World Cup, Playoff and Final

World Cup, Playoff and Final

Day 24 & 25

It's over. The spectacular 2014 World Cup has come to an end after a month of somethimes great, sometimes not so great football. It's been great to see so many unfancied teams do so well but I think it's fair to say that the best team won.

It's been a similar story in my challenge. The nations whose cuisines I hadn't previously paid much attention to were the ones that impressed me the most. The South American countries in particular took me by surprise and I'll be ensuring that I take plenty of inspiration from more of their dishes. For the 3rd/4th place playoff I decided to celebrate dutch cuisine as I had somehow managed to neglect them for the entirety of the tournament so far.

World Cup, Day 24 - The Netherlands

Old Style Chicken

I have never spent much time delving into Dutch cuisine, you don't really hear too much about it. I spent quite a bit of time researching recipes and dishes when I came across this one. It really jumped out at me, I was salivating just reading the ingredients list! It was a resounding success, I would actually consider this my favourite chicken recipe now, give it a try! It's important to cook the legs on a wire rack over a baking tray, it means that the skin will crisp up evenly and excess fat can drip off. This recipe is an adaption of Karin Engelbrecht's Chicken From The Golden Age. I served this with Sweet Potato Chips; cut a few sweet potatoes into chips and put them on a baking tray in a single layer. Add a good glug of oil with some salt and pepper. Mix well and put into the oven with the chicken. They should cook in the same amount of time.

Serves 4

8 Free-Range Chicken Drumsticks
2 Streaky Rashers
50g Butter
1 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Dried Rosemary
1 tsp Dried Marjoram
1 tsp Dried Basil
1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
2 Cloves

Sweet Potato Chips to serve

1. Put everything except the chicken into a food processor and blend until smooth. Push your fingers underneath the skin of the chicken creating little tunnels. Fill these with the bacon butter and rub whatever is left onto the skin of the chicken. Put on a wire rack over a baking tray and into a 200 degree oven for 25-30 minutes until cooked through. Check that they are cooked by inserting a thermometer and ensuring the reading is over 73 degrees celsius. Be sure that the thermometer isn't touching the bone when making the reading. Serve with Sweet Potato Chips.

World Cup, Day 25 - Germany

Apple and Caramel Tart

The final. The last day of The World Cup Challenge! For the final I needed to cook a dessert as we were invited to a friends house for dinner so I said I'd make dessert. I took inspiration from the most famous of German desserts, the Apple Strudel. I have never been a fan of any type of apple tart (rolled or not!) so I knew I would have to drastically change things to suit my tastes. I came to the conclusion that there is nothing in the World that doesn't benefit from the addition of caramel and so the concept was born. I had to buy Carnation Caramel as I was under serious time pressure but there is no reason you couldn't make your own (either by boiling a can of condensed milk or by using a recipe like this)

I like to use the shortcrust pastry recipe that can be found here. I just replace the salt with a pinch of sugar for a sweet tart/pie.

Serves 6-8

1 Quantity of Shortcrust Pastry (see above, rested in the fridge for at least 30 minutes)
800g Bramley Cooking Apples (peeled, cored and roughly chopped)
2 heaped tbsp + pinch of Sugar
1 Tin (397g) Carnation Caramel
1 Egg (beaten)
Pinch of Ground Cinnamon 

1. Put the apples and 2 tbsp of sugar into a pot over a medium-low heat and stir well. Cover and let stew until completely broken down. Stir in the Caramel and heat through for a couple of minutes. Set aside.

2. Butter a 28cm cake tin and roll out the pastry into a circle about 10cm bigger than the base of the tin. Line the bottom of the tin with the pastry ensuring to patch any tears. Keep the sides of the pastry up and pour in the apple and caramel filling. Spread it evenly with the back of a spoon. Allow the sides of the pastry to fold over the filling a little giving a lovely rustic look. Brush the top of the pastry with the egg and sprinkle over a pinch of sugar and cinnamon.

3. Bake in a 200 degree oven for 25-35 minutes until the pastry is golden and cooked through. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before turning out of the tin. and allowing to cool completely on a wire rack.

World Cup, Semi Finals

World Cup, Semi Finals

Day 22 & 23

The World Cup is almost over. Almost a month has passed since the first match and first day of my World Cup Challenge. Two more dishes to go, Saturday and Sunday. The semi finals provided a couple of shocks including Germany's massacre of hosts Brazil. I decided to cook Brazilian for the second time on Tuesday and went with a Brazilian Style Chicken Stew:

World Cup, Day 22 - Brazil

Chicken Stew

My research into Brazilian cuisine has confirmed two things in my mind; 1. They love BBQ and 2. They love coconut milk in a stew! I really enjoyed my first Brazilian dish (can be found here) and wanted to try another. I went with a chicken stew as I couldn't handle anymore beef and, to be honest, the weather didn't lend itself to having a barbecue. I was going to serve the chicken with rice but i didn't check my larder first. I ended up mixing in some Lentils which worked very well.

