Irish Soda Bread

Unfortunately there is no picture for this recipe, as we started eating it before I remembered to take a photo!

Soda Bread takes five minutes to make and is dead easy. It doesn't need resting or prooving time and is best served immediately (well cooled a little first!)

The Bicarbonate of Soda in the recipe is what helps the bread to rise, so you don't need any yeast.

Ingredients:

500g Strong Brown Bread Flour

500ml Buttermilk

1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

1/2 tsp salt

To Make:

Heat oven to 190'c

Mix all dry ingredients together.

Make a well in the centre and add the buttermilk, a little at time, a 100ml or so each go.

When all the ingredients are combined, turn out, kneed lightly and shape into a ball.

Press a cross into the top.

Bake in oven for about 45-50 minutes.

When ready tap the bottom, if the bread sounds hollow it is ready, if not continue baking for a few minutes longer.

Tips:

If you cannot get buttermilk, squeeze half a lemon into a pint of milk and leave to separate for a few minutes.

If your dough is a little dry after adding the buttermilk add a tablespoon of mayonnaise.

My Very Own Sweetcorn Soup Recipe

A while ago Rudi bought some dairy free Alpro single cream and has been asking me have a go at using it. My gorgeous hubby also loves soup, so after a little contemplation last night I decided to have a go at sweetcorn soup.

I cannot believe a recipe so easy, that I made up could be so delicious!

So after having a look online at about 5 different recipes, with little more than sweetcorn in common I decided to throw some flavours and inspiration together and this is what I came up with.

Ingredients:

1 x large onion sliced

2 x large cloves garlic

1kg bag of frozen sweetcorn

2 tbsp chicken stock powder

2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp chilli powder

150 - 200 ml Alpro single cream (this is optional and you can also use regular single cream.)

Salt to taste if necessary

To Make:

Fry over onion and crushed garlic until softened.

Add the whole bag of sweetcorn.

Fry over until defosted and glossy (keep stiring, this will take less than a minute)

Add just enough water to cover corn, add stock, chilli and turmeric. Stir

Cook on a medium light until corn is tender.

Blitz with the hand processor.

Stir in cream.

Eat and enjoy.... mmmmm

This can easily be made in advance and reheated, just do not heat it on too high a light, otherwise it will burn.

You can also add smoked haddock or smoked cod to make it into a thicker, richer chowder soup. Its delicious and a meal all by itself.

A Few More Ways With Salmon

Before I write today's recipes I have to thank all of you who read my blog. It seems to be I have quite a following out there and I didn't even realise. Please keep reading I am really loving all the feedback.



I cannot believe how easy salmon is to cook, it seems to get easier and tastier every time!



I didn't really fancy our usual Chinese slant on salmon, so I 'invented' a few more recipes. It is a far cry to think I actually invented something this simple, but I threw the following flavours together.



Option 1:

Good squeeze of Lemon (about half a lemon per fillet, we like our flavours strong)

Small knob of butter on top of each salmon (prob about a tsp), if using salted butter you will not need to add salt

Chilli flakes to cover

Cracked Black Pepper

*Onion (spring if using fresh) and garlic

*We have a grinder with chilli, pepper, salt, garlic and onion, which makes life REALLY simple!



Option 2:

Grain mustard to cover fish

Honey to cover

Small knob of butter



Preheat oven to 180'c

Place salmon fillets in ovenproof dish

Cover with option 1 or 2

Cover dish with foil and bake for about 15 min.

If the salmon fillet is very small you might only need 12 minutes and if very large you might need 18 minutes. Also a metal baking dish will get hotter quicker, so you might need more/less time depending on your utensils. I use Le Crueset Stoneware.

To Die For Pavlova (Dedicated to Stuart and Bradley)

Its been a long time since I have blogged about cooking, but the new year has brought new excitement and inspiration and I am eager to share this recipe with you all. This really is a delicious dessert and even though would serve 6, we were 4 at dinner, scoffed the lot and relished every bite!

I made this up all by myself through a culmination of different recipes. You can use any fruit topping, but I was in the mood for raseberries and bluberries (plus the blueberries were on offer - bonus!)

Tips for making meringue:

1. Any vinegar, or lemon juice will do, its the acid that makes the mallowy centre.

2. Add the sugar AFTER you have whisked the egg whites into soft peaks.

3. DO NOT get any grease or egg yolk in the egg white otherwise you will never form any peak and it will be a disappointing goo!

