Fish for Friday

When we got married, we were fortunate enough to be married by one of the greatest priests I ever met. He never preached, he gently guided and offered wisdom in a way that could make sense for anyone. I'll never forget his description of hell when I offered the tidbit that hell was something they made up in Medieval times to get tithes. He said "that may be so, but I believe hell is where God ain't!"

On our wedding day (Paul being Protestant-ish!), he told the following joke:

A Protestant married a lovely Catholic girl and being good Catholics her family welcomed him into their community. But, also because they were good Catholics they did not eat red meat on Fridays. So, when he began barbecuing some juicy steak on Friday night, they began to squirm.
They were so annoyed that they went to talk to him about it. After much talk they convinced him to become Catholic. He decided to convert. The next Lent he was having trouble with feeling Catholic so he went to the priest who said "You were born Protestant. You were raised Protestant. But now you are Catholic! Keep telling yourself that and you'll be fine!" And so, the next Friday, as the extended family sat down to eat their fish, they were disturbed by the smell of roast beef coming from the backyard. They went in to talk to the new Catholic because he knew he was not supposed to eat beef on Fridays. When they saw him, he was sprinkling salt on the beef saying: "You were born a cow. You were raised a cow. But now you are fish!"

In any case, that always makes me smile. Father Davey passed recently and I thank God he came into my life. He was an amazing man and I feel blessed for knowing him. So here is a nice fish recipe in his honour!

Sole Stuffed with Lemon Scented Rice and Asparagus w/Beurre Blanc
serves 2

• 2 skinned sole fillets
• 1/2 bundle asparagus
• 1/2 small white onion, finely diced
• 1/2 stalk celery, finely diced
• butter
  
• 3/4 cup basmati rice
• 1 lemon
• Pinch saffron threads
• Fresh snipped chives to garnish
  

Pre-heat oven to 180C/350F. Zest the lemon, so no zest is remaining. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear and cook with 3/4 lemon zest, saffron and the juice of the lemon. When slightly undercooked, drain and set aside. While the rice is cooking blanch (immerse in boiling water for two minutes, then plunge into iced water to stop the cooking process) the asparagus for two minutes. Saute the onion and celery and mix in with the cooked rice.

Layer the sole fillets in a buttered baking dish and place half the rice on each fillet. Top with half the asparagus and roll up. Repeat with the second fillet. Sprinkle fillets with remaining lemon zest and top each with a knob of butter. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until the fish is done.

Beurre Blanc
Beurre Blanc makes people nervous just like Hollandaise, but again it's not as difficult as it seems and worst case scenario, if the sauce breaks, just whisk in a tiny bit of cream and it will bring it back together.

• 2 shallots, finely diced/minced
• 1 cup white wine (traditionally a muscadet, but any dry will do)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (normally white wine vinegar, but I wanted to continue the lemon taste)
• 6 oz cold butter, cubed
• salt and white pepper to taste

Add the shallots, wine and lemon juice into a pan and saute until there's just about two or three tablespoons of liquid. Slowly whisk in the butter one cube at a time. When it is all incorporated, season to taste. Keep sauce warm in a double boiler until ready to serve.

Plate the sole and drizzle over the sauce and enjoy!

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My Chef Match

I'm a bit of a sucker for those silly online quizzes, but when I saw this one, I really couldn't resist! I have to say they've got me pegged allright! I like old school Jamie Oliver... the Naked Chef (mmm) and I have to say I definitely cook like him in the old days. A pinch of this, a knob of that... no measurements! That's one fo the reasons I started this blog - because I come up with a great recipe, that everyone loves and don't write down what I did - so can't replicate it. Now I can! Try it yourself! :-)




Your celebrity chef match is The Naked Chef

No cause for alarm! Your cooking counterpart doesn't sauté, simmer, or season in his birthday suit. (I wish he did!!!) It's just his take on food prep that's naked. Like Jamie Oliver, you've probably got a low-key, no-frills approach to cuisine — and maybe to life, too!

Whether you're cooking for company or for yourself, you're keen on creating succulent flavors that make your taste buds do summersaults — without spending the whole day slaving over a hot stove. After all, you've got other things to do and places to be. And your knack for keeping up with culinary trends and stripping cooking down to the basics will make your cooking a winning welcome at any meal.


Who's Your Celebrity Chef Match?

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The Restaurant Tonight and Pizza Montage

For my Irish readers, I will be on TV tonight as a guest on RTE's The Restaurant. I would have preferred to be the chef, but alas I am not a celebrity... yet... mu-hu-ha-ha-haaah! :-) We are sitting at the first table, I'm probably looking especially fat in a black and white dress... I really hope I don't make an ass of myself, don't want to have to start looking at Phoenix real estate to escape to the dessert! I know I thought the chef was a man, but I think I guessed one of the wines... or maybe that was hubby! Only time will tell! It was a fun night, decent food and wine and good company... the funny part was though that as we drove to Athlone I noted the absence of Ruth Scott on the radio... little did I know she would be cooking me dinner!

