Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Back to Basics Sauces & Stocks...


Basic Tomato Sauce

2 cans of tomatoes
OR
12 medium ripe tomatoes skinned
3 cloves of garlic chopped finely
1 medium red onion finely chopped
1 cup of red or white wine or veggie stock
1 teaspoon of sugar (optional taste)
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil

Heat a little oil in a non stick pan, add the onion & garlic, cook over medium heat until the onion is soft, add the wine or stock and simmer under reduced, pop in the tomatoes, simmer uncovered for 20 mins or until it begins to thicken.
Season with salt & pepper, taste and if a little bitter add the teaspoon of sugar.

This sauce can be made in advance and stored, covered in the fridge for 1 week, it is also suitable for freezing.

Variations on this basic sauce are endless...

·         Chilli Tomato Sauce, chop 1 red chilli and cook with the onion & garlic
·         Tomato & Basil Sauce, tear 1 handful of fresh basil leaves, add half the basil leaves with the tomatoes and reserve the remainder until the seasoning stage.
·         Tomato & Red Pepper, Grill 2 red peppers, remove their skin and chop finely add the peppers at the tomato stage.
·         Creamy Tomato, add 3 tbls of fresh cream when the sauce has been simmering for 10 mins, continue to simmer for a further 15 mins or until the sauce has thickened.  Add some fresh basil leaves for a great taste.
·         Provencal Tomato Sauce, 1 handful of chopped black olives, 1 handful of chopped fresh flat leaf parsley.  Add the black olives and  flat leaf parsley when the sauce has been simmering for 10 mins.
·         Pizza Sauce, add another 3 cloves of garlic and 1 tbls of tomato paste, continue to cook until sauce has thickened to a paste like consistency.


Basic Red Wine Sauce

30g butter
3 shallots finely chopped
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
1 ½ tbls of plain flour
1 cup of beef stock
1/3 cup 80ml of red wine
1 sprig of thyme (optional)

Melt butter in a non stick saucepan, add the shallots and garlic, cook until shallots are soft.  Stir in flour for 1 min and then add the wine and stock.  Stir over heat until sauce thickens.  Pop through a strainer if you would like a smooth sauce. 


Classic Beurre Blanc

2 shallotts, finely chopped
2 tbls of fish or veggie stock
2 tbls of white wine vinegar
¼ cup of dry white wine
250g cold butter chopped

Boil the shallots, stock , vinegar and wine in a small pan until reduced to 2 tbls.  Strain and reserve the liquid.  Return liquid to the pan, Whisk in the butter cube by cube over a low heat, until the sauce has thickened.

Here is another novel way to make this sauce, pour some boiling water into a Thermos flask to preheat and clean it. Pour the water away and then sieve the flavoured wine into the thermos, adding all of the butter. Put the lid on tightly, place a tea towel over the lid and shake the thermos around for a few minutes. Open it very carefully (in case of any hot steam escaping) and you should have a nice beurre blanc sauce. The best thing about this method is that you can keep it in the flask and it will keep warm until you’re ready to serve the food.

Stocks are really easy and cheap to make to make you just need a little time!   They are the flavour base that make sauces, soups, casseroles & risottos taste fantastic!

Veggie Stock

1 large carrot, chopped
1 large parsnip, chopped
2 medium onions chopped
6 sticks of celery chopped
1 bunch of mixed herbs
1 tablespoon of black peppercorns
3 litres (about 12 cups) of water

Pop all of the above ingredients into a large saucepan, simmer, uncovered for 1 ½ hours, strain through a large colander. Discard the veggies and leave liquid to cool before popping into the fridge or containers in the freezer.

Chicken Stock

2kg chicken bones
2 medium onions, chopped
2 sticks of celery chopped
2 medium carrots chopped
1 bunch of mixed herbs
2 teasp of black peppercorns
5 litres of water

Pop all of the ingredients into a large saucepan, simmer uncovered for 2 hours, strain through a large colander, and discard the chicken bones and veggies.  Leave liquid to cool and store for 1 week in the fridge or in containers in the freezer.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Eat your Veggies..!!!