Ingredients:

For the meringue

4 egg whites

250g caster sugar

2 tsp corn flour

2 tsp vinegar

1/4 tsp vanilla essence

For the topping;

300ml whipping cream (or double cream, but it is ever so slightly heavier)

1 punnet of bluberries

1 can on rasberries (you can use fresh or frozen, but I was being extremely lazy!)

icing sugar

1 or 2 tbsp caster sugar (depending on how sweet you like the cream)

To make the meringue:

Preheat oven to 180'c

Draw around a 8inch tin on greaseproof paper.

In a bowl whisk the egg whites into soft peaks, then whisk in the sugar until firm peaks are formed when the whisk is removed. The mixture will look shiney at this point. You should be able to turn the bowl upside down without the contents moving.

Sprinkle in the vinegar, corn flour and vanilla and gently fold in using a metal spoon. Do not over do it at this point, otherwise the mixture will go flat.

Spread mixture onto the greaseproof, inside the circle, smoothing the top and sides.

Place the meringue into the oven and immediately turn the heat to 120'c, cook for 1h. Turn off the heat and leave in the oven to cool.

When completely cool, remove from oven and build up the pavlova (you can make the meringue a few days in advance and keep in an airtight container).

Remove the meringue from the greaseproof paper and place on a serving dish

For the topping:

Whip the cream and sugar (depending on how sweet you want the cream, I chose 1)

Spread over the meringue

Sprinkle over the blueberries

For the rasberries:

Drain syrup

Place in a bowl

Add a sprinkle of icing sugar to sweeten to taste

Blend into a pulp, this can be done with a folk.

Spoon over the blueberries and meringue.

Eat and Enjoy. We certainly did!!!

Delicious Meat Balls

This is a really hearty dinner, the type that makes you feel full up and warm and cuddly inside and I love it.

We have this as a real treat as there are quite a few steps involved and lamb mince is not great on a diet as lamb is high in calories and fat (even the lean bits!)

For the meat balls:
1 pkt mince lamb (about 1lb or 1/2kg)
1 onion diced
Fresh parsley if poss
oregano
paprika
1 egg
fine matzo meal (breadcrumbs)

Shove everything in the food processor and blitz together until the correct consistency for rolling into balls.
Heat a pan with a little oil. 
Brown over the meat balls.
Remove from pan and leave to rest on side.

For the sauce:
1onion diced
1-2 cloves of garlic crushed
1 can chopped toms
tom puree
1 glass red wine if poss
200ml stock, add a little extra stock if you don't have wine
parsley or herbs of choice
black pepper

To make;Preheat oven to 180'c
I use my Le Creuset to make the whole dish as it goes on the hob and then in the oven, so it is a one pot dinner.
After removing the browned meatballs
re-oil dish if necessary and fry over onion and garlic until soft. 
Add toms, tom puree, stock and wine and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly.  Add black pepper and herbs to taste.
Add meatballs to the sauce and increase the heat. 
Just before the sauce boils remove from hob and place in oven.
Cook for about 40-45 min and serve with rice.

This dish is so delicious I can taste and smell it as I'm writing.  YUM YUM YUM

Soy Sauce Salmon

Apologies for not writing more recipes sooner, but our trip to South Africa has been pretty time consuming, but now we are home there will be lots more tasty ideas to follow.

This is another quick fish dinner.  It takes a little longer than the 7 minute salmon, but is just as delicious.

Ingredients
Good quality soy sauce, I like Kikkomen
Honey
Spring onions
Garlic
Fresh salmon fillet

To make
Give the salmon a quick rinse.

Place in an oven proof dish

Drizzle over 2 tbsp honey and about 3 - 4 tbsp of soy.
Sprinkle over spring onions and garlic.  I recommend a large clove and 2-3 spring onions.
Cover with foil and bake at 180'c for about 20-25min depending on the size of the fillet.

Serve and Enjoy.

We had it with chinese noodles and stir-fried veg!  De - licious :)

A Few More Cakes

Here are a few more pics of cakes I have made this month and another reason why I have been so busy.

I am starting to sell my cakes, so please feel free to be in touch, or pass my details on to your friends and family.