recipes

What a great weekend, the sun was shining and it felt like summer (a bit weird with no leaves on the trees) Anyway I got stuck into a bit of baking and it was definitly worth all the effort.  A couple of years ago I did an Italian cookery course with Christine at Tasteworks and it was money well spent. Each week she covered the basic staples of the Italian kitchen and I learned how to make yeast dough and gorgeous focaccia bread. Following the classes I was full of enthusiasm and baked loads but slowly got out of the habit of making yeast dough. Anyway this Sunday was the day to get back into it, I needed a refresher from YouTube on how to knead dough but it came back to me once I got stuck in. It tasted fab and worth all the effort…..

BASIC WHITE YEAST BREAD

1lb/45og strong white flour

300-320 mls warm water

1.5 teaspoons of salt

1 tablespoon of sugar

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 sachet of easy blend yeast

Mix all your dry ingredients in a bowl and add the water and oil.  Mix and then turn out onto flowered worktop and knead for 10-15 mins. Place in an oiled bowl cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm kitchen with no draughts for about 1 hour until it doubles in size. Knock back and leave to rise for again, then press out air and leave to rest for 10 mins. Flatten out into a rect. baking sheet, then dimple with your fingers. You can use whatever toppings you want, I put olives, red onion, basil and garlic on one half and on the other I put fresh rosemary, sprinkled it all with rock salt and drizzled lots and lots of olive oil.

Bake in hot oven for 20 to 30 mins….eat while hot

I served the focaccia with baked potatoes, tomatoes and herbs. Put chopped potatoes, tomatoes and fresh herbs in a oven proof dish with some red onion, chopped garlic, olive oil and a little water (enough to cover the the bottom of the dish) Bake for about 45 mins. yummy….

I realise all my recipe’s lately are cookies but that’s the nature of winter (that’s my story) so here is one that is very healthy and full of goodness and the rice krispies make them nice and light. By summer I will be on salads… promise

150g/5oz butter

75g/3oz light brown sugar

75g/3oz honey

250g/9oz porridge oats

75g/3oz  rasinis or sultanas

50g dried apricots chopped

50g/2oz Rice Krispies

Preheat oven to 190 C, 375 F, Gas 5

Melt butter in a saucepan with sugar and honey over a low heat, stirring occasionally. Then remove from the heat and let cool a little.

Mix together oats, dried fruit and rice krispies. Then add the melted ingredients to the bowl, stirring everything well.

Spread the mixture into a lined 9in x 13in tray and bake 15-25 mins until it turns golden brown. Cool in the tin, then cut into squares or fingers………enjoy!

If you have time this week try these cookies, they are quick and easy to make and hits the spot with a nice cup of tea….

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

8 ounces of good choclate coarsely chopped

1. Beat the butter until it whitens then add sugar, beaten until well blended. Whisk egg and vanilla extract together and beat into the butter mixture.

2. Sift the flour, baking soda and baking powder together. Beat half the flour mixture into the butter mixture, then add the remaining flour mixture. Beat in the chopped walnuts and chocolate.

3. Preheat oven to 180 C/325 F spoon cookie mixture about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 to 10 mins. Enjoy

These cookies are very good and very simple to make. I was a bit more generous with the cinnamon and wrapped up a few in some greaseproof paper with a ribbon for a simple pressie….enjoy

Oat and walnut cookies

Makes 36

2 sticks or 8oz  salted butter, soft

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons baking powder

3 cups oats

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350F

Cream butter and both sugars light and creamy.

Add milk and vanilla and mix well.

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each egg.

Add flour, spices and baking powder.

Stir until just combined.

Stir in the oats and walnuts.

Use about two tablespoons of mixture for each cookie.

Roll it into a ball and place on a baking paper lined cookie sheet.

Make sure they are placed well apart.

Press the balls down with the bottom of a glass.

Bake until golden, but still a bit soft, 14-16 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack.

I have a weakness for cookery books, many of which decorate my kitchen but rarely get an outing. You can tell with one glance which ones get used all the time, the ones that are covered in stains and floury finger marks. As if i don’t have enough cook books I read every recepy I come across in magazines, cutting out the ones I think might work for me (I stay away from complicated methods or too many ingredients I’m not familiar with, living in rural Ireland I usually have to make do with my local ‘euro spar’, nothing too exotic). My favorite recepys of late have been coming from the Irish Times Mag on Saturdays. Domini Kemp never lets me down, almost every week she comes up trumps. Here is one I got round to trying this week end and it was fab, bung it in the oven and forget about it for a couple of hours, let the lovely aromas fill the kitchen and best of all it tastes even better the next day. The lamb can be substituted with some roast sweet potato towards the end of the cooking or what I did was a little bit of both.

Lamb and chickpea soupy stew
(serves 4-6)
2 tbls olive oil
2 onions peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
600g diced lamb shoulder
salt and pepper
2tsp ground cumin
1tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 bay leaves
really good squeeze of tomato puree
I liter chicken stock
3 tins of chickpeas
2 tins of tomatoes
bunch of coriander
black olives to garnish

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, for which you have a lid. Sweat the onions and garlic for five minutes until they are soft, then turn up the heat and chuck in the lamb and brown it. Season well then add the cumin, paprika, cloves and bay leaves. Mix well so the spices coat the lamb. Add the tomatoe puree, mix well, then add the stock, chickpeas and tomatoes. Put the lid on and cook for about three hours or like I did, transfer into an ovenproof dish and bung it in the oven for 3 hours @ 175 degreesC.
Garnish with coriander and olives, and serve with crusty bread and salad. Enjoy..

I made this delicous crumble at the week end and it went down very well, have a go, you can’t go wrong with rhubarb crumble……….
Serves 4

400g rhubarb, trimmed, halved lengthways and cut into 4cm lengths
200g demerara sugar
100g porridge oats
124g self-raising flour
150g butter
2 tbsp golden syrup
75ml double cream

Preheat oven at 180C/350F/Gas mark 4. Put rhubarb in ovenproof dish sprinkle with 3 tbsp of the sugar (more if the rhubarb is very bitter).
In a bowl, mix together the oats, the remaining sugar and the flower. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Now add the golden syrup and cream and mix well. Tip onto the oat mixture and stir together. Spoon on top of the fruit, level out, then bake in the oven for 45 mins until its set and golden brown.
Leave to stand for 10 mins before eating. Cream, Ice cream or custard  are the obvious partners in crime.