So who's up for some pizza? I love to make pizza. I've had a dough recipe that I've used for years (no idea where it came from) and it really is the best pizza dough. You know the way there's usually crusts left on the plates, not with this crust! Top with some simple passata, mozzarella and whatever toppings you like. This crust is also great, because it will make three thin crust pizzas, or one deep pan pizza, so whatever you like you can have!

Perfect Pizza Dough

• 3 1/4 cups flour
• 1 cup warm water (hot, but comfortable to touch)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp yeast
• 2 tbsp Honey
• 1/4 cup garlic infused olive oil (or plain, I just like the added taste)
• 1/2 tsp salt

I use a food processor for this, but have done it by hand too. Add the water and honey to the yeast and allow to sit for a few minutes until foamy. Add olive oil and salt. Add flour one cup at a time until combined. Using bread blade mix for a minute or two on low speed until dough is formed. If kneading by hand, knead for about ten minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic, using flour to dust as necessary. Allow to rise in a greased bowl covered with plastic wrap for about 45 minutes or until doubled. Punch down the dough and allow to rise an additional hour.



Divide the dough into three parts. You can freeze what you would like at this point. To use in the future, remove dough from bag whilst still frozen. Place in a greased bowl and allow to defrost and come to room temperature before rolling.




Roll and pull out the dough into a flat circle and prick with a fork... rub it with a little more olive oil, which prevents the sauce from making it soggy. Sprinkle some cornmeal or semolina on a pizza stone and place the dough on it.







Spread your sauce on the pizza. I just use passata (tomato sauce) flavoured with oregano, basil and black pepper






Slice some buffalo mozzarella into thin slices and lay on top of the sauce. Don't worry if there are spaces, as the cheese melts they fill in. Add whatever toppings you like. This one was for the kids and mushrooms seem to be a favourite with them!





Bake for about 15-20 minutes in a 200C/400F oven or until cheese is bubbling and crust is crispy!





You'll never get take out again! Especially if you use the three pizzas... sure, it takes awhile the first time, but next time you feel like pizza, just leave the dough out on your way out in the morning, roll out and top and you have a delicious homemade pizza in about 20 minutes! Enjoy!!!


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Tackle It Tuesday

This is my first time doing Tackle It Tuesday sponsored by the inspiring ladies at 5 Minutes for Mom and I have to say I feel a bit exposed! I think that is the point however and I have to say these girls got me off my ass. I completely redid my kitchen.

One of the shocks of moving back to Ireland was the property prices. I am paying about double the rent I paid on my mortgage in the states for a smaller, poorer designed house. We had to give up one car and most of our furniture to even get here, never mind Paul's Steinway Grand Piano, but despite all that it has been worth it. Needless to say getting used to living in a smaller space and one with virtually no storage has been challenging, especially for a cookaholic like myself! Between my spices and baking dishes the whole kitchen is full... and don't forget we are downgrading to a tiny (but standard here) fridge freezer. It's daunting, but I'm getting by. Until today however I have had a bit of a stash problem... I sort of just threw everything in cabinets and figured as long as it wasn't on the counters, it was ok. Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present Exhibit A! The two worst cabinets in my kitchen!

Argh! Went to Flickr to get the codes to upload the photos only to find them not there, so figured I must have them on the hard drive and hadn't uploaded yet, but alas, they were on the hard drive, only I thought I had uploaded them and deleted them! Go figure... well, suffice it to say they were bad... really bad... Pots, Pans, sippy cups falling out... literally you would open the door and something would fall out. I guess you'll have to take my word for it. *SIGH*



Chorizo Hash with a Fried Duck Egg (serves 4)

• bag baby potatoes
• half a "u" of chorizo
• 1 medium red pepper, chopped
• 1 bunch scallions, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 large duck eggs (or v. large eggs)
  

Chop your potatoes into small cubes. Heat the oil and butter in a skillet over a medium high heat. Saute the potatoes for two or three minutes then add the chorizo. Saute until the fat begins to render and add the peppers. When the potatoes begin to soften and brown, lower the heat right down and drain most of the fat, reserving a few tablespoons for the eggs. Heat the reserved fat in a separate pan and fry the eggs until the white is cooked but the yellow runny. Add the scallions to the hash and saute for a minute, season to your taste. Add the parsley, stir through and plate. Put a fried egg on top of each plate and enjoy!


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Veggie Meme

1. Is there a vegetable you hated as a child, but came to love as you got older?

Mushrooms... I won't tell you why, it's gross... but I used to HATE mushrooms... now I like them ok... but if given the choice between mushrooms and another veg I'd probably choose the other.

2. Most underrated vegetable?

Probably cabbage. It gets a bad rap because in Ireland it's always overcooked and mushy and in elsewhere it turns into sauerkraut... but sauteed in a little butter with garlic, chilli and bacon... sweet lord! It's such a wonderful versatile vegetable that can be made go with just about anything.

