Cheese, Caramalised Onion & Thyme Pastries

By Emma in Uncategorized

Although I love food and cooking there are times when my cooking mojo is absent.  This usually happens when life gets a bit too busy and I am lacking in sleep.  I sat down after putting the baby to bed last night and found that all mojo I had was gone.  I wasn’t even hungry, despite not having eaten all day.  Thankfully my better half put some vegetable soup under my nose and once it was consumed I felt a little more alive.

The house was quiet and I had the television to myself, so I took the opportunity to watch a recorded episode of a Nigel Slater show. As I watched my cooking mojo slowly returned and by the end of the show I was full of inspiration.  I love Nigel’s approach to food. He takes such joy from creating something tasty from simple, wholesome ingredients that you can’t help but be inspired.

I went to my fridge to see what needed to be used up and was faced with some neglected wenslydale cheese, some onions and a defrosted piece of puff pastry (that was taking up too much room in my freezer and needed to be used up).  This was the dish that resulted and in truth, it was a result of pure greed.   Soft caramalised onions, sharp, creamy cheese, aromatic thyme and wonderful butter puff pastry.  What more could you ask?

Cheese, Caramalised Onion & Thyme Pastries (makes 9)

1 large onion, thinly sliced
25g butter
75g cheese (I used wenslydale)
a sprig of thyme
salt and pepper
250g all butter puff pastry
egg or milk to glaze

Heat your oven to 190 celsius.  Using a non-stick pan, melt the butter and cook the onion in the butter over a low heat for about 10 minutes until soft and slightly browned.  Set the onions aside.  Grate the cheese and set side.

On a floured worksurface, roll the pastry out into a rectangle, about 0.5cm in thickness.  Cut the pastry into nine equal pieces.  Place a teaspoon of the caramalised onions on the right hand side of each pieced of pastry & spread it out lengthways, leaving a half centimetre gap between the onions and the edge of the pastry.  Sprinkle some thyme leaves onto the onions and top with a teaspoon or so of grated cheese.  Repeat on all nine pieces of pastry.  Using some beaten egg or milk, brush the right edges of the pastry and fold the left side over on to the pastry and the topping, pinch to seal.

Transfer to a baking sheet and brush the top of the pastries with some milk or egg.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and has risen.  Cool on a rack before serving.

Soft Oat Cookies

By Emma in Uncategorized Tags: , ,

My friend had a baby recently and I decided to make her some cookies to nibble on whilst she feeds and that would help with her supply.  Really I just wanted to make some cookies and in truth, I shall have to have to make another batch for her as these are disappearing rather quickly in my home.

This recipe makes soft chewy oat cookies; the type that are required when the weather turns cold and cups of tea become more frequent and necessary.  I have a notion that when my son is old enough to know what a cookie jar is (or indeed, a cookie) that I will have a large glass cookie jar on my counter filled with this kind of homemade treat for him.  Alas, although I have the cookies I do not have the jar.  Yet another thing to add to my ‘want’ list.

These cookies are large and chewy and definitely taste like more.  I pressed mine into rounds but you could use a cookie cutter if you wanted something neater (although I like the home cooked look of these beauties).  The dough will keep in the fridge overnight if you want to make it advance, tempting your family downstairs with the smell of freshly baked cookies on a chilly morning.  And although the ‘C’ word is forbidden by many this early in the year, I know of few people who would object to receiving a carefully wrapped package of oat cookies as a Christmas gift , should you be so inclined.

