Tag: RTE lyric fm

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Neven’s Recipes – Smoked bacon and egg croissants with red pepper relish – Marty in the Morning @rte lyric fm

RTÉ lyric fm

These filled croissants are always a winner at breakfast and are an excellent way of using up day-old croissants. However, they also freeze very well and I often keep some tucked away for those unplanned mornings when we’ve been out late and something substantial is in order…

SERVES 4

  • 8 rindless smoked streaky bacon rashers
  • 4 butter croissants
  • 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 4 eggs
  • FOR THE RED PEPPER RELISH:
  • 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 1 roasted red pepper, finely chopped (from a jar or tin)
  • 2 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 2 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • large pinch of caster sugar
  • good pinch of dried chilli flakes
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 To make the roasted red pepper relish, place the tomatoes, red pepper, spring onions, basil, vinegar, sugar and chilli flakes in a saucepan and cook for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have softened. Season to taste and leave to cool.

2 Preheat the grill to medium. Arrange the bacon on a grill rack and cook for 5–6 minutes, until crisp, turning once. Slice the croissants, then open them out and place the slices of crispy bacon inside.

3 Heat a large frying pan and add the oil, swirling to coat the base evenly. Break in the eggs and cook for 2 minutes (or longer if you prefer your eggs less runny), gently spooning the excess oil over the yolks to help them cook. Using a fish slice, carefully lift the eggs and put into the croissants, then top each one with a spoonful of the roasted red pepper relish to serve.

French omelette with mushrooms and bacon

Omelettes are so quick to make that it’s just not worth cooking a large one for two. Don’t be tempted to over-beat the omelette, as it will spoil the texture. A combination of wild mushrooms, such as shiitake, oyster and chanterelle, which most supermarkets are now stocking, would make this into a very special breakfast.

SERVES 1

  • 2 tsp sunflower or rapeseed oil
  • 1 large flat mushroom, sliced into
  • small pieces
  • 1 smoked streaky bacon rasher, rind
  • removed and chopped
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • knob of unsalted butter
  • 50g (2oz) Gruyère or Cheddar
  • cheese, thinly sliced (optional)
  • sea salt and freshly ground
  • black pepper
  • crusty French bread, to serve

1 Preheat the grill to medium and heat a non-stick frying pan with a base that’s about 20cm (8in) in diameter over a medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the oil and tip in the mushrooms and bacon. Season to taste, then sauté for 2–3 minutes, until tender. Tip into a bowl and set aside.

2 Wipe out the frying pan and return it to the hob. Break the eggs into a bowl and add the parsley, then season and lightly beat. When the pan is hot, add the remaining teaspoon of oil and the butter, swirling it around so that the base and sides get coated.

3 While the butter is still foaming, pour in the egg mixture, tilting the pan from side to side. Stir gently with a fork or wooden spatula, drawing the mixture from the sides to the centre as it sets. When the eggs have almost set, scatter over the cheese, if using, and place under the grill for 1–2 minutes, until the omelette has set and the cheese has melted.

4 Scatter the reserved mushrooms and bacon over the grilled omelette and tilt the pan away from you slightly. Use a palette knife to fold over a third of the omelette to the centre, then fold over the opposite third. Slide onto a warmed plate, allowing it to flip over so that the folded sides are underneath. Serve at once with some crusty bread.

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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.