2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus a little extra, if liked
500ml (18fl oz) boiling water
75g (3oz) rice flour
1 tbsp sumac, plus extra to garnish
150g (5oz) organic salmon fillets, pin-boned and skinned
75g (3oz) toasted pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp flax seeds finely grated rind of 1 lemon
2 large handfuls of watercress
1 small pomegranate, halved and seeds removed (skin discarded)
lemon wedges, to garnish
HARISSA YOGHURT:
2 heaped tbsp thick Greek yoghurt
2 tsp harissa paste
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Neven Says: “This is a super-healthy dish packed full of omega-3. Sumac is made from the dried berries of a flowering plant that are ground to produce an acidic, reddish- purple powder that is very popular in the Middle East.
Place the couscous in a heatproof bowl and season well, then stir in 1 teaspoon of the oil. Pour over the boiling water, cover tightly with cling film and set aside.
Heat the rest of the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium to high heat. Put the rice flour in a shallow dish with the sumac and season generously with salt and pepper. Dust the salmon in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Add to the heated oil in the frying pan and cook for 2–3 minutes on each side, until crisp and golden.
Meanwhile, fluff up the couscous with a fork, then fold in the pumpkin seeds and flaxseeds with the lemon rind. At the last moment, roughly chop the watercress and toss it through the couscous with the pomegranate seeds.
Mix the yoghurt and harissa together in a small bowl and season to taste. Cover with cling film and chill until needed.
Arrange the crispy salmon on plates and add an extra light sprinkling of sumac. Add a small mound of the couscous, then drizzle over a little extra olive oil, if liked. Garnish with lemon wedges and add a spoonful of the harissa yoghurt to serve.
Casseroles are simply the easiest meals to prepare. First you do all your peeling, slicing and sautéing, then you pop everything into a large pot with a lid and leave it in the oven or on the hob for a couple of hours. In the meantime, you can go for a walk, watch a movie or mow the lawn, then later on, you can settle down to a hearty, warming feast.
SERVES 6–8
50g (2oz) butter
900g (2lb) venison haunch, cut into 2.5cm (1in) cubes
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
50g (2oz) plain flour
2 tbsp paprika
300ml (½ pint) red wine
2 tbsp redcurrant jelly
about 1.2 litres (2 pints) beef or chicken stock
450g (1lb) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
1 x 400g (14oz) tin of butter beans, drained and rinsed
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4).
2 Heat the butter in a large, flameproof casserole with a lid over a medium heat. Season the venison and add to the dish. Add the onion, celery and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Add the flour and paprika and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring to combine. Pour in the wine and allow it to bubble down, stirring constantly. Mix in the redcurrant jelly with enough stock to just cover the meat.
3 Bring the casserole to the boil, then season to taste. Cover with a lid and put in the oven for 1 hour. After this time, remove from the oven to add the sweet potatoes and butter beans, then continue cooking in the oven for another hour, until the venison and sweet potatoes are tender.
4 Spoon into warmed bowls and garnish with the parsley to serve.
Stuffed beef rolls with red wine sauce
This recipe uses a good-value cut that isn’t as popular as it should be. It’s perfect comfort food for all the family on a chilly winter evening. It does take time, though, because it needs slow cooking to get as much flavour as possible and to become very tender so that when these stuffed beef rolls are finished cooking, you will be able to eat them with a spoon.
SERVES 4
4 x 100g (4oz) slices of lean topside of beef
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
2 celery sticks, diced
600ml (1 pint) beef stock
250ml (9fl oz) red wine
1 tbsp tomato purée
2 fresh thyme sprigs, plus extra sprigs to garnish
1 bay leaf
creamy mashed potatoes, to serve (optional)
FOR THE STUFFING:
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
2 parsnips, finely grated
pinch of mild curry powder
3 tbsp fresh white breadcrumbs
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4).
2 First make the stuffing. Heat the oil in a sauté pan. Add the onion and thyme and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened but not coloured. Add the grated parsnips and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring. Stir in the curry powder and cook for 20 minutes, until the parsnips are tender. Remove from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs, then season to taste. Spread the stuffing in an even layer over the beef slices and roll them up to enclose, securing them with a cocktail stick.
3 To prepare the casserole, heat the oil in a casserole over a high heat and sear the beef parcels until brown all over. Remove to a plate and set aside. Next, sauté the onion, carrots and celery for a few minutes, until they are just catching colour. Add the beef stock, wine, tomato purée, thyme sprigs and bay leaf and bring slowly to the boil. Return the beef to the casserole, then cover and cook in the oven for 1–1½ hours, until the beef rolls are meltingly tender. Season to taste.
4 To serve, remove the cocktail sticks from the beef parcels and cut them into slices. Arrange on warmed plates and pour over the sauce. Garnish with the thyme and add a dollop of mashed potatoes to each one to serve if liked.
This is a perfect tea for lots of hungry children, but it would also be a good weekend late breakfast, depending on your mood. It’s the classic way that many crêpe stallholders cook crêpes to order late at night around the major tourist attractions in Paris. They are always very popular, often with long queues, and once you’ve tasted them it’s easy to understand why.
