Oriental Themed Menu for us Spielweg Chefs.A Great Event.

Wonderful Muffins

Ingredients;

700grm Plain Flour
2tsp Baking Powder
300grm Caster sugar or Brown sugar
1tsp Vanilla essence
Pinch of salt
2tsp Mixed Spice
3 Eggs
170grm Unsalted Butter (Melted)
200-300ml Buttermilk
Flavouring of your Choice

Method;

Preheat Oven to 180 degrees/gas 4/350F and line a muffin tray with muffin cases.
Sieve Flour & Baking Powder into a bowl.Add Salt,Sugar & Mixed spice and mix thoroughly.you can add other dry flavour's of your choice at this stage e.g orange/lemon zest,cocoa powder,spices etc.
Make a well in Centre,Add melted butter,the milk ,whisked eggs and vanilla essence,mix well.Add 200ml of Buttermilk and a little more if required to get the correct consistency-not to stiff or dry but of a spoonable consistency.
More Flavours can be added at this stage also if required e.g dried fruit,choc chips or berries etc.spoon mix into cases and bake for 25mins untill well risen and golden brown.
when ready,leave in tin for 5mins to rest then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

yield - 12 Muffins

Mental Health Ireland;New Tasty Recipes

Check out my new recipes on the Healthy Eating for a Healthy Mind section by clicking on the link below;
http://www.mentalhealthireland.ie/healthy-eating-for-a-healthy-mind

Happy Cooking!

Vegetarian Inspirations from Dublin's Cornucopia Restaurant

I Had the Pleasure to work alongside The Famous Dublin Cornucopia Restaurant's Head Chef Tony Keogh this month in recreating  a selection of their Vegetarian Dishes.
They have also just released a great Culinary read "Cornucopia at home.The Cookbook".It will make a great stocking filler gift for this coming Christmas.

This week on Dundalk Fm 100 ,i will be recreating one of thier dishes that inspired me;

Sweet Potato,Broccoli & Lentil Sambar.

So Tune in to hear how this recipe goes together or if you are in Dublin ,check out the Cornucopia Restaurant you won't be dissapointed.

Blueberry & Lemon Traybake

Blueberry and Lemon Traybake

 

Ingredients

·         125g/4½oz unsalted butter, softened

·         225g/8oz caster sugar

·         2  eggs

·         250g/9oz soured cream

·         1 unwaxed lemon, zest and juice

·         300g/10½oz self-raising flour

·         1 tsp vanilla essence

·         ½ tsp baking powder

·         150g/5½oz blueberries

For the cream cheese topping

·         50g/2oz butter, softened

·         300g/10½oz icing sugar, sieved, plus extra for dusting

·         200g/7oz cream cheese

·         1-2 tbsp lemon juice

·         50g/2oz blueberries

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease and line a rectangular baking tin (approximately 26cm x 20cm/10½in x 8in).

Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Stir in the vanilla essence, soured cream, lemon juice and zest, flour and baking powder until well combined, then carefully fold in the blueberries.

Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven, and set aside until completely cool.

Meanwhile for the cream cheese topping, beat the butter and icing sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the cream cheese and lemon juice, then spread over the top of the cake. Sprinkle over the blueberries and dust with icing sugar.

Serves 8-12

Karl’s Kitchen Flavours

Rustic Sourdough Bread

Homegrown Darver Cottage Organic Vegetables

Happy Heart Award from The Irish Heart Foundation.

Wedding Cake MasterClass

Follow these easy steps of how to create your own Wedding Fruit Cake.

This cake size will be baked in a 8 inch/20cm round cake tin.


Stage 1; Ingredients

Strong White Flour 225grm
Margarine 175grm
Dark Brown sugar 175grm
5 Eggs
Dried fruit mix 550grm
Cherries 75grm
Mixed peel 75grm
Chopped Almonds 50grm
Ground Almonds 50grm
Rind and juice of 1 lemon & 1 Orange
Mixed spice 1/2 tsp
Nutmeg 1/2 tsp
Rum 3tbsp

Method;
1. Line Deep cake tin with double layer of greaseproof paper.Cut one circle of greaseproof too the size of
  cake tin.
2.Pre-heat oven to 140 degrees/275 farrenheit/Gas 1.
3.Put the Dried fruit mix,Cherries,Mixed peel,Chopped and Ground Almonds,Rind and Juice of Lemon &
  Orange,1 tbsp Rum and mix well.
4.Sieve the Flour,Mixed spice & Nutmeg Together.
5.Cream Margarine & Sugar together.Add the eggs,one at a time ,beating each egg in thoroughly and adding
  a little sieved flour with every egg,after the first.
6.Fold in the remaining Flour,then stir in Fruit and 1 tbsp of rum gently but well mixed.
7.Transfer to the prepared Tin,smooth top & bake.half way through,place circle of greaseproof on top of
   cake held down with a spoon.this will prevent top of cake burning.bake for 2 1/2 hrs- 3 hrs.
8.To check if cooked ,insert skewer in centre of cake ,if it comes out clean,it is ready.When baked,leave to
   cool in tin.when cold,prick top of cake with a skewer & pour rum over.

Warm Goats Cheese Salad

Hoi Sin Duck Spring Rolls

Slow Cooked Wild Rabbit with Hot Italian Sausages

I went Hunting with a friend of mine this weekend for Wild Rabbits & we where successful.So created this tasty dish to respect what Mother nature provided for us from her Larder.

Ingredients;

2 Wild Rabbits
100 grm plain flour
Seasoning ; 1/2 tsp Allspice.1 tsp salt,1/2 tsp black pepper
100ml Olive Oil
500grm Hot Italian sausages,cut into 1/4 inch slices
125ml Ruby Port
125ml Red Wine
500grm Chestnut Mushrooms
1kg San Marzano Tomatoes,crushed
250ml Chicken Stock
100grm Pecorino Cheese

Method;

1. Divide Wild Rabbit into portions & reserve Loin's from Carcass.

2. Dust Wild Rabbit Pieces in flour with seasoning.Preheat Deep saucepan with olive oil.

3. Brown Rabbit pieces in Saucepan,Add sausages & brown lightly also for about 10 mins,turn occassionally.Add the port & redwine,Scrape the sediment from the bottom of the pan to draw flavours

   into sauce.

4.Add Stock,half of the Mushrooms & Tomatoes.season with salt & pepper to your taste.

5.Simmer slowly on top of stove for 40 mins or slowly cook in preheated oven at 200 degrees for 1 hr until
   meat is tender & comes from the bone.

6.Pan sear Wild Rabbit loins for 3-4 mins in olive oil,till cooked.let rest for 2 mins & carve into slices & add
   to saucepan with the rest of the mushrooms & cook further for 5 mins.

7.Ladle Wild Rabbit & Sauce into serving Bowl & Lightly Grate with pecorino Cheese,Serve with Rustic
  Crusty Bread to soak up the Sauce & Flavour's.