3. Name one favourite summer vegetable dish.

Well, it would probably be more late Spring, but in Belgium (and Holland) every Spring the white asparagus would mature. It's grown in the dark to prevent sunlight turning the plant green (chlorophyll and all that!) and it is quite simply the most amazing asparagus. I am not talking about the canned or jarred stuff. This has to be fresh! The Belgians serve it steamed with a very light butter and lemon sauce, garnished with chopped eggs and chives. It's simply heavenly!

4. And one for winter?

Gotta go with the Americans on this one - sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving dinner! Dear lord! So good!

5. What vegetables are in your fridge and freezer right now?

Fridge: Leeks, Carrots, Celery, Broccoli, Tomatoes, Cucumber, Chestnut Mushrooms
Freezer: Spinach, Peas, Corn, Frozen Herbs

6. Is there a vegetable you really like but don't make much yourself?

Lots- but only because I can't get them here (in Edenderry)... like Butternut and Acorn Squash, Sweet potatoes, Celeriac, fresh herbs, Rapini, fresh artichoke, FRESH corn on the cob (A MI Fav!), tomatillos, okra, Shallots (isn't that sad - can't even get shallots in this culinary hell of a town), Daikon, Normal radishes, probably lots more I can't think of! LOL!

TAG: Anyone who wants...


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Three Ways with Bread

Everyone loves bread, so here are three easy recipes one of which will please everyone from 6 months up!

Kids French Toast / Eggy Bread

• 3-4 slices of white bread
• 2 organic eggs, beaten
• dash cream or milk
  
• pinch cinnamon (optional for savory version)
  
• pinch nutmeg (optional for savory version)
• butter for frying
• honey / maple syrup to serve

Using your favourite shaped cookie cutters cut out fun shapes from the bread. Add the Cinnamon and nutmeg to the eggs and cream and mix. Dip the pieces of bread in the egg mixture and fry on a very low heat until golden brown on each side. For a sweet version, dust with icing/powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup or honey. For a savoury version, season with salt and pepper and serve with whatever condiment you prefer. The kids love this one and it's a great way to sneak some protein in!


Perfect Garlic Bread

• 1 French style baguette
• 5-6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 8 oz butter
• Chives, to garnish (optional)

Slice your baguette in half. Melt the butter in a small pot over a low heat (you don't want it to brown) Chop the garlic and add into the butter. Keep over a very low heat for a few minutes until garlic has softened. Using a nice silicon (if you can find one, they are brilliant - no hairs falling out onto your pastry!) pastry brush, slather the butter and garlic over the bread, trying to evenly distribute the garlic.

Bake at 180C/350F for ten minutes to crisp the bread. You can eat it like this, but I like to brown it for a minute or two under the grill. Just switch the oven to grill and watch it carefully until it browns to your liking. Allow to cool for a minute. Awesome with pasta!


Beer Bread
I used to (*gasp*) buy a mix for beer bread when we lived in America. It was divine, moist, buttery, even slightly sweet and I missed it quite a bit until I found this recipe over on Fallen Souffle. Although the original recipe calls for Fontina Cheese, I doubt you would be able to get that outside of Dublin, so I had to use cheddar, which worked out fine. I know Fontina would have been better, but I have to work with what I've got! I also had to use red onion, as that's all I had, which isn't quite as aesthetically pleasing than white or even green onion. But this bread tasted absolutely heavenly, just like how I remembered... and homemade to boot!!! Enjoy!

Onion and Fontina Beer Batter Bread

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup shredded fontina cheese
• 1 (12 ounce) bottle beer, such as amber ale
• cooking spray
• 4 Tbsp melted butter, divided
  

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9 or 10 inch loaf pan with cooking spray (or just grease).

2. In a small skillet, heat oil over medium heat and saute onions for about 6 minutes until golden. Allow to cool to room temperature.

3. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add cooled onions, cheese and beer. Stir until just combined, it will be a little stiff.

4. Spread into greased pan and drizzle with 2 T. of melted butter. Bake for 35 minutes; brush with remaining butter and bake an additional 20 minutes until the top is golden and the center is set. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, remove and allow to continue cooling on wire rack.



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Nostalgic Soup

There was a time when I couldn't think of the word nostalgic for days. I hate that - when you're trying to remember something or someone and it's on the tip of your tongue but just won't come to you. The irony with me was that I was trying to remember a word about remembering!

I think most of have a soup recipe or memory that brings us back to our childhood. This is mine.

When I moved to Michigan as a child, we attended a Polish-American Catholic church. It wasn't really Polish-American, but most of the parishioners were. They all had names ending in "kovich" and "ski"! I used to sing there and had quite the Granny fan club built up! They thought I'd be the next Charlotte Church, never mind that I was much older than her and not nearly as cute! They were the sweetest ladies and were always so supportive.

Every year they would have a Christmas Craft Bazaar. The first year we went we had no idea what to expect. Turned out it was mostly Polish grandmas and artists selling their wares. Everything from hand-made quilts and beautiful knitting to home-made soaps and jewelery. You really could find some nice stuff. There was also the illustrious bake sale, during which my Dad discovered Zucchini bread. We had no idea what zucchinis (courgettes) were, coming from 80's Ireland, where they were not likely to be found, much less that you could make amazing spice bread from them.

