Try this the next time you need a little snack to keep you going... you won't be disappointed... I promise!
Cut a thick slice off a nice, sweet red apple, put a slice of goats cheese on top of it & then drizzle with honey!
Done! Eat! Yum! :)
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
Friday, 23 March 2012
Lunch at Crawford Gallery Cafè
Myself & Sinead met two of our aunts for lunch yesterday in Cork City. They had chosen the Cafe in the Crawford Art Gallery at Emmet Place, near the Opera House.
http://www.crawfordartgallery.ie/dining.html
I was really looking forward to it, as the last time I was there (ages & ages ago), it was absolutely delicious!
The 2 aunties are very punctual ladies indeed, & arrived a few minutes before 1pm to secure a table. The queues for this place can get quite big on a busy day, and it is easy to see why.
We were given gorgeous homemade brown bread while we looked over the menu.
The menu wasn't huge, but it still managed to have something to suit us all: from light lunches to more substantial dinners. Sinead & I both went for a vegetarian Moussaka. It was stuffed with puy lentils, spinach & aubergine. It was topped with plenty of tzatziki & served with a fresh green salad & pickled cucumbers. (I'm obsessed with pickled cucumbers...love them!) It was a really, really tasty dish - nice & light, and full of flavour. The tzatziki was a great addition, and mixed well with the flavours already in the moussaka.
One aunt went for the fish cake, which was also fab. Most importantly, there was plenty fish in it and just a little potato. It was golden & crispy on the outside, while nice & moist on the inside. It was served with a couscous salad, green leaves & the all important pickled cucumber.
The other aunty went for an old Irish favourite - Bacon & Cabbage!!! And she wasn't disappointed. The bacon was honey coated & had lovely crispy edges, and the meat was nice and tender & not too salty. The cabbage was a really deep green colour & you could almost see how good it was for you. And the Mmmmmmmasssh... not a lump in sight! A sweet whiskey sauce topped the dish off nicely.
We could hardly go to the Crawford Gallery Cafe without having one of their renowned desserts. We shared a Meringue Roulade topped with berries & drizzled with passion fruit. A few mouthfuls each, and a nice round of coffees was the perfect way to round off a lovely luncheon!
The service was also very good. The lady who served us was informal & friendly, and extremely polite.
Very happy ladies with renewed energy to hit the shops! :)
http://www.crawfordartgallery.ie/dining.html
I was really looking forward to it, as the last time I was there (ages & ages ago), it was absolutely delicious!
The 2 aunties are very punctual ladies indeed, & arrived a few minutes before 1pm to secure a table. The queues for this place can get quite big on a busy day, and it is easy to see why.
We were given gorgeous homemade brown bread while we looked over the menu.
The menu wasn't huge, but it still managed to have something to suit us all: from light lunches to more substantial dinners. Sinead & I both went for a vegetarian Moussaka. It was stuffed with puy lentils, spinach & aubergine. It was topped with plenty of tzatziki & served with a fresh green salad & pickled cucumbers. (I'm obsessed with pickled cucumbers...love them!) It was a really, really tasty dish - nice & light, and full of flavour. The tzatziki was a great addition, and mixed well with the flavours already in the moussaka.
One aunt went for the fish cake, which was also fab. Most importantly, there was plenty fish in it and just a little potato. It was golden & crispy on the outside, while nice & moist on the inside. It was served with a couscous salad, green leaves & the all important pickled cucumber.
The other aunty went for an old Irish favourite - Bacon & Cabbage!!! And she wasn't disappointed. The bacon was honey coated & had lovely crispy edges, and the meat was nice and tender & not too salty. The cabbage was a really deep green colour & you could almost see how good it was for you. And the Mmmmmmmasssh... not a lump in sight! A sweet whiskey sauce topped the dish off nicely.
We could hardly go to the Crawford Gallery Cafe without having one of their renowned desserts. We shared a Meringue Roulade topped with berries & drizzled with passion fruit. A few mouthfuls each, and a nice round of coffees was the perfect way to round off a lovely luncheon!
The service was also very good. The lady who served us was informal & friendly, and extremely polite.
Very happy ladies with renewed energy to hit the shops! :)
Chocolate Mousse Cake.... Mmmmmmm
The thought of it lingered in my mind & like some crazed addict, I just had to have more!