Soft Oat Cookies (makes 12 cookies) 

Ingredients

115 g butter, room temperature
100 g caster sugar
110 g soft brown sugar
1 egg
0.5 tsp vanilla extract
125 g plain flour
0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
0.5 tsp salt
0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
120 g  oats

Method
Beat together the butter, caster sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg one combining fully before adding the vanilla extract. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a seperate bowl and then stir into the creamed mixture and mix in the oats.   Cover and chill for at least one hour.
Preheat your oven to 190 degrees centigrade and grease a cookie sheet.  Roll the mix in to walnut sized balls and place 5 cms apart on the cookie sheet and flatten each cookie with a fork.  Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.   Allow the cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Hallowe’en Pizza Mummies

By Emma in Uncategorized Tags:

 

I used to love Hallowe’en as a child but truth be told, I lost interest as an adult.  My son is only fourteen months but he has reignited my interest in the holiday.  This year my house is festooned with pumpkins, bats and owls and despite the fact that he won’t understand what is going on this year, there is a skeleton babygro tucked away upstairs, ready to be pulled out for the night itself.

I’m not foolish enough to think that he will take any of this in but it does give me the opportunity to practice some recipes for future Hallowe’ens in the hope that in years to come he will associate Hallowe’en with Mama making x, and perhaps even he’ll carry these traditions on to his own family.

These went down very well from a taste perspective at least (what fourteen month old knows what a Mummy is, the Egyptian kind, that is) and I thought they looked rather fetching.

Hallowe’en Pizza Mummies

Ingredients

1 baguette
8 teaspoons passatta or tomato sauce
small block of cheese (I used cheddar)
4 black olives, pitted

Method

Cut the baguette in half lengthways and then cut each length in half again.  Spread each piece with two teaspoons of passatta and top with thinly sliced pieces of cheese, taking care not to put the cheese to closely together or they will meld into on large blob.  Slice the olives thinly and place two pieces of olive on each piece of bread to form eyes.  Grill on high for a minute or two until the cheese is just melted.  Serve immediately.

Col Cannon

By Emma in Simple Suppers, Uncategorized Tags: ,

 

The days have shortened and the weather cooled and there is an abundance of headstones and other goulish creations in my neighbourhood, which can mean only one thing: Hallowe’en is just around the corner.

I loved trick or treating as a child but most of all I loved the food.  Each year there would be a bonfire down the road from where I lived and my parents used to take me down to see it and to light sparklers and other fireworks.  Then it would be home to gorge myself on sweets and chocolate.  The sweets and chocolate were wonderful but what was really nice, what I really looked forward to was the col cannon that we invariably ate around Hallowe’en.  Kale comes into season in Ireland around this time each year, so that is why it is eaten now but I associate it with the beginning of dark afternoons, real fires and glazed ham with a pile of buttery col cannon.  I’m sure my mother was delighted that I would eat sure a dark green vegetable but to me it was more of a treat than a chore (although I do remember being admonished about how much butter I would add to the mash).  There’s something about an Irish potato, potatoes just don’t taste the same if they’re not grown here.  Add some kale, warm milk and butter and I’m in heaven.

Traditionally this would be served with boiled ham but it’s equally nice with other roast meat, sausages or in a big bowl by itself.  It can also be made ahead of time and reheated if you’re in a rush.

Col Cannon (serves 6)

Ingredients

1kg potatoes, boiled/steamed and mashed or riced
350g kale, stalks removed and finely chopped
75g salted butter
75ml milk, warmed slightly

Method

Peel and chop the potatoes and place in a pot with some salted water.  Boil the potatoes for 20-25 minutes or until a knife passes through the potato easily.  Simmer the kale in some salted water for 6-8 minutes or until just al dente. Mash or rice the potatoes and mix with the butter and warm milk until thoroughly combined.  Mix in the kale into the mashed potatoes and top with some butter. Try not to have third helpings.

Chicken Cacciatore

By Emma in Low GI, Simple Suppers, Uncategorized Tags: , ,

I’m not sure what an Italian mama would make of this recipe (or it’s authenticity) but this Irish mama loves it.  It’s a simple, no nonsense family pleasing casserole  which, once prepared, pretty much looks after itself, and when you’re hard pushed to put some tasty, nutritious food on the table mid-week this hits the spot.