Serves 4

1 Free Range Chicken (cut into pieces)
1 tsp Ground Coriander
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
2 tbsp Rapeseed Oil
1 Onion (finely chopped)
2 cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
1 stick of Celery (finely chopped)
1 Carrot (finely chopped)
1/2 Hot Chilli (finely chopped)
1 Large Beef Tomato (diced)
1 Tin of Coconut Milk
250 ml Chicken Stock
150g Lentils (rinsed well)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Mix the ground coriander, cayenne pepper, turmeric, cumin and salt together and rub all over the chicken pieces. Lightly oil a baking dish and put the chicken in it. Cook in a preheated 230 degree oven for 15 minutes. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile heat the oil in a stewpot (oven safe with a tight fitting lid) over a medium heat and add the onion, garlic, celery, carrot and chilli. Season and cook for 6-7 minutes until softened. Add the tomato and cook for 2-3 minutes longer before adding the chicken. Pour the coconut milk into the baking dish (now empty) and scrape up any stuck on bits of chicken/spices before pouring into the pot along with the chicken stock. Bring to the boil and add the lentils. Season, cover and cook in the oven at 170 degrees for 20 minutes. Ensure the chicken is cooked through with a thermometer (make sure its internal temperature is at least 73 degreesC)

World Cup, Day 23 - Argentina

Rainbow Trout with Chimichurri Sauce

During this challenge I've really enjoyed cooking South American dishes. I hate to say that it's a continent who's food I had never really researched and felt no inclination to do so. I was very wrong, my three favourite dishes of the World Cup have been South American and I'll certainly be researching and cooking them more often. Argentina is famous all over the World for the high quality beef it produces. It is customary to serve any grilled meat/fish with a Chimichurri Sauce and so I decided to base my dish around it. I'm not sure how easy it is to find Argentinian Beef in Ireland but I didn't even try. I wanted fish! A trip to my reliable fish monger showed some rainbow trout on special, already butterflied and ready to cook. How could I resist. I served this with couscous that was loaded with onion, chilli, ramiro pepper and celery. (saute veg in oil and add in couscous and hot vegetable stock: 1 measure couscous to 1.8 measure of stock. Season, cover and remove from heat. Let sit for 10-15 minutes) Delicious!

Serves 2

For the Chimichurri:

25g Fresh Parsley (stalks included, roughly chopped)
3 cloves of Garlic (roughly chopped)
1 tsp Course Sea Salt
1/2 tsp Black Peppercorns
1/2 Chilli (roughly chopped)
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 Small Onion (roughly chopped)
2 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
Juice of 1/4 Lemon
5 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

For the Trout:

2 Butterflied Rainbow Trout (skin on)
1 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Vegetable Couscous to serve (see above)

1. First make the Chimichurri by putting all the ingredients except the oil into a food processor. Blitz until the ingredients are blended pretty small. Scrape any bits from the side before putting the processor on its lowest setting and mixing in the oil. Set aside in the fridge until needed.

2. Heat a Griddle Pan over a high heat and add the oil. Brush the oil all over the surface and allow to get really hot. Add the fish, skin side down, and season the top well. Allow the fish to cook almost all the way through (you'll see it changing colour) before flipping it over and cooking for 1-2 minutes to finish. Serve on a bed of the couscous with a generous helping of the chimichurri sauce.

World Cup, Quarter Finals

World Cup, Quarter Finals

Day 20 & 21

The quarter finals provided a return to normality as the bigger teams eventually came through. Both nights I celebrated countries who were knocked out but the dishes were a great success!

World Cup, Day 20 - Colombia

Salmon with Hogao Sauce

While researching Colombian cuisine, I found several mentions of 'hogao' sauce. The mix of spring onion, tomato and coriander intrigued me, so I decided to base my dish around it. I was unsure as to what the sauce should accompany but after passing Nick's Fish in Newbridge, I noticed some Irish organic wild salmon. I'm not sure if it's served this way in Colombia but I couldn't pass it up. Wanting to stick to a healthy meal, I served the fish with quinoa (cooked as per packet instructions in a light vegetable stock) and stir fried vegetables - sugar snaps, mini sweetcorn and broccoli, boiled for 2 mins, drained and stir fried for 5 minutes with rapeseed oil. Add a splash of soy sauce for the final minute for an extra blast of flavour. This was my favourite dish of the World Cup so far, it just about overtook the Brazilian Shrimp Stew of Day 1.