We eat a lot of meat in Ireland, however our European neighbours view vegetables a little different than us.  We have been brought up with the idea that a meal is meat and 2 veg, however many of our European neighbours take a different approach and see meat and vegetables  as equals.   They will eat whole meals based on vegetables because they like them and have cooked this way all their lives.

We have access to a fantastic array of vegetables in this country.  Vegetables combined with a carbohydrate like Pasta, Noodles, Rice or Potatoes is an extremely economic way of putting a meal on the table.

We are also fortunate that many of our supermarkets, vegetable shops and markets stock Organic Vegetables. 

The veggies that are in season at the moment are...
September – October 

Artichokes, Aubergines, Beetroot, Broccoli, Butternut squash, Carrots, Courgettes, Cucumber, Fennel,  Kale, Garlic, Leeks, Mange tout, Onions, Parsnips, Peas, Peppers, Radishes, Sweetcorn, Turnip, Mushrooms.

Let’s look at Beetroot... 

Beetroot is a fantastic vegetable but many of us steer away from it because of the bad experiences we have had with beetroot in jars sitting in the rather nasty vinegar.
Fresh beetroot is totally different experience (it is now possible to buy freshly cooked vac packed beetroot in supermarkets)

Why buying beetroot buy beets that are the same size and no bigger than a tennis ball, they will cook evenly if the same size.  Also make sure you buy beets that are intact and not bruised or have broken skin.

In Italy they often cook beetroot in a wood fire they pop it covered in its own leaves into the ashes for about 1 hour.  However, probably the easiest way to cook it at home is to pop them into salted water bring to the boil and simmer until it is slightly separated from the root; the skin should then simply slip off.

What can I do with Beetroot...?

Served beetroot sliced with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of parmesan.

Beetroot Salad
Slice and combine with crème fraiche and sprinkle with flaked almonds.

Roast Beetroot & Warm Goats Salad
Roast Beetroot on a baking tray drizzled with olive oil and serve warm with grilled goats cheese & rocket salad

Beetroot & Red Cabbage
Finely shred a small red cabbage, cover with some veggie stock with 2 tbls of red wine vinegar and 1 tbls of sugar  cook for 1 hour.  Add a pinch of salt and pop in 3 cooked and finely shredded beetroot, simmer for 5 mins.

Simple Ideas with Vegetables in season right now..

  • Make a risotto with mushrooms, peas & roast butternut squash.
  • Toss grilled courgettes & peppers through penne pasta with a little basil butter
  • Make a filling aubergine bake by layering fried aubergines between layers of cheese & tomato sauce, top with breadcrumbs and bake for 30 mins.
  • Noodles tossed with steamed sweetcorn, peas, broccoli & mange tout sprinkle some sesame seeds & a little soy.
  • Make a veggie lasagne – roast a tray of peppers, courgettes, aubergines, mushrooms, onions & garlic – make a simple white sauce and layer sheets of lasagne with veggie mixture, sauce and top with grated mozzarella cheese..
  • Thai Green Curry – Combine 1 tbls spoon of Thai Curry Paste with 1 can of coconut milk heat gently stirring until well combined , chop some butternut squash, potato, carrots, pop into the curry mixture cook on medium heat for 10 mins, toss in some peas or mange tout and if you happen to have basil or coriander or even unsalted peanuts are fab with this curry... this is such a quick,  tasty, warming, and economical dinner to make... serve with steamed rice..


Make a Filling Satisfying Vegetarian Chilli

Serves 4
2 courgette thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped very finely
1 tablespoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cans kidney or mixed beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of chopped tomatoes
Salt & Ground Pepper
1 good glug of olive oil

Directions
Pop a good glug of olive oil into a heavyish pot and heat oil over medium-high heat. 
Add onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes.
Add carrots, chilli powder, and cumin. Cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add beans, courgettes, tomatoes and 1 cup water. Simmer for about another 6 minutes until it begins to thicken.
Serve with steamed rice, tortilla chips or tortilla wraps
You could also add some side dishes of grated cheese, sour cream avocado & tomato salsa

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Quick, Easy & minced beef, turkey, lamb, pork…


Minced meat has to be one of the most versatile of ingredients,  its very easy to cook with, easily absorbs flavours and can cook for a long period or a shorter quick cook without loosing flavour or texture… 

Tip:  Buy good quality lean minced meat – use within 24,hours of purchasing an if you are going to freeze cooked product do so within 24 hours to keep the flavours..

