Flavoured Butter

Have you ever found yourself looking at a piece of chicken or fish and wondering what can I do to this to make it tasty and interesting?
Some days it’s just not enough to leave it in ‘it’s natural state’ and only a great flavoursome meal will do.

Well here’s at least one solution to that problem.

Flavoured butters are a fantastic way of adding oomph to a dish with no effort.
I love that they can be made when you have a little time on your hands, frozen and removed when needed, like when impromptu guests arrive.

I find it is handy to have a few versions available, but really you can flavour it any way you like.
I’ve listed my favourites and how I serve them.

Sundried tomato, roasted pepper & parmesan butter

There are so many ways to use this, a baked potato anyone? What about on a chicken breast? Tuck the butter under the skin throw in the oven to bake and eat a succulent tasty chicken breast in no time.

Ingredients:

100g unsalted butter
4/5 Sundried tomatoes – from a jar in their oil
2 large pieces of roasted pepper – from a jar is fine
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

Method:

Blend the above in a food processor
Remove and place in a sausage shape on a piece of cling film
seal the cling film by twisting the ends  (as per picture below)
Freeze as it is
Slice as needed to use on anything from chicken to lamb and even as butter on
a wonderful crusty farmhouse bread.

ENJOY!

Other flavour combinations you can do would be:

(Use 100g unsalted butter for each of the following)

Garlic & Parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 crushed clove garlic

Chili, Coriander & Lime
Zest of 1 lime
1 red chilli deseeded an finely chopped
2 tablespoons of chopped coriander

Lemon & Caper – Perfect for Fish

Juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon capers, chopped
1 teaspoon of dill, chopped

Hot Spiced Lamb

I wanted to do something quick and easy with some lamb chops I picked up.
Normally I do an apricot glaze which is really to die for, but as I’d no apricot conserve I needed to come up with something else  which I could make from what I had in my cupboard.

And so hot spiced lamb was born.

Along with the other spices I have used here I have added in Turmeric. There is growing evidence that this humble spice has amazing medicinal purposes including but certainly not limited to anti-inflammatory properties.

This recipe calls for a mortar and pestle because everything goes into it to make a dry rub, with no need for a bowl.

  

Serves  4

4 lamb chops
1 teaspoon of cardamom pods
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1 teaspoon of turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon cayenne chilli pepper
Fresh ground black pepper and pinch salt

Ground the cardamom pods and cumin seeds in the mortar & pestle
Add the rest of the ingredients except the lamb
Mash together until everything is combined
Remove the hulls of the cardamom pods
Put lamb chops in oven proof dish, and rub spice mix over them, covering both sides
Cover with a lid or tinfoil
Cook for 40 minutes at 160⁰C/Gas Mark 4

Serve with your choice of vegetable

I served it here with steamed broccoli and couscous

Chicken Goujons for the darlings!

I mentioned in my musing on How do you get Kids to eat healthier, http://jillslifelovefood.blogspot.ie/2012/08/how-do-you-get-kids-to-eat-healthier.html
if all you can do is bread some chicken or fish it’s a great start.

Since then I’ve been asked to put up my oh so simple recipe for chicken goujons. This recipe can just as easily be applied to fish. My oldest friend still has fond memories of coming to our house for dinner and been privileged to sample my Mums monkfish goujons, with homemade tartare sauce. Monkfish! Nice if you can stretch to this it’s definitely worth it, as this robust flavoursome fish makes the perfect goujon. However, these days any white fish from Cod or Pollock and Blossom will work just as well.

Below, my little helper is making chicken goujons for his dinner. Some kids will turn their nose up the first time you give them these homemade varieties especially if they are used to the frozen ones. But persistence, like anything else is key and I find they soon come round to loving them!

I always make enough to throw extra in the freezer for a handy midweek, in a hurry dinner.

