Category: recipes

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Chocolate Iced Mille-Feuilles from Neven Maguires Irish Food Trails

 This dessert looks so impressive that it’s hard to believe that you’ve actually made it yourself with such little effort. It can be made up to 1 month in advance, leaving nothing for you to do on the day.

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 x 100g (4oz) bar of plain chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into pieces
  • 150g (5oz) white chocolate, broken into pieces
  • 225ml (8fl oz) cream
  • 1 vanilla pod, split in half lengthways and seeds scraped out
  • 1 large egg white
  • 2 tsp icing sugar
  • good-quality cocoa powder, to dust
  • fresh raspberries, to serve

To Cook

Use a little water to dampen a 450g (1lb) loaf tin (the more square shaped, the better), then line with a double layer of cling film. Line 2 large baking sheets with non-stick baking paper.

Melt the plain chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Spoon half the melted chocolate onto each sheet of baking paper and spread it out to the edges in a thin layer. Put in the fridge for about 30 minutes to set.

Melt the white chocolate and 5 tablespoons of the cream in a separate heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Once melted, give it a good stir and set aside to cool.

Whip the rest of the cream in a large bowl with the vanilla seeds until the cream is just holding its shape, then fold in the cooled melted white chocolate.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white and icing sugar until stiff peaks have formed, then fold into the white chocolate mixture.

Carefully peel the plain chocolate from the baking paper and break it up into pieces.

Place a couple spoonfuls of the whipped cream mixture into the prepared loaf tin and cover with a layer of the plain chocolate pieces. Repeat the layers until the loaf tin is filled up, finishing with a layer of whipped cream. Cover the top with cling film and freeze overnight (or up to 1 month). Any remaining pieces of plain chocolate can be put into a freezer-proof container and frozen separately to use for decoration.

About 1 hour before serving, transfer the loaf tin and reserved chocolate decoration to the fridge.

Serving Suggestions

To serve, carefully turn out onto a serving plate and peel away the cling film. Break up the reserved plain chocolate into small jagged pieces and use to decorate the top. Add a light dusting of cocoa powder and put straight on the table. Cut into slices and arrange on plates with some raspberries

 

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Warm Smoked Salmon with Spinach Dressing

Smoked-Salmon-on-Potato-Cakes

Ingredients

  • 8 slices smoked salmon
  • Mixed lettuce leaves, shredded

Dressing

  • 50g (2 oz) fresh spinach leaves
  • 100ml (4 oz) sunflower oil
  • 1½ tablesp. balsamic vinegar
  • ½ tsp. fresh lemon juice
  • Salt and black pepper

To Cook

Make equal-sized mounds of lettuce on four starter plate. Drape two smoked salmon slices over each mound. Blend or liquidise together the spinach, oil, vinegar and lemon juice. Season with salt and black pepper.

Warm each plate of smoked salmon in the hot oven for a minute. Pour dressing over and around the salmon mounds and serve.

Gerry Galvin
Drimcong House Restaurant,
Moycullen, Co. Galway

http://www.bordbia.ie/consumer/recipes/Pages/WarmSmokedSalmonwithSpinachDressing.aspx

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How to make instant coffee iced lollies at home

Perk up while you cool down…
Ingredients
1 tbsp of your favourite instant coffee (a strong bean is best)
3/4 cup of water
1 cup of milk of your choice
2 tsps of honey or a salted caramel syrup
An ice lolly mould nd wooden sticks

Method
Pick a bean and brew. Make your regular coffee (if you have a stronger bean, this would be better because coffee loses its strength when frozen).
Add some sweetness. To give it that sugary kick, add a little bit of liquid sweetener such as honey or a light caramel syrup. We would advise not to use granulated sugars as you may end up with a lump in the bottom if it fails to dissolve.
Get in the mix. Before mixing, make sure you add in your milk of choice. Any milk works well. If you’re looking for a dairy-free option, we would recommend coconut milk to give the mix that slightly nutty taste. Allow to cool and mix well. Allowing the coffee to cool gives it its best chance of maintaining flavour.
Freeze! Place the mix into six identical iced lolly moulds. Top up mixture with milk, if not full. Place the tops on and freeze for one hour. Add wooden sticks. Freeze for four more hours. Enjoy!
Recipe courtesy of Coffee Friend
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Colcannon Cakes with Poached Eggs and Hollandaise Sauce

colcannon-cakes-with-poached-eggs-and-hollandaise-sauce

This dish would also be delicious served with a slice of baked ham or bacon if you have any leftover. Alternatively, chop up the ham or bacon and add to the colcannon mixture before shaping into patties.