Some of my tried and tested favourites..

Last nights dinner @ my house – Asiany Turkey Mince roll ups.. babycorn, sugarsnaps, beansprouts, chilli, garlic, coriander splash of soy & teriyaki beansprouts & iceberg..

A Mexican variation using Turkey mince either for nachos, or tortillas…  fry off with garlic, chilli, cumin, coriander, add the turkey mince and a few chopped fresh tomatoes with coriander… 

Asian Turkey patties… Fab flavours of kaffir lime leaf and lemongrass….  Turkey mince, egg, kaffir lime leaf, lemongrass, garlic, chilli … mix up and form little patties..Pan fry and transfer to the oven to finish for 10 mins.

Serve with a Asian salad, beansprouts, grated carrot and cucumber with sweet chilli fres lime coriander dressing

and more.....

Minced pork or a mixture of minced pork and beef make very tasty meatballs…. Add a bit of spice or herbs to mixture.
Minced Lamb very tasty burgers, meatballs,  Lamb lasagne with feta, chilli & olives.. & of course I love this  fab moussaka…

I got this idea from a friend of mine I worked with while living in Australia (many years ago)  her family were originally from Macedonia and this is a variation of their Friday night meal.  At the end of a working week the extended family would come together to eat and share stories …

This one has lots of aubergines, minced lamb, potatoes, topped with natural yoghurt mixed with 3 eggs sprinkled with breadcrumbs and baked till just bubbling hot…

Serve with a salad….

Chilli Beef in nachos, tacos, wraps, or jacket potatoes, vary it with different topping for example salsa, cheese, guacamole, lime juice, coriander.

Meatloaf – spice it up with chilli or add some fresh herbs and serve with tossed salads.

Cottage pie – top with carrot & parsnip mash or potato & parsnip with horseradish

Lasagne  - forget the béchamel and use cottage cheese & fresh basil pesto.

Meatballs, serve with a tomato & basil sauce, arabiatta or do them Moroccan style add some ground cumin, coriander & chilli serve with couscous
Last Night’s Dinner @ my house…

Asiany Turkey Mince Roll ups…

500g Turkey mince – lovely and lean
6is Baby corn chopped
1 handful Sugar snap peas
3 handfuls of mushrooms
1 red pepper cubed into small pieces
1 red chilli chopped very finely
2 cloves of garlic chopped very finely
1 red onion chopped very finely
Small piece of ginger
1 bunch of coriander chopped
3 handfuls of beansprouts
8 iceberg lettuce cups
Couple of  Splash of soy & teriyaki sauce
Splash or spray of oil

Heat a wok, add the onion, pepper, chilli, garlic& ginger cook for 3 mins, add the mince stir fry with a splash of soy and teriyaki, add half the coriander, cook for 5 mins. Meanwhile  Steam the chopped baby corn for 5 mins, chop the sugar snaps into small pieces add to the mixture with the baby corn , stir to combine cook for another 5 mins add the remaining coriander with another splash of soy & teriyaki.

Pop the beansprouts on top of the mixture just as you are about to serve.. combine and pop mixture into a bowl.  Serve in cups of iceberg… roll up and eat… just delicious!!


 Sophie’s Macedonian Moussaka

500g minced lamb
500g natural yoghurt
3 raw eggs
2 red onions finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic
1 glass of red wine
2 large aubergines in big cubes
4 rooster potatoes sliced
2 cans of chopped tomatoes
1 large handful of basil


Fry the aubergine in oil remove and place on kitchen paper.
Heat a little oil and cook the onion & garlic for 3 mins, add the mince cook until browned add the wine and tomatoes cook for 10 mins, pop the aubergine and basil into the mixture and bring to a simmer.
Meanwhile Steam the rooster potatoes for 5 mins just to remove the big bite…  

Combine the yoghurt with the eggs..  Layer the lamb mixture with potatoes and top with the yoghurt mixture on top…. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake for 45 mins @ 190… serve with a green salad… 


Homemade Burgers…

Everyone loves a good homemade burger…  here’s a few variations that will satisfy everyone..

