Easy no knead Guinness bread

August 14, 2014September 8, 2022 Belinda1 Comment

This is another great moist, dense and very tasty bread we had in Ireland. The addition of Guinness beer whether draught or canned, makes it so rich and flavorful. All it needs is some salty Irish Kerrygold butter and some smoked salmon!

This recipe makes one loaf and is better served fresh and slightly warm, especially as it’s a no-knead recipe.

5 ½ cups plain wholemeal / wholemeal all purpose flour
1 ¼ cups plain white / white all purpose flour
½ cup oatmeal
2 ½ teaspoons of baking soda or bicarbonate of soda
2 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter
2 cups whole milk
3/4 cups black treacle or molasses
½ pint draught or canned Guinness

Preheat the oven to 350 °F and lightly grease a standard loaf tin with butter.
Place all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub into the dry ingredients until it resembles fine breadcrumbs – I recommend working quickly as the mixture can easily become greasy if over mixed, or mixed using too warm hands.
Add the milk, black treacle or molasses and the Guinness. Mix to create a wet dough.
Grease a standard loaf tin, add the wet dough and bake in the oven for 40 – 45 mins or until the bread is well risen and cooked through.
Leave for 10 minutes in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Eat while slightly warm if you like, or leave to go completely cold. Delicious with salty butter and Irish smoked salmon, cold meats or cheeses.

Val's Ballinkeele brown soda bread

August 12, 2014September 8, 2022 Belinda

At the beautiful manor house of Balinkeele, County Wexford, Ireland, where we stayed for a night on our two week driving trip of Ireland, we got to know the young owners of this stunning property, Laura, Val, and their four young children. They live in the house, run a bed and breakfast in it and do all the cooking and cleaning themselves. At breakfast we were served this delicious bread warm from the oven. The recipe, which is easy to make, is Val’s handed down over the generations and it was to die for.

Screen shot 2014-08-12 at 7.05.08 PM

This was our bedroom and the view across the lakes and gardens was stunning.

After breakfast we strolled around the property, taking as many pictures as possible of the gorgeous lakes, pathways and gardens.

Dry Ingredients
14 oz wholemeal flour
3 oz plain flour
4 tbsp mixed seeds & nuts, (like pumpkin, sunflower, pine nuts, golden flax seeds, chopped nuts, or whatever you fancy)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Wet ingredients
14.5 fl oz buttermilk
1 large egg
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp honey

Heat the oven to 450 F. Grease the inside of a 2lb loaf tin – cut a piece of baking parchment to fit the base.
Mix the dry ingredients together except for 2 tbsp of the nuts/seeds mixture, in a large bowl. In another bowl or a pitcher, mix the wet ingredients together, using a whisk, but don’t beat the mixture too much.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour the wet ingredients in and mix well.
Turn the bread mixture into the loaf tin and pat down on the top with a fork or spatula. Scatter the remaining 2 tbsp seeds and nuts along the middle of the length of the loaf tin.
Cook at 450 F for 15 mins then turn down the oven to 375 F for the remaining 35 to 40 mins. Leave the loaf in the tin to cool a little and when cool enough to remove from the tin, it should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Soup · Vegan

Chilled essence of tomato consomme

August 12, 2014September 8, 2022 Belinda1 Comment

On our vacation recently, we had an amuse-bouche course of this chilled soup and it was absolutely divine. The tomato flavor is intense, yet delicate and it’s well worth trying as a lovely summer starter. It’s hard to believe that the clear liquid is actually the tomato consomme.

5 ½ lbs cherry vine-ripened tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
1 small shallot, finely chopped
half fennel bulb, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
2 sprigs thyme, roughly chopped
4 leaves tarragon, roughly chopped
A handful basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 tbsp golden caster sugar
2 pinches cayenne pepper
5 drops Worcestershire sauce
3 drops Tabasco sauce

To serve
4 basil leaves, finely sliced, plus 4 small sprigs
6 large plum vine tomatoes, skinned, seeded and finely diced
good-quality extra-virgin olive oil

In a large bowl mix all the ingredients together with 1 tbsp sea salt, cover with cling film and marinate for 6 hrs. Then, in a food processor, pulse the tomato mix in batches until roughly chopped – don’t over-chop them to a mush.
Place three layers of muslin cloth, or a new kitchen cloth, over a large bowl and pour the mix into the cloth. Tie up with string and hang in a cold place for at least 15 mins over the bowl to collect the tomato essence. Set aside the pulp. Taste and correct the seasoning, if necessary, then cool in the fridge.
To serve, spoon a quarter of the diced tomato into the centre of four bowls.
Carefully pour the chilled tomato essence around the tomato towers and garnish with the basil and a small drizzling of olive oil.

Whole30 compliant

Roasted cauliflower with dates, pine nuts and prosciutto served with caper aioli

July 24, 2014January 7, 2017 Belinda1 Comment

I am a cauliflower fanatic and just love different ways of serving it. You’ll love this briny, creamy aioli which is very easy to make, and the combination of the toasty cauliflower, sweet dates, salty prosciutto and nutty pine nuts, is divine.

