Vegetarian Lasagna

It's happening. I can feel it. The veggies are starting to take over my life. I don't think I'll ever fully convert to vegetarianism but I'm certainly enjoying more veggie meals than ever before. I had always imagined meals without meat to be bland and boring with little satisfaction. I repent. My meat free week a few weeks ago has proved me wrong and now I enjoy meat free meals at least 3-4 times per week. This was one of my favourite recipes from that week and I am sure it will be on the menu numerous times over the summer.

Serves 6-8

For Lentils and Tomato Sauce:
200g Lentils
2 Bay Leaves
3 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion (finely chopped)
1 stick of Celery (finely chopped)
1 Carrot (finely chopped)
1 clove of Garlic (finely chopped)
1/2 Courgette (finely chopped)
1 Red Pepper (finely chopped)
90ml White Wine
700g Tomato Passata
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tin (400g) of Butter Beans (drained and rinsed)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

For Bechamel:
50g Butter
50g Flour
500ml of Milk
grating of Nutmeg

For Assembly:
10 Lasagna Sheets (approx)
2 balls of Mozzarella (preferably Irish Buffalo Mozzarella, finely sliced)

1. Rinse the lentils well before putting in a saucepan with 1 litre of cold water and one bay leaf. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer for approx 30 minutes. There is no need to season the lentils yet. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, courgette and red pepper. Season well with salt and pepper and cook for 7-10 minutes. Add the wine and allow to cook off for 4-5 minutes before adding the cooked lentils, passata, oregano and beans. Allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes. Check for seasoning.

3. Meanwhile make the bechamel. Put a saucepan over a medium heat and melt the butter in it. When it has all melted add the flour and stir well. Allow to cook for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly to ensure it doesn't burn. Whisk in the milk in a steady stream and stir often. It will thicken quite quickly as it comes to the boil. Season to taste with salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg and set aside.

4. Cook the lasagna sheets in plenty of salted boiling water for about 4 minutes. Remove from the pan and keep apart from each other to stop them from sticking.

5. Assemble the lasagna in a baking dish. Start with a thin layer of lentil and tomato sauce followed by bechamel followed by a single layer of pasta sheets. Repeat this process twice more and finish with a layer of bechamel. Top the dish with the mozzarella and bake in a pre-heated 180 degree oven for 20-30 minutes.

Glazed Christmas Ham

The Christmas Ham. The most exciting part of the Christmas build up in our house. It was always cooked on Christmas eve, filling the house with it's beautiful aromas. My Dad would often receive a few slaps for picking at it after it came out of the oven while my brother and I would be trying to persuade my Mam that maybe Rudolf would like some ham for a change, rather than a carrot! To me, it has always been the more enjoyable of the Christmas meats, towering above the turkey in terms of flavour and intrigue, although that has become more balanced now with the switch to free range bronze birds.

There are many ways to cook the ham. My Mam would always boil it in a cider and water mix before glazing and baking. Others like to forgo the boiling altogether, baking it until just cooked before glazing and baking a little more. I like to boil and then bake. I believe it gives a better texture and results in a juicier ham. It is also a lot more forgiving in terms of cooking time. I decided against using cider and instead went for water with plenty of aromatics added. They slowly infuse the ham, giving a deep flavour and hints of spice throughout the meat. My glaze is especially for Christmas with the perfect mix of sweetness and heat with the added hum of rum to tickle the taste buds.

For the glaze:

1 tbsp Golden Syrup

3 tbsp Demerara Sugar

2 tsp Dijon Mustard

2 tbsp Rum (Captain Morgan's works well)

Mix together well.

Instructions:

1. Ask your butcher whether your ham needs to be soaked overnight or not. Sometimes it is necessary to remove the salt. If it is required, put the ham into a large pot and cover with cold water. Allow to soak for 24 hours, changing the water at least twice. Discard the soaking water.

2. After discarding the soaking water, add enough fresh water to cover the ham into the pot. Add some juniper berries, coriander seeds, peppercorns, and bay leaves and put over a medium heat until it comes to the boil. Remove any scum that forms on the surface.

3. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for about 15-20 minutes per pound (about 35 minutes per kilo), topping up with boiling water if necessary. Continue to remove any scum that forms.

4. Remove from the pot (you can keep the water for cooking beans/cabbage or to add to the gravy) and cut away the strings. Remove the skin with a sharp knife but leave a good layer of fat on the meat. Cut a criss cross pattern into the fat, being careful not to cut into the flesh. Pour over half the glaze and spread it out evenly over the top of the ham with a pastry brush or the back of a spoon. Place a single clove into each of the cross sections of the cuts in the fat before placing on a baking tray and putting into a 180 degree preheated oven for 20-30 minutes. Cover with the remaining glaze halfway through. 

5. Remove from the oven, put on a plate and cover with tin foil. Allow to rest for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Shepherd's Pie

World Cup, Day 13 - England

Shepherd's Pie

It's been a miserable World Cup for England. Out in the group stages after a miserable three games it looks pretty bleak for our neighbours. I decided to celebrate a classic British dish, the much loved Shepherd's Pie. Although this wouldn't be considered a summer dish we are in Ireland so it has its place in June as well as December.

