Friday 31 January 2014

Homemade Fire Lighters




I love candles and big ones are great to look at but they are a terribly inefficient use of wax. They burn down though the centre leaving you with a big hunk of coloured wax. Well don't throw away your candle ends, use them to make cheap fire lighters. These do work, the idea is not just for a post's sake.


You will need:





- An old pot that will not be used for cooking

- Old candle ends (mine are mainly white at the moment so the finished colour is boring but you can get cool results with brightly coloured wax)

- Cotton face pads (the pound shop does big packs really cheap - I got a pack of 80 for €1.49)

- Greaseproof paper

- A source of heat to melt the wax


Directions


It's fairly straight-forward. Melt the wax slowly over a low heat, and dip a cotton pad in the liquid wax (use a tongs to save your fingers but you could use your finger to block a piece of the pad from the wax - it is easier to light the dry part. It's not necessary though, the wax will set alight too but you may need to hold the flame to the pad for a few seconds longer).





Lay the coated pad on the greaseproof paper and allow to harden. Use as you would normal fire lighters.




Thursday 30 January 2014

The Irish Winter Landscape

The days may seem too short but winter in Ireland bestows on us some of the clearest, sunniest, heavenly days of our climate. These are the days I choose to remember and this year I have visited some beautiful local spots.

1. Charles Fort, Kinsale


The views from inside and outside the fort are one of my favourite in the Cork county. Even if you choose not to go inside, there is plenty to enjoy if you want to just stop your car at the side of the road for a few minutes. Note the bird of prey just over the low clouds on the right hand side.




From the busy front promenade in Kinsale town, there are some peaceful water views.





2. The Owenabue River, Carrigaline


Just ten minutes walk from my house, this river has a wonderful desolate poetic bleakness on a dark winter's day.





3. Ringaskiddy


Ten minutes drive down the road brings me to Ringaskiddy, which I think is a harmonious meeting of industry and nature (aesthetically anyway, local cancer rates might say different...). Boat yards and industry adorns the shore line, which opens out into Cork Harbour. It's a great place for a walk, but watch don't you fall down one of those giant rabbit holes.



4. Killarney National Park


Whether you desire a short stroll or a day-long hike, the area covered by Killarney National Park abounds in natural beauty including sights like Torc Waterfall and the lakes (below).

 


For a tamer, more manicured walk, explore the gardens of Muckross House with their pretty features including the Stream Garden.




Sunday 26 January 2014

Cast Iron Cooking



I've been chalking up some nice kitchen equipment in the present department and this Christmas was no exception. A beautiful cast iron casserole dish is now part of the family, something I've wanted to get with a while. Today it got it's first trial run, in the guise of roast lamb and potatoes and today I tasted the BEST roast spuds to ever have passed my lips. Mother of God, I devoured them. There was nothing new to the cooking method, just the dish and it shows what a difference good quality kitchen ware can make.






As per the instructions, I preheated the dish while the oven was warming up, with a little oil and a spoon of goose fat.

While the equipment was heating up to Gas 7, I peeled and chopped my spuds and rubbed my 2lb lamb piece (don't ask me what part - rolled something or other) with olive oil, sea salt and fresh rosemary. When the oven was hot, I added the meat, potatoes and a head of garlic separated into cloves.




 I cooked it UNCOVERED (so the potatoes will crisp up) at Gas 7 for 20 minutes, reduced the heat to Gas 4 and cooked for 30 minutes more. Halfway through I turned the meat and jiggled the spuds around. I removed the meat at the end of this cooking time but left the spuds for 20 minutes more while the meat rested, wrapped in tin foil.


The meat was done to medium, very feint trace of pink, while the potatoes were incredibly crispy and coloured on the outside, but soft and moist on the inside.






I will NEVER roast potatoes in anything but my cast iron dish ever again. Now excuse me while I have a sneaky round two...

Friday 24 January 2014

Carnage in the Garden


This winter saw some crazy wind and rain and I didn't escape unscathed. This is the scene I awoke to a few weeks ago:



The might have only cost €49.99 but those plastic greenhouses gave life to many seedlings, as well as bringing tomato plants to full maturity. They were basic but provided the main conditions required for early plant health - protection from the wind and warmth from the sun. They were also a great place to store small tools and accessories.



