Spiced Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. mild chilli powder
32 fluid oz. vegetable stock (I used Knorr concentrated gel stock pots.)
1 cup red lentils 
1 large carrot or 2 medium carrots, diced
2 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
3/4 Tbsp. dried coriander leaf (cilantro)
1 tsp. dried oregano
More salt to taste
Lemon slices or olive oil to garnish

A friend of mine was moving away & gave me the contents of her kitchen press, which included a full bag of red lentils.  I'd always wanted to make my own lentil soup & this was the perfect opportunity.  I looked up several recipes online in order to get an idea about method & amounts & then I added elements of several recipes together, along with my own ideas, to develop this warmly spiced soup.  It's so satisfying, warming & enjoyable with a bit of a Mexican flair.  It  leaves you always wanting to go back for another taste or two, even if you're full.  This amount usually serves 3 of us for 2 nights in a row.

Method:
Heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Stir in the chopped onion & minced fresh garlic & cook until the onion has turned golden (around 5 minutes).  Stir in the cumin, sea salt, black pepper & chilli powder.  Cook & stir for another 2 minutes or so until the spices are fragrant.  Next, stir in the vegetable stock (you can also use chicken stock if you prefer), lentils & carrot.  Bring to a boil on high, then reduce to medium-low, cover & simmer until lentils are soft (around 30 minutes).  Using a good quality hand blender, blend on a medium setting until the soup is thick, smooth & silky, but not completely chunk-free.  You want it to be almost smooth, but with a few tiny chunks of carrot, etc.  If you don't have a hand blender, you can transfer it to a food processor or blender, being careful not to overfill with the hot liquid or allow the lid to come off while blending. Once blended, add in the lemon juice, oregano & coriander & stir well.  Salt further to taste if necessary.
That's it - it's now ready to serve!  You can garnish each bowlful with a slice of lemon, a drizzle of olive oil or a sprig or two of fresh coriander.  Serve with chunky rustic bread.

So delicious!

Ginger's Cheese Log

Ingredients:
1 200g tub of either garlic&herb, chive, cucumber or grilled pepper light Philadelphia cream cheese
Half of a 250g tub of plain full fat Philadelphia or Tesco cream cheese
200g grated red cheddar or red cheddar
1 tsp. of dried chives (leave out if using the chive cream cheese)
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
A 100g pack chopped walnuts or chopped toasted pecans (if you can't find chopped, use halved & bash with a rolling pin or a mortar & pestle
A large sheet of parchment paper 

Every Christmas & New Year, my family had a cheese log & a cheese ball.  My Gramma made the cheese log & rolled it in dried parsley, while my Aunt made a cheese ball (similar ingredients but in a round shape instead of a loaf) & rolled it in chopped walnuts, pecans or finely chopped black olives.  Cheese logs & cheese balls are a very traditional party food in America & there are so many varieties.  This is my version.  The great thing about a cheese log/ball is that you can choose from many different ingredients & make it your own.  I've even had them rolled in chilli powder or paprika for a little extra kick & I often do the parsley option instead of nuts.  I've also had them with finely minced onions or scallions, olives, pimentos or bacon in them & some people add a bit of mayonnaise or some chopped sun-dried tomatoes. You can also play around with the type of grated hard cheese you use.  I sometimes use mozzarella & cheddar mix.  Adding a little cheddar with port, smoked gouda or Applewoods cheddar (maybe about 1/3 of your total amount) would be nice as well.  You can swap it around & use a whole tub of the plain cream cheese & just a half tub of the flavoured one.  The possibilities are endless & you should make it your own.  I have many different recipes for these, but this is the one I created & it's always my 'go to' one.  It takes only minutes to make & is easy, but looks impressive.  I've lost count of how many times I've brought this to a gathering or party & had rave reviews about it, requests to make it again & requests for the recipe, so here it is!

Method:
In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients except the grated cheddar & the chopped nuts.  (If you can't get garlic & herb cream cheese, you can also use light chive cream cheese or use plain light cream cheese & add 1/4 tsp. each of onion granules, mixed dried herbs & garlic salt.)  Once the spices & cream cheese are well blended, add in the grated cheese.  Mix with a spoon until completely blended.  You should have a fairly thick & stiff mixture that is still moist.  Spoon out the entire mixture into a rough round or oblong shape on your piece of parchment paper.  The videos between the photographs demonstrate what to do next.  After the cheese log is made, it will be a little soft from handling.  It's best served chilled & set.  I like to allow at least a couple of hours (preferably overnight) in the fridge for it to set & to allow the flavours to marry.  Serve it on a cheese plate with a variety of crackers & some grapes or olives on the side & enjoy!