The recipe used is from Rachel Allen's new book 'Easy Meals' & it really is easy to make. The cake only has 4 main ingredients & no flour is used.
Ingredients:
300g Dark Chocolate broken into pieces
150g Butter
5 Eggs
50g Caster Sugar
Cocoa Powder for dusting
To Serve:
Whipped Cream
Vanilla Ice-Cream
1) Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4. Line the base of a 20cm diameter spring-form cake tin with a disc of grease-proof paper or parchment paper. Line the sides of the tin with butter.
2) Place the chocolate & butter in a heat-proof bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Allow the butter & chocolate to melt together, & then remove from the heat & set aside.
3) Crack the eggs into a separate bowl, and add the sugar to them. Whisk for 7-10 minutes with an electric mixer, or until the mixture forms a light, pale mousse.
4) Fold the chocolate mixture into the mousse until fully combined. Then pour into the prepared cake tin, and bake for 20-22 minutes. Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin before removing.
5) Dust with Cocoa Powder, and serve with some whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream.
6) ENJOY!!!
Monday, 19 March 2012
Tuna fillet with Spicy Soy dressing...
Dinner last night was DE-LISH... if I may be so bold to say so myself.
We got our hands on some fine Albacore Tuna Fillets!
In the Fish Fishy cafe in Kinsale, they do an amazing seared tuna steak with a spicy Asian dressing. It is so, so good! Hoping to recreate it at home, I hunted online for the recipe. Thankfully I found Martin Shanahan's recipe for the dish on the RTE website. I stuck to his original recipe pretty much, but decided to add some chilli's, corriander & spring onions to give the dish a bit more of a kick!
Serves 2-3 people
Ingredients:
Tuna fillets 500g-600g approx
Cooking Oil 4-5 drops
Salt
Cracked Pepper
2 tablespoons Oyster Sauce
6 tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 tablespoons Honey
1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
2 large cloves minced Garlic
Vinegar 1-2 drops
1 Red Chilli- half finely chopped & half in larger slices.
Handful of fresh Coriander
4 Spring Onions
To Serve:
Rice
Salad
Coat the tuna all over with the cooking oil, and season both sides with salt & pepper. Then place on a hot grill pan. Cook on both sides for approx 2 minutes, for medium-rare tuna, or slightly longer if you prefer it to be more well done.
For the sauce, put the Oyster Sauce in a pan over a medium-hot heat. Then add the Soy Sauce, Honey, Sesame Oil, Garlic & the finely chopped Chilli. Then add the vinegar & sizzle for a few minutes. Drizzle over the tuna just before serving. I then placed some Spring Onion, Coriander & the rest of the fresh chilli's on top of the tuna & served with rice and salad!
It really was so quick & easy to make and a tasty, healthy alternative to the usual Bank Holiday Sunday Chinese take-away!!!
My gorgeous husband is on cooking duty tonight!! Prawn & Monkfish Curry..... some amazing smells coming from the kitchen already... starving!! :)
We got our hands on some fine Albacore Tuna Fillets!
In the Fish Fishy cafe in Kinsale, they do an amazing seared tuna steak with a spicy Asian dressing. It is so, so good! Hoping to recreate it at home, I hunted online for the recipe. Thankfully I found Martin Shanahan's recipe for the dish on the RTE website. I stuck to his original recipe pretty much, but decided to add some chilli's, corriander & spring onions to give the dish a bit more of a kick!
Serves 2-3 people
Ingredients:
Tuna fillets 500g-600g approx
Cooking Oil 4-5 drops
Salt
Cracked Pepper
2 tablespoons Oyster Sauce
6 tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 tablespoons Honey
1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
2 large cloves minced Garlic
Vinegar 1-2 drops
1 Red Chilli- half finely chopped & half in larger slices.
Handful of fresh Coriander
4 Spring Onions
To Serve:
Rice
Salad
Coat the tuna all over with the cooking oil, and season both sides with salt & pepper. Then place on a hot grill pan. Cook on both sides for approx 2 minutes, for medium-rare tuna, or slightly longer if you prefer it to be more well done.
For the sauce, put the Oyster Sauce in a pan over a medium-hot heat. Then add the Soy Sauce, Honey, Sesame Oil, Garlic & the finely chopped Chilli. Then add the vinegar & sizzle for a few minutes. Drizzle over the tuna just before serving. I then placed some Spring Onion, Coriander & the rest of the fresh chilli's on top of the tuna & served with rice and salad!