But from the ashes some hope has risen. The plastic covering wasn't worth anything and I suppose the aluminium frame could have been used for staking and support but what I'll make best use of is the light shelving. I have a big problem with local cats using my freshly dug beds as a large bathroom and disrupting my plants. I've used nets but they are a bit troublesome to weigh/tie down especially if you need to remove them for any reason. Dead greenhouse to the rescue with its generous organ donation. The shelves are perfect for laying over my garlic plants, with plenty room for them to continue growing, while deterring cats from digging in that spot. Tent pegs can be used to secure them, yet they are easily removed if needs be. They are also tidier that a net, which can be blown around easily.



Where the greenhouses once stood, I have dug the ground and am beginning to prepare vegetable beds.

My indoor space for starting off seedlings is limited to two miserable window sills so I will have to come up with a contingency plan, especially as I have vowed to make this my most successful year yet. I don't think I'll bother investing in another cheap greenhouse, they served their time but it's time to move on to bigger and better things.

In other garden news, my big heap of garden waste at the bottom of the garden is revealing some lovely, crumbly friable compost from beneath:


Digging digging digging

Monday 20 January 2014

Sweet Potato Waffles




A waffle maker is not something I ever envisioned myself desiring but after one too many gluttonous visits to my sister's house where plates of homemade muffins and waffles are always at hand, suddenly I could no longer live without one. I started off timidly with a basic plain batter but having gotten to know the correct measurements to suit my machine and learning to gauge the temperature correctly, I'm ready to up the ante and get experimental so I'm beginning with the following recipe. 






This recipe is adapted from the Weelicious pumpkin waffles. On the smart suggestion by my sister, sweet potato is substituted for the pumpkin, which is not readily available in Ireland. The measurements are in American cups. You can get a really handy set of cup measures in a jug in Deals for €1.49

Ingredients





  • 2.5 cups plain white flour
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2.5 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 4 eggs beaten
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 6 tbsp melted butter
  • 1 cup sweet potato puree (I made this by boiling sweet potato chunks in water until soft and then blending - you can make a large batch and freeze portions for later use)


Method


Preheat your waffle iron to a medium heat.

Sieve the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and ginger together and add the sugar. Mix with a whisk.

Mix the remaining ingredients together and add to the dry ingredients, whisking slowly.





I used 1/3 cup measure per waffle.


Cook for about 3 minutes.




I politely ate one with honey and then devoured three with my bare hands. The waffles stand alone without the honey or any other condiment as they are just sweet enough.




Verdict? Addictive!

Sunday 12 January 2014

Crock Pot Creations: Pork Tenderloin with Apple and Honey

I finally got a slow cooker so I'm slowly finding out what all the fuss is about. If you're like me and have a mountain of random meat parts in your freezer (ex boyfriends and the like) and you don't know what cuts they are, then a slow cooker is a great tool as it is a forgiving method of cooking meat. Last week I stewed pork belly, pork chop and chicken thighs together and each one was as good as the next.

Pork Tenderloin with Apple, Onion and Honey


Ingredients




500g pork tenderloin (steak)
1 apple
1 onion
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp cinnamon
Sprig fresh rosemary


Method


Make slits in the pork.

Peel and slice the apple and onion thinly and insert a piece of each in the pork slits.

Use the remaining apple and onion to make a bed in the crock pot.

Sit the meat on top, sprinkle with the cinnamon and pour over the honey.



Cook for 4 hours on low



My verdict: a really tasty dish that I'll definitely make again. Next time I'll add some more liquid, maybe apple juice or white wine.

Thursday 9 January 2014

White Fish Poached In Milk

I love fish and am always looking for new, easy ways to cook the many fresh fillets that pass through our house. Poaching in milk is quick, healthy and a gentle way of cooking fish, making over-cooking less likely. My fillets of choice today are Flounder, which were caught fresh last night. Flounder is a flat fish similar to Plaice.


Ingredients


  • 200ml milk
  • 3 small fillets of white fish [anything you want really but I think flat fish like Flounder, Plaice and Dab work best]
  • 50g cooked smoked sausage cooked
  • 25g onion diced
  • Salt and pepper

Method




Put all the ingredients in a pan over a low heat, cover and allow to come to a simmer. 

Keep a close eye as the milk can begin to bubble over quickly. 

Cook for five minutes, until fish is opaque.

I served mine over mashed potato with some sweetcorn. Make sure to use some of the warm milk as a creamy sauce.