the finished mixture in the bowl

... and on the parchment...

the shaped 'log'

the first stage of coating

 The finished product

Easy Baby New Potato Salad

Ingredients:
750g (roughly 26.5 oz.) Mini Baby New Potatoes (don't peel them)
3 scallions
Dash salt
Dash pepper
3 heaped Tbsp. natural Greek yogurt
3 Tbsp. Mayonnaise
1 tsp. French's yellow mustard

Traditionally in my family, we make an American style mashed potato salad with onions, peppers, hard-boiled eggs, mustard, mayo, pickles & all kinds of herbs & spices.  My grandmother's recipe just couldn't be beaten & we all still make it from time to time.  In Ireland, potato salad tends to be more of the whole or chopped new potato variety with chives or scallions & usually without mustard.  I've come up with this refreshing little simple recipe that marries ideas from both kinds.  It's quick & easy for those times when you decide at the last minute to make a zippy little side dish for a barbecue or picnic & don't want to put in too much hard work.  The yogurt gives it such a fresh taste.  It makes a great side dish for burgers, hotdogs, barbecue & sandwiches.  Every time I make it, it disappears quickly. 

Method:
Steam your baby new potatoes whole until you can easily stick a fork in them, but they are not falling apart.  Rinse in cold water & set aside or in the fridge to cool.  When the potatoes have cooled, cut them in half & put them into a tupperware bowl.  If there are some larger ones, cut them in half & the very tiny ones can stay whole.  After standing your scallions in a glass of cold water for half an hour or so to draw out some of the heat, cut the white bulbs from the bottom of 3 to 4 of them (depending on their size & your taste preferences), chop them & add to the potatoes.  Add the salt, pepper, yogurt, mayo & mustard & give it a good stir, trying not to break up the potato pieces too much.  This is such a fresh & zippy little salad.  The flavours are not very intense - just nice & natural.  I usually put the lid on & leave it in the fridge for a couple of hours to let the flavours marry before deciding if it needs any more salt or pepper.  When it's freshly made, it can taste a little plain, but a couple of hours later, the flavours come through perfectly.  Because of this, I recommend only a dash of salt & pepper at first.  You can always add more when you taste it later, but you can't take it away if add too much!  Once it's been sitting in the fridge for a couple of hours, you may also decide to stir in a little more yogurt or mayo if it's too dry.  It's hard to mess it up and always turns out delicious! 

Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients:
1 cup yogurt
1 & 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 & 1/2 tsp. mild chilli powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground black pepper
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bit-sized pieces
5 long skewers
1 Tbsp. butter
1 clover garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
1 Tbsp. dried cilantro (coriander leaf)
2 & 1/2 tsp. paprika
1 & 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. onion salt or onion granules
8 oz. (226 gr) passata (tomato sauce)
8.8 oz  (260 ml) double (heavy) cream
1/4 cup fresh cilantro (coriander leaf) to garnish

This is one of my favourite Indian dishes.  I like my Mexican food spicy, but I like my Chinese & Indian food mild.  Korma & Tikka Masala are among my favourite Indian dishes, because you can taste the sweet smoothness of things like coconut milk or cream alongside all the exotic spices & the flavours in the rice & naan bread, etc without setting your mouth on fire & ruining the experience.  This dish is extremely mild, but if you like it with a little kick, you could always add another jalapeno or two to the mix.  I had never attempted to make my own Indian food - I'd always ordered it from the local takeaway - but then I found this recipe online.  It was such a hit that we never order Tikka Masala from the takeaway any more.  As with almost every recipe I've ever used, I made a few small changes & personalized it.  I like to serve it with Basmati rice & a shop-bought good quality naan bread.  This will serve around 4 to 5 people & it's even nicer the second night.  I also sometimes use the marinated Tandoori chicken (without creating the sauce) to skewer & cook on the barbecue - it's amazing.

Method:
In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 tsp. of cumin, 2 tsp. of mild chilli powder, 2 tsp. of black pepper, 2 tsp. of ground ginger, 2 tsp. of salt & 1 tsp. of cinnamon.  Stir in the raw cubed chicken, cover & refrigerate for at least 1 hour (I have left this for several hours & it works out fine).  After an hour, proceed.
If using wooden skewers, pre-soak them in water.  Pre-heat your grill (broiler) to high.  Lightly oil the grill grate & place over a grill drip tray.  Thread chicken onto skewers & discard any marinade remaining in the bowl.  Grill until juices run clear.  This only takes about 5 minutes on each side, as the yogurt & lemon & spice combo has already begun to 'cook' the chicken.  Melt butter in a large deep skillet or wok over a medium heat.  Saute garlic & jalapeno for 1 minute.  Season with 1 Tbsp. dried coriander leaf,  2 & 1/2 tsp. paprika, 1 & 1/2 tsp. cumin, 1/2 tsp. salt & 1/4tsp. onion salt or granules.  Stir in tomato sauce & cream.  Simmer on a low heat until the sauce thickens, approximately 20 minutes or so.  Add the grilled chicken & simmer for a further 10 to 15 minutes on a low/medium heat while you prepare your rice & naan breads.  You can garnish with fresh coriander leaf (cilantro) or parsley at the end, but this is optional. 