The best part of the bazaar was lunch. People would line up for ages to be served by the volunteer Grandmothers in their little hand-sewn aprons. At first we didn't understand why. The menu consisted of various types of Polish sausage, hot dogs, Chicken Noodle Soup and Apple Crumble. In any case we lined up, and being wary (and naive) at the time I shied away from the Polish sausage and stuck to the chicken noodle soup.

That decision changed my life. Okay, well not really, but it certainly made me happy! It was the most amazing soup I have ever eaten... EVER! The noodles were incredibly thick and almost meaty, the broth a beautiful golden colour, rich and perfectly seasoned and the vegetables light, colourful and melt-in-your-mouth. It truly was a culinary masterpiece. It didn't matter that it was served in a Styrofoam bowl with a plastic desert spoon, it was divine. These ladies would gather the week of the bazaar to make the noodles and broth. It was a week long event for them.
Over the years, we went every year for this incredible soup - it was perfect for the cold snowy day outside and really warmed your heart. You could just about taste the love these little old ladies put into it. When I moved away in 1993 I didn't think I'd come back, but alas after meeting my husband we were drawn back to Michigan, to the same town only to be married in that same church.

The first time the bazaar was on we both had work commitments that morning, but I dragged him down in the afternoon so he could try the famous soup. Wouldn't you know it? They were out of soup! The next four years you can bet I was there as soon as the modest cafeteria was open and the soup - thank God - hadn't changed. I dragged many a friend to that bazaar to try the soup and everyone agreed, it could not be beat.

So my friends, this is my humble attempt to recreate the best chicken soup ever. It's very good, but doesn't quite come close, but for now it's the best I can get. Some of my old fan club want to come to Ireland and visit - which should be a hoot - so maybe I can steal their secrets then!

This is rather time consuming, but it is so worth it and will sit on your hob for a few days. For the initial stage, keep the veg big, as you will be straining it. If you cut too small it will turn to mush during the long cooking time.

For the broth:

• 1 whole chicken, organic if feasible
• 3 stalks celery, broken into big chunks
• 3 carrots, cut into large chunks
• 1 large leek, cut into thirds
• 1 large onion, cut in half
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
  
• 1 large red pepper, cut into chunks
• 7-8 peppercorns
• 2-3 sprigs thyme
• Big Sprig Parsley
• enough water to cover chicken

Toss everything into a big stockpot. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat right down. Keep on the lowest heat and leave on overnight if you can, if not then as many hours as you can.

The next morning drain the stock, reserving the chicken (I also love to eat the leek at this point, with a little salt and butter... heaven!) Turn heat off. Discard veg and remove chicken from bones. It will naturally shred. Whilst the soup cools, the fat will gather at the top, skim it off. Toss the chicken back into the pot.


For the Noodles:

• 2 organic eggs
• 4 tbsp whole milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups flour

Mix until everything comes together. Knead until you have a smooth dough. Roll out to about 4mm thickness and cut into long strips. Allow to rest for about half an hour, then toss into the pot, along with the below...

For the soup:

• 1 large leek, finely chopped
• 3 carrots, finely diced
• 3 stalks celery, peeled and finely diced
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• garlic olive oil (or regular is fine)
• salt and pepper to season
• 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
  

Saute the veg in the olive oil until translucent. Toss into broth. Turn heat up to a low boil and cover. Boil for about half an hour or until the noodles are cooked through. Before serving, stir parsley through and serve. You don't even need bread, as the noodles are so hearty. A meal in a bowl! The perfect comfort food. Enjoy!


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We have GOT to clear this up...

I AM NOT AMERICAN!!! I AM IRISH! There- I said it... guess it could be worse... I could be called British! ;-) I lived in America off and on for about 13 years, mostly in Michigan (and Chicago and Rochester,NY)... also lived in Belgium (where my addiction to food began) for five years, but I was born and partially raised in Dublin - Clonsilla to be precise! I did however marry an American and one of my daughters was born in the states, but I've been home for two years now... the kids are dual citizens, the husband will be eligible for Irish citizenship when we've been married five years, this June and me... well I'm probably going to lose my green card for moving back... should be fun on the next shopping trip... those INS guys being so sweet and cuddly and all!

Anyways... that's been said... onto food matters.

Val from Val's Kitchen, a great Irish food blog, recommended an Irish kitchen shop - Kitchen Complements - with which I have made a wee purchase... I have decided to make an effort on presentation, so have purchased some food rings and other gadgety things...

I also took Laura's advice from Eat Drink Live, on a book about cooking for kids: Eat Up: Food for Children of All Ages by Mark Hix. It should be getting here today. I also ordered the New Book of Herbs, as recommended by Doris from Peppermint Farm, and a book on sewing (haha... I'm going to attempt to make some clothes!) and Nigella's Feast: Food That Celebrates Life. Would you believe that I have only just discovered her? I caught two episodes last week and another two on Sunday and I am hooked. Our philosophies on cooking and entertaining are very similar. I am so guilty of always finding a "cooks treat!" I have a relatively small appetite, and usually end up nibbling while I cook and then not being able to eat what I cook! Ridiculous... but fun!

