Recipes

This dish is perfect for a cold Autumn night, slightly spicy with the prunes adding a little sweetness. It can be prepared a day in advance the flavours will mellow and mingle overnight. I serve this with buttered couscous.

Serves 4

• 1 Kg (2lb) stewing beef, cut into 5 cm (2 inch) pieces
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp flour
• 60 g (1 oz / 2 tbsp) butter
• 4 onions, finely sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp. chilli powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 350 g (12 oz) ready to eat stoned prunes
• Hot beef or chicken stock 
• Salt, black pepper

1. Heat the oven to 150C
2. Heat the oil in a large casserole over medium heat. When it is hot, add the beef and fry until sealed and browned well on all sides. You'll probably need to do this in batches because, if the pan is overcrowded, the meat will steam rather than brown.
3. Return all the beef to the pan, sprinkle over the flour and cook for about 3 minutes until the flour begins to brown. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly coloured, about 10 minutes. Stir in the spices and cook until they begin to release their aromas, 1-2 minutes. Add the bay leaves and prunes and pour over enough hot liquid just to cover. Bring to the boil, put the lid on the casserole then transfer to the oven and cook until very tender, 2 hours. Check half way through cooking as you may need to add a little more stock. By the end of cooking the meat should be coated in a thick and glossy sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Sprinkle with plenty of chopped coriander and parsley

Eunice's Tip
If preparing casseroles a day in advance remove from oven or heat 45 minutes before cooking time is up. It is important to do this, otherwise you will over cook the dish when reheating. To re-heat, pre heat the oven to 160C, heat the casserole gently on the top of the oven, stirring occasionally. When the dish is simmering put lid on the casserole and place in oven for 30-40 minutes or leave to simmer gently on the oven.

Labels: Main Course

This is the time of year for Mushrooms. As children we used to pick buckets of mushrooms in the field beside our house, this year there seem s to be a scarcity of mushrooms, probably a combination of bad weather and fertilisers being used on the land. If you are a  forager there are wild mushrooms in the woods - but be sure what you have picked is edible its not worth risking poisoning yourself if you're in any way unsure.

• 4 large flat cap field mushrooms
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 oz rindless bacon, finely chopped
• 2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 4 oz breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp chopped basil
• 2 oz goats cheese, crumbled, are any soft cheese you prefer - Cashel blue works well.
• 2 tbsp single cream
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Toasted Pine Nuts
• Freshly ground salt and pepper

1. Cut stalks from mushrooms and chop them finely reserving the whole caps.
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan, add the mushroom caps, rounded side down, and fry for one minute to brown. Transfer to a baking sheet.
3. Add the chopped mushroom stalks, bacon and garlic to the frying pan and fry for 5 minutes, then transfer to a bowl.
4. Add the breadcrumbs, basil and goats cheese, cream, lemon juice and seasoning and mix well. Divide the stuffing between the mushroom cups.
5. Drizzle the remaining oil over the top and bake at 200c/ fan oven 190c for 20 minutes until crisp and golden.
6. To serve sprinkle generously with toasted pine nuts and torn basil leaves.

Labels: Starters

2011 will be remembered for many things - one of which is the brilliant crop of enormous, crisp apples. My trees are laden with them. The following is a simple autumnal dessert.

A tip before you start
To avoid the apples bursting, score a line just through the apple skin two thirds the way around - this will stop them from exploding in the oven as they expand during cooking.

• 4 medium cooking apples
• 75g soft butter
• 75g brown sugar
• Grated zest of a lemon and juice of half a lemon
• 100g sultanas

1. Preheat the oven to 180c
2. Core the apples and score with a sharp knife as mentioned above.
3. Mix the rest of the ingredients together and fill the cavities of the apples, piling it up on top of the apples.
4. Bake in a buttered oven proof dish in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes
5. Spoon the remaining syrup over the apples and serve with custard or cream.

Labels: Dessert

2011 will be remembered for many things - one of which is the brilliant crop of enormous, crisp apples. My trees are laden with them. The following is a simple recipe for you to enjoy.


For those with a fear of baking, restore your confidence with this really easy recipe. This cake will last for up to 5 days in an airtight tin.

• 175g self-raising flour
• 85g caster sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg beaten
• 6-7 tablespoons of milk
• 50g melted butter

For the Topping

• 50g butter
• 2 cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 85g castor sugar
• 1 tsp of cinnamon

1. Pre heat the oven to 200c.
2. Line the bottom of 20x 24cm cake tin, (or an 8 inch round tin) with greaseproof paper.
3. Beat all the cake ingredients together in a big bowl until light and fluffy. Spoon into prepared tin.
4. Melt the butter for the topping in a small saucepan over a medium heat, drizzle it over the top of the cake. Arrange the apple slices on top. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl and sprinkle over the apples.
5. Bake in the pre heated oven for about 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool, then remove from the tin, serve warm with custard or keep in an airtight tin for up to 5 days.

Labels: Bread And Cakes

Back to school lunches
Back to school means filling lunch boxes - bring back the non healthy school lunches! When I was young a bag of crisps was all I wanted - now with green schools, healthy lunches, the mornings are a challenge to say the least. Last week I made savoury muffins for my kids. I thought they were Yum, but they came back untouched! The reason given…always the same… too busy playing to eat… The following are a few easy recipes what might cheer up the more discerning lunch box!