Serves 2

For the Hogao Sauce:

2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
5 Spring Onions (white and green parts, finely chopped)
300g Cherry Tomatoes (halved)
2 cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
1/2 tsp Cumin Seed
12g Fresh Coriander (stalks included, finely chopped)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

For the Salmon:

2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 fillets of Fresh Salmon (enough for 2, skin on)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Quinoa and Stir Fried Veg to serve (see above)

1. To make the sauce, heat the oil over a medium heat and add all of the ingredients except the coriander and seasoning to the pan. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the coriander and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cook over a low heat for 10 minutes. Stir and crush the tomatoes with a wooden spoon as it's cooking. Add a little boiling water if it gets too dry (depending on tomatoes). Check for seasoning and set aside until needed.

2. For the salmon, heat the oil over a medium-high heat. Add the salmon, skin side down and season the top with salt and pepper. You will see the fish change colour as it cooks. Allow it to cook like this until the colour changes almost to the top. Flip it over and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Remove the skin from the top with a knife. Serve the salmon on a bed of quinoa and top with the hogao sauce. Surround with the vegetables.

World Cup, Day 21 - Costa Rica

Roasted Fish, Costa Rican Style

I love my fish dishes! I was researching Costa Rica when I came across some recipes for roasted fish. I wasn't particularly looking for fish recipes after the salmon the previous night, but the style really grabbed me. I found it interesting to marinade the fish in orange and lime juice. I had never tried it and yet it made perfect sense. It was delicious! The cooking times may vary depending on how thick your fish is. Any white fish can be used here, I used haddock as it was cheap and available when I was in Naas.

Serves 2

200g Rice
300-400g White Fish Fillets
juice of 1 Orange
juice of 1 Lime
2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
12g Fresh Coriander (finely chopped)
1 clove of Garlic (finely chopped)
350g Fresh Broad Beans (podded)
2 Tomatoes (chopped)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Cook the rice in plenty of salted boiling water until tender. Drain and set aside.

2. Pour the orange and lime juice, oil, coriander, garlic and some seasoning into a baking dish and add the fish. Coat the fish and set aside for 20 minutes.

3. Blanch the podded beans in plenty of salted boiling water for 3-4 minutes and drain. Run the beans under the cold tap for a minute or two. This will make it very easy to remove their tough outer skins. The bean itself is dark green, the skins are much paler. Remove all the skins and set the beans aside.

4. Put the baking tray with the fish and marinade into a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees. Allow to cook for 10 minutes and remove. Carefully lift the fish out of the tray and pour in the cooked rice. Stir well to coat in the marinade and juices. Place the fish back on top of the rice and top with the beans and chopped tomatoes. Season well and place back in the oven for another 7-10 minutes. Serve.

World Cup, Round of 16

World Cup, Round of 16

Day 16, 17, 18, 19

The World Cup Round of 16 games proved to be some of the most exciting so far with the little teams really putting it up to the giants. I can now begin to plan my dishes for the quarter final clashes after some rather unsuccessful attempts during this round. On Saturday I decided to see why Chewy Luis is so hungry and cooked a Uruguayan dish:

Day 16 - Uruguay

Pollo en Escabeche

Marinated Chicken

This dish left a lot to be desired. I looked up about ten versions of the recipe but they were all quite different. I went with a bit of a mix but the basic idea is to brown chicken pieces in hot oil and then stew in vinegar until cooked through. Although some recipes recommended a mix of vinegar and stock I went with (to my eye) the more authentic ones, vinegar only. The chicken and vegetables are edible but the dish becomes dry as you can't really use the vinegar as a sauce.

I can understand using vinegar in a chicken recipe, a tablespoon or two into a stew can really bring it to life but this was too much for me. I don't blame Suarez for taking a bite out of Chiellini, he couldn't have tasted much worse than this!

There is, of course, the possibility that I made a right bo**ox of this or went in the wrong direction. If you have a good one or know someone from Uruguay that does, please send it on.

Day 17 - Mexico

Vegetarian Chilli

I love Mexican food and so decided I'd celebrate the vibrant cuisine for the second time. After a few days of heavy eating I wanted to go with something full of vegetables and very little meat. After browsing through Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's "Veg Everyday" book (which was living beside my bed for a few weeks) I decided to something crazy; a dinner with no meat! To say I love meat is to partake in the biggest understatement of all time. I didn't even eat vegetables until about two years ago (apart from potatoes of course) so to think that someday I would CHOOSE to cook a vegetarian dish is crazy. I have cooked vegetarian dishes before of course but this is different, this is a dish that is all about the meat. Not anymore! I've adapted Hugh's brilliant recipe to my own tastes but if you don't like it too hot then remove the seeds from the chillies.