So my culinary shopping adventures have been plentiful. I am even contemplating buying a fresh truffle (the fungus kind, not chocolate kind!) on eBay. Has anyone done this? I've bought vanilla pods on there before and been happy, but never a truffle. Would love some advice! With shipping from Italy it would work out about 30 euro ($38) for just under two ounces) so methinks that sounds like a good deal... any thoughts? I feel like I'm buying drugs with all the weights and what not! I can see the headline now "Humble Housewife Caught Red-Handed in International Truffle Cartel." Truffles are a bit like drugs though... so incredibly divine... is there a flavour anywhere that even compares? *SIGH*

So now for a recipe... How about some chicken with dumplings? This is a real comfort food recipe, that both my kids and himself enjoyed. I thought it was a bit too soupy, thought it would thicken up more than it did, so might use more flour next time. Lisa at The Food Snob made some a couple of weeks ago, but hers was way too healthy for me! :-) Had to go for the cream version! LOL! I substitute spinach for cream... hehe...

Creamy Chicken and Dumplings

• 2 -3 carrots, finely diced
• 2-3 stalks celery, finely diced
• 1 large Spanish onion, finely diced
• 3-4 tbsp butter
  
• 4 large (6 small) chicken breasts
• salt and pepper
  
• 1 lb/ 500g / 2pkgs chestnut mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 4 tbsp flour
• 1 pint chicken stock
• 2 fl oz cream

Melt the butter in a large pot, season the chicken breasts and fry until browned (not cooked) on each side. Remove from pan and toss in carrots, celery and onions, saute until slightly softened. Add flour and stir constantly until lumps are gone. Slowly pour in stock stirring continuously. Add the chicken back to the pot, add seasonings. Cook for about twenty minutes, covered on a low heat. Meanwhile make the dumplings (which I also took from The New Joy of Cooking - my cooking bible):

• 2 cups, 16 oz flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 cup milk

Bring Milk and butter to a simmer in a small pan. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Add liquid and mix with a fork until just combined. Form into as many dumplings as you want. I like them kind of big, so made about 8 large ones, but the recipe states you can make 18 small ones. I must add here though, the husband did in fact make the dumplings! Wouldn't want to get in trouble you know! :-)

After the stew has been cooking for twenty minutes, turn the heat up to medium and add the dumplings. Submerge and cook for another 15-20 minutes or until the dumplings are cooked through. A little cream and parsley to garnish and voila - ticken and lumplings as my oldest says! :-)

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Easy Lunch Ideas for Kids

I've received a few emails in the last week asking about ideas for kids, so here are two recipes that my two (1 and 3) devour every time!

Easy Quesadillas
This sauce is a sort of imitation of Taco Bell, so if you are like my husband, an American stranded in Europe and miss ye olde Taco Hell, this might give you a wee taste of home! And it probably won't send you to the emergency room with food poisoning either! An Irish doctor friend of ours who works in the states said that he thought about 70% of the food poisoning cases to come through their ER were in some way or another related to Taco Bell! LOL! :-)

You can add vegetables and chopped chorizo or anything else you want to these to make a more adult version! The jarred chillies aren't very hot, so kids seem to tolerate fine.
(makes four)

• Four flour tortillas
• Four tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 4 tbsp finely chopped jarred chillies (I use Old El Paso)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• pinch garlic powder
• 1.5 tbsp sugar
  
• 2 cups shredded cheddar or 1 cup cheddar, 1 cup Swiss (ementhal)

Make the sauce by mixing the mayo, chillies, cumin, garlic and sugar.

Heat up the butter and olive oil in a large pan. Use a low heat, as you don't want the butter to brown, or better yet, use clarified butter.

Put your first tortilla in the pan, spread one side of it with a quarter of the sauce and sprinkle with a quarter of the cheese. Fold over and get the second one in the pan doing the same thing, so you have two half moons sauteing. You can use a second pan for the others or just wait until these are done. Saute until the bottom is nice and golden and cheese is beginning to melt. Flip over and do the same for the other side.

Serve with sour cream and salsa if desired.


Chicken and Apple Balls with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
This is an Annabel Karmel recipe. For those of you not familiar with her, she is a bit of an icon with regard to getting kids to eat. I have two of her books and refer to them a lot. This recipe is from Annabel Karmel's New Complete Baby and Toddler Meal Planner. These are really good for kids, but adults love them as well. I like to make some honey mustard sauce to dip them. I also like to double the recipe and freeze some for quick snacks later on. If you are concerned about frying, I've had good success baking these as well. They don't get as crispy, but they are still good.

Ingredients

• 2 large chicken breasts, cut into chunks
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp parsley
• 50g/2oz fresh white breadcrumbs
• 1 large granny smith apple, peeled and grated
• 1 chicken stock cube dissolved in 1 tbsp boiling water
• flour, for coating
• vegetable oil for frying
  

1. Using your hands, squeeze out a little excess liquid from the grated apple.
2. Mix together the first six ingredients and chop in a food processor for a few seconds. Season with a little salt and pepper.
3. With your hands, form into about 20 balls, roll in flour and fry in shallow oil until lightly golden and cooked through (about 10 minutes).