It really was so quick & easy to make and a tasty, healthy alternative to the usual Bank Holiday Sunday Chinese take-away!!!
My gorgeous husband is on cooking duty tonight!! Prawn & Monkfish Curry..... some amazing smells coming from the kitchen already... starving!! :)
Thursday, 15 March 2012
Black Sole on the bone...
What a treat for lunch today! My beloved arrived home with a very size-able Black Sole... One of the perks of living by the sea!
I think such a tasty fish needs only something simple to go with it. I made some rice & a quick veggie stir fry.
Skinning the fish is hard going & something I am yet to master. Probably because I always get T to do that lovely job for me :)
Once skinned & halved (it was too big to fit in the pan whole....I hope I don't sound like I'm boasting), I seasoned it either side with salt & pepper. Next, I heated a stainless steel pan and then added a tablespoon (approx) of vegetable oil. I waited until it got really, really hot and then added the Black Sole. I cooked it either side for approx 2 minutes to seal and brown it. Then I put it on a baking tray, put a little knob of butter on each piece of fish, and put it in a hot oven, of about 180 degrees Celsius, for about 10 minutes. The fish is done when it comes away from the bone easily.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmm
Again, excuse the presentation... it will get better I promise ;)
I think such a tasty fish needs only something simple to go with it. I made some rice & a quick veggie stir fry.
Skinning the fish is hard going & something I am yet to master. Probably because I always get T to do that lovely job for me :)
Once skinned & halved (it was too big to fit in the pan whole....I hope I don't sound like I'm boasting), I seasoned it either side with salt & pepper. Next, I heated a stainless steel pan and then added a tablespoon (approx) of vegetable oil. I waited until it got really, really hot and then added the Black Sole. I cooked it either side for approx 2 minutes to seal and brown it. Then I put it on a baking tray, put a little knob of butter on each piece of fish, and put it in a hot oven, of about 180 degrees Celsius, for about 10 minutes. The fish is done when it comes away from the bone easily.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmm
Again, excuse the presentation... it will get better I promise ;)
Carbonara...My Way
I was home with the hubby last night for the first time in over a week! Alas, the good times of eating out & Mum's super home cooking are over for a while.
The fridge looked unloved & empty, and the cupboards were nearly bare upon my return.
With only the basics at home, & an aversion to the local supermarket (which has been known to send people to the brink of insanity) I decided on a Carbonara for dinner. Any extras needed, thankfully, only required a trip to the shop at the petrol station. Phew!
It is very quick & easy to make, and a great comfort food.
Ingredients:
Spaghetti or Tagliatelle (approx 350g - 440g)
2 table spoons Olive Oil
6-8 Mushrooms
1 small Onion - diced
2 large cloves of Garlic - minced or finely chopped
3 Rashers
2 handfuls of Rocket. (optional)
140 mls of White Wine (approx)
220 mls of Cream (approx0
Salt & Cracked pepper
1 egg yolk (optional)
To Serve:
Green salad
Garlic bread
Parmesan
Cook spaghetti/tagliatelle as per manufacturers instructions.
While it is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan on a medium/hot heat. Add the onions & garlic, & cook for a minute or so. Then add the mushrooms and cook for another 2 minutes approx. Then add the rashers and cook for approx 2 minutes more.
Then add the wine, and reduce until almost all of it has disappeared. Then add the cream, season with salt & pepper and let it reduce for a couple of minutes until cream has thickened somewhat.
The pasta should be almost done by now, so drain & add to the sauce. Mix well. At this stage I like to add
some rocket, but that it not to everyone's taste. Then add the egg yolk, stir and mix it well over entire dish. Serve straight away.
Top with some freshly grated Parmesan & serve with homemade garlic bread & some green salad.
Happy Ciara, Happy Husband!
Two things I have learned from this...
1) I need to work on my presentation skills
2) I need to get some new plates :)
The fridge looked unloved & empty, and the cupboards were nearly bare upon my return.
With only the basics at home, & an aversion to the local supermarket (which has been known to send people to the brink of insanity) I decided on a Carbonara for dinner. Any extras needed, thankfully, only required a trip to the shop at the petrol station. Phew!