Serves 2 (kids) with a portion left over for the freezer

 

 

2 large skinless chicken breast
100g breadcrumbs (I make my own from whole wheat bread and put any extra in the freezer)
1 egg
4 tablespoons of flour  (I use a wholegrain spelt, put plain flour is great)

 

Method:

Slice the Chicken into thick pieces
Whisk the egg in a bowl, place flour in another and breadcrumbs in another
Line up the three bowls in the following order;
Flour, egg, breadcrumbs
Using a fork, dip the chicken slices into first the flour, then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs
Have your sheet pan ready at the end to place them on, ready for the oven
When all goujons are made, place in a pre-heated oven, 180⁰C/Gas Mark 6 for 15/20 minutes.
If you are freezing the goujons ensure you don’t over- cook otherwise when you re-cook them they will be too chewy!
You cant be too careful with chicken, especially when giving it to children so I always cut a goujon in half to check it is cooked through.

 
If you fancy slicing a potato into chips and placing in the oven while the goujons are cooking it’s a great way to give the kids, ‘nuggets & chips’ without all that processed gunk from pre packaged stuff!

My little guy is nuts on mash potato so I served it here with mash potato and marie rose sauce
(tomato ketchup & mayo mixed with a dash of worchestershire sauce for a kick!)


Enjoy!

Something for tonight?

Honey Chicken with garlic oven potatoes

This Chicken dish is so tasty nobody will believe that it didn't take hours or have a fabulous secret ingredient.

It's a really good recipe if
1. you are strapped for cash
2. you are not a fan of too many pots
2. you are short on time
or all 3!

I use large chicken legs as the thigh meat is so tasty and flavoursome. Plus they are a much cheaper cut when you are on a budget.
I allow 1 each and an extra few if there are hungry people being fed!

Serves 4

5/6 chicken legs with thigh still attached
2 tablespoons honey
6 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons tomato puree (tomato ketchup can be used either)
2 tablespoons luke warm water

Method:

Place chicken legs in ovenproof dish that fits them comfortably without over-lapping.
To save on pots you can add the rest of the ingredients straight to the dish over the chicken.
The warm water will help to break down the honey and paste and make a nice sauce.
Swish chicken around in the dish to coat fully in sauce.
Cover chicken with lid or tinfoil and place in pre heated oven at 200/Gas 6 for 40 minutes.
Lower temperature to 180/Gas 4 and uncover for 10 minutes to brown.




Serve with a fresh salad or some lovely asparagus and your choice of potato or rice.

 

I love serving garlic cubed potatoes with this and as the oven is already on I like to utilize it.

Serves 4
4 large potatoes (baby potatoes can be used either, really, whatever ones are to hand!)

Method:

Peel and chop potatoes into small cubes.
Place on baking tray.
Cover with a good dollop of olive oil.
Crush 4/5 garlic cloves with the back of a knife - skin still on.
Place on baking tray with the potatoes.
Cook on top shelf of the oven with chicken on shelf below.
After 15 minutes toss potatoes so they don't brown too much on one side.
Do it again after another 10 minutes.
The garlic gets a wonderful deep smoky flavour when roasted like this.
You can squeeze it from its shell and eat with the potatoes.

Serve the potatoes with the chicken and your choice of vegetable or salad and ENJOY!

Note: Garlic has great blood purifying properties so you will start to notice I use it in a lot of my dishes!

No bake - Coconut, Oat & Chocolate Bites

Purely for research purposes I have made four batches of these over the past two weeks! My aim was to test diffferent levels of chocolate v's honey, milk v's plain chocolate and the quantities of oats v's coconut. Below you will find my final, revised and oh so yummy version.

I'll freely admit I'm a huge coconut fan, I like to drink it - in pina coladas in particular, eat it - in thai curries amongst many other recipes and use coconut body cream. So I may have a slight bias to this particular recipe! However, even though the taste is distinctive it doesnt over-power these morsels of yumminess.
I hope you like them as much as my testers did!

The fact that you just mix all the ingredients together and wait is part of the wonderful appeal of these as well as being great fun to make with kids!