Honey Mustard Sauce

• 4 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp good mustard
• 2 tbsp cream

Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Serve immediately.

Well, hope these might help some people... more later. I haven't been posting as much as I like, but I have lots up my sleeve!!!

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Monday Morning Baking

Cinnamon Apple Muffins
Originally uploaded by Dewdropdeb.

I picked up a cute baking book yesterday in Tullamore. It was only seven euro at Byrne's so I said why not? It's a simple enough book on baking and this recipe immediately caught my eye, so we had it for breakfast. I think Laura at Eat Drink Live has been making me hungry for muffins!!! The kids mopped them up - which is great since they are wholemeal based and full of apples. They are low in sugar too, so I was thrilled they liked them. It says it makes six muffins (maybe the jumbo type?) but I got nine out of it!

Ingredients

• 85g/3oz plain wholemeal flour
• 70g/2.5oz plain white flour
• 11/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 40g/1.5oz golden caster sugar (I used light brown)
• 2 small eating apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
• 125ml / 4 fl oz milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 55g / 2oz melted butter
  

Topping:

• 12 brown sugar cubes, roughly crushed
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  

Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Line muffin tray with cake cases

Sift the 2 flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon into a large bowl and stir in the sugar and apples. Whisk milk, egg and butter in separate bowl and add to the dry ingredients until just combined.

Divide the mixture in the muffin pan.

To make the topping combine the cinnamon and crushed sugar cubes (I just used more brown sugar) and sprinkle over the muffins.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until risen and golden. Serve warm or cold.

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Peanut Butter and Jam Cookies

Peanut Butter and Jam Cookies
Originally uploaded by Dewdropdeb.

Did you know you can make your own powdered sugar? I found this out on Saturday when I had these lovely cookies in the oven and went to make the frosting. I was out of icing sugar! ARGH! So I used the food processor and powdered my own. Worked great! :-) Anyway, these cookies come highly recommended by Ali over at Something So Clever, so I went ahead and tried them and let's just say they were all gone... quick! Personally I hate jam, but I just pushed the centres out and had lovely peanut butter cookies. These are really delish and the whole family enjoyed. It's a Rachael Ray recipe. We can't get jelly here in Ireland (well actually we call jell-o jelly!) so I used plain old jam.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon strawberry jelly
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons whole milk
  

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a small bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a mixer, blend 3/4 cup of the peanut butter with the butter on medium speed. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat until smooth, about 5 minutes. Beat in the egg until incorporated. Stir in the reserved flour mixture until just combined.

Directions 4 and 5
3. Using a small (1 1/2-inch) ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop the dough 2 inches apart on 2 ungreased baking sheets. Using the back of a melon baller or your thumb, gently dent the center of each cookie. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of jelly into each center. Bake until lightly golden, about 12 minutes. Remove to a rack and cool.

4. In a small bowl, beat together the remaining 1/4 cup of peanut butter and the confectioners' sugar. Whisk in the milk, a little at a time, until the frosting reaches a good consistency for piping. Using a resealable sandwich bag with a tiny corner snipped off, pipe the frosting over the cookies.

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Quack Tastic!

Five Spice Roast Duck w/ Bacon Fried Rice
Originally uploaded by Dewdropdeb.

I had a couple of duck breasts in the fridge on Monday night. They expired the next day, so I had to use them and had no idea what to cook. A quick search on BBC Good Food found me this lovely recipe.

Of course I go to find out I have no soy sauce, but I did have a teriyaki sauce and it was absolutely gorgeous! The duck itself I would probably pan fry next time, as the skin didn't get crispy in the oven - it was also a little dry - which would probably be prevented by pan frying and searing in the juices. The rice was phenomenal! It was so ridiculously easy and absolutely delicious. My husband said "The duck is good, but the rice is da bomb!!" Again, the teriyaki sauce probably gave it a sweeter flavour than the soy sauce would have, but we both thought it was awesome, and if making it again I wouldn't change anything. The rice calls for cabbage which I didn't have and the husband doesn't like, so that was a bit different too, but other than that the recipe is as follows:

Soy Roast Duck with Hoisin Gravy

For the duck:

• 6 boneless duck breasts, each about 175g/6oz ( I only used two, but kept the rest of the recipe the same, including the rice)
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 heaped tsp five spice powder
• 2 tbsp clear honey

For the gravy:

• 2 x 300g tubs fresh chicken stock ( I used my own)
• 4 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 4 thin slices fresh ginger, no need to peel
• dash of sesame oil

1. Prick the duck's skin really well with a fork (this helps release the fat from the skin as it roasts). Mix the soy, 5-spice and honey in a large bowl, add the duck and coat well. Cover and place in the fridge until ready to roast.

2. For the gravy, tip the stock into a pan, add the hoisin sauce and ginger and boil for a few minutes to make a smooth gravy. Add the sesame oil and set aside.