Chicken Cacciatore translates as ‘Hunter’s Chicken’ and is commonly made in northern Italy.  It certainly smells and tastes heady and earthy but there are no hunters in this house.  This is a fantastic dish which comes togrther quickly but tastes like it has taken hours simmering on a stove.  I sometimes add cannelinni beans if I want to bulk it out into a one pot meal.  It is often served with egg pasta but I prefer to serve it with baby potatoes, roasted in olive oil, thyme and salt.  You could do worse than having a glass of red wine with it too.

Chicken Cacciatore (serves 4)

Ingredients

800g chicken pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 large carrots, diced
3 sticks celery, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
100ml white wine
400g tin chopped tomatoes
500ml best quality chicken stock
1 bay leaf
a couple of sprigs of thyme
small bunch parsley

Method

Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add the onion, carrots and celery and cook on a medium heat for five minutes or so until softened.  Add the crushed garlic and sauté for a minute or two to soften.  Then add the chicken pieces, skin side down and cook on a high heat until the skin browns slightly.

Once the chicken is browned add the white wine and simmer until it has reduced by half.  Then add the tomatoes, stock and herbs and mix thoroughly.  Turn the heat up and bring to a simmer, then clamp on the lid and turn the heat down.  Simmer gently for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken falls away from the bone.

 

 

Scones Like Nana Used to Make

By Emma in Sweet Treats, Uncategorized

My paternal grandmother looked after me after school when I was little and my parents were at work.  Thirty something years on there are still tastes and smells that remind me of her and transport me back to her little kitchen, where I spent many hours standing on a chair, watching her cook.  She was an old lady when I came on the scene and very much a traditional cook and I used to listen in silent fascination at the stories she told me of her childhood in Galway in the west of the country.

Unfortunately once you told nana you liked something she overdid it a little (Campbell’s Cream of Tomato soup is a case in point, although this is still my go to when I need some instant comfort).  She made the best fried potatoes too and try as I might I still can’t replicate them.

She didn’t have a recipe for scones, she was an intuitive baker who could estimate the amount of ingredients by sight and still produce something that would leave me gazing into the oven, waiting for the goodies inside to emerge.  I’m not an intuitive baker and I need a recipe and scales to produce anything near as good as she used to bake.  I wish that I had spoken to her about her cooking before she left us but I was young and that wisdom only comes with age.

This is the scone recipe that I use nowadays and it’s as close as I have been able to get to my nana’s scones.  They’re sweet and light and will feel like a big hug when you eat them, especially if you load them with some lovely Irish butter and serve with a big mug of Barrys (or Lyons, depending on where you are from) tea.

My  friend declared them ‘just like my mammy used to make’.  High praise indeed.

Fruit Scones (makes 12 medium scones)

454g self raising flour
pinch salt
75g caster sugar
100g butter, cubed and at room temperature
a handful of sultanas
100 mls milk
2 eggs

Method

Preheat your oven to 180c.  Mix the flour salt and sugar together in a large mixing bowl.  Rub the butter into the flour mix until it forms a breadcrumb like consistency.   Add the other ingredients to the breadcrumbs and mix with a spoon first to get the mix going, then knead the mixture a little to bring it together.  You might need to add a touch more milk to bring it together.  Cut or shape into rounds and place on a pre heated baking tray covered in flour and bake for 15-20 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack (if you can wait long enough, I never can).  They will keep for 3/4 days in a sealed tin and freeze well too.

Brioche Bread and Butter Pudding

By Emma in Special Occasions, Sweet Treats, Uncategorized Tags: ,

I don’t know why my family didn’t make or eat bread and butter pudding but I didn’t taste it until I had left home.  Once I had tried it, it soon became a firm favourite of mine.  I love the soft, custardy centre, dotted with sultanas and the crisp topping.  To me, it is the epitome of comforting Winter food and perfect for a family meal.