Ingredients
24 asparagus spears
8 eggs
450 g swiss cheese, such as gruyère or emmental (thinly sliced)
8 slices of cooked ham
1 tblsp olive oil
Crêpes:
100 g plain flour
1 egg
300 ml milk
sunflower oil (for frying)
sea salt
black pepper (freshly ground)
Method
Sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the egg and whisk well with a balloon whisk.
Gradually beat in the milk, drawing in the flour from the sides to make a smooth batter. Leave to rest for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, trim the asparagus spears and blanch in a pan of boiling water for 1–2 minutes, until almost tender but still with a slight bite.
Drain and refresh under cold running water to prevent them from cooking any further and set aside until needed.
Heat a little oil in an 18cm (7in) heavy-based pancake or frying pan. Pour in just enough batter to thinly coat the base of the pan.
Cook over a moderately high heat for about 1 minute, until golden brown. Turn or toss the crêpe and break in an egg, then gently whisk to spread it evenly all over the crêpe.
Watch our Simply Better brand ambassador @nevenmaguire prepare this delicious Lemon Posset with Macerated Strawberries using our Simply Better Irish King Strawberries from @clarkesfreshfruit and our Irish Jersey Cream from @thevillagedairy. Shop the ingredients in your local @dunnesstores and find the full recipe below:
Ingredients (Serves 4) 4 Simply Better Handmade Irish Butter Shortbread, to serve 600ml Simply Better Irish Jersey Cream 100g Caster Sugar Juice & Rind of 1 Lemon 1 Large Passion Fruit 1 Vanilla Pod, seeds only
For the Macerated Strawberries 1 Punnet of Simply Better Irish King Strawberries 2 Tbsp Simply Better Wexford Blackcurrant & Lime Cordial 1 Tsp Simply Better Balsamic Vinegar of Modena 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract 1 Tbsp Chopped Basil or Mint
Method 1. To make the lemon posset, place the cream in a saucepan with the sugar, vanilla pod seeds, passion fruit seeds, lemon rind and juice. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes then transfer to a jug. 2. Pour into 4 stemmed glasses and place in the refrigerator to set overnight. 3. To prepare the macerated strawberries, quarter the strawberries and combine in a bowl with the balsamic vinegar, cordial, vanilla and mint or basil. Leave to infuse, overnight is best. 4. To serve, spoon some of the macerated strawberries over the lemon posset and serve with a shortbread biscuit.1d
Watch our brand ambassador @nevenmaguire prepare this delicious Ginger & Lime Baked Cheesecake. Find the full recipe below:
Ginger & Lime Baked Cheesecake with Irish Strawberry Compote Ingredients (Serves 6-8) For The Base: 2 Packs of Simply Better Handmade Oat & Ginger Cookies, crushed 75g Butter, plus extra for greasing For The Compote: 1 Bag of Simply Better Expertly Grown Frozen Irish Strawberries 250ml Simply Better Handmade Irish Raspberry & Wexford Rhubarb Cordial For the Filling: 3 Simply Better Free Range Corn Fed Large Eggs 500g Cream Cheese 100g Caster Sugar 1Tbsp Cornflour Finely Grated Rind and Juice of 2 Limes 1 Vanilla Pod, split in half lengthways and seeds scraped out To Serve: Simply Better Single Source Irish Jersey Cream, lightly whipped Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 160°C Lightly butter a 9inch loose-bottomed cake tin and line with non-stick baking or parchment paper. 2. To make the base, melt the butter in a pan set over a gentle heat. Add the crushed cookies and mix well. Spread the mixture over the base of the tin, pressing down with the back of a spoon to flatten. Place in the oven for 10 minutes to firm up. 3. Remove the tin from the oven and set aside. Place a dish of hot water in the oven on the bottom rack – this will stop a skin forming on the cheesecake. Place the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, lime rind and juice, vanilla seeds and cornflour in a mixing bowl and beat together until smooth with an electric whisk. 4. Pour this mixture into the cake tin and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 35-45 minutes until lightly golden. The filling should still be a bit wobbly at this stage. Turn off the oven, open the door and leave to cool completely. The filling will set as it cools. 5. To make the compote, place the leftover vanilla pod in a saucepan with the cordial and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes until reduced and slightly thickened. Place the strawberries in the pan and poach the berries for 2-3 minutes until softened but still holding their shape. Remove the vanilla pod before serving. 6. To serve, slice the cheesecake into wedges and serve with some cream and the poached strawberries.
Lovely for Breakfast, Lunch or Brunch! A quick & easy to make omlette is a perfect treat! Using Bord Bia – Irish Food Board Quality Assured Eggs & Bacon from Simply Better at Dunnes Stores collection and finished with fantastic Extra Mature Drinagh Cheese!
We’ve just added a new recipe to our dedicated recipes page on our website! Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic with Goats Cheese. A great dish served alongside some toasted bread or stirred through pasta.
Foodaware 