The chicken pieces in the marinade

On the skewers before the grill...

...and after the grill...  Edible & delicious already!

Almost ready...

Oscar loves it!

Bacon and Eggs Meatloaf

 Ingredients:
1 & 1/2 lbs. (680-700g) Lean Beef Mince
1 small onion, diced
1/2 yellow pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small courgette (zucchini), diced
1 raw egg
dash of ketchup
1/2 cup crushed croutons or crackers
1/4 cup milk
dash mild chilli powder
1/2 tsp. salt & black pepper
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic granules
1/2 tsp. celery salt
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
14 oz. (414ml/396g) passata (tomato sauce)
2 hard-boiled eggs (not too hard)

I used to make my meatloaf based on a different family recipe, but although it was good, it was a little plain.  My sister gave me her recipe for meatloaf & it was far superior - full of delicious chunky vegetables & very moist.  I also found that, although I love tomato based dishes (as do my husband & son), the original recipe I used was very tomato heavy & we always seemed to get heartburn after eating it.  My sister's recipe combines brown sugar with the passata & this somehow seems to cut the acidity.  We now use this recipe every time & have been able to enjoy completely heartburn-free meatloaf!  This version is our little twist on my sister's meatloaf.  I have made a few changes (ie changing Cayenne pepper to Mild Chilli Powder, reducing the amounts of some spices & changing the diced celery to diced yellow peppers due to my husband's dislike of celery).  We have also turned it into 'Bacon & Eggs Meatloaf' by putting a layer of halved hard-boiled eggs in the centre.  This was my husband's idea & it is so delicious that we now do it every time.

Method:
For convenience (& to give her due credit for the original recipe), I am linking to my sister's recipe at
http://mariahcooks.blogspot.ie/2013/02/meatloaf.html for the method & directions.  You can choose whether to include my changes or make it her way.  To make it into the bacon & eggs version, simply do as follows:  After completing all the steps for achieving the actual meat mixture, divide it into two equal balls.  Have 2 large hard-boiled eggs ready.  They will need to be just on the softer side of hard-boiled if possible, as they will cook again inside the meatloaf & you don't want them to become too rubbery.  Cut the eggs in half vertically & set aside.  Put one half of the meat mixture into your cooking dish & shape into a sort of flattened loaf shape.  Place the egg halves along the central length on top of the meat.  Place the second half of the meat mixture on top & mould it by hand around the edges & top until it is sealed all around & a solid loaf is formed.  Continue with the recipe's instructions to top with strips of bacon & the tomato & brown sugar sauce.  Bake at 176 Celsius (350 F) for about 1 hour & 20 minutes.  We like to serve with mash, beef gravy & steamed green beans or peas & green cabbage.

First layer with eggs on top

Covered in bacon - just before the tomato sauce goes on...

Here's how we like it.

My Roasted Pork Fillet with Winter Vegetables

Ingredients:
1 575g - 630g (20-22 oz.) Fillet of Pork (long pork steak)
1 small onion 
4-5 medium carrots
2-3 stalks of celery
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinaigrette (I use Newman's Own)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 squeeze of fresh lemon
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. dried Thyme
1 tsp. dried Parsley
1/2 tsp. onion granules
1/2 tsp. garlic granules (or 1 clove of finely minced garlic)
1/2 tsp. paprika
100ml (just under 3.5 oz.) of water


This is a method I've used for roasting pork for years & it always comes out perfect, both in flavour & texture.  I've also used it for beef cuts such as brisket & housekeeper's cut.  The vegetables are simply to die for as well.  I always look forward to this dish & it's really no fuss - no muss.  It takes about 5 minutes to throw together & then you can walk away from it for an hour.  I used to make this often for myself & the hubby when our son was a baby & I had only small windows of time to prepare & eat grown-up food.  It was also one of the first grown-up meals I fed our son.  When he was too young to chew the meat, we simply loaded his plate with the roasted vegetables & a little of the cooking juices or gravy & he loved it.  Of course, he loves the meat now too.  You can also add quartered new potatoes & parsnips to this veggie mixture & they work very well.  On this occasion, I left them out as I was serving it with Au Gratin Potatoes & some steamed broccoli & courgette.  Enjoy this as a Sunday roast dinner for the family.  (we feed 3 people for 2 nights, so it could feed a family of 4 or 5.)