This recipe is an update on an old favourite.  Bread and butter pudding was traditionally made from stale bread and to be fair, this dish does work best with day old bread.  It is best to leave the bread soaking in the custardy mix for about 20 minutes or so before cooking to give the bread a chance to absorb the liquid.  You need to be careful not to over cook this dish, you want the inside to be softly cooked and the top to be golden brown.  This pudding is best served warm with some cream, creme anglaise or if you really want to push the boat out, some ice cream.  I have used brioche in this recipe but most white breads will do, even croissants.

Brioche Bread and Butter Pudding

Ingredients

5 large slices brioche, cut in half
50g butter
454ml milk
2 eggs
50g sultanas
50g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla essance
soft brown sugar, for sprinkling

Method

Butter the brioche on one side and place face down in a baking dish approximately 20cm in length.  Sprinkle the sultanas over the bread.  In a jug, beat the eggs then add the milk, sugar and vanilla essence and mix well.  Slowly pour over the bread and set aside for 20 minutes to allow the bread to absorb the custard.

Preheat your oven to 190c.  Sprinkle the top generously with soft brown sugar and bake for 20 minutes or until the top is a golden brown and the custard is just set.  Serve with cream, custard or ice cream.  Have seconds, try to avoid having thirds.

Baby Friendly Chicken Parmigiana

By Emma in Simple Suppers, Uncategorized Tags: ,

I’ve been weaning my son for seven months now and we have reached the stage where he (read: me) is becoming more and more adventurous in what he will try (or I will give him).  He appears to have enjoyed everything that we have given him so far, with the exception of ice cream which produced a reaction that I am not eager to repeat.

He is now beginning to eat with us in the evenings and we are all enjoying this new development.  I like to place large dishes on the dining table for people to help themselves.  This means that he can see that he is eating the same food as Mama and Dada which appears to make him very happy indeed.  This is a pleasant development but it means that I am having to really think about the ingredients that I use.  I grew up in a house where salt was heavy on the menu and I did not realise until recently how much that it had crept into my own cooking.  Trying to cook without or with very, very low levels of salt is proving a bit tricky but it will be better in the long run for all of us and will save my son’s little body from being damaged by high levels of salt.

I have a few stand bys that I can whip up quite quickly which I know we will all enjoy but I am trying to add to my baby friendly repertoire and this dish is one such attempt.  I had some chicken pieces in the fridge which my husband picked up a couple of days ago.  I also had some lovely parmesan which I wanted to use but it was unpasteurised, meaning I would have to cook it in order to give it to the baby.  I also knew that I had some staples in my store cupboard such as passatta, some herbs and breadcrumbs so this dish ticked all the necessary boxes.  We all loved it and it is definitely a family meal that I’ll return to time and time again.  The added bonus is that it freezes well and will reheat well in a moderate oven for about 20 minutes.  The method to crumb the chicken can also be used to make some homemade chicken nuggets for older children, which is preferable to serving the junk that passes as chicken nuggets often found in the freezer aisle.

Chicken Parmigiana

Ingredients

300 g chicken fillets or breasts, halved
1 egg, beaten
2 slices of bread, processed into breadcrumbs
2 good handfuls freshly grated parmesan
2 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
400ml passata
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried oregano or basil
0.5 ball cows milk mozzarella

Method

Take the chicken pieces and place between two sheets of cling film or in a sealed plastic bag.  Bash the chicken with a meat mallet or rolling pin until they are 0.5cm thick.  In two separate dishes, set out the egg and half the parmesan mixed with the breadcrumbs.  Dip the chicken in the egg and then the breadcrumb mix.  Grill the chicken for 4 minutes on each side, or fry in some olive oil, whichever is your preference.

Heat the oil in a large pot and cook the garlic gently until just softened,then add the passata, oregano or basil and sugar.  Simmer for a few minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened.

Pour the reduced tomato sauce into a baking dish and then add the chicken.  Tear up the mozarella and scatter over the chicken and cover with the remaining parmesan.  Bake in a hot oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling.

