Farmhouse Cooking made Easy
Celebrating dishes that my grandmother used to treat us to as children is a joy for me – and being able to pass those great flavours to my own children is important – though we all know that grandmothers didn’t write down recipes. So, it’s taken a lot of practice of get to this stage in recreating my grandmother’s favourite dishes.
Here are my recipes from Recipe.tv Farmhouse Cooking Made Easy – “A Taste of Ireland”
I hope you enjoy them.
Catherine
Farmhouse Style Tomato, Shallots and Rosemary Chicken Hotpot
Serves 4
One pot wonders are the solution to healthy nutritious meals in our busy lives. This is packed with vegetables freezes very well also.
4 chicken breasts
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp paprika
Salt and pepper
8 shallots, peeled and halved
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely diced
1 tsp chopped rosemary
2 tsp chopped parsely
400g/ 14oz tinned diced tomatoes
1 tsp honey
500ml/ 16 fl oz chicken stock
12 black olives, pitted
for potato parmesan topping
4 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tbsp melted butter mixed with 1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp grated parmesan
2 tsp chopped mixed rosemary and parsely
Olive oil, for frying
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Toss the chicken in the flour along with the paprika, salt and pepper.
Heat a casserole dish over a medium heat with a little oil and sear the chicken until golden brown. Place on a clean plate and set aside.
Add the shallots and sauté for about 4 minutes until golden before adding the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the rosemary and oregano as well as the tomatoes, honey and chicken stock. Bring to the boil and check for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as required.
Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.
Return the chicken to the casserole and stir well. Add the olives.
Arrange the potato slices neatly over the top starting from the outer edge and leaving a small space in the centre.
Brush the potato slices with the melted butter and oil and sprinkle over the parmesan and chopped herbs. Bake in the oven for about 30 to 35 minutes until the chicken is cooked and the potatoes cooked and golden. Sprinkle a little sea salt over the top before serving.
Apple and Banana Crumble
Serves 4 to 6
For the base
5 large Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and diced
2 bananas, sliced
3 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
6 tbsp water
For the crumble
70g/ 2.5oz plain flour
70g/ 2.5oz wholemeal flour110g/ 4oz butter
70g/ 2.5oz brown sugar
5 walnuts, roughly chopped
70g/ 2.5ozg oatmeal
Natural yoghurt or ice cream, to serve
Preheat the oven to 190°C/Fan 170°C/Gas 5.
Butter an ovenproof dish.
Place the apples, bananas, sugar and water in a saucepan, cover and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes until the fruit has just softened.
To make the crumble topping, place the plain and wholemeal flours in a mixing bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the brown sugar, walnuts and oatmeal.
Spoon the fruit into the ovenproof dish.
Sprinkle the crumble topping over the fruit.
Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.
Serve warm with cream, custard or your favourite ice cream
Hearty Store Cupboard Bean Soup
Serves 6-8
4 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely diced
2 sticks celery, finely diced
200g/ 7oz smoked streaky bacon, diced
300g/ 10.5oz cooked borlotti beans (equals 150g dried beans soaked overnight, drained and simmered until tender)
400g/ 14oz canned tomatoes (chopped with juice)
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 sprigs rosemary
1 ½ litre/ 50fl oz chicken stock (more if necessary)
100g/ 3.5oz macaroni or soup pasta (dried weight)
3 tbsp grated parmesan
Heat the oil up in a heavy based saucepan. Add in the onion, smoked bacon, celery and carrots and leave to cook for 10 minutes over a moderate heat.
Add in the rosemary, tomato puree, beans, tomatoes and stock. Bring the mixture to the boil.
Reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 10 minutes until the beans are heated through.
Remove and discard the rosemary stalks.
Using a ladle add one third of the mixture into a blender and blend into a puree. Then return the pureed soup to the saucepan.
Bring the mixture back up to the boil and add in the pasta. Allow to cook for 10 minutes uncovered (or until the pasta is fully cooked through).
Remove the pan from the heat. Check for seasoning adding salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Ladle into soup bowls, sprinkle over the grated parmesan and serve immediately.
Mary’s Raisin Soda Bread
Makes 1 loaf
450g/ 16oz plain flour
1 level tsp. baking soda
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch salt
75g/ 2.5oz raisins, soaked in sweetened Irish breakfast tea
1 tbsp melted butter
1 egg, whisked with 250 ml buttermilk
Pre-heat the oven to 180C
Sieve the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Rub in the butter. Drain the raisins from the tea and add to the flour mix.
Pour in the egg and buttermilk mixture and stir gently.
Turn out onto a floured board and knead lightly for a minute or two.
Shape into a round and flatten slightly to about 5cm
Place on a floured baking sheet. Mark with a deep cross and bake in the oven for approximately 30-40 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
Chocolate Banana Bread
Makes 2 x 1 pound loaves
450g/ 16oz plain all-purpose flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder, sifted
Pinch salt
2 tsp freshly ground cinnamon
Zest of 1 lemon
220g/ 8oz caster sugar
100g/ 3.5oz butter, melted
100ml/ 3.5fl oz milk
2 large eggs
6-7 well ripe bananas, peeled
80g/ 3oz walnuts, chopped
100g/ 3.5oz dark chocolate chip
Heat oven to 370F. Line two x 1 pound loaf tins with baking parchment.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, lemon zest & sugar.
In a jug beat the eggs, melted butter and milk. Mash the bananas and fold all into dry ingredient mix.
Then fold in the dark chocolate drops and about 2/3 of the walnut pieces. Transfer the mixture into the lined tin. Sprinkle the remaining walnut on top.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until the bread is golden and springy to the touch.
Leave in the tin for about 10 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool.
Warm Vegetable Salad with a Smoked Bacon Dressing
Serves 4
100g/ 3.5 oz smoked bacon, diced
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 yellow pepper, sliced thinly
1 red pepper, sliced thinly
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp honey (to taste)
75g/ 2.5 oz baby spinach
1 courgette, sliced into ribbons
Croutons (stale bread toasted with olive oil, herbs and salt/pepper)
Parmesan shavings
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil for frying
Dill sprigs, to garnish
To prepare the vegetables, place the diced bacon in a frying pan with some oil and heat until crisp. Add the spring onions, yellow and red pepper slices and garlic. Sauté the peppers until just cooked, before pouring in the balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, honey, salt and freshly ground black pepper.
To serve, arrange the courgette ribbons and baby spinach nicely on the serving plates, and scatter over the warm pepper / bacon mix. Scatter the croutons, dill sprigs and parmesan shavings over and serve immediately.
