Celeriac soup

Celeriac is a great creamy vegetable soup. Serve with some crispy streaky bacon bits and croûtons for that extra touch.
INGREDIENTS
1oz butter
1 onion - finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
700g/1lb 8oz celeriac, peeled and cut into small cubes
50g/2oz streaky bacon, cut into small pieces (+ extra for decoration if desired)
1 leek - the white only, chopped
2 stick celery, chopped
2 thyme sprigs, leaves picked (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
1 litre/1¾ pint hot chicken stock
200ml/7floz double cream (or just milk for a lighter calorie count!)
salt and white pepper to taste


METHOD
    For the soup, heat a large frying pan or saucepan until medium hot, add the butter, the onion and bacon and fry for a couple of minutes to just soften. Add the garlic, leek, celery and thyme sprigs (or dried thyme) and fry for another minute; then add the chopped celeriac. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. When boiling - turn down the heat to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the celeriac is just tender.

    Blend the soup to a fine purée using a liquidiser or a stick blender. Sieve and return to the heat in a pan. Add the cream / milk and bring back to a soft boil.

Meanwhile for the crispy bacon bits for the top of the soup: Fry small bacon bits until crisp and place on kitchen paper and pat to take out the oil / fat  - this will  keep them nice and crisp.



    Season with salt and white pepper. Serve the hot soup in bowls with crusty brown bread.



 

Pea & Mint Soup

 
I decided to explore making soups that have bowled me over (excuse the pun) which I have had the pleasure of eating in restaurants lately  - and add my own twist to them. 

Today I decided to make Pea and Mint soup which I had a few weeks ago in the amazing Treasury Restaurant in Limerick. 

Now while not claiming in any way to be anywhere as good as the chefs there I have come up with what I think is a pretty darn good soup!!! 

It's light, refreshing and really tasty. 

Serve it up with my Chorizo and Red Onion soda bread for a mega lunch!!

Make this up the day before it's needed and store it in the fridge - it will mature overnight and slightly thicken and believe me it has a mega taste next day!!!

INGREDIENTS 

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, chopped 
1 onion, chopped
600g - 800g frozen peas (if you can get fresh peas all the better but they do need to be really really fresh)
450ml hot chicken stock (or vegetable stock if you prefer a veggie option)
150 ml milk
50ml cream 
4 tablespoons of chopped fresh mint leaves 
salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

 

METHOD

Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and fry for 3-4 minutes, until softened. 

Add the frozen peas, hot chicken stock and mint and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for eight - ten minutes. 

Add the milk and cream liquidize with a hand blender or liquidizer if you have one. Strain to remove and bits. (Push the pea and mint bits left through the strainer to get as much concentrated flavour as you can)

Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve in a warm bowl, garnished with a mint leaf or chopped spring onion and a swirl of cream.

If you prefer a thicker soup throw some diced potato to the stock and cook it out.
 
For a healthier version you can use 600ml water and leave out the milk and cream - but I think they add to the flavour.

 

Chorizo & Red Onion Soda Bread

Soda bread is amazing - it's so easy to make and there are so many variations that you can make. I always throw a couple of loaves in the oven when I have visitors - it goes down a bomb with a full Irish! 

You can add anything to the bread to make many different flavours. The Chorizo one I made simply from what leftovers I had in the fridge.
There are so many variations you can make with the basic recipe from Healthy breads to Focaccia to Pizza bases. You can be as imaginative as you want - and I am always experimenting with different flavours- just remember to add all your bits before adding the buttermilk as once the bread-soda gets wet it starts to react.

BASIC SODA BREAD RECIPE

1lb of plain flour
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of Bread-soda (bicarbonate of soda / baking soda)
12 fluid ounces of Buttermilk.

Turn on the oven to it's highest setting 250˚(230˚Fan oven) - the oven must be heated to full temperature before you mix your ingredients together as the bread needs to go in straight away.

Sieve flour, salt and bread-soda together into a bowl.

 ** I added chopped Pamplona chorizo, thinly sliced and chopped Red Onion, dried Oregano, finely grated Parmesan cheese, Black Pepper and some smoked Paprika to the dry ingredients and whisked about 3 inches of tomato puree to the buttermilk (which turns pink!)**

Add the buttermilk and using you hand like a claw - mix the ingredients together to form a dough.

Place on a lightly floured board and shape into a round. Score a cross into the bread (to bless all who eat it) and prick each 'quarter' with a fork two or three times - (to let the bad faeries out) - don't knock this method - it really works to make the bread rise!!.

Place the bread in the oven on a greased and floured tray and bake for 15 minutes. Turn down the oven to 200˚(180˚Fan oven) and bake for a further 15 minutes. Remove the tray out of the oven and place the bread on the oven rack and bake for a further 15 minutes. The bread should be golden brown and give a lovely hollow sound when tapped underneath. 

Place on a rack and leave to cool for a while. . . if you can!!    
Slice when cool and slather with a large dollop of Irish butter . . . .