Basic ingredients..

500g minced good quality beef,  1 egg, 1 handful of fine breadcrumbs, salt & ground pepper.
(you don’t have to use breadcrumbs, however do pop them into the fridge for at least 30 mins to set before cooking)

This is a simple plain recipe however, you could top with melted cheese & bacon or why not top with a little with mixed pepper sauce..

These variations will keep everyone interested..

Mexican – 1 teasp chilli powder, 1 handful of coriander, juice of 1 lime

Italian inspired – add some sunblushed tomatoes,
basil pesto into the mixture

Aisany – grate ginger, garlic & sweet chilli sauce into the mixture

Spanish – chopped chorizo sausage & carmelized red onions



Delicious Chilli Beef..

This chilli con carne is ready to go in the pan in a few mins.. then it will bubble away happily until dinner time

Ingredients

500g good-quality beef mince
1 glass of red wine
onions, diced
garlic cloves, crushed
carrots, diced
celery sticks, diced
2 red peppers, diced
1 heaped tsp chilli powder
1 heaped tsp ground cumin
1 heaped tsp ground cinnamon
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 x 400g/14oz can red kidney beans, drained
2 x 400g/14oz cans chopped tomatoes


To serve
sour cream
chopped fresh coriander leaves
lime wedges
nachos

Preparation method

Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan over
a medium heat. Add the mince and fry until golden-brown all over.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a saucepan over a medium to high heat. Add the onions, garlic, carrots, celery and peppers and fry until softened.
Add the chilli powder, cumin and cinnamon and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fry for a further 4-5 minutes, stirring well.
Remove the mince from the pan using a slotted spoon and add to the vegetable mixture.
Add the drained kidney beans and the chopped tinned tomatoes and bring the mixture to the boil. Reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering, then half-cover the pan with a lid and simmer for about an hour, stirring every now and again to stop it from catching on the bottom of the pan.
To serve, ladle the chilli into four serving bowls. Drizzle over the soured cream. Sprinkle with the chopped coriander. Garnish with the lime wedges and serve with nachos or steamed  alongside

Penne Pasta with Meatballs & Tomato Sauce

500g beef minced
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 red onion chopped finely
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
Sprinkle of chilli flakes (if you like spicy food)
1 cup of breadcrumbs
1 carrot grated
2 eggs beaten
Olive oil
2 tbsp of warm water

500g Penne Pasta

Tomato Sauce

2 cans of tomatoes 
2 cloves of garlic
1  red onion finely chopped
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 glass of white wine
Sprinkle of chilli flakes (only if you like spicy food)
1 handful of chopped basil

Cook off the onion and garlic for a few mins, then add the wine and cook for 3 min, pop in the tomatoes,& chopped basil.  Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 mins.

Meatballs

Place the mince, tomato puree, egg, onion mixture breadcrumbs, carrot and warm water into a large bowl and mix well with your hands.

Using your hands shape the meat into bit sized meatballs, roll in flour and place on a tray while you finish rolling all the shapes.

Cook the meatballs on a hot pan in small batches until browned.  Keep warm in the oven while cooking the remaining meatballs.. 

Cook the pasta according to the instructions on pack.
Pop the meatballs into the hot tomato sauce mixture for 15 mins until cooked through..  serve scattered with fresh basil & grated parmesan cheese.


Oven baked Lasagne

Using cottage cheese instead of béchamel

Ingredients

500g lean beef mince
onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, seeds removed, finely chopped
2 generous handfuls of chopped mushrooms
1 tbls of tomato purée
1 large glass of red wine
10 fresh basil leaves shredded
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
salt and freshly ground pepper
Approx 15 dried pasta sheets
300g cottage cheese
150g/5oz grated mozzarella cheese
Olive oil to cook..

Preparation method

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and grease a medium sized oven proof baking dish.
Heat a dash of oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over a high heat. Fry the mince until browned all over. Remove the mince from the pan.
Add another dash of oil to the pan over a medium heat. Gently fry the onion, peppers and mushrooms until soft.
Add the mince back into the pan together with the tomato purée and wine.  Cook for a further five minutes.
Add the tomatoes and herbs, and bring to the mixture to the boil. Simmer for at least 30 minutes and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Line the base of the baking dish with pasta and cover with about one-third of the mince mixture.  Pop  teaspoonfuls of cottage cheese evenly across the mince, using up about 1/3 of the cheese.