3. To serve, preheat the oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6. Pour 1 litre of water in the base of a roasting tin and place a rack over the top - this stops fat from the duck dripping on to the tin, then burning and filling the kitchen with smoke. Lift duck from marinade and arrange on rack, skin side up. Reserve remaining marinade for the rice dish. Roast for 20 minutes for medium and 30 minutes for well done. Slice each breast in half. Spoon some rice on to each plate; top with halved duck breasts. Add any meat juices from the duck to the hoisin gravy and pour a spoonful or two over the duck. Serve the remaining rice and gravy separately.

Stir-Fried Rice with Cabbage and Bacon

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 100g unsmoked lardons (diced bacon) - I used the whole 150g pack of bacon, chopped - can't go wrong with extra bacon!
• 200g/8oz savoy cabbage, shredded (I omitted)
• bunch trimmed spring onion, sliced at an angle
• 2 x 250g packs cooked basmati rice
• 200g frozen petits pois (peas)
  

To serve, heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok, add the lardons and fry for a minute. Tip in the cabbage and onions, stir round the pan then pour over 2 tbsp water and the reserved duck marinade. Pile the rice and peas on top then cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Take off the lid, toss well and serve.

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Deli Style Salads

My older daughter loves to have "picnics" so one day I decided we would indeed have a good ole deli style picnic. I made some sandwiches and these two really lovely sides.

Fruity Herby Couscous

• 4 servings of couscous
• 1 can mandarin orange segments (or fresh, if available)
  
• 1/2 cup sultanas/golden raisins
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh herbs. (Use whatever you like, I used coriander (cilantro), flat leaf parsley, chives and basil)
• 1/2 bunch green onions, chopped on a diagonal
• 1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
  
• squeeze fresh lemon

Put the sultanas and couscous in a pot and make according to the directions on your package. (usually involves adding boiling water and waiting a while, then fluffing)

Chop the herbs and green onions. Once couscous is ready toss with the herbs, mandarins, chick peas and green onions. Squeeze with the lemon, season with salt and pepper and serve. So easy and so good!

Honey Mustard New Potato Salad

• 1 pound boiled (slightly underdone) new potatoes
• 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
  
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2-3 stalks celery, diced
• 1/2 cup bacon lardons, fried until crispy (optional)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (make your own for an extra special taste)
  
• 3 tbsp Roasted Garlic Mustard (add some minced garlic, if you can't get this amazing mustard!)
  
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  
• Salt and white pepper to season

Chop the potatoes into quarters. Mix mustard, honey and mayonnaise with celery, green onions, parsley and bacon until well combined. Add the eggs and potatoes and slowly (so as not to break the potatoes) coat them with the mixture. Serve immediately, or chill for a few hours then serve.
Enjoy!



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Pineapple Upside Down Cake

I barely touched the internet yesterday... spent the day cleaning and reading! So forgive me not posting a recipe. I'll post another one later today, but for now, here is a really easy twist to add to the yellow cake recipe I posted awhile ago.

• 1 yellow cake batter recipe, MINUS the milk.
  
• 1 can pineapple in juice or light syrup
• 1 stick (4oz) butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• A few Cocktail/Maraschino cherries, optional
  

Drain the pineapple and mix 3/4 cup of the juice/syrup into the cake batter, replacing the milk.

Melt the butter in a deep cake pan and sprinkle the brown sugar on top. Arrange the pineapples over the sugar. If using the cherries, halve them and place inside the pineapple rings. Pour cake batter on top.

Bake at 180C/350F for about 45 minutes until a stick comes out clean in the center.

Slice the top if it's uneven and then carefully tip cake out on a plate. The sugar and butter will have caramelised the pineapple and ran into the cake, making it even more moist and delicious!




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"In Sicily, women are more dangerous than shotguns."

A quote from my one of my favourite movies, The Godfather seemed appropriate for this recipe!

My husband grew up eating a lovely concoction known as Sicilian Bonata, Godfather fodder... Godfodder! I kill myself! I have heard about said pizza type delight for years, but just recently got the recipe off my Mother-in-law. It was absolutely delicious and quite simple. Even the kids enjoyed it, although they did systematically pick out the tomatoes! I made my bread from scratch, as we don't have refrigerated bread dough here, so I will include the recipe for a rustic white loaf. Ultimately you could fill this bread with anything that takes your fancy. This is my first time making it so I stuck with the recipe as much as I could.

Rustic White Bread

• 500g strong white flour
• 1 sachet/7g fast acting yeast
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 300 ml warm water
• 1 tsp sea salt
  

Sift flour into large bowl. Add yeast and salt. Make a well in the centre and gradually mix in the water and oil (use garlic infused olive oil for a subtle garlic flavour.) Once incorporated, pour mixture out onto a floured surface and have at it! Knead until the dough is smooth... about ten minutes. Tip into and oiled bowl and cover with clingfilm. Allow to double in size, about 40 minutes. If baking, do so at this point. Shape into a football/rugby ball shape, score a few times and back at 2ooC/400F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped.