You will need:     (Makes 18)
75g shredded unsweetened Coconut flakes
75g Oats (regular porridge oats)
4 tablespoons honey
50g plain (dark) chocolate
75g milk chocolate
100g chocolate (mix of plain and dark is fine - kept aside for topping)
1 tablespoon golden castor sugar (regular is fine golden is better)
50g butter



1. Melt the 50g plain and 75g milk chocolate in a bowl over hot water
2. Melt the butter in a pot and add the castor sugar
3. Let it dissolve over a medium heat for about 2 minutes, just watch that it doesnt burn
4. Add the honey and cook for 30 seconds
5. Remove the melted chocolate from over the water and add oats and coconut to it, mixing thouroughly
6. Add melted butter mixture and combine together
7. Using a greased 2lb loaf pan put the mixture in and spread it out
8. Re-use the bowl to melt the 100g chocolate kept aside and when melted pour
over the coconut mixture
9. Spread it out so it covers the whole mixture
10. Place in the fridge to set - approx 30 minutes
11. Cut into 1" bite size pieces when set and most importantly share & enjoy!

The final bites, now what to do with them??

Note: You can also roll the mix into balls and place in little fairy cake cases if you have a miniture cake tin. Just pop each ball into a little case and drizzle some of the extra melted chocolate over the top. Nice for bringing to someones house for little gifts.

Ambrose the Pig, International Cricketers, Champagne lunch & Maggie May!

WARNING: Not a foodie item!!  Here's what I got up to this past weekend...

To say I had an eventful weekend certainly wouldn't over-exaggerate my experiences in Strabane, Co. Tyrone.
My cousin married into the Gillespie family late last year and it has taken me a full year to recover from our ‘bridemaids’ trip last summer. So it was time again to visit this part of Ireland that is probably best known as a great place to stop and visit Asda on your way to Donegal! Which is such a shame, as it, like every other town in Ireland deserves to thrive.

An old market town, Strabane was famous for its pork market in the 50’s. Pigs were walked from Donegal through the streets and gave much needed income to local people. In fact, the humourous Brian O’Nolan, better known to some under his pseudonyms of Flann O’Brien or indeed as Myles na gCopaleen, under which he wrote for the Irish Times, was a Strabane man, having been born there in 1911. Some say his novel An Béal Bocht (The Poor Mouth) meaning to ‘put on the poor mouth’ which spoke of the propensity of Irish peasants to exaggerate the direness of a situation to provoke sympathy, was based on what he witnessed in the countryside growing up. Was this a theme he saw lived out in his surroundings? His fathers untimely death saw him supporting his 11 siblings with his Civil Servant wage, so maybe it was closer to home than we realise. We happened upon the above stunning sculpture 'Ambrose The Pig' which has pride of place beside the Alley Theatre, paying homage to his literary mate in Flann O’Brien’s novel.
Strabane town centre, like many towns across our land has suffered greatly through this latest recession. A stroll through the centre on Saturday were testament to this with shuttered windows and ‘To Let’ signs. But there are still businesses open and vying for customers. In fact what was supposed to be an aerobic walk turned into a shopping stroll, as shoe shops vied with jewellery shops for our attention. We popped into Lovely Little Somethings, Castle Street, as their window display caught our attention, and browsed their fabulous wares. From coloured chalk paint, to vintage plates and the cutest kiddies aprons we loved this shop. It turns out they offer for hire items for vintage style weddings which is handy to know! https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Lovely-Little-Somethings/225272967499278
When we came out we were admiring the beautiful Pagoda Gift Shop at the road intersection, when we spied Kendras Kandy across the road and, well, being a sucker for any variety of chocolate we headed over. But we got side tracked on the way as right beside it was a shop called Crafty Articles. https://www.facebook.com/#!/CraftyArticles

Although our first impression was that it was a charity shop the heading under the name stated, Wide Range of Local Handmade Products which changed our perception of what lay inside. We couldn’t help but take a look. What greeted us was an eclectic mix of beautifully crafted products from across the North West. A fabulously friendly lady called Pauline noticed we were intrigued by adorable wax animals and came over to explain what was behind their production. A very talented and innovative mum of five, Sharon, came up with a range of soap products that went into production out of necessity. Her now 7 year old had terrible eczema and she was never able to find anything that wouldn’t irritate his skin, so she created her own soap which she uses as washing powder (she dries the soap flakes) as well as soap and shampoo. Ingenious! I purchased the honey, oat and goats milk soap to try on my son, who has sensitive skin. Verdict to follow! But back to the teddies. What had originally caught our eye were a range of childrens’ teddies, from Winnie the Pooh to an adorable elephant. But even though you could see they were once furry they were in fact waxy to the touch.

