The secret of this salad success is all in the temperature of the mozzarella, says @eunicepower . Be sure to follow @RTEToday to stay up to date with all the latest from Maura and Dáithí.
The secret of this salad success is all in the temperature of the mozzarella, says @eunicepower . Be sure to follow @RTEToday to stay up to date with all the latest from Maura and Dáithí.
A gorgeous, healthy and flavoursome soup. Serves four as a starter.
Ingredients
200 g (7oz) natural yoghurt
160 g (5½oz) peeled, cored and chopped apple
160 g (5½oz) peeled raw beetroot, chopped (young tender beetroot is best)
0.5 clove of garlic
1 tsp toasted and ground cumin seeds
good pinch of salt
good twist of black pepper
1 tblsp cider vinegar
1 tsp honey
walnut oil or extra virgin olive oil, to serve
for the dill and honey yoghurt
1 tsp honey
3 tsp chopped dill
50 g (2oz) natural yoghurt
Method
Mix all the ingredients for the dill and honey yoghurt together and chill until needed.
Put the yoghurt and apple into a blender with 100ml (3½fl oz) water. First give it a quick blitz, then add all the remaining ingredients except the oil and whiz for a good length of time until as smooth as possible. Pour through a sieve, then chill before serving.
To serve, pour the soup into bowls. Blob on some of the dill and honey yoghurt, then drizzle with walnut or extra virgin olive oil.
I am never quite sure if I should be calling this a cake or a tart but in any event, it is delicious and quite easy to make.
Ingredients
I am never quite sure if I should be calling this a cake or a tart but in any event, it is delicious and quite easy to make.
The origins of the recipe are from Tuscany in Italy but I like to use highly perfumed Irish dessert apples when in season. Look out for some lesser known but very delicious Irish dessert apples such as Irish Peach and Ardcairn Russet.
Serves 8
10g butter melted for greasing the parchment paper
4 dessert apples
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
250g caster sugar
2 eggs
150ml cream
110g butter melted and cooled
125g whole almonds, blanched, peeled and ground to a fine powder in a food processer or ground almonds
110g plain flour sieved
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder sieved
100g of apricot jam
1 tablespoon lemon juice, warmed and sieved
2 tablespoons of chopped sweet geranium leaves ( optional)
Method
Preheat the oven to 180c / 350 f / gas 4
Line a 28cm flan ring with a removable base with a disc of parchment paper. The paper should in one piece cover the base and sides of the tin and come up 1cm above the edge of the tin. Brush the paper with a little melted butter.
Peel, core and quarter the apples and slice into c 3mm slices. Mix with the lemon zest. Whisk the vanilla, sugar, and eggs to a thick and light consistency similar to a batter. Whisk in the cream and cooled melted butter. Fold in the almonds, flour and baking powder. Add ¾ of the sliced apples, being careful not to break the apple slices.
Pour the mixture into the prepared flan ring and gently smooth over the surface. Scatter the remaining apples over the surface and sprinkle with 1 dessertspoon of caster sugar.
Place in the preheated oven and cook for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 160c etc and cook for a further 40 minutes by which time the tart will feel gently set. It may be necessary to cover the tart during the cooking with a sheet of parchment paper if the tart is getting too dark.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. While the tart is still warm, Paint the surfaced with the warm sieved apricot jam to achieve a glossy glaze and if using the chopped geranium, sprinkle on immediately after glazing the tart.
Foodaware 