Sicilian Bonata

• 1 loaf refrigerated bread dough (or use the loaf above)
• 1/4 lb thinly sliced smoked ham
• 1/4 cup chopped, seeded pepperoncini peppers (I used sauteed red peppers)
• 1 plum tomato, thinly sliced (I used two vine ripened)
• 3 tbsp, chopped fresh basil
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella (I used one ball, thinly sliced)
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds (I ran out, so used some grated parmesan and dried oregano)

Roll the dough out to a 10"x12" rectangle. Lay the ham, cheese, peppers, tomatoes and basil on top of the rolled dough. Roll up from the 12 inch side and pinch the seams to close. Brush the roll with egg and water mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

I used a thicker smoked ham, but hubby thought it should have been more like prosciutto, so maybe use that tip if you try this! For my own taste I would have liked to add some red onion. This is really good and if you can get pre-made dough, it's a cinch! Enjoy!

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Ok boys, this ones for you!

What man doesn't like a good steak? And what woman doesn't like a man to cook her dinner? Well, fellas, here's a really easy way to please your woman and satisfy your manly need for steak! :-) I like this recipe because the sauce has the vegetable in it, add two baked potatoes and you have a perfect dinner! Pas de probleme!

Steak Dinner for Two

• 2 large baking potatoes
  
• Two fillet (mignon) steaks, sized to your liking
• 1 punnet of mushrooms (chestnut if you can get them)
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 big glass red wine
• handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• sea salt and cracked pepper
• olive oil

Heat oven to 200C/400F. Wash your potatoes and prick them with a fork several times. Dab with butter and sprinkle with sea salt. Wrap in foil. An hour before dinner is to be served throw them in the oven.

First things first, season the steak. Rub olive oil on the steak and coat in a generous amount of cracked pepper and sprinkle with sea salt. Set aside while you wash and slice the mushrooms. Slice them to your preferred thickness.

Heat up a grill pan for the steaks, you want it as hot as possible, so leave it to heat up.

Heat a little olive oil in a saucepan and saute the mushrooms. This pan should also be pretty hot to get the water out of them. Once cooked, lower heat and toss in flour, stir through and then add the red wine. Stir to get out any lumps, lower heat right down and allow to simmer while you cook the steaks.

Toss the steaks on the grill pan and cook about two minutes a side for medium rare, adjust for different thickness and temperatures.

Plate the steaks and stir the parsley into the mushroom sauce. Pour over the steaks and serve with the potatoes on the side. Delicious and simple!

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Fasting is over... let the cooking begin!

Well, I made it, 24 hours and no food. It was difficult. It's funny how you don't even realize how much you are eating. I'd be feeding the kids and popping a cheerio in my mouth and then thinking...oh no and having to spit it out! It was definitely an extraordinary day, hard to imagine people living like that daily - it really puts things into perspective. I raised €290 online, with some other cheques on the way. Thanks for the support!

Well, back to the recipes. This is a really quick dish that kids just love, and the adults usually don't mind too! Many mac and cheese dishes use a flour based sauce, but I hate that, as sometimes it can taste grainy, but this recipe means no extra pots or pans and is full of protein, so if your little ones are like mine and picky about meat, you know they are getting some here!

Deb's Easy 5 Ingredient Mac and Cheese

• 1 half package (8oz dry) of pasta (penne, macaroni, fusilli, whatever you like)
• 2 cups grated cheddar*
• 1 cup cream**
• 3 organic, free range eggs, beaten
• salt and pepper to season

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water. Cook until just before al dente, as it will soften more in the oven. Grate your cheese while the pasta is cooking.

When pasta drains, sprinkle the cheese on top of it and allow it to begin melting. Whisk the eggs with the cream and season. Pour over the cheese and pasta and stir. Pour mixture into a greased ovenproof dish and bake at 200C/400F for half an hour. It will puff up a little, due to the eggs.

*I have said it before and I will say it again, please grate your own cheese! Yes, it's a little more work, but it tastes so much better! The store-bought shredded cheese is dry and often coated in chemicals so that the pieces don't stick to each other. It's also substantially cheaper to buy a block of cheese and grate as you need it. If you have one of those twisty grater things (love the technical speak, me!) it will be even easier... no excuses! Mental note- get one of those!

** Watching calories? Use full milk or half and half.


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Do Boogers Count?

When my almost three-year-old asked why I wasn't eating today, I explained to her that I was fasting (see previous post). The conversation went something like this.

"Why aren't you eating?"

"I'm fasting!"

"What's that?"

"I am trying not to eat all day to raise money for the poor children."

"I have money, you can give it to them."

"Well, that's your money Ella, you have to save it up over Lent by doing chores and then we'll send it to the poor children at Easter."

"Okay.... Mom?"

"Yes?"

"Can you eat your boogers?"

Where do they get it? Anyways, I'm eight hours in and so far so good. Loading up on the water, and had a bit too much wine last night, so no harm there! I have raised €290 so far, which is wonderful! If you would like to donate to this great cause, please click here. Even a few dollars/euro will help! Thanks to everyone who has donated already. To the anonymous donors, I can't see who you are, but please accept my heartfelt thanks!
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