Wild Mushroom & Spinach Lasagne By Rozanne Stevens

rozanne-mushroom-lasagne-266x266

Ready Time 55 mins. Serves 8

Ingredients

  • 1 box lasagne sheets
  • 500g baby spinach leaves
  • Light olive oil
  • 500g selection of wild mushrooms
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 200g Avonmore Grated White Cheddar
  • Salt and pepper
  • Fresh nutmeg

Bechamel sauce:

  • 80g butter
  • 80g plain flour
  • 1 litre Avonmore Milk
  • Salt and pepper
  • Fresh nutmeg

Directions

  1. Clean the mushrooms by wiping with a damp cloth and slice up. Heat the oil till very hot and fry the mushrooms in batches till golden. Set aside.
  2. Heat a little more oil and gently fry the onion, garlic and thyme till soft.
  3. Wilt down the spinach by adding a handful at a time to the hot pan and stirring it in. The heat will wilt down the leaves, just be patient.
  4. Remove the thyme twigs. Mix with the cooked mushrooms, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
  5. To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a pot. Stir in the flour and cook out for a minute. Gradually add the milk and whisk to remove any lumps. Boil for 2 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
  6. Grease a lasagne dish. Pour in enough white sauce to cover the bottom of the dish. Place down a pasta layer. Spoon over half the spinach and mushrooms. Repeat, finishing with a layer of pasta.
  7. Cover the top layer very well with white sauce. Sprinkle over the cheese.
  8. Bake at 200°C for 30 to 40 minutes until golden and bubbling.

http://cookwithavonmore.ie/recipe/wild-mushroom-spinach-lasagne/

Ardsallagh Goat’s Cheese Soufflé by Darina Allen

Ingredients

  • 75g (3oz) butter, plus extra for greasing
  • 300ml (½ pint) double cream
  • 300ml (½ pint) milk
  • a few slices of carrot
  • 1 small onion, quartered
  • 4–5 black peppercorns
  • a sprig of thyme, a few flat-leaf parsley stalks and a little scrap of bay
  • 40g (1½oz) plain flour
  • 5 organic eggs, separated
  • 110g (4oz) goat’s cheese (we use Ardsallagh), crumbled
  • 75g (3oz) Gruyère cheese, finely grated
  • 50g (2oz) mature Coolea or Parmesan cheese, finely grated
  • good pinch of salt, cayenne, freshly ground black pepper
  • and nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

To serve

  • lots of thyme flowers, if available
  • green salad

Directions

We have several farmhouse goat’s-cheesemakers in Ireland.We use Ardsallagh goat’s cheese, St Tola from Inagh in Co.Clare is also heaven, as is Gortnamona from Cooleeneyfarm in Co. Tipperary and Corleggy from Co. Cavan.We bake this soufflé until golden and puffy in a shallow oval dish instead of the traditional soufflé bowl. It makes a perfect lunch or supper dish. Little individual bowls are also perfect as a starter. Reduce the cooking time accordingly.

Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/gas 8. Brush the bottom andsides of a 30cm (12in) shallow oval dish (not a soufflé dish) or six individual wide, rimmed soup bowls with melted butter.Put the cream and milk into a saucepan, add the carrot, onion,peppercorns and fresh herbs. Bring slowly to the boil, and then setaside to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain, discarding the flavourings(we rinse them off and throw them into the stockpot if there isone on the go).Melt the butter, add the flour and cook for a minute or two.Whisk in the strained cream and milk, bring to the boil and whisk

until the sauce thickens. Cool slightly. Add the egg yolks, goat’scheese, Gruyère and most of the Coolea or Parmesan (reservingsome for the topping). Season with salt, cayenne, freshly groundpepper and nutmeg. Taste and correct the seasoning.Whisk the egg whites stiffly and fold them gently into the mixtureto make a loose consistency. Spoon into the prepared dish, scatter thethyme leaves over the top and sprinkle with the reserved Coolea orParmesan.Bake in the preheated oven for 12–15 minutes (or 9–11 minutesfor the individual soufflés) or until the sides and top are nicely puffedup and golden – the centre should still be creamy. Garnish withthyme flowers. Serve immediately with a good green salad.