Sweet Potato, Cumin and Rosemary Soup

By Emma in Low GI, Simple Suppers, Uncategorized Tags: ,

The Autumn equinox was heralded by a distinct cooling in the weather a couple of days in north Dublin which immediately turned my mind to Autumnal food.  During the Autumn and Winter I like to have a soup on standby in the fridge or freezer for those days when you feel frozen to the bones.  I wasn’t quite that cold this week but I was hit by a nasty virus, so I needed something comforting and healthy to eat whilst zooming around trying to keep all the balls in my life in the air.

Whenever I’m feeling ill I crave cumin.  I’m not sure why but this earthy herb seems restorative to me.  I don’t know if there is any evidence that cumin is a miracle spice (and if there is, I certainly haven’t heard it) but it is something that makes me feel better and  is probably why I am drawn to cumin laden foods when I’m feeling under the weather.  This soup hit the spot with creamy sweet potato, aromatic rosemary and earthy cumin.  It filled the house with a mellow aroma which seemed to envelope us all like a comforting hug.  I know that food is just food but there are days when it creates an aroma of warmth and comfort.  Some of my fondest memories are of arriving home from school on a cold day to a warm house and the smell of a slow cooked soup or stew.  I do hope that my son has similar memories when he grows older as mine always remind me of feeling safe and cosseted and of the love of family.  What more could you ask of a soup?

Sweet Potato, Cumin and Rosemary Soup (serves 8)

Ingredients

2 medium onions, roughly sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp ground cumin
500g sweet potato, peeled and cubed
500 ml good vegetable stock
500ml just boiled water
3-4cm fresh rosemary
salt and pepper
cream (optional)

Method

In a large pot, heat the olive oil and gently fry the onions until softened.  Add the ground cumin and mix well to cover the onions, fry for a minute to release the aroma of the spice. Add the sweet potato and mix well to coat the potato in the spice before adding the stock, water and rosemary.  Simmer on a medium heat for 20 minutes or until the sweet potato is soft.  Remove the rosemary stalk and using a stick blender, blend the soup to a velvety consistency.  Add salt and pepper to taste and some cream, as desired.

 

Swedish Apple Cake

By Emma in Sweet Treats, Uncategorized Tags:

 

I’m not a fan of comfort eating or associating emotions with food but there are times when only something sweet will do.  Today is one of those days.  I’m a bit under the weather at the moment and after a day spent rushing around trying to fit two jobs in between wrangling a one year old I settled down with a cup of tea only to find there were no biscuits in the house.  Not quite a tragedy but annoying nonetheless.

I scanned my supplies and settled on an old favourite in this house, Swedish Apple Cake.  It’s a favourite not only because it taste really lovely but because it’s a really straightforward and easy cake to make.  I love the smells that envelope the house when it’s cooking; sweet apples and earthy cinnamon.  It’s definitely a cake for an Autumnal day when some comfort is required.  A colleague first made this for me some 8 years ago and since then it has become an old favourite in our household.

Traditionally this cake would be make in a frying pan but I use a spring form tin for convenience.  It’s really lovely with some good quality vanilla ice cream but whipped or pouring cream are both equally as good.

Swedish Apple Cake

Ingredients

3 eggs
150g caster sugar
250g flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder, sifted
150g unsalted butter
3 bramley apples, peeled, cored and  cut into chunks
0.5 tsp cinnamon
3tbsp soft brown sugar

Method

Preheat your oven to oven 175.  Beat the eggs and sugar in stand mixer until pale and fluffy.  Gently fold in the flour and baking powder until fully combined.  In a pan on a medium heat, melt the butter in 240ml of water, let cool slightly and then beat into the mixture.

Grease a loose bottomed tin or oven proof frying pan (approx. 21cm x 5cm) and pour the batter in.  Drop the apple chunks into the batter, sprinkle with the brown sugar and cinnamon and bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

When cooked thoroughly, cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes before running a palate knife around the edges and releasing the tin.

 

 

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