Wednesday 25 December 2013

Roasted Rosemary Leg of Lamb

So this was the centrepiece of our Christmas dinner today. We,be been shunning turkey and ham for a few years now. Last year was Beef Wellington with a chestnut, mushroom and streaky bacon filling and the year previous was pork tenderloin stuffed with apple, apricot, spinach and cheddar cheese. Like a lot of people, I was turned off turkey because I found the meat dry. I now know that successful ways of cooking this big bird include brining for twenty four hours beforehand or separating the joints so the legs can be cooked separate from the breast, the latter needing less cooking time. But I am still not persuaded to undergo either task.

My leg of lamb was a lovely four pounder. I think the accompanying strip of meat is the spare ribs which are fatty and delicious.



Before cooking the meat, I infused some olive oil with fresh rosemary and sea salt.



Which I rubbed into the meat prior to cooking




Pre heat the oven to Gas 6\200C\400F. Place a roasting tray with some goose fat on the bottom shelf (this is for the roast spuds you are obviously having).

When the oven is hot, place the meat straight onto the oven shelf above the roasting tin and fill the tin with your peeled spuds - the juices from the meat will drip down into the spuds - yum.

After 20 minutes, reduce the heat to Gas 4\180C\350F.  Cook for another 15 minutes per lb of meat.

The finished piece:



Saturday 21 December 2013

Breakfast Recipes: Egg Muffins




I love eggs and these muffins are one more great way to enjoy these two tone wonder foods. They are simple to make, quick to cook and totally versatile when it comes to additional ingredients.

As I've written before, breakfast is my least favourite meal of the day as I never know what to have but these muffins are my new best friends.

Ingredients (makes four)




2 eggs
Dash of milk
1 spring onion chopped
Chunk of yellow pepper diced
2 cherry tomatoes chopped
Grated cheddar cheese (a sprinkle per muffin)
Black pepper

Method


It's so easy...

Preheat the oven to Gas 4/350°F/180°C

Line a muffin tin with cases (I use silicon so no need to grease, but you might need to).

Beat the eggs in a jug, add the milk, chopped veg, grated cheese and black pepper.




3/4 fill your cases (I used 1\4 cup measure).




Bake for 20 minutes until there is no liquid present.


 


Allow to cool and pop from the case.




Enjoy!




Tuesday 17 December 2013

Frugal Yet Thoughtful Christmas Gifts

Christmas is about the joyous act of giving and receiving and if you are like me, every year you pour over a list of names trying to dream up the perfect present for everyone. I'm not always frugal; I do like to treat some people but there has to be a balance to make this possible. Here are some gift ideas that won't cost a lot but are a bit better than a Christmas decoration made from an empty toilet roll.


1. Family Movie Night Gift Pack

This one is great for taking care of extended family members with children who you would like to/feel you have to give a present to but don't know them well enough to give individual gifts. It also costs very little.

Put together a pack with a few fail proof DVDs (I recommend Studio Ghibli's beautiful cartoon movies for families with children) or a voucher for the local video store or, in the modern way, a flash drive with some movie files on it. Include a packet of popcorn and other treats.

2. Books


Unless you are buying a well thumbed school book, the quality of second hand books can be fantastic. If you have children of your own, a fun way to encourage reading, as well as creating some suspense, is to follow an advent style way of giving a different book for the twenty five days of December leading up to Christmas day.

3. Pre-made cookie/cake dry mixes in a jar

You've probably seen many beautiful photos of this idea online. The basic premise is to layer the dry ingredients of a chosen recipe in a jar and attach a label with baking instructions and a list of the remaining wet ingredients, usually eggs and butter.

4. Vegetable seeds


Growing your own food is addictive. There is nothing more satisfying than planting a tiny seed and a few months later pulling a swollen delicious root for the table. Seeds are really cheap and there is a massive, exciting range of vegetables, some of which you might not have heard of, that will grow in the Irish climate. I love Seedaholic for a mesmerising catalogue of flower, ornamental, herb and vegetable seeds at great prices, fast delivery and superb information sheets.

The main idea behind all of these ideas is that by providing a few key items, you are gifting an experience and therein lies the thoughtfulness.











Sunday 15 December 2013

Sticky Whiskey Marinaded Chicken Thighs



Marinades are a great way to treat a piece of meat and you can get really creative with your mixes. Dig around your cupboards to find ingredients that are collecting dust. For me, it was whiskey and balsamic vinegar, neither of which I use very often. I complimented with contrasting flavours to balance out the harshness of the alcohol and vinegar. The best way to soak the meat is to use a sealable plastic freezer bag. In any case, always use a nonreactive container, plastic or glass.


Sticky Whiskey Marinaded Chicken Thighs

Ingredients

6 free range chicken thighs
3 garlic cloves minced
1 TSP ground ginger

Equal amounts (I used half a cup measure) of:

Whiskey
Brown sugar
Olive oil

Half that amount of:

Balsamic vinegar or\and soy sauce

Method

Combine all the ingredients in a plastic zip lock bag and refrigerate overnight.


Preheat the oven to Gas 6\200°C\400°F

Place the chicken thighs in a roasting tin, with a little of the marinade.





Roast for 30 minutes

To make a glaze, cook the reminder of the marinade on the hob. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and cook over a medium flame until it reduces by half into a sticky sauce.


I ate mine with simple spuds and veg but you could equally just tear into it with your bare hands like the beast that you are.







Wednesday 4 December 2013

Banana And Chocolate Muffins



These luscious muffins are a sticky gooey unhealthy treat, not for everyday eating. The ingredients are minimal and are common kitchen stock. These little cakes are a great way to use up over-ripe bananas. They are best served warm when the chocolate is still melted.


Ingredients makes 12


2 eggs
90ml milk
150g butter melted
225g plain white flour
1 tsp baking powder
150g golden caster sugar
150g chocolate broken into chunks
2 ripe bananas mashed


Method

Pre heat the oven to gas mark 6\200°C\400°F

Line a muffin tin with 12 cases

In a jug, mix the eggs, milk and melted butter until thoroughly combined.

Sift together the flour and baking powder into a separate bowl. Add the sugar, chocolate and bananas to the flour mix.

Stir gently to combine, gradually stirring in the milk mixture, but do not beat it.



Spoon the mixture into the cases.


Bake for 20 minutes until risen and golden.


Allow to stand for 5 minutes and leave to cool on a wire rack.


Enjoy!

Sunday 1 December 2013

Beetroot, Apple and Onion Soup





This exciting soup is a perfect way to use up the fruits of Autumn. Don't be put off by the adventurous ingredients; my beetroot hating, cooked apple avoiding boyfriend positively loved it. It's pink, hearty and slightly sweet with a zing! to finish.




I was inspired to try this recipe as I had a bag of windfall cookers to use and wanted to do something other than baking. I wasn't fortunate to have raw beetroot to use but the cooked stuff made my job easier.

Ingredients


15g butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 decent sized cooking apples, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, peeled and diced
1 tbsp curry powder
250g cooked beetroot, chopped
500ml vegetable stock

Method


Heat the butter and oil and saute the apple and onion over a medium heat for ten minutes, until mushy

Add the curry powder, mix well and cook for five more minutes

Add the beetroot and cook until the whole mix is heated through

Add half the stock and whiz using a hand blender

When well blended, add the remaining stock and mix evenly

Serve and enjoy!