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 450g potatoes, peeled
  • 40g butter
  • 3 scallions, finely chopped
  • A little salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 50g Savoy cabbage, shredded
  • A little plain flour, for dusting
  • Olive oil, for frying
  • 1 tablesp. white wine vinegar
  • 4 large eggs

For the Hollandaise Sauce

  • 2 teasp. white wine or tarragon vinegar
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 100g unsalted butter

To Cook

Cook the potatoes in a covered pan of boiling salted water for 15-20 minutes until tender.

Meanwhile, heat a knob of the butter and one tablespoon of water in a heavy-based pan with a lid, over a high heat. When the butter has melted and formed an emulsion, add the scallions and cabbage with a pinch of salt. Cover, shake vigorously and cook over a high heat for 1 minute. Shake the pan again and cook for another minute, then season with pepper.

Drain the potatoes and mash until smooth, then beat in the remaining butter. Fold in the cabbage mixture. Shape the mixture into four balls, dust with flour and press into neat patties.

Heat a thin film of olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan and add the patties, then cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.

To make the poached eggs, bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the vinegar and season with salt and keep at a very gentle simmer. Break the eggs into the water and simmer for 3-4 minutes until just cooked but still soft on the inside. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well on kitchen paper, trimming away any ragged edges.

To make the hollandaise sauce, place the vinegar and egg yolks in a food processor with a pinch of salt. Blend until just combined.

Gently heat the butter in a heavy-based pan until melted and just beginning to foam. Turn on the food processor and with the motor running at medium speed; pour in the melted butter in a thin, steady stream through the feeder tube. Continue to blitz for another 5 seconds and pour back into the pan but do not return to the heat. Allow the heat from the pan to finish thickening the sauce as you stir it gently for another minute before serving. Season to taste with salt.

Serving Suggestions

To serve, place a colcannon cake on each warmed plate and place a poached egg on top of each one. Spoon over the hollandaise sauce and add a grinding of black pepper.

Nutritional Analysis per Serving

Protein:   13g 

Carbohydrates:   23g 

Fat:    46g 

Iron:    2.5mg 

Energy:  555kcal 

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Flahavans Oaty Lemon Squares

fla oaty lemon squares tw mar 16

Ingredients

  • 150g butter
  • 200g plain flour
  • 200g brown sugar
  • Zest and juice of 2 lemons
  • 150g Flahavan’s Progress Oatlets
  • 400g (1 can) condensed milk

Instructions

  • 1. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy in a mixer or food processor.
  • 2. Add the flour and oats and mix to form a dough; the texture will be crumbly.
  • 3. Line a 13” x 9” (32cm x 22cm) baking tray with parchment and firmly press out about 2/3 of the dough in the base of the tray.
  • 4. In a separate bowl combine the juice and zest of the lemons with the condensed milk.
  • 5. Spread the condensed milk and lemon mixture on top of the dough in the baking tray.
  • 6. Sprinkle the remaining dough over the top and press lightly.
  • 7. Bake in preheated oven at 180°C / 350°F / Gas mark 4 for 10 minutes. Lower the temperature to 150°C / 300°F / Gas mark 2 and bake for a further 20 minutes until golden in colour.
  • 8. Allow to cool and cut into small squares.

http://www.ilovecooking.ie/recipe/oaty-lemon-squares/

 

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Mango, Cucumber and Kidney Bean Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 mango, peeled, diced
  • ½ cucumber, cut in half lengthways, seeds removed and thinly sliced
  • 400g tin of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • Small handful of coriander leaves
  • Juice and zest of ½ lime
  • 1 tablesp. olive oil

To Cook

Place all the ingredients in a serving bowl, stir to combine, taste and season.

Serving Suggestions

This salad tastes great with our Spicy Chicken Kebabs or try with some Grilled Lamb Steaks.

http://www.bordbia.ie/consumer/recipes/side/pages/mangocucumberandkidneybeansalad.aspx