Method:
To start with, cut your onion into chunky slices.  Then cut the carrots in half horizontally & cut those halves in half lengthwise.  Cut the celery stalks into several chunky good-sized pieces.  Place the onions & celery into a roasting dish so they form a bed for the meat to rest on - a natural 'trivet.'  Place the pork on top of the celery & onions & then scatter the carrots around the sides & ends of the pork (I find they get a little too soggy if they're under the meat - the celery & onion are more robust).  Next, you'll need to make the marinade drizzle.  In a measuring jug, mix the balsamic vinaigrette, the olive oil, the Worcestershire sauce, the lemon juice & the herbs & spices together.  Be sure to mix well.  Pour the drizzle over the meat & the vegetables, trying to get at least a little on every piece.  Measure roughly 100ml of water in the jug with the remaining drizzle residue in it & try to swirl around to incorporate the residue into the water.  Pour the water into a corner of the roasting dish so that you're not pouring it directly onto a vegetable & washing off the drizzle.  Most of this water will evaporate while cooking, but it creates a sort of steaming while roasting effect & keeps everything moist, preventing it from burning, drying out or sticking.  The edible trivet & the water in the pan are my secret weapons when roasting any meat!  Once you've poured the water in, cover the dish with foil & cook at 200 Celsius (390 F) for 1 hour & 20 minutes.  At the 1 hour mark, remove the foil for the last 20 minutes.  I sometimes allow it another 5 to 10 minutes - simply judge by looking.  This can be served with Au Gratin potatoes or mashed potatoes & gravy.  Delicious!

Butternut Squash Au Gratin

Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash peeled (900g - 1kg in weight)
150ml double (heavy) cream
1 clove garlic (minced)
25g grated Grana Padano or Parmesan cheese
15g grated mature cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg (divided into 2 portions of 1/8 tsp.)
a few knobs of butter
salt & pepper to taste
A 7"x9" or 8"x8" pyrex or ceramic baking dish

I only post my own creations on this blog as a general rule, but this one is so good I just had to post it.  I did make a small change though.  Originally the recipe called for just 25g of Parmesan & I changed that to Grana Padano & added some grated mature cheddar as well.  The original recipe was given to me by a friend who discovered it in a publication & raved about it.  I tried it & fell in love!  My 7 year old son begs me to make it all the time & as raw squash can be quite hard to peel & cut when you haven't got chef quality knives, I like to get all the prep out of the way & not have to do it too often.  I buy 2 squashes or a larger one & prepare 2 batches at once.  This allows me to freeze a cooked batch of it to thaw & reheat another time.

Method:
Peel squash, then cut longer thinner part away from bulbous part & slice longer thinner part into circles about 1/2cm thick.  Cut bulbous part in half lengthways, scoop out seeds with a spoon, then cut flesh into half-moon chunks.  Put chunks into a saucepan with 200ml, cover with water, then put rounds on top.  Cover with a lid & bring to a boil, then simmer for around 10 minutes or until all bits are easily pierced with a knife.  Drain liquid & keep several rounds to one side (enough to make a top covering layer for your dish, so you can try laying them out in the dish you're using in order to judge how many you'll need).  Next, mash the chunks & any remaining circles with 100ml of your cream, the garlic, a dash of salt, a dash of pepper, half of the Grana Padano & mature cheddar mixture & half of the nutmeg.  Taste the mashed mixture to make sure you've used enough salt.  The amount you use can vary depending on how sweet the squash is.  Some people like this dish a little sweet, but I prefer it more savoury, so I just use little dashes of salt, mix & taste until it seems right.  Bear in mind that when it's baked with all the caramelized cheese, etc, it does become a little more savoury.  Err on the side of caution as you still want it to taste like squash & not be too salty.  People can always salt their own portion if they like it saltier.  When you're happy with the consistency & flavour, spread the mash evenly over the bottom of your gratin dish, then cover with a layer of the circles of squash & press down lightly to neaten.  Dot the top with a few scattered small knobs of butter, pour over the remaining 50ml of cream & sprinkle with remaining cheese mixture & the other half of your nutmeg.  Add another little dash of salt & pepper over the top to season the circles, then bake for 45 minutes (until bubbly & golden) at 180 Celsius (350 F) or gas mark 4.  This is so so yummy & makes a great side dish with roast chicken or turkey.

before the oven...

bubbly, golden & ready to serve...