It is very quick & easy to make, and a great comfort food.
Ingredients:
Spaghetti or Tagliatelle (approx 350g - 440g)
2 table spoons Olive Oil
6-8 Mushrooms
1 small Onion - diced
2 large cloves of Garlic - minced or finely chopped
3 Rashers
2 handfuls of Rocket. (optional)
140 mls of White Wine (approx)
220 mls of Cream (approx0
Salt & Cracked pepper
1 egg yolk (optional)
To Serve:
Green salad
Garlic bread
Parmesan
Cook spaghetti/tagliatelle as per manufacturers instructions.
While it is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan on a medium/hot heat. Add the onions & garlic, & cook for a minute or so. Then add the mushrooms and cook for another 2 minutes approx. Then add the rashers and cook for approx 2 minutes more.
Then add the wine, and reduce until almost all of it has disappeared. Then add the cream, season with salt & pepper and let it reduce for a couple of minutes until cream has thickened somewhat.
The pasta should be almost done by now, so drain & add to the sauce. Mix well. At this stage I like to add
some rocket, but that it not to everyone's taste. Then add the egg yolk, stir and mix it well over entire dish. Serve straight away.
Top with some freshly grated Parmesan & serve with homemade garlic bread & some green salad.
Happy Ciara, Happy Husband!
Two things I have learned from this...
1) I need to work on my presentation skills
2) I need to get some new plates :)
Tuesday, 13 March 2012
Under pressure now...
Look what Sinead (aka The Animal) made.... No details as to what is in it, besides the raspberries & white chocolate, but hopefully she'll share the secret :) Looks seriously yummy! How nice of her to make it on a night she won't see me!!!!
I'm under pressure now to make something fabulous this week & I promise I definately will!
Happy eating Sinead! x
Monday, 12 March 2012
Indulgent weekend!
What a very indulgent weekend I had... And I loved every minute of it!
Dinner out on Friday. Drinkies, nibbles & Michelle's amaaaaaazing homemade chocolate cake at a friends house on Saturday night, followed by Cosmo's & clubbing!
It's a pity all weekends can't be like this one. But birthdays only roll around once a year & one has to make the most of it! :)
On Friday night, Mum treated myself & my sister to a lovely dinner & drinks in The Blue Haven, Pearse St, Kinsale. http://www.bluehavenkinsale.com/ Living nearby, we would pop in here regularly enough for a bit of bar food, and, it has to be said, are very rarely disappointed. I suppose it does make it harder to give an impartial view...but I'll do my best.
We all had a glass of Prosecco while deciding on the food... very fond of ourselves altogether!
We shared some Gyoza to start - had never heard of these before but they were seriously tasty. They were like wontons or spring rolls, stuffed with your choice of veggies or chicken, and served with a soy & orange dip. Yum yum!
Our main courses were also very tasty - I had a Caesar salad-only a started portion but there was plenty of it. The Caesar dressing was especially gorgeous, & plenty of parmesan too. Mum had a chicken breast served with black pudding, a chasseur sauce & baby potatoes. She enjoyed it so much the last time she was there, she just had to have it again! Sinead had a delicious beetroot & feta tart served on a green salad! The only slight complaint was that the beetroot tart was a tad on the small side. (She's an animal!)
We shared a cheeseboard afterwards, which had a nice selection of Irish & French cheeses. And a major plus...we didn't have to ask for more crackers or bread.
The service was great, as was the atmosphere & a super band 'Crazy Chester' were in full swing as we finished up.
We went home, three very happy girls indeed!
Dinner out on Friday. Drinkies, nibbles & Michelle's amaaaaaazing homemade chocolate cake at a friends house on Saturday night, followed by Cosmo's & clubbing!
It's a pity all weekends can't be like this one. But birthdays only roll around once a year & one has to make the most of it! :)
On Friday night, Mum treated myself & my sister to a lovely dinner & drinks in The Blue Haven, Pearse St, Kinsale. http://www.bluehavenkinsale.com/ Living nearby, we would pop in here regularly enough for a bit of bar food, and, it has to be said, are very rarely disappointed. I suppose it does make it harder to give an impartial view...but I'll do my best.
We all had a glass of Prosecco while deciding on the food... very fond of ourselves altogether!