Pauline explained that Sharon dips them in essential oils and pure soy based, non toxic wax which makes them safe for childrens’ rooms. They emit a lovely scent that I imagine would help to bring calmness to a child's room, handy for sleep time!
Pauline is one of the crafters and we ended up having a great chat with her about what was behind this initiative. It was Sharon who started Crafty Articles. It came into being this past May as a way of giving artists an outlet to sell their produce without the need for mark up that other outlets need to charge. Because the crafters themselves volunteer their time to the shop and there are over 30 of them at present with a waiting list, the rent and rates can be shared between them all. It means that the crafters have access to a customer base they wouldn’t necessarily have had before, they get the full selling price of their items and the customer gets amazing value for money as there isn’t an exorbitant mark up. That’s a win/win situation in my book. Pauline’s work is 3D art under the name Pollyanna. I was particularly taken with a wonderful carousel print she has created. Beautiful work. From the wonderful signs from Katie, a fabric designer, to the elegant woodwork of the Clanabogan Community Group, part of the Camphill Community, we really hope that Crafty Articles becomes a successful showcase for these talented local crafters and artists. We wish them every success and look forward to a return visit soon.

Our visit to Kendras Kandy revealed a treasure trove of confectionery. More candy than chocolate, but we did happen upon the great Wonka Bar which had to make a trip home to my little man. No golden ticket unfortunately but the fun in the anticipation was enough!
We were starting to get peckish and with the sun shining and the knowledge there was a bottle of something pink and bubbly cooling in the fridge we decided our best course of action was a smorgasbord of nibbles, from mozzarella and vine ripened tomatoes to prosciutto and onion bread. We threw in some red wine and chicken liver pate, chorizo and a smoked applewood cheddar for good measure too! We were good to go and eagerly high-tailed it back home. Our late lunch had to wait however as we arrived home to find a teeny tiny kitten, eyes still closed, probably not even a day old yet, lying dying beside the house. We brought her in and tried to give her drops of water while calling vets and rescue centres. We managed to get some kitten milk from the vets and they kindly cleaned her up, Maggie May, as we had named her, was fighting to stay alive and we did everything we could to help her.
When we returned home I snuggled her against my chest while she rested and I ate, so she could feel my heart beat, we thought it might give her some comfort. We fed her bottles of milk and wrapped her up, passing her between us all. As soon as you tried to put her down she wriggled unhappily until she was in someones’ arms again and then she would dutifully curl up, head tucked in, and sleep. Our leisurely lunch table had been taken over but we happily succumbed and managed to still enjoy our selection and the bubbles! Now anyone that knows me will testify that I am categorically ‘not a cat person’- dogs I can do, cats, no. But for some reason Maggie May and I bonded and when she passed away on Sunday morning at 8.37am I had to wipe a tear for a life that wasn’t to be. She was a little fighter alright but I guess she wasn’t meant for this world.
After a night dancing and even more bubbles our weekend was topped off by my first international Cricket match. I got to watch some fine sportsmen in the Ireland v South Africa match show their skill in Strabane Cricket Club. I must admit the lithe bodies of the players were probably a bigger draw than the fact that I was going to see a cricket match! But I got a very quick lesson in the rules of the game courtesy of Mark Gillespie and I’m pleased to say I now know more than I did last week!
So as you can see there wasn’t much food time taken at the weekend. With so much else going on we found it hard to fit everything in, but with the Northern Ireland 2012 initiative in full swing I do plan on making a more culinary trip north of the border soon.

Before I headed North on Friday I made a quick batch of my coconut & oat bites which came with me as a little gift and I’ve included the recipe in my next post!

Thanks to all the crew in Strabane for a fabulous weekend. We won’t leave it as long next time. I didn’t manage more than a fleeting peep into Kerrys Cafe, so a visit is on the cards there too. I did however manage to sample her Galliano and Lime cheesecake...Mmmm, creamy, zingy, fresh and delicious! Thanks Kerry!

