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 

The Classic French Omelette

classic-french-omelette

 Everybody, 9-90, should know how to make an omelette, then dinner is only 3 minutes away. Here it is step by step.

Ingredients

  • 3 Eggs
  • 3 teasp. water
  • ½ tablesp. fresh herbs, chopped
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Knob of butter

Filling

  • A little butter
  • 25g Oyster or button mushrooms, chopped
  • 25g Farmhouse Cheese, grated

Alternative Filling:

  • Chopped tomatoes, basil, scallions

To Cook

Prepare the Filling

A non-stick omelette pan is essential. Beat the eggs, water, herbs and seasoning together. Heat the pan well, add the butter, pour in the egg mixture. Work quickly, drawing the egg to the centre of the pan as it begins to set. This allows the uncooked mixture to reach the base of the pan. Continue until you have the omelette cooked to your liking.

Place the filling along the centre of the omelette. Starting at the handle, fold over the omelette by 1/3.Slide the omelette down the pan.

Then, with your hand under the handle, tip the omelette onto a warm plate, making the third fold. Sprinkle with finely grated cheese (optional) and serve with mixed salad leaves.

 

 

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/

 

Fresh Fruit Cookies

odl fruit cookies apr 16

Ingredients

300g/10oz Odlums Cream Plain Flour

150g/5oz Butter (room temperature)

150g/5oz Caster Sugar

1 Medium Egg (beaten)

Few Drops Vanilla Essence

 

Topping

250ml Carton Fresh Cream (whipped)

Fresh Fruit in Season

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Lightly grease large flat baking trays.
  2. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla essence and mix well.
  3. Gradually add the flour and mix until dough is formed. Wrap and chill for an hour.
  4. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured board to a thickness of 3 – 4mm.Cut with large round cutters of choice. Dip the cutters into flour before each use.
  5. Arrange them on prepared tins/trays and bake in a central oven position for about 12 minutes or until firm and golden brown. Leave to cool for 10 minutes then transfer to wire tray to cool.
  6. When cold decorate with a layer of fresh cream and fruit of your choice!

Fresh Fruit Cookies

Oaty Blueberry Muffins with Ginger and Pear Frosting

fla cup cakes tw jan 16

Serves 16*
*depending on the size of your muffin cases
This is a great recipe to impress when the girls are coming around for an afternoon chat. That said, my children love to bake these with me too. The blueberries give them the added extra goodness. 

Ingredients:

  • 300g golden caster sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 170ml sunflower oil
  • 100ml milk
  • 280g self-raising flour
  • 100g Flahavan’s Progress Oatlets
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 150g blueberries
  • 1 large pear, peeled and finely diced
For the Topping
  • 150g cream cheese
  • 100g butter, softened
  • 2 pieces stemmed ginger, very finely chopped
  • 2 tsp ginger syrup
  • 350g icing sugar
  • 2 poached pears, thinly sliced for decorating
  • Edible flowers to decorate (optional)

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/Fan 150°C/Gas 3.
  2. Place muffin cases in a muffin tray.
  3. Whisk the sugar, eggs, milk and oil together until thick and pale.
  4. Fold in the flour, oatlets, ginger and salt.
  5. Stir in the blueberries and diced pear.
  6. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases.
  7. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until lightly golden.
  8. Place on a cooling rack.
  9. Cream the butter in a large bowl, then add some icing sugar, followed by the cream cheese and the rest of the icing sugar.  Spoon in the ginger syrup.
  10. Pipe or spread over the cool muffins, decorate with chopped ginger and place slices of pear and a pretty edible flower on the top.
Tip: 
If using soft fruit like raspberries, just place fruit in freezer for about ½ hour and they will stay fairly whole when baked.
 http://www.flahavans.ie/recipes/oaty-blueberry-muffins-with-ginger-and-pear-frosting-/247