Neven’s Recipes – Red berry smoothie & MacNean special porridge – Marty in the Morning @rte lyricfm

Smoothie

I normally use frozen berries straight out of the freezer so that you don’t have to use any ice cubes, but it can be hard on the blades of your liquidiser. However, in light of recent health scares, you might want to follow the FSAI’s advice to boil imported frozen berries for 1 minute, or even better, freeze fresh berries when there is a glut of them in the summer or buy Irish berries. Smoothies can be made up to 2 hours in advance and kept in the fridge, then just given a good stir before serving them.

MAKES ABOUT 1.2 LITRES (2 PINTS)

  • 500g (1lb 2 oz) fResh or frozen berries, such as a mixture of strawberries, raspberries, redcurrants and tayberries
  • 2 bananas, peeled
  • 125g (4½oz) natural yogurt
  • 500ml (18fl oz) raspberry and cranberry juice
  • handful of ice cubes (optional)

1 Place the berries and bananas in a liquidiser with the yogurt and juice. Process for 1 minute, until smooth. Alternatively, you can put everything into a large measuring jug and blitz with a hand-held blender, moving it up and down until smooth.

2 Half-fill tall glasses with ice cubes, if using, and pour in the red berry smoothie to serve.

MACNEAN SPECIAL PORRIDGE WITH HONEY AND CREAM

This is one of our signature breakfast dishes. It’s amazing how many people going to bed at night tell me that they can’t wait to taste the porridge! On cold winter mornings, it gets you off to a good start and takes no more than 10 minutes to prepare.

Serves 4

  • 100g (4oz) porridge oats (organic if possible)
  • 300ml (1/2 pint) milk (plus a little extra if necessary)
  • 4 tbsp clear honey
  • 4 tbsp Irish Mist
  • 150ml (1/4 pint) cream

Place the porridge oats, milk and 150ml (1/4 pint) water in a heavy-based pan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 8–10 minutes, until the mixture has slightly thickened, stirring all the time. It’s important that the porridge has a nice soft dropping consistency, so add a little more milk if you think it needs it.

To serve, spoon the porridge into warmed bowls. Drizzle each one with some honey and Irish Mist and serve with plenty of cream poured on top.

COOK AHEAD

One of the last things we do at night in the restaurant is steep the porridge oats in the milk and water in the fridge, as leaving them overnight makes them lovely and soft so that they cook much quicker. They can also be made the night before and reheated gently in a pan on the hob.

.@nevenmaguire makes Spaghetti Carbonara @dunnesstores Italian ā™„ļø cooking

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3DxXB-KVno/?igsh=MWZkMHBxZTduaTN1Yg==

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  • This Spaghetti Carbonara uses just four simple ingredients along with some salt and pepper and is ready in less than 15 minutes. Find the full recipe from our @simplybetterds brand ambassador @nevenmaguire below:

    Ingredients
    1 Pack Simply Better Italian Bronze Spaghetti
    2 Packs Simply Better Guanciale Pepato, cut into strips
    4 Simply Irish Better Free Range Corn Fed Large Eggs and 2 Yolks
    1 Pack Pecorino Romano PDO, finely grated
    Simply Better Oriel Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

    Method
    1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a rolling boil. Season with salt and cook the spaghetti for 10 minutes until al dente.
    2. Meanwhile, heat a non-stick frying pan over a high heat. SautƩ the Guanciale for 2-3 minutes until crisp. Drain off the excess fat and tip on to a plate to cool.
    3. Beat the eggs and yolks in a mixing bowl until lightly and fluffy. Season generously with pepper and fold in most of the pecorino, reserving some to garnish.
    4. Drain the spaghetti, reserving a small cupful of the cooking water and immediately tip into the bowl with the egg mixture. Add most of the Guanciale, reserving some for garnishing, and toss with a tongs until evenly combined. The heat of the spaghetti will be enough to create a smooth silky sauce – you can add a little of the reserved cooking water if you think it needs it. Divide among bowls and garnish with the rest of the Guanciale and Pecorino to serve.

    Neven’s Top Tip: Reserving a small cupful of the pasta cooking water when draining can be used to enhance the silkiness of the cooking sauce before serving3d

Neven Maguire’s Brown Scones are full of roughage and great for breakfast

Brown scones are full of roughage and great for breakfast. And here is a good tip: you can make this mixture, shape the scones and freeze them. You can then cook the scones straight from the freezer to the oven – just give them an extra 5 minutes and make sure the scones are golden brown and well-risen.

Ingredients

  • Rapeseed or sunflower oil, for greasing
  • 225g (8oz) self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 225g (8oz) coarse wholemeal flour
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 50g (2oz) wheat bran
  • 25g (1oz) butter, diced and at room temperature
  • 1 tsp light muscovado sugar
  • 300ml (½ pint) buttermilk, plus a little extra if necessary

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F/gas mark 7). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and grease the paper with a little oil.
  2. Sift the flours, baking soda and salt into a bowl. Tip in the bran left in the sieve and stir it in with the wheat bran. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until it is evenly dispersed. Stir in the sugar.
  3. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk and golden syrup. Using a large spoon, mix gently and quickly until you have achieved a smooth, not-too-sticky dough. Add a little more buttermilk if necessary, until the dough binds together without being sloppy.
  4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 2.5cm (1in) thickness and cut into rounds with a 6cm (2½in) plain cutter. Arrange on the lined baking sheets and bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown and well-risen.
  5. Serve with butter or lightly whipped cream and strawberry jam.


By Neven Maguire

Celebrity Chef

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