Savoury Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

300g self raising flour
80g melted butter
1 egg
250g Natural youghurt
50 ml milk
I cup of grated cheese
4 rashers , diced and fried until crispy
4 spring onions , finely chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 200C
2. Mix the egg, melted butter , milk and yoghurt.
3. Stir the flour, cheese, bacon and spring onions together until well combined, add the liquid and spoon into 12 muffin cases. Bake for  about 20 minutes.

These keep for a day or two and freeze very well. You can play around with the recipe, today I replaced the cheddar with goats cheese and added grated beetroot instead of bacon and they were magic - I ate most of them myself!! 

Chocolate Banana Muffins 

Makes 12

3 very ripe or over ripe bananas
125 ml sunflower oil
2 eggs
100g soft light brown sugar
225g plain flower
30g cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
Some dried banana slices if you have them.

1. Preheat the oven to 200 C /gas mark 6 and line a muffin tin with papers
2. Mash the banana by hand, with a free standing mixer or in a food processor
3. Still beating  and mashing, add the oil followed by the eggs and sugar
4. Mix the flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda together and add this mixture, then spoon it into the prepared papers. Decorate with dried bananas if you have them
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, by which time the muffins should be dark, rounded and peeking proudly out of their cases. 
6. Allow to cool slightly in their tin before removing onto a wire rack

I often add a cup of chocolate chips to these. The children love these and funnily enough find time to eat them!

Labels: Bread And Cakes

A few years ago when I started my garden I dreamt of being able to go and pick pears and apples off the trees - be careful what you wish for! This year after years of waiting my trees are now weighed down and every time I pass them they speak to me…pick me please….I now have a glut of both apples and pears. This week I am giving you some recipes using pears and next week I will tackle the apples. Happy Cooking!

100g plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
75g ground almonds
175g butter
175g caster sugar
1 tsp natural vanilla extract
3 free range eggs beaten
6 ripe slim pears

For the chocolate sauce:
75ml cream
75 ml chocolate

1. Pre heat the oven to 160c (fan oven). Butter a 245cm (9½ inch) springform tin and line the base with parchment paper.
2. To make the cake sift the flour and baking powder and add the almonds. Bear the butter and vanilla together until white and fluffy. Beat the eggs in a little at a time, sprinkling in a tablespoon of flour when you have added half the eggs, this is to stop the mixture curdling. Fold in the rest of the flour gently but thoroughly. Spread the mixture over the base of the prepared tin. Cut the bottom of each pear to make a flat base - this to make sure the pears don't fall over during baking. Arrange the pears in a ring around the cake, stalk side up. Leave a 2cm border of cake mixture between the pear and the tin. Bake until the pears are tender and the cake has pulled away from the side of the tin. Insert a skewer into the centre of the cake, if it comes out clean the cake is cooked, about 1 hour. 
3. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the cake to loosen before unmoulding. Use a palate knife to ease the cake off the base on to a serving dish.
4. For the chocolate sauce, heat the cream in a small saucepan until just below simmering point and remove at once from the heat. Stir in the chocolate and leave to melt for a minute or two, then stir until smooth and glossy.
5. Serve cut in wedges with a generous swirl of chocolate and a lavish dusting of icing sugar. 

Labels: Bread And Cakes

A few years ago when I started my garden I dreamt of being able to go and pick pears and apples off the trees - be careful what you wish for! This year after years of waiting my trees are now weighed down and every time I pass them they speak to me…pick me please….I now have a glut of both apples and pears. This week I am giving you some recipes using pears and next week I will tackle the apples. Happy Cooking! 

Serves 4

1 head Cos lettuce
6oz / 150g spinach leaves
2 ripe but firm pears
2 oz / 50g walnuts, roughly chopped
6 oz / 150g feta cheese, cubed

For the dressing:
4oz / 100g Cashel blue cheese
8oz / 200g crème fraîche

1. Wash and dry Cos and spinach. Tear Cos into strips
2. Wash pears, cut in half lengthways, remove core and slice.
3. In a large salad bowl, combine leaves, sliced pears, and feta cheese. Season with salt and pepper
4. In a small saucepan melt the Cashel blue and crème fraiche over a gentle heat until both are combined, pour over the salad, mix salad and dressing gently, sprinkle walnuts on top and serve.

Labels: Main Course

A few years ago when I started my garden I dreamt of being able to go and pick pears and apples off the trees - be careful what you wish for! This year after years of waiting my trees are now weighed down and every time I pass them they speak to me…pick me please….I now have a glut of both apples and pears. This week I am giving you some recipes using pears and next week I will tackle the apples. Happy Cooking! 

1.8kg pears, peeled , cored and chopped
450g onions, peeled and chopped
350g raisins
50g stem ginger chopped
Grated rind and juice of two lemons
225g soft brown sugar
2 level teaspoons of salt
1.1 litres of white wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, crushed
6 dried chillies crushed or 3 teaspoons of chilli flakes
4 whole cloves

Tie the garlic, chillies and cloves in a piece of muslin* and add to a heavy based saucepan with the rest of the ingredients. Bring to the boil and simmer for two hours or so on a gentle heat, stirring occasionally. When all the mixture is thick, remove the muslin bag. Spoon the chutney into sterilised jars, cover and seal. Store for 2 months before use, it will be ready just in time for Christmas.

*Muslin is available at Dungarvan Home Furnishings 

Labels: Side Dishes And Relishes