The Kitchen - Review

Here's what the owners, Anne Brennan and Glyn Schneider say about it on their website.....

After 15 years’ experience in some of the most exclusive establishments in London, we decided to open our own restaurant in Ireland which we named after it’s location, Le Roc Noir. It was small but all ours and was included in the Michelin guide.
Many years in the corporate sector followed recreating the Le Roc Noir magic in one of Ireland’s famous country houses. Travelling extensively around the world we were drawn time again to the countries around the Mediterranean, not only by the climate and culture but by the cuisines and attitude towards the pleasures of the table that are so much a part of everyday life. Spain, Morocco, Turkey and Egypt have all been an inspiration and major influence on the culinary style of The Kitchen.
Now we are offering a collection of recipes discovered from our travels around the Moorish and Eastern Mediterranean, many of which are only found at the family home and not in restaurants.
Dishes which are traditional, classic, surprising and some neglected gems.
We invite you to delve into our ever-changing menu.

Here's what I had to say after my visit today.....

I have eagerly awaited the opening of The Kitchen, 2 South Quay, Drogheda for what feels like at least a year. From the first time I saw the signs calling for wait staff go up on the windows of a shell of a building. Then when it did open, for varied reasons I couldn't make it in, until now.
Friends had been and the reports back were favourable. But I really wanted to see for myself. So off I trot today for a little lunch whilst my little man was busy at footie camp. Not that he wouldn't have been welcome, as the kids drawings as you walk in the door testify, but, those of you who have children will understand the need for a meal where the conversation isn't about Spongebob, at least every now and then!
What strikes you first upon entering, apart from the very cute array of childrens' masterpieces, is the simplicity of the decor. No painting or large chandeliers adorn the walls and ceilings. Rather a beautiful french inspired aquamarine dresser serves as the bar backdrop, the pendant lights over the counter illuminate a beautiful array of what I'm assured are homemade cakes, from lemon drizzle to baklava. The dark wood tables and chairs add a nice depth and a large gold gilt mirror adorns the back wall. A lovely smatering of local produce is available to purchase, from porridge in a milk bottle! to handmade sweets.
The expanse of windows allows for plenty of light and the simple decor says 'we are confident about our food.'
I was greeted by a lovely girl who promtly cleared a dirty table for me - every other one was clean but of course I wanted the only dirty one in the restaurant! It was a window seat and I could see into the open kitchen so why wouldnt I want it? To her credit it was no problem and she had me sat in my chosen seat within a minute.
My first glance at the menu told me I was going to like this place, just as long as what was produced in the kitchen was as described on the menu. My biggest bugbear is when you get handed something that has no resemblance to the menu description!! Argh!!
So the offer is simple, there are starters like Cured Beef & Parmesan Salad with Pomegranate Molasses at a very reasonable €6.95 or for something a little smaller there is a choice of 8 Tapas with bread from €2.95 to €3.95. Babaganoush anyone?
The grill offers Honey Glazed Chicken Legs at €14.95 up to Lamb Cutlets with Mint sauce at €22.50.
Again they dont over do the offering with 6 items available in this sections. There are mains too like Sea Bass with Walnut & Pomegranate Salad at  €19.95 and then an inspiring selection of Sandwiches which move away from the toasted whatever with melted cheese! Thank you for small mercys!
So as you can see the only problem we were now faced with was what to have. Luckily (for me anyway!) my dining partner had already sampled their fine fare only days ago so I got to choose. Well it was only fair, right?
So decision made, WE ordered chorizo in cider and prawns in garlic from the tapas section. We wanted to share these and it was no problem to order our next nibble after this.
When they arrived they looked delicious and the fresh bread was a perfect accompaniment. Yum. Unfortunately I was so busy commenting on the cute dishes and the delicious taste I forgot to take a picture for you, so you'll have to take my word on their presentation. The chorizo, a spanish sausage that makes me yearn for lazy days and sangria in Santa Eularia, was sweet and perfectly cooked in apple cider and onion enhancing the already smoky texture that comes from the spanish paprika traditionally used in this sausage. The garlic prawns were meaty and again perfectly cooked. The only comment made here was they were a little over enthusiastic about the parsley used, hardly a hanging offence and not an issue for me just my dining partner. I suggested that maybe considering the amount of business men lunching in The Kitchen the amount of parsley was indeed carefully considered so the movers and shakers of Drogheda town weren't heading back to offices with offensive garlic breath! (Although I'm unsure how many would be getting that up close and personal back at the office, but that's another days conversation!!)
After our tapas we had decided to share the spicy lamb kofta with chilli sauce & hummus, which was served on flatbread, as one each would have been a step too far.
To my utter delight it was delivered exactly as described on the menu! Ah the small pleasures in life...The lamb kofta was tender, succulent and full of flavour. The spicy chili was just enough to give a kick without being overpowering. All in all a great sandwich and at €4.95 it didnt break us either.
So to the downside? Well, I had to search hard and to be honest it's barely worth a mention, but when we received our tapas to share we weren't given little plates off which to eat them. Minor point I know but it would have been a clear 100% other than that. So for that little indiscretion I award a whopping 98% to The Kitchen. A small sliver of the lemon drizzle cake was kidnapped and will be tried under rigourous tasting tests later this evening, a comment will be forthcoming, but I have a feeling the result will be very favourable indeed.
SERVICE: 10/10 - The friendly responses to my questions on opening hours to the unsolicited offer of more hot water for our tea really topped it off.
FOOD: 9/10 - Because we havent tasted everything yet!
AMBIENCE: 9/10 - Those pendants in the middle of the restaurant could do with being bigger and possibly orange to give a pop of colour and a little more warmth in the area. It was also was very hot, I'm not sure if that's because of the open kitchen or that we were having a rare, unseasonally warm day for Ireland.
I'm looking forward to a return visit very soon, this time to bring my girlfriends and partake of a few beverages. With The Kitchen open until 10pm Thurs - Sat I'm sure we can fit it in. My son has been asking to go and I have been informed that the 'Roast Beef last Sunday was to die for.' Believe me if you knew who said this, that is good praise indeed! Sunday lunch it is so. Booking is advised though as they can get very busy.
Do yourself a favour, if you haven't already been, visit The Kitchen and see for yourself, the fresh, innovative fare and friendly service on offer.