I posted a recipe for Shepherd's Pie back in October (can be found here) but this is a more basic version. I've stuck with my favourite topping of sweet potatoes. They add more flavour and provide a healthier option than standard potatoes. I also used beef mince as (yet again) I couldn't get my hands on lamb today. 

Serves 2-3

5 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion (finely chopped)
1 stick of Celery (finely chopped)
2 Carrots (finely chopped)
1 Chilli (deseeded and finely chopped)
500g Mince Beef (or Lamb)
100ml Red Wine
500ml Beef Stock
2 Bay Leaves
600g Sweet Potatoes (peeled and chopped)
pinch of Cayenne Pepper
4 tbsp Milk
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Heat 3 tbsp of the oil over a medium heat and add the onion, celery, carrot and chilli. Season and cook for 6-7 minutes to soften. Add the mince, season and brown all over before adding in the wine. Cook for 5-6 minutes to burn off the alcohol. Add the stock and bay leaves and stir well. Cover and simmer on a low heat for 1 hour. 

2. Meanwhile put the chopped sweet potatoes onto a baking dish and add the remaining 2 tbsp of oil and cayenne pepper. Season with salt and stir well to ensure everything is coated. Cook in a 180 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and mash with the milk. Check for seasoning.

3. Put the beef mixture into a baking dish and spread around evenly. Top with the mashed sweet potato and spread evenly with a fork. Bake for 20-25 mins at 180 degrees. Enjoy!

Moussaka

World Cup, Day 8 - Greece

Moussaka

Day 7 of the World Cup saw the reigning champions Spain go crashing out to Chile while Australia came close to giving Holland a fright. Tonight sees our neighbours in action again in what has to be a must win against Uruguay. I however decided to celebrate Greece by cooking a Moussaka.

Over this challenge I have sometimes found it difficult to get my hands on different ingredients and today was no different. This time it was lamb mince that eluded me so I swapped it out for beef mince instead. I also added a hint of chilli to give the mince a kick while the chopped tomatoes add a nice texture. This is my take on the Greek classic.

Serves 4

6 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion (finely chopped)
2 cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
1/2 Chilli (finely chopped)
250g Beef/Lamb Mince
50ml Red Wine
1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 Bay Leaf
1 Large Aubergine
30g Butter
30g Flour
300ml Whole Milk
10g Parmesan Cheese (grated)
1 Egg (beaten)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Heat 3tbsp of oil in a pan and add the onion, garlic and chilli. Season and cook over a medium heat for 5-7 minutes to soften. Add the mince, season and brown all over. Add the wine and cook off the alcohol for 5-6 minutes. Add the tin of tomatoes, sugar, oregano and bay leaf. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat. Simmer for 40 minutes, check for seasoning and set aside.

2. Cut the aubergines lengthways into 1cm thick slices. Brush with the remaining oil and season well. Put under a hot grill and cook on both sides until golden. Set aside.

3. Make the sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan and adding the flour. Cook while stirring for 2 minutes (don't allow it to burn). Season well before very slowly adding the milk whilst constantly stirring with a whisk until it thickens. Mix in the cheese and allow to cool for a few minutes before slowly whisking in the egg. Set aside.

4. Lightly oil a baking tray and add a single layer of the aubergine. Top with the beef mixture followed by another layer of aubergine. Finish with the sauce and bake in a 160 degree oven for 35-40 minutes.

Review: Italee, Cork City

Italee - Caffe Italiano

Oliver Plunkett Street, Cork City

It's a dark, damp evening in Cork City and I find myself looking for somewhere interesting to eat. Nothing too formal, I'm in jeans and a scraggy fleece, on my way to mix a gig in Coughlans (apparently pronounced 'Caullings' in Cork!). At the top of Oliver Plunkett Street I happen upon a small Italian cafe that (as luck would have it) stays open late on a Friday night and is still serving. I always feel a little awkward about eating out on my own but of the five tables at the back of this little spot there's three of us flying solo. Nothing to be afraid of after all!

The service is laid back and friendly, exactly what you would expect in a cafe. I go for baked rigatoni with porchetta and mozzarella in a tomato sauce with a glass of the house red. The food is good, really good when you consider the price. The dish is well balanced and although it lacks a little seasoning, it's still very tasty. The wine is excellent too. The cafe has a selection of house wines and I went with the waitress' recommendation of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. The espresso to finish is excellent. I sometimes get frustrated with coffee in Ireland; not here though!

When in Italy, the rule is to go where the locals are and although I see few locals in here, I soon realize I'm one of only two Irish people. The rest are happy Italians surrounding my little table. I could be in Rome on a sunny afternoon or Florence on a mild night but alas I'm not, I'm in Cork, on a dark and damp June evening.

Cafe Ratings:

Food: 8/10
Service: 9/10
Ambience: 8/10
Selection: 8/10
Value for Money: 9/10

Overall: 8/10 Highly Recommended

Simple Baked Tomatoes

Simple Baked Tomatoes

 A very simple yet delicious way to turn the simple tomato into a beautiful side dish

Roughly chop a few Tomatoes and place them cut side up in a baking dish.

Sprinkle with a finely chopped Shallot and plenty of Sea Salt and Pepper

Drizzle generously with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Bake at 180c until done