You can also bake this bread in a loaf tin 
- remember to score down the centre of the bread and prick it with a fork . . .


You can do anything you want . . . . . . .

IRISH FOCACCIA

Push the dough out to form a low rectangle and push in olives, tomatoes, garlic slices and oregano. Brush very lightly with olive oil and prick all over with a fork. Bake for about 25 - 30 minutes in the oven at 200˚ (180˚Fan oven)


 





HEALTHY NUT BREAD
Swop half the plain flour for wholemeal flour and add chopped walnuts and slivers of garlic for a gorgeous bread to go with salads.

Add pine nuts and rosemary for a nutty bread . . .

Add pumpkin seeds and grated butternut squash . . . . 

Roll out the dough and bake blind for about 10 minutes and then add pizza toppings and sauce and bake for another 7 - 10 minutes for a pizza with a difference . . .

You can do anything you want . . . . .

The world is your oyster . . . The bread is your masterpiece . . .

Eclairs, Profiteroles & Choux buns

It's been a while since I've had time to cook, write and photograph something so this morning I decided to bite the bullet and do something!

I was going to do these yesterday but shied away because I knew there was a little bit of hard beating to get these light and fluffy and crisp on the outside but actually once I got down to doing them they were soooooo easy. .

I will definitely be doing these more often!! I have tried a few different methods and recipes since I first posted this recipe and I have tweaked it to what I have found as the most effective recipe and method.

A word of warning though - these eclairs are very, very addictive . . . . . . .

INGREDIENTS

130g (2.5 oz) plain or strong flour (I prefer to use strong)
100g (2 oz) butter
3 medium eggs, lightly beaten
150ml (5 fl oz) water

 WHAT TO DO

Preheat the oven to 250˚C (230˚C for fan oven) Sift the flour on to a piece of paper. Put the butter in the a pan with the water. Heat it gently until the butter has melted and then bring it to the boil.

Remove the pan from the heat and tip in the flour immediately. Beat thoroughly with a WOODEN spoon. Continue to beat over a low heat until the mixture is smooth and makes a ball in the centre of the pan (be careful not to overbeat or the mix will become too fatty but as this is quite strenuous to do I think you'll be ok!!). Remove from the heat and leave to cool for a couple of minutes.

If you have a mixer on a rotating stand you can use it in this next part. Beat in the eggs a little at a time (or use the wooden spoon and beating vigorously to get in as much air as possible)  until you get a lovely firm, glossy piping mix.

If you use large eggs you may not need to use all of the egg as you do not want to 'overwet' the mixture as it will just spread out on the tray and won't rise.


Line a tray with baking paper.
For eclairs (and with a large nozzle) pipe the mixture  about 3 - 4 inches in length.  For profiteroles pipe the mix about an inch in diameter and for Choux buns pipe twice as large as the size for profiteroles.

Place in the oven for 5 minutes and reduce heat in oven to 180˚C (160˚Fan oven). Cook for another 12 / 15 minutes

Remove the eclairs/ buns/ profireroles and pierce a small hole in the side or bottom and put them back in the oven to dry out inside for another 5 minutes. (The hole lets the steam escape). Turn off the oven but leave the pastries in the oven for about 5 minutes then remove and leave to cool on a wire rack.

ICING:

Sieve some icing sugar and cocoa powder and mix with a teaspoon or two of water to mix to a very slightly drizzly, glossy texture. Spread over the top of the eclairs and set in the fridge.

Add 1 teaspoon of Irel or Camp coffee instead of cocoa to make coffee icing

Fill with cream adding Irel / Camp to the cream before you whip it gives it a lovely coffee / toffee taste

For Choux buns: fill with cream and dust lightly with icing sugar.  You can also use a traditional Creme Patissiere - which is similar to a light custard - 



 

CREME PATISSIERE

INGREDIENTS:

4 egg yolks

100g caster sugar

25g plain flour (sifted)

1 Vanilla pod or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

350 ml milk

METHOD:

Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl with the sugar until light and thick. Fold in the flour. Put a split vanilla pod in a saucepan with the milk and bring it slowly up to just below the boil. Remove the vanilla pod and pour the milk onto the egg mixture, whisking all the time.

Return the mixture to the pan and stir over a low-medium heat until it comes up to a very gentle boil. The mixture will to boil so that it will thicken. Continue to cook, whisking / stirring all the time for about 2 minutes or until it has thickened.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the vanilla extract and pour into a bowl. If the mixture goes a little lumpy while cooking, remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk firmly until smooth. Cover with cling film so that a skin does not form on the top and allow to cool.

The cream can be made and stored in the fridge in advance or even frozen.

Sandie O'Loughlin's Yorkshire puddings

There is nothing quite like Roast rib beef and Yorkshire puds - my favourite meal when I was a kid and still my favourite meal today.