The Kitchen, 2 South Quay, Drogheda, Co.Louth. 041 98 34630, www.kitchenrestaurant.ie

Storecupboard Apple, Pecan & Caramel Tart

Store cupboard Apple, Pecan & Caramel Tart
(we're making the shortcrust pastry too)

I've called this a storecupboard tart because really I was in two dilemmas. One was that I had a lot of apples that were slightly bruised and needed to be used and two I had some friends coming for a bite to eat and I needed a dessert.

To be honest I'm not a big dessert eater unless it's got chocolate in it so I had to move on from the chocolate fixation and decide what to do with the apples.

Now I could have done an apple tart but I really wanted to do something I hadnt tried before. I'm all for experimenting and then testing it out on my unsuspecting friends!!

So I searched through my cupboard and found some pecans. Now I know traditionally pecan and apple dont neccessarily 'go together' but who's checking??
I had made a caramel sauce last week and hadnt used it all so it was in the fridge. When I found it in my search for ingredients I thought I could add a nice deep sweet flavour to the tart with a drizzle of that aswell.
So I was set. It was going to be apple and pecan tart with caramel drizzle.
The results are below and served with a little vanilla icecream on the side with the hot tart I have to say I forgot my need for chocolate and thouroughly enjoyed the tart.

My friend suggested you could use phyllo pastry if you dont want to use shortcrust. I think it might be a little flimsy for the weight of the ingredients but if you do decide to change it up let me know how you get on?

I used my little tin dishes which were rescued from my grandmothers house before my Dad off loaded them! I LOVE these dishes, not least because they have come down through the generations in my family but they are fab to cook anything in from pork casserole to this tart.

They are approx 6/7 inches at their smallest space and they go at a slight angle out to the top and sides.
You can make the tart any size you want but the usual apple tart dish you would use would suit best.