Repeat this in layers once or twice depending on the size of your dish…finally cover the lasagne with the grated mozzarella. Bake in the over for 45 minutes, or until golden-brown and bubbling on top.  Serve with a fresh baby leaf salad.. enjoy..


Best Shepherds Pie

Ingredients

1 large onion chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
500g beef mince
400g can tomatoes
290ml beef stock
bay leaf
fresh thyme leaves from 1 sprig
2 tbsp tomato purée
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the topping
8 potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, 2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
1 cup of milk
1 tablespoon of butter
Olive Oil for cooking
Preparation method

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and carrot and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes until soft.

Add the minced beef and cook for 3 minutes to brown.
Add the tomatoes, purée, beef stock, bay leaf and thyme.
Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Season.

Meanwhile, to make the topping, boil the potatoes, carrots and parsnips in water until soft. Drain and mash with the butter and milk.
Spoon the meat into an ovenproof dish. Top with the mash and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

College Survival!


It’s the time of year when our young students are heading away to college - sometimes quite far away or starting college living at home but not on the family timeplan so at times they need to fend for themselves. 

The trap many young people fall into is getting into really bad habits from day one, eating convenience and fast food as their main diet.  This is very costly and can lead to very tired and run down students…  so the trick is to set them up with the knowledge from the beginning or that first trip home when they realize all is not as easy as it seems!!

Survival Tips

  • Get them set up with some basic ingredients you may have some extras of these at home so to through your food cupboards and set up a starter food box..
  • Olive oil, Spray oil, soy sauce, spices, salt, pepper, sugar, tins of tomatoes, beans, tuna, sweetcorn, coconut milk, curry paste, pasta, rice, noodles, cous cous.
  • Go through each of these ingredients with them and explain their uses..  for example if they were really stuck and had No other ingredients they could still make a full meal..
          eg. Pasta, tomatoes, tuna, sweetcorn or beans, sweetcorn, chilli, rice
  • Student Accommodation can be sparsely kitted out so check out your pots, pans and knives, colander, chopping boards & food storage boxes  - many of us have the extra pot, pan and lots of plastic food boxes that we rarely use.. put these to good use by sending them off with your college student..   ( A colander is essential to students for pasta, rice, decanting tuna, beans etc.) 
  • Take them shopping – many students haven’t a clue about the actual cost of food,  up to now many haven’t had the time or the interest.  Challenge them with 10 euro and see how many meals they can get the ingredients for… Then take the time to go through the aisles and chiller cabinets, for example when looking at chicken, show them how to compare the prices of whole chickens versus, chicken thighs or chicken breasts.   Teach them to look out for specials and be aware of purchasing too much fresh food unless they are prepared to batch cook, soups, curries and freeze them. 
  • If you have family favorite family recipes why not put them together in a notebook or folder for your son/daughter – these are the foods they have grown up with and love and now going away from home they will have the opportunity to “have a go themselves”.
  • Get in and get cooking with them before they head off, up to now many students have done very little cooking and have not to fend for themselves, many still think they can live off college food or convenience a few months of this type of food and you can have a tired, run down broke student who is craving home cooked food on their trips home..   
  • Soup is a great way to use up leftovers and use up everything in the veggie drawer of the fridge… soup will keep in the fridge for 4 days and it prevents lots of food getting binned and money being frittered away!
  • Eggs - scrambled eggs, poached eggs, an omlette ( so many varieties) baked potatoes with different toppings, pasta w tuna, pasta w butter, parmesan cheese, frozen peas & bacon, how to roast a chicken (great specials on whole chickens)   Bolognese sauce, chilli con carne, shepherds pie, chicken curry, veggie curry  and of course stir fries..  

          If it has to be a crash course so be it …. You can make up a lot of these and freeze for later..!!



Up on the web…see previous blogs!

Some great easy low cost recipes…
Meatballs, stir fries, egg fried rice, oven baked sticky chicken….