We shared some Gyoza to start - had never heard of these before but they were seriously tasty. They were like wontons or spring rolls, stuffed with your choice of veggies or chicken, and served with a soy & orange dip. Yum yum!
Our main courses were also very tasty - I had a Caesar salad-only a started portion but there was plenty of it. The Caesar dressing was especially gorgeous, & plenty of parmesan too. Mum had a chicken breast served with black pudding, a chasseur sauce & baby potatoes. She enjoyed it so much the last time she was there, she just had to have it again! Sinead had a delicious beetroot & feta tart served on a green salad! The only slight complaint was that the beetroot tart was a tad on the small side. (She's an animal!)
We shared a cheeseboard afterwards, which had a nice selection of Irish & French cheeses. And a major plus...we didn't have to ask for more crackers or bread.
The service was great, as was the atmosphere & a super band 'Crazy Chester' were in full swing as we finished up.
We went home, three very happy girls indeed!
Friday, 9 March 2012
Yummy Italian meal in Tralee
Hi all,
I have to tell you about a gorgeous meal we had in Tralee last night. We (hubby & I) ended up there kind of unexpectedly & hadn't a clue where to eat!
Starving & getting a little cranky, we took the advice of the hotel receptionist & headed for Bella Bia on Ivy Terrace St. http://www.bellabia.com
It was absolutely packed & there was no table available... always a good sign. The very charming & relaxed host seated us in a lovely, covered courtyard where we had a glass of wine & looked at the menu, while we waited for a table.
There was loads to choose from, including the early bird menu. And a great wine menu too.
We both went for the early bird, which was excellent value at €13.50 per person for a starter, main course & a drink.
For starters we shared a Caesar Salad & Bruschetta. Both were gorgeous! Lovely flavours & decent portions. Everything was fresh & homemade! Yummy!!!
For round 2, I went for the Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni & Mr.Ciara had the Lasagne, washed down with a bottle of Chianti! We were both very impressed, and it was a nice touch to have a decent pepper mill & fresh parmesan on the table. The portions were just right - 2 clean plates but enough room for dessert!
I don't usually go for a sweety at the end... more of a starter girl... but I can never resist a Panna Cotta. And I wasn't disappointed. Vanilla with a slight citrus twang, and drizzled with a berry compote!
No pictures, I'm afraid, as the food didn't stay on the plate long enough to be snapped!
The service was excellent, efficient & friendly but without being OTT!
At under €65 for a really tasty 3 course meal, plus wine & 2 beers....We'll definately be back!
The only complaint was from the dogs, who got no scraps this time!
Eating out again tonight for my sins... Will let you know how that goes! And maybe next week I'll start cooking myself ;)
Ciara
I have to tell you about a gorgeous meal we had in Tralee last night. We (hubby & I) ended up there kind of unexpectedly & hadn't a clue where to eat!
Starving & getting a little cranky, we took the advice of the hotel receptionist & headed for Bella Bia on Ivy Terrace St. http://www.bellabia.com
It was absolutely packed & there was no table available... always a good sign. The very charming & relaxed host seated us in a lovely, covered courtyard where we had a glass of wine & looked at the menu, while we waited for a table.
There was loads to choose from, including the early bird menu. And a great wine menu too.
We both went for the early bird, which was excellent value at €13.50 per person for a starter, main course & a drink.
For starters we shared a Caesar Salad & Bruschetta. Both were gorgeous! Lovely flavours & decent portions. Everything was fresh & homemade! Yummy!!!
For round 2, I went for the Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni & Mr.Ciara had the Lasagne, washed down with a bottle of Chianti! We were both very impressed, and it was a nice touch to have a decent pepper mill & fresh parmesan on the table. The portions were just right - 2 clean plates but enough room for dessert!
I don't usually go for a sweety at the end... more of a starter girl... but I can never resist a Panna Cotta. And I wasn't disappointed. Vanilla with a slight citrus twang, and drizzled with a berry compote!
No pictures, I'm afraid, as the food didn't stay on the plate long enough to be snapped!
The service was excellent, efficient & friendly but without being OTT!
At under €65 for a really tasty 3 course meal, plus wine & 2 beers....We'll definately be back!
The only complaint was from the dogs, who got no scraps this time!
Eating out again tonight for my sins... Will let you know how that goes! And maybe next week I'll start cooking myself ;)
Ciara
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