I used 1 portion of my mums fabulous shortcrust pastry which I had stashed in the freezer. You could make a smaller tart using half of it and throw the other half in the freezer for the next time you have impromtu guests.

THE PASTRY

You'll need 10oz plain flour, 8oz of lard (I use butter but you can use margarine like stork).

The MOST IMPORTANT thing to remember when making pastry is that everything must be COLD. So unlike other baking where the butter usually needs to be softened, the butter for pastry doesn't. Handy, if like me you tend to forget to take it from the fridge in time!
Cut the butter into chunks and place in mixing bowl.
Sieve the flour into the bowl.
Using a knife cut the butter into smaller chunks using the side of the bowl to help you to incorporate the flour as you go.
Now put your hands under the cold water tap and dry them - to bring the temperature down on your palms.

Using your fingertips, quickly and efficiently rub the flour and butter together for approximately
1 minute.
It's ok to still have a few small lumps of butter.
Make a well in the centre and add 3 tablespoons of cold water.
Using a METAL spoon bind the mixture together.
It should form a mixture that combines together, if it's too dry add another tablespoon or so of cold water.
Put a little flour on your hands and bring the mixture together into a ball.
Cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge for half an hour or you can freeze it at this point until you want to use it.
I find the best way to freeze it is by using old butter packets. I keep these in the fridge instead of discarding. I dont bother with the clingfilm. Just put the ball of dough onto the butter paper, cover it with another, wrap them and place in the freezer.
Otherwise if using for doing the tart, leave it in the fridge for at least half an hour to rest.
When it's ready put it onto a floured surface.

THE TART

Roll out the dough using a cold roller - from fridge or freezer - and then fold it over, turn it to the right and roll again 2 or 3 times.
Fold and turn again and roll again 2/3 times.
Cut it in half and reserve half for the topping.
You are rolling the piece you have to fit your dish.
Place it onto the dish, bear in mind pastry always shrinks so make it a little bigger rather than smaller.
When the base is down add peeled and chopped apple pieces, whatever you have. I didn't use cooking apples for this dish as I wanted to use up the eating ones I had. Remember though that cooking apples are more bitter than regular so you need more sugar for cooking apples than you do for eating ones.
Take 2 tablespoons of sugar and sprinkle it over the apples.
Use 2 handfuls of pecans and crush them in a freezer bag so they are in pieces but not dust.
Sprinkle these over the apples and sugar.



Use enough apples to cover the base

I drizzled the caramel sauce over the ingredients in the dish but you dont need it to have this tart tasting great.
You can use maple syrup either which is a perfect accompaniment to pecans.
Use approx two tablespoons.
Set the tart aside and heat your oven to 180⁰c/Gas Mark 4.
Roll out the other piece of dough to the proper dimensions, remembering to leave enough to come out a little over the sides of the tart.
Place the dough over the tart, use your rolling pin to lift and place the dough so it doesnt break.
Cut around the edges with a sharp knife and then pinch the side of the two layers of dough together to seal it.
Use a fork to punch some holes in the top of the tart so the steam can escape. Otherwise the pastry will become soggy. And who wants soggy pastry!!
Using a pastry brush (or as I did, a new paintbrush I had bought my son!) paste the top with either milk or egg (don't crack open an egg just for this though)


Ready for the oven, fork holes let out the steam

That's it!
Bake in the oven for approx 25 minutes until the top is golden brown.
Serve with icecream or cream and enjoy!

How do you get kids to eat healthier?

I had an interesting conversation the other evening. It was a rare summer evening where we got to sit outside and eat our food, share some wine and chat. The kids were playing happily in the garden and our chat turned to kids and what they'll eat.
One of  the group made what is in my opinion an excellent observation. From someone who is currently writing a family cookbook with kids healthy eating as the driving factor I found her opinion quite enlightening, and it was this. The key to keeping children healthy may not be what we give them rather what we don't give them. Pretty cool, right? So, I started thinking, if you have a fussy eater, which I do, isnt it better to make sure that he doesnt overload on empty calorie sugars, that spike his blood sugar levels and junk food filled with hydrogenated fats? If all you can do to get meat or fish into them is disquised in breadcrumbs, at least make them yourself with wholewheat breadcrumbs and egg and even wholewheat flour if you want. At least that way they arent getting pre-packaged gunk that has no nutritional value whatsoever. And in between meals, snacks need to be on the healthy spectrum rather than the sugar one. This way at least, even if they are fighting you at the table, and it gets tiring I know, you can at least console yourself that your doing the best you can do in the circumstances, right?