These Yorkshire puddings are the perfect partner for roast beef, nice and rare, along with roast potatoes, pureed carrot and parsnip, red wine sauce and of course creamed horseradish.

I try where possible to buy it on the bone (when funds allow) or sometimes I just cook some juicy fillet steaks if there is only 2 of us for dinner and a large roast is just too much. 

If you are cooking for 2 or 3 just halve the ingredients and only cook in 6 sections of the muffin tin.
 
INGREDIENTS
4oz plain flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 free-range eggs 

10 fl oz full fat milk (half pint)

50g/1¾oz beef dripping or lard - I use a teensy bit of Goose fat in each section of the muffin/pudding tin. Using the lard / fat instead of oil really does make a difference.

 
METHOD
Whisk eggs and salt until a very pale colour and it is fluffy (about 5 minutes) getting plenty of air in.
Add the milk bit by bit whisking as you go. Add sieved flour and whisk again to make a smooth batter - not too thick. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

Place the mixture in the fridge for at least an hour - the mixture must have time to get really cold in the fridge where it will also thicken (hence not too much flour) Place greased tin in hot oven 220C/450F/Gas 7. ( 200 Fan) 

When tin is piping hot immediately fill with (re-whisked)  mix – if tins are hot enough the mix will bubble at the edges like pancakes would in a frying pan.
Cook (without opening the oven door) for about 16 minutes, open the door very slightly to allow any steam to escape close and turn the temperature down to 190C/375F/Gas 5. (Fan 170) and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or until Golden brown and crispy.
 
Result – Perfect Yorkies – well fingers crossed anyway!!!
 

Tunisian Orange Cake

This very simple but fantastic tasty cake/ dessert is delicious served with cream or a scoop of soft icecream.

The cake will last (if it's not devoured in one go) for up to two weeks in an airtight container/ tin.

I got this recipe from Darina Allen's Ballymaloe Cookery Course (or as it's been christened by myself and my sisters 'THE BALLYMALOE BIBLE' ).

Every time I have made it, it has turned out perfectly and is ideal if you are having folks to dinner as you can make it days in advance.

INGREDIENTS:
For the Cake
2oz / 50g stale breadcrumbs
7oz / 200g Caster sugar
3 1/2oz / 100g ground almonds
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
7fl oz / 200ml sunflower oil
4 eggs
zest 1 large orange
zest 1 small lemon
(keep the orange and lemon juice for the syrup)

For the Syrup
Juice of 1 large Orange
Juice 1 small lemon
3oz/ 75g caster sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves

Grate the zest of the orange and lemon. Mix it with the ground almonds, sugar,  baking powder and breadcrumbs. In a separate bowl whisk the oil and eggs together.  Add mixture to the dry ingredients  and mix well.


Pour into a deep 8in / 20cm greased and floured tin and line the bottom of the tin.

Place the tin in a COLD OVEN- yes, you read it correctly- and turn it on to 180ºC  (160ºC fan) and bake, from cold, for 45 minutes until firm and golden brown. While the cake is baking, be a busy bee and make the syrup. Slowly heat the syrup ingredients together in a heavy based pot and simmer gently for 3 minutes giving it the odd stir.

When cake is cooled pierce all over with a skewer (I use a metal knitting needle) and gently spoon over the warm syrup until it is all soaked up.

Serve decorated with the cloves and the cinnamon stick from the syrup and a nice dollop of freshly whipped cream. Mmmmmmmmm.

Enyd’s sponge cake

This is a fatless sponge cake that is as light as a feather but absolutely lovely. It was one my mother's many 'piece de resistances'. It is easy to make and while it is in the oven you have enough time to whip up some homemade Raspberry jam to go with it.

INGREDIENTS:
5oz caster sugar
4 oz plain flour
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tbs boiling water

(1 Option is to use Self Raising Flour but omit the Baking Powder)

METHOD:
Beat eggs and sugar together until thick, add boiling water and beat for about 10 minutes until risen right up the bowl.

 Sift flour and baking powder together and fold into mixture. Put mixture into 2 greased and floured cake tins. Place in pre-heated oven at 190 degrees celcius (fan oven 170) for 25 minutes.

When cake is cool spread with (homemade) raspberry jam add whipped cream and put cake together. Dust top lightly with icing sugar.


HOMEMADE RASPBERRY JAM
Use equal amounts of Raspberries and Sugar ( 1lb of Raspberries to 1lb of sugar - depending on the quantity of jam you want to make).

Warm the sugar in the oven for about 10 minutes. Put raspberries in a heavy based pot and slowly bring to the boil. When the raspberries are starting to break down you can mash them with a potato masher.

Add warm sugar and bring to a rapid, rolling boil. Cook for about 5 minutes and test. Put a teaspoonful of jam on a cold plate, leave in a cool place for a few minutes and if the jam wrinkles when pushed with the tip of your finger it has reached it's setting point. Skim the top of the jam (you can add a knob of butter) if necessary and pot immediately.