 

http://cookwithavonmore.ie/recipe/ardsallagh-goats-cheese-and-thyme-leaf-souffle/

    
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Dark Chocolate Apricot Cookie Pizza

chocolate-apricot-pizza-3

Prep: 1 Hour

Cook: 20 Minutes

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons corn starch
  • 4 ounces Kerrygold Unsalted Butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup apricot preserves
  • 8 ounces of dark chocolate, chopped

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cornstarch. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute, until nice and creamy.

Slowly stream in the sugar to the butter, while beating constantly.

Next, add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet in 3 batches, mixing between each addition.

Gather the dough into a ball, press it flat into a disk, and wrap it in plastic wrap.

Refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350.

Roll the dough out into a 12” circle on a piece of parchment paper.

Transfer the parchment paper to a baking pan, and bake the cookie pizza until set, about 18 minutes. The edges should start to turn golden brown. The center may be a bit puffy, but it will settle as it cools.

Let the cookie pizza completely cool before proceeding.

Spread the apricot jam on the pizza. Top with the chopped chocolate and slice into wedges before serving.

Use the sugar cookie crust as a base, and top with all of your favorite toppings. A cream cheese frosting with sprinkles would be a great kids’ version (or an adult that eats like a kid). If you love white chocolate, it would be great here alone, or mixed in with the dark chocolate.

DARK CHOCOLATE APRICOT COOKIE PIZZA

 

Odlums Red Velvet Cupcakes & Cream Cheese Topping

valentine-red-velvet-cupcakes

What you need:

  • 200g/7oz Odlums Cream Plain Flour
  • 125g/4oz Butter (room temperature)
  • 150g/5oz Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Egg
  • 2½ tablespoons Cocoa Powder, sieved
  • ½ teaspoon Goodall’s Vanilla Extract
  • 25ml/1 bottle Goodall’s Red Colouring
  • 150ml/¼pt Buttermilk
  • Pinch of Salt
  • ½ teaspoon Odlums Bread Soda, sieved
  • 1½ teaspoons White Vinegar

Topping

  • 125g/4oz Butter (room temperature)
  • 100g Cream Cheese
  • 325g/11oz Icing Sugar (sieved)
  • 1 teaspoon Goodall’s Vanilla Extract

How to:

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Line a twelve cupcake tin with paper cases.
  2. Cream butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Add the egg and beat well.
  3. Next put the cocoa, vanilla and colouring into the mixture and mix well to combine.
  4. Reduce speed on beater and add half the buttermilk and flour, mix well. Repeat with remaining buttermilk and flour.
  5. Finally, add in the salt, bread soda and vinegar. Beat on high speed until completely smooth.
  6. Divide the batter evenly between the paper cases. Bake for approx 20 minutes until risen and firm to springy to the touch.
  7. Cool in tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire tray to cool fully.
  8. When cold beat the topping ingredients together until smooth, then pipe or spread onto each cupcake and top with a red heart if liked

Red Velvet Cupcakes & Cream Cheese Topping

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 

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/

 

Crispy Potato Cakes A fresh and crispy potato change with your main meal!

crispy-potato-cakes

Serves 4

Cooking time: 10 Minutes

Preparation time: 10 Minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 large new potatoes (225g/8 oz each)
  • A bunch of chives, finely chopped
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp. butter
  • 3 tbsp. of olive or sunflower oil

To Cook

Peel and grate the potatoes into a bowl. (If you have a food processor use the grater attachment to prepare the potatoes. It’s quicker and saves on grating your knuckles!). Add the chives and mix well.

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Quickly shape round patties from the potato mixture (about 2 inches in diameter and ½ inch thick) and put onto the hot pan. Using a spatula, press down the cakes to keep them flat and even.

Fry for 4–5 minutes until crisp and golden. Then turn over and cook on the other side until golden. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

Nutritional Analysis per Serving

Protein: 2.5  

Carbohydrates: 24.1  

Fat: 14.7 

Fibre: 1.95 

Energy: 233.7 

http://www.bordbia.ie/consumer/recipes/potatoes/pages/crispypotatocakes.aspx