Rambling & NYC

Hi,
the post below was written in October 2011. I have been through quite a transformation since but I figured I'd be true to myself and post my first post before I bring things up to date....

Welcome to my Food Blog and my first posting! Oh scary stuff. Although it's an appropriate time of year for all that scary stuff! Starting a food blog has been something I've wanted to do for a very long time, but work, fear, lack of confidence, and probably a little laziness have all conspired to stop me. Now, work is no longer an issue, (that's a post all of it's own!) the fear has gone too, (what use is that to me anyway?), the confidence thing I'm working on and the laziness....well I started back in the gym last week and I'm actually surprised I have any power left in my arms to be even be able to type this!
Here's the thing I've struggled with aswell. Because I am over weight....verging on very unhealthy and because I love food soo much I've had a hard time reconciling with the fact that not only do I want to get fit, healthy and trim I also want to blog about lots of yummy food and visits to farmers markets and all that good stuff. You see I LOVE food, you may have gotten that from the blog title? But it's more than that. It's what makes me really, truly, stupidly, unabashedly - Happy. Dreaming up recipes, cooking, baking, serving, seeing the smiles on friends and families faces as they savour the flavours. I get so much pleasure from all those elements of it, but there's still more. There's the hours I could spend, and sometimes do in really good food stores, in farmers markets, on websites for food related items, and the kitchen gadgets shops, ohh don't get me started on those. I was in New York recently (I LOVE NYC), and had the utter complete unadulterated pleasure of spending an afternoon browsing in Chelsea Market. www.chelseamarket.com For those of you who have not made it there yet, you must go. It's where they have the Food Network Studios so it's like the holy grail for food lovers. As soon as I passed over the threashold I felt like I do every Christmas Morning (yes still!). My friends all trained their eyes on me to see my expression, I could feel them bore into me, I didn't care. I stood for a moment, and then I inhailed. OMG, it was wonderful. The waft of the warm, huge, Chocolate Chip Cookies from THE Jacques Torres chocolates http://www.mrchocolate.com/ mingling with the freshly made Crepes from Bar Suzette Creperie. (http://chelseamarket.com/barsuzette/) The buzz, the excitment, it very nearly consumed me. Anyway, I'm going off on one, I'll do a separate post on NYC for those who want to read about it. You get that I'm crazy about all things food.
If I was writing this even last week I would have been saying to you now, so you can see my dilemma can't you? But you see, there is no dilemma anymore. I figured it out all on my own, aren't I super intelligent?!
I don't have to compromise my love of food in order to get and stay slim. There are lots of people out there who love food, who work with it everyday and keep themselves fit and healthy. What I realised was that for a very long time, in fact probably forever, I haven't really enjoyed my food, like really savoured each mouthful. I'm a binge eater, an emotional eater, a 'I'll eat it if it's in the house' kind of eater. Even though I claim to love food, I haven't really been true to that moniker by my actions. And you know what they say about actions v words etc. So, there it is. There's no dilemma.
I'm going to truly LOVE my food from now on. More importantly (well marginally) I'm going to truly LOVE myself and I will bring my love of food and life together and make one happy healthy marraige. I have dozens of cook books that I delve in and out of. From now on I will pick a recipe, make it, thoroughly enjoy eating it and I may even take a few pictures & post the recipe so you can see what it is and I'll keep you posted on how it works out for me. Wish me luck. Till next time.
Jill
P.S Tonight it's going to be Shepherds Pie with roast root vegetables from the lovely Nuremore Hotel and Country Club garnered from the fabulous www.zestcookbook.ie which was published in aid of the Irish Hospice Foundation in 2009.