Carrot & Corriander Soup

So I opened the fridge after a week away & expected to find very little there, as the hubby had been home alone. WRONG! I was met by literally millions of carrots... Ok, well maybe not millions, but definitely 40 anyway! God knows what possessed him to go on the carrot buying spree, but more importantly what in the name of god was I going to do with them??!! 
It had to be either carrot cake or carrot soup. The guilt got the better of me, and the healthy, low fat option won out. 
It's not all that exciting I know, but it is damn tasty and fierce good for you! :)
Makes 6-8 bowls.


Ingredients:
700g Carrots, peeled & chopped
1 large Potato, diced
1 large Onion, diced
2 sticks of Celery, chopped
2 cloves of Garlic, chopped
1small handful of Corriander, chopped
1/2 a large Red Chilli
1 cube of Vegetable Stock
1 litre of boiling Water
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper


Method:
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic & celery and fry for 2 minutes. Then add the chilli, potato and carrots, & fry for another 3-4 minutes. Dissolve the stock cube in approx 1 litre of boiling water, and to the saucepan. Reduce the mixture to a low heat, and simmer gently for 20-30 minutes.
Add the corriander, and season with salt & pepper. Blend until smooth. Add some more water if it is too thick.
Serve with crusty bread! Easy peasy! 
Once the soup cools, it can be put into plastic containers & frozen.

Avoca Scones... Good for the Soul!

This morning, in honour of my good friend Annette's visit, I made some scones. The last time I made scones, I used the recipe from Darina Allen's 'Forgotten Skills of Cooking'. While Darina can do no wrong in my eyes & they were very nice, they weren't as light as I would've liked. 
This time, I tried the recipe from the 'Avoca Cafè Cookbook'. And I was fairly chuffed with the result... as was Annette I'm glad to say!
These aren't for those who are watching the cholesterol or who on a diet... but my god, they are very good for the soul :) 


                                                                Ingredients:

450g/1lb Self-Raising Flour
A pinch of Baking Powder
A pinch of Salt
50g/2oz Caster Sugar
50g/2oz of Raisins (optional)
110g/4oz Unsalted Butter, diced
1 egg, lightly beaten
50ml/2fl oz Double Cream
200ml/7fl oz milk
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, to glaze


To Serve:
Whipped Cream
Your favourite Jam
Butter
A piping hot cup of  Coffee or Tea...


Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4.
Sift the flour, baking powder & salt into a bowl and stir in the sugar. If using raisins, add in at this stage. Using your fingertips, lightly work in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg, cream and some of the milk to moisten. 
Instead of double cream, I used single cream & I did not need all of the milk - just 150mls approx. 
Mix well, until the mixture has a soft, doughy texture. It should not be sticky or too moist.
Gather the dough into a ball, and turn it out onto a floured surface.
Roll it lightly with a rolling pin to 2.5cm or I inch thick. Cut out with a round cutter or cup,place on a greased baking tray & brush the tops with the egg glaze.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. 
Cool on a wire tray. Serve while still warm, with butter, jam & cream & a cup of something hot!

Darina Allen's Butter Sponge...

Darina Allen's Great-Grandmother's Butter Sponge

Ingredients:


125g Butter
175g Caster Sugar
3 Eggs
175g Plain Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tbsp Milk


Raspberry Jam
Whipped Cream 200mls
Fresh Raspberries 
Two 7" cake tins.


                                                                                    
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. 
Grease with the cakes tins with butter, dust with flour & line the base with greaseproof paper. 

Coco's looking hopeful...

Cream the butter and gradually add the sugar, whisking until soft and pale. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well in between. Sieve in the flour and baking powder and stir in gradually. Mix together lightly and add the milk. Divide the mixture between the two cake tins & make a slight hollow it in the centre of each.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden. When done, the cake will have shrunk away from the tin a little and the centre should feel the same texture as the edge. For some reason, one half of my cake ended up skinnier than the other, so I must try to get both halves more even the next time. 
Turn the cake halves out of the tins immediately & cool on a wire tray. Peel the greaseproof paper away from the base of the cake. 
When cool, spread some raspberry jam on top of one piece (You can use any flavour jam really-I used a gorgeous mixed-berry jam made my very talented mum-in-law) I then spread a generous amount of raspberries on top of the jam & topped it all off with 200mls of whipped cream.... Place the other half of the cake on top & lightly sandwich together!
Great with a nice cup of Barry's Tea :)

Taken from Forgotten Skills of Cooking by Darina Allen.

Oh I do like to be beside the Seaside...

What are the perks of living in a seaside town, in the wilds of West Cork I hear you ask... Fresh fish on demand that's what... And obviously the beautiful scenery & friendly folk :)
Today, to cook for the luncheon, himself presented me with Lemon Sole & Squid just off the boat! Happy Happy Joy Joy!
Tobi is far better at cooking fish than me, but he is very generously passing on his words of wisdom and I am learning as I go... although I still have difficulty telling the difference between a Haddock & a John Dory! :)


What you will need... (serves 2-3)
Lemon Sole (1kg) on the bone, gutted & beheaded.

Plain Flour, a couple of handfuls
Salt
Pepper
Squid, washed
Paprika
Cooking Oil, 5-6 tablespoons


To Serve:
Lemon
Salad
Rice


The Lemon Sole was a fine, big fella and I cut it into pieces so it would cook a bit quicker. Tobi kindly had trimmed, gutted & beheaded him for me. (He's a great husband) And Minus all its bits & bobs, the fish weighed about 1 kilo in total. Simple is best for fish I think, so while some cooking oil was heating in a pan, I floured the Lemon Sole & seasoned it with a small bit of salt & pepper. Once the oil got nice & hot, I placed the fish in the pan and fried it for about 6 minutes in total, turning regularly until both sides were golden & crispy and until the fish comes away from the bone easily.
My lovely hubby, cooks the best calamari - EVER! I am yet to find it as good in any restaurant! So obviously, I let him to it. He tells me it's easy...
Wash & trim the squid. Then cut it into rings. Heat the cooking oil in a fry pan. Add about a teaspoon of  paprika to some plain flour, coat the squid in the flour, and when the oil is extremely hot, place the calamari in it. Cook for no more than 2 minutes! Squeeze some lemon juice over it & serve!
I just cooked some Basmati Rice & made a green salad to go with it. 