Serves 4
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
4 oz pancetta or prosciutto, sliced thick and cut into 1/4 inch dice
1/2 cup pitted dates, chopped
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts or almonds
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp chopped parsley leaves, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375 F

Combine the cauliflower, prosciutto, dates, olive oil, salt and red pepper flakes in a large mixing bowl. Mix well to coat and place on a sheet pan.
Place in the top part of the oven and roast until the cauliflower is fork tender and light brown, about 30 to 40 mins. Remove from the oven, transfer to a decorative bowl and scatter with the freshly toasted pine nuts. Serve with the caper aioli on the side.

Caper aioli
1 cup good quality mayonnaise
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp capers, chopped
1 tsp caper brine
1 tbsp chopped parsley leaves

Rub the inside of a decorative bowl with the garlic clove.
Put the mayonnaise, salt, olive oil, capers, caper brine and parsley in a mixing bowl and mix well together to combine. transfer to the decorative bowl and serve with the roasted cauliflower

Dessert · Do-ahead

Wonderful retro gingernut log

July 20, 2014March 1, 2023 Belinda

I used to make this when I was a teenager and had totally forgotten about it until recently. It is wonderfully easy and looks as if you’ve been slaving in the kitchen for hours. The flavors are terrific and well worth trying

Serves 6
2 fl oz sweet sherry
2 oz white superfine (caster) sugar
4 tbsp brandy
8 fl oz heavy whipping cream
4 tbsp fresh smooth orange juice
6 oz ginger nut cookies, about 15. (McVities is a good brand, available on Amazon)
icing sugar for dusting
optional raspberries to serve

Have ready a suitable serving plate.
In a medium bowl, combine the sherry, sugar and half the brandy. Using an electric whisk, gradually whisk in the cream and continue until the mixture forms fluffy peaks, taking care not to over-whisk otherwise it can separate.
In another bowl, combine the orange juice and remaining brandy.
One by one, dunk each biscuit into the solution, letting it sit there for 15 secs to soak up the alcohol. You might need to top up the liquid) Spread with a little of the cream mixture and sandwich the cookies together in two equal vertical stacks.

Lay these side by side lengthways on the serving plate to form a log shape. Smooth the remaining cream mixture over the log, completely covering it.
Loosely cover and chill for at least half a day. The cookies will absorb the juices, turning into a soft gingery sponge.
Dust with icing sugar and serve in slices with a few raspberries if you like.

Asian flavors · Fish · Gluten Free · Whole30 compliant

Oven baked parcels of fish with scallions, mushrooms, ginger and sesame oil

July 19, 2014January 7, 2017 Belinda

This is one of our most favorite, light and extremely tasty fish dishes, steamed to perfection, snuggled cozily in their own aluminum foil packets. All you need to serve with it is steamed white rice, as the juices from these parcels are divine.

Serves 2
2 x 6oz fillets of Chilean sea bass, cod or halibut
6 scallions, sliced on the diagonal in 1″ pieces
1 large clove of garlic crushed
1 & 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated finely or chopped very finely.
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos
A pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
6 good sized mushrooms, or shitake mushrooms, sliced
1/2 can baby corn pieces, drained (optional)
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 F
In a small bowl, add the soy sauce, sesame oil, sliced scallions, ginger, garlic,red pepper flakes, mushrooms, baby corn, if using, and ground pepper.
Mix well and set aside.
Get two large pieces of aluminum foil and in the middle of each piece, place a piece of fish. Bring up all the sides of the foil, so the liquid won’t run out, and tip 1/2 of the mixture in the medium bowl over each piece of fish.
Gather up and seal the packages really well.

Place in a small roasting tin and bake at 400 F for about 15 mins max.
To test, open one of the packages and put a sharp knife into the fish to see if comes away easily.
Place the fish over a pile of simple steamed white rice in a bowl, and pour over all the sauce and vegetables.

Chocolate · Dessert · Do-ahead

Mocha chocolate refrigerator cake

July 17, 2014September 8, 2022 Belinda

I just love making these sort of desserts, especially in the summer and they are so easy when you can make them several days before and have them hanging out in the refrigerator.
This one is divine and a must to make. Also a great party cake.

Serves 8
2 cups cold heavy cream
12 oz Italian Mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup Kahlua liqueur
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Pernigotti . (make sure it’s a good brand)
1 tsp instant espresso powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Three 8 oz packages Tate’s Bake Shop chocolate chip cookies (Sorry non USA friends, I don’t know what thin, chocolate chip cookie of about 3″ diameter would work!)

