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 15g butter
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 tsp finely chopped root ginger
  • ½ red chilli pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
  • 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp chopped mint

FOR THE KOFTA:

  • 500g lamb mince
  • 125g very finely chopped onion
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • ¼ tsp cardamom seeds (crush some green cardamom pods with a pestle & mortar or the end of a rolling pin to get the seeds)
  • ½ tsp paprika

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300ºF/Gas 2.

Put the oil and butter into a large casserole dish over a medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli and cook for 6-8 minutes or until starting to turn a light golden colour.

Stir in the turmeric, 1 tbsp of the lemon juice and half the chopped coriander. Add the tin of tomatoes and the sugar, then bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer with a lid on for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile make the kofta by placing all of the ingredients into a large bowl and seasoning with salt and black pepper. Mix together well using your hands, then roll into about 30 small balls.

Carefully lower the koftas into the pot with a spoon and gently roll them to cover in the sauce, then cook in the oven for 20 minutes. Season to taste, then stir in the remaining lemon juice and sprinkle with the chopped mint and coriander.

(Original recipe from Rachel’s Everyday Kitchen, HarperCollins, 2013.)

Lamb Kofta Tagine with Golden Couscous

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