MacNean House and Restaurant 50m · ⭐️🎄CHRISTMAS CAKE & AUNTIE MAUREEN’S CHRISTMAS PUDDING🎄⭐️ Its the time of year to get ahead for all your Christmas baking! Neven is sharing his Christmas Cake recipe & his Auntie Maureen’s Christmas Pudding. A tried & tested recipe over the years with fantastic feedback. The plum pudding is a regular appearance on our menu at MacNean House over the Christmas weeks & features in our Christmas Hamper this year!
Watch our Simply Better brand ambassador Neven Maguire prepare this delicious Irish Tomato & Pesto Puff Pastry Tart using our new Simply Better Irish Grown Tomkin & Tomistar Tomatoes from Grantstown Nurseries in Co. Waterford. Shop the ingredients in your local Dunnes Stores and find the full recipe below:
Ingredients (Serves 8) 1 Pack of Simply Better Ready To Roll All Butter Puff Pastry, thawed 3 Tbsp. Simply Better Italian Basil Pesto alla Genovese with PDO Genovese Basil 250g Simply Better Irish Tomkin & Tomistar Tomatoes, sliced 125g Cream Cheese Fresh Basil Leaves, to garnish Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Method 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C Fan (425°F/Gas Mark 7). 2. Dust a work surface with flour and roll out the puff pastry into a large rectangle measuring about 45x30cm/18x12in and about 3mm thick. Lightly score a 1cm border around the edge of the pastry using a sharp knife and transfer to a baking tray. 3. Smear a layer of cream cheese inside the pastry border, then cover the cream cheese in a layer of basil pesto. Arrange the sliced tomatoes on top and season with a little salt and pepper before transferring to the oven to bake for about 25-30 minutes until the pastry has puffed up and become golden. 4. Garnish the puff pastry tart with the fresh basil leaves and serve straight to the table.
Mix up your favorite guac by adding feta, rice vinegar and oregano!
Traditional guacamole gets a Mediterranean makeover in this mouth-watering dip. Adding flavorful feta cheese, rice vinegar, oregano and parsley will satisfy the cravings of both avocado lovers and feta addicts!
Ingredients
1 cup chopped avocado (1–2 avocados)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar (flavored with basil and oregano)
1 1/4 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
Directions
In a bowl, gently stir together avocado, onion and garlic.
Mix in parsley and oregano.
Gently stir in olive oil, vinegar and feta. Refrigerate or serve immediately.
Ingredient health benefits
Avocados: Sometimes, good things come in small, bumpy packages. Adding avocados to any dish is a rich, creamy way to get some important nutrients in your body. They’re loaded with unsaturated fats and potassium, which support your heart and protect it from disease, as well as vitamins K, C, E, B6 and B9 (folate). These vitamins support many essential aspects of your well-being, from your eyes and immune cells to strong bones and soft skin. And speaking of head-to-toe health, avocadoes are also high in insoluble and soluble fiber, which your digestive tract will greatly appreciate!
Onions: It’s easy not to look past the potent, eyewatering qualities of this common ingredient, but your efforts won’t be in vain! Onions are packed with important nutrients like vitamin C, fiber and flavonoids, which promote immunity, lower inflammation and keep your heart healthy. The fiber in onions also works with prebiotics to bolster your “good” gut bacteria and “smooth your moves.” And a flavonoid called quercetin may suppress the growth of “bad” bacteria that can make you sick.
Garlic: Another aromatic allium, garlic is so nutritious that some consider it a superfood! It can boost your immune system when eaten regularly with lots of fruits and vegetables, and it may help regulate your blood pressure. There are also plenty of antioxidants that help decrease unwanted inflammation and keep your cells in peak condition, and certain natural compounds might protect you from harmful bacteria like Salmonellaand E. coli.
Parsley: Even herbs can have some benefits of their own! Parsley is a natural diuretic, so it helps your body get rid of extra fluid when nature calls, and there are flavonoids to help preserve your heart and brain health.
Olive oil: It’s well known that olive oil is a prime choice when it comes to cooking oils, but have you ever wondered why? Well, it’s chock full of heart-healthy fats that help lower your “bad” (LDL) cholesterol and raise your “good” (HDL) cholesterol, as well as fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins D and K. Olive oil is also rich in polyphenols, a type of antioxidant. And while all olive oil is nutritious and delicious, consider going for the extra virgin variety (EVOO) if you can, as it has the highest concentration of these benefits.
Cheese: What’s not to love about a food that also loves you? Cheese is a meat-free source of omega-3s, essential fats that fuel every cell in your body and may decrease your risk of certain cancers and eye diseases. Whey, casein and calcium support strong bones and muscles so they can support your needs. And vitamin A and vitamin B12 are responsible for keeping your eyes, brain and blood cells in top shape, while the minerals selenium and zinc help strengthen your immunity.
Nutrition information (per serving)
Makes 5 servings Serving = 1/4 cup
Calories: 123 (72% calories from fat) Fat: 11 g Saturated fat: 2 g Cholesterol: 3 mg Sodium: 105 mg Carbohydrates: 7 g Dietary fiber: 4 g Sugar: 1 g Protein: 3 g Dietary exchanges: 1/2 starch, 2 fat
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Serve with butter or lightly whipped cream and strawberry jam.
These healthy muffins are the perfect addition to any lunchbox! Sweetened with honey and packed with goodness, they’re a tasty grab-and-go snack for busy school days. Add your favourite seasonal berries to mix up the flavours and keep lunchboxes interesting.
Ingredients 85ml milk 90g Glenilen vanilla yoghurt 100ml vegetable oil 80g honey 1 medium egg 1 medium orange zest 200g plain flour 50g porridge oats (extra to sprinkle on top) 2.5 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 175g fresh blueberries
Method Preheat your oven to 180C/160C fan. Line the muffin tray with paper liners and set aside. Into a bowl, add the milk, Glenilen vanilla yoghurt, oil, egg, honey & orange zest. Whisk to combine. To this, sieve in the flour, baking powder & bicarbonate of soda. Add the porridge oats and mix to combine. Finally add the fresh blueberries and fold through. Divide between the 10 lined muffin cases and sprinkle on some porridge oats. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove and allow to cool before eating.