Shaved semisweet chocolate, for garnish

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the heavy cream, Mascarpone, sugar, Kahlua, cocoa powder, espresso powder and vanilla. Mix on low speed to combine and then slowly raise the speed until it forms firm peaks.
To assemble the cake, arrange chocolate chip cookies flat in an 8-inch springform pan,covering the bottom as much as possible. (You can break some cookies to fill in the spaces)
Spread a fifth of the mocha whipped cream evenly over the cookies. Place another layer of cookies on top, lying flat and touching, followed by another fifth of the cream.
Continue layering cookies and cream until there are five layers of each, ending with a layer of cream.
Smooth the top, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Run a small sharp knife around the outside of the cake and remove the sides of the pan.
Sprinkle the top with the chocolate, cut in wedges and serve cold.

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Soup

Spinach, leek and white bean soup

July 16, 2014September 8, 2022 Belinda

We are soup fanatics in our house, any time of the year. I made this soup recently because dear friends of ours were having their first baby at the hospital over the road from us, and ended up staying with us for several days before and after. New mom was very anaemic so I was trying to come up with high-iron meals. After some research I read that spinach and white beans are very high in iron.
Well, typical me, I can’t just make a small batch of soup, I made enough for 20 people, but they ended up taking the rest home. If you’re going to make a little soup, you might as well make a lot. That’s my mantra!
This one I made up out of whatever I had in the fridge and pantry and it ended up being really good, so I made it again today and wrote down what I was doing. There are some rather weird ingredients in it, but it all helps to layer the flavors.

2 tbsp butter and 4 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 x 4oz pack chopped pancetta (you could use 4 rashers (slices) of bacon too)
6 leeks, cleaned and chopped
1 large potato, peeled and cubed small
2 x 15oz cans white kidney or cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
2 x 11oz packs (22 oz) fresh spinach
1 tbsp medium curry powder (If you want a real curried flavor, add 2 tbsp. 1 tbsp just gives it a certain “je ne c’est quoi”)
3/4 tbsp instant chicken Bouillon granules
3 x large (49oz) tins Chicken broth
A little salt and ground black pepper
8 oz cream cheese, at room temp

Get your largest saucepan, preferably a tall stockpot and put in the oil and butter. Heat gently and add the onions, garlic, pancetta, leeks and potato and saute, stirring occasionally.
Add the white beans and curry powder and season with a little salt and pepper.

Add the chicken broth and chicken stock granules and bring to a simmer. Add the spinach and keep pressing it down into the liquid with a wooden spoon until it wilts and shrinks considerably. Stir occasionally and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.

After 30 mins, take the soup of the heat and set aside to cool for an hour or two. this way, when you blend it in the liquidizer, the steam won’t cause it to burst the lid off and cover you and your surroundings with soup!
When cooled a little, start blending it in a blender, add tablespoons of the cream cheese to each batch until you have used it all up. This gives it a really silky, creamy texture. When all is blended, return to the large pan and bring to a simmer and serve
Serve. (You can cool the soup and freeze it in batches at this point)

Do-ahead · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Middle Eastern herb filo pie

July 15, 2014September 8, 2022 Belinda

Another gem from Ottolenghi. With Sephardic roots, this is a wonderful centerpiece for a dinner party, whether vegetarian or not.

Serves 4
2 tbsp olive oil plus extra for brushing the pastry layers
1 large onion, diced
1lb Swiss chard, stems and leaves finely shredded but kept separate
5 oz celery, peeled and thinly sliced
2 oz green onions (scallions) chopped
2 oz arugula
1 oz flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 oz fresh mint, chopped
2/3 oz dill , chopped
4 oz ricotta cheese, crumbled
4 oz aged Cheddar cheese, grated
2 oz Greek feta cheese, crumbled (not pre-crumbled)
grated zest of 1 lemon
2 large organic eggs
1/3 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp superfine sugar (caster sugar)
9 oz filo pastry

Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Pour the olive oil into a large, deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 8 minutes without browning. Add the chard stems and celery and continue to cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the chard leaves, increase the heat to medium high and stir as you cook for about 5 minutes or until the leaves wilt. Add the green onion, arugula and herbs and cook for 2 mins more. Remove from the heat and transfer to a colander and cool.
Once the mixture is cool, squeeze out as much water as possible and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the three cheeses, lemon zest, eggs, salt and pepper and sugar and mix well.
Lay out a sheet of filo pastry and brush it with some olive oil. Cover with another sheet and continue in the same manner until you have 5 layers of filo brushed with oil, all covering an area large enough to line the sides and bottom or an 8 1/2″ pie dish, plus extra to hang over the rim of the dish. Line the pie dish with the pastry, fill with the herb mix and fold the excess pastry over the edge of the filling, trimming the pastry as necessary to create a 3/4″ border.
Make another set of 5 filo layers brushed with oil and place them over the pie. Scrunch up the pastry a little to create a wavy, uneven top and trim the edges so it just covers the pie.
Brush generously with olive oil and bake for 40 mins until the filo turns a nice golden brown.
Remove from the oven and serve warm or at room temperature.