Not fancy, but damn good!

Pub Grub Done Right!

The name "The Seven Hogs" doesn't exactly conjure up images of all things tasty really does it?! But a name isn't everything thankfully & this pub between Castlegregory & Camp, in Co.Kerry has nailed it when it comes to feeding the masses.

It is located approx. 3 miles from Castlegregory village, with stunning views over Tralee Bay.

We stopped in for a quick bite yesterday, after himself had (and I quote) "The worst surf ever"! :)

The menu isn't huge, but it does differ from your typical 'pub-grub' menu... Not an Irish stew or a Chicken goujon in sight! Hurray! 
Starter prices begin at €5 & main courses at €10. 
I went for 2 starters - Quesadillas packed with monteray jack cheese, corriander, spring onion & chilli, and served with salad & sour cream.  I also had a Chicken spring roll which came with a pineapple & roast pepper salsa & chilli jam. The flavours in the spring roll were gorgeous...a hint of soy & star anise. 
The disappointed surfer wasn't long cheering up! He opted for a mighty 8oz handmade, steak mince burger with cheese and a sweet tomato relish, all served with lovely chunky homemade chips & a side salad. 
We hadn't any room for dessert to be honest... so the designated driver (moi) had a hot chocolate & the nearly silver surfer had a creamy pint of Guinness. 
Other Kerry pubs take note... do your bar food this way! On a rainy Tuesday evening in April, The Seven Hogs had a nice crowd in for food - locals & visitors alike. 
Great food, reasonably priced & a view of the Atlantic! Nice!

Pad Thai

We had this delicious Pad Thai for dinner tonight. I cannot take all the credit - I had plenty help from Mum, & Tobi (who was the chief prawn peeler.)
The preparation takes a bit of time, but the cooking is really quite quick; even if it does sound a tad complicated (you will see what I mean) 
The final product is full of delicious flavours, & once you have tasted it, I imagine you'll agree, that it is well worth the effort. 
It is a good idea to have absolutely everything ready, chopped, & prepped before you start cooking to save yourself a little stress.
As with the Prawn & Chilli Linguine from a couple blogs back - use Irish prawns!!! :) 
The recipe below serves 4 & is from Gordon Ramsay's World Kitchen.


Ingredients:
250g thin dried Rice Noodles
3 Tbsp Caster Sugar
4 Tbsp Fish Sauce
4 Tbsp Tamarind Paste
8 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 Shallots, chopped
4 large cloves Garlic, chopped
1 Red Chilli, deseeded & finely chopped
200g raw Prawns, peeled & deveined
4 medium Eggs
100g Beansprouts
4 Spring Onions, trimmed, green part only, cut into finger lengths
6 Tbsp Roasted Peanuts
1 Lime, quartered


Method:
Cook the Rice Noodles according to the pack instructions. 
Meanwhile, combine the Sugar, Fish Sauce & Tamarind Paste in a small bowl & stir well. 
Heat half the Oil in a wok. Add the Shallots, Garlic & Chilli and stir over a medium heat until fragrant. Add the Prawns, & stir fry for a couple of minutes until they turn a pinky-orange colour & opaque. When this happens, remove the prawns to a plate & set aside. 
Add the cooked rice noodles, and a little splash of water, to the sauce in the wok. Stir fry for a few minutes.
Push the ingredients in the wok to one side, and add the rest of the oil to the other side. Crack the Eggs over  the oil & scramble lightly until they are almost cooked, & the fold in the noodles.
Return the prawns to the wok, and add the Beansprouts & Spring Onions. Stir briefly over the heat. 
Serve immediately, sprinkled with peanuts & with a lime wedge on the side.

Pavlova Anyone?

My Aunty Anne, is without doubt, the queen of Pavlova making! For years she wowed me with her ability to get the meringue just right... ever so slightly crisp on the outside & just a little bit chewy on the inside.
A few months ago, I decided to tackle my fear of meringue head on, and get whisking! Practice makes perfect & I think I have it mastered at this stage... although I doubt I'll ever manage to reach the dizzy heights of Anne's perfect Pavlova.
Some recipes I've tried have cornflour & vinegar & all sorts, but I prefer to just go with the basic Eggs & Sugar. The recipe below serves 8 people.


Ingredients: 
230g Caster Sugar
4 Egg Whites


Topping:
250mls Cream - Whipped
Selection of Fresh Fruit (strawberries, grapes, kiwis, bananas, peaches, passion fruit...)


Method:
Preheat the oven to 100 degrees celsius. Line a baking tray with grease-proof paper & set aside.
Put the egg whites in a spotlessly clean stainless steel or glass bowl. Whisk until light & fluffy, and until soft white peaks are formed. Then, gradually add the caster sugar, whisking continuously until all the sugar has dissolved. The mixture should look stiff & shiny.
Gently scoop out the mixture onto the lined baking tray.
Place in the oven for approximately 1 & half hours, then turn off the oven and leave the meringue in the oven while the oven cools down for another 30 minutes or so. Remove from the oven & leave to cool fully.
Before serving, place the whipped cream on top of the meringue & finally top with the fruit!