Serves 4

2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion (finely chopped)
2 Chillies (finely chopped)
2 cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
1 stick of Celery (finely chopped)
1 tsp Cumin Seed
1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp Oregano
1/4 tsp Ground Coriander
Pinch of Allspice
1 Red Pepper (diced)
1 Green Pepper (diced)
1 tbsp Tomato Puree
1 Tin of Chopped Tomatoes
1/2 tsp Sugar
1 Tin of Kidney Beans (drained)
100ml Red Wine
100ml Water
1/2 tbsp Worchestershire Sauce
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Boiled Rice and Yoghurt to Serve

1. Heat the oil over a medium heat and add the onion. Season and cook for 5-6 minutes to soften. Add the chilli, garlic, celery and spices and cook for 5-6 minutes stirring regularly. Add the peppers and tomato puree, stir well and cook for 2 minutes before adding the tomatoes, beans, sugar, red wine, water and worchestershire suace. Simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes until thickened. Serve with the boiled rice and yoghurt.

Day 18 - Germany

Beschwipster Huhn

Drunken Chicken

On Day 18 I decided to cook German. I had done a German "dish" during the group stages but it was my cheat day. I put together some sour dough bread with lots of butter and topped it with a sliced hard boiled egg. Not exactly Gorden Ramsay! This time I decided to go with something that would require a little more effort. Although German's are particularly notorious for their sausages and sauerkraut, I wasn't really in the mood for pork so I picked a chicken dish instead. This is my take on the classic Beschwipster Huhn (Drunken Chicken)

Serves 4

2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
50g Streaky Bacon (chopped)
1 Onion (finely chopped)
2 cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
8 Chicken Thighs (or a mix of thighs and drumsticks)
1 stick of Celery (finely chopped)
2 Carrots (finely chopped)
200ml Red Wine
100ml Chicken Stock
1 tsp Dried Marjoram
1 Bay Leaf
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Bulgar/Potato/Rice to Serve

1. Fry the bacon in the oil over a medium heat for 5 minutes before adding the onion and garlic. Season and cook for 5-6 minutes to soften. Add the chicken pieces and brown all over before adding the celery, carrot, wine, stock, marjoram and bay leaf. Season well, cover and simmer over a low heat  for 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked. I served with Bulgar to keep things healthy but you could serve with potatoes/rice etc.

Day 19 - Switzerland

Bundner Nusstorte

Swiss Walnut Tart

It may have taken me 19 days of World Cup action but I've finally made a dessert. In my house it's never necessary for me to do any baking, Ali is the baking queen! It's a good mix, I do the savory, Ali the sweet. I thought I better try my hand at one for this challenge though and couldn't resist this wonderful looking (and tasting) tart. I used this recipe from the ever reliable food.com. The filling is fantastic, I swapped the standard sugar for demerara in the filling and it worked a treat, giving a deeper, more intense flavour. I wasn't overly fond of the pastry although I did add the 2 tablespoons of water without checking so it could well be my fault. If you have a favourite shortcrust pastry recipe though, I'd use it instead.

Beef Straganoff

World Cup, Day 15 - Russia

Beef Stroganoff

The final day of the World Cup group stages is here. Tomorrow, I'll finally get a break from world cuisine! Today we head to Russia with a beef stroganoff. I decided to prepare a simple version and after researching,  I observed quite the debate on whether mushrooms should be included in the traditional dish. I'm not a big fan of mushrooms so I took that as the reason I needed to exclude them and proclaim this, a more authentic dish! My recipe is not that authentic and to be honest, it could have benefited from mushrooms and some extra flavour in general.

I wouldn't say don't make this, BUT it definitely needs something more.

Serves 3-4

2 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
350g Round Steak
3tbsp Flour
1 Onion (finely sliced)
1/4 tsp Mustard Powder
1 tbsp Tomato Puree
200ml Cream
Hot Water
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Boiled Rice to serve

1. Put the flour into a zip lock bag and season well. Cut the steak against the grain into very thin strips and place in the bag. Mix well to coat all the beef.

2. Heat the butter and oil over a high heat and add the beef. Season and fry for a couple of minutes to brown all over. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion. Cook for 4-5 minutes to soften before adding the mustard powder and tomato puree. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Take the pan off the heat and slowly add in the cream. Put the pan back on a low heat and slowly heat adding in boiling water to achieve the desired consistency. Cook for about ten minutes but don't allow it to boil. Check for seasoning (it may need quite a lot) and serve with boiled rice.

Pasulj

World Cup, Day 14 - Bosnia and Herzegovina

Pasulj

Bean Stew

Day 14 is here, amid the controversy of Luis Suarez taking a nibble on Italy's Giorgio Chiellini last night. I'll put it out there - for just 1% of your wages Chewy, sorry, Luis, I'll cook you a satisfying dinner each day. Think about it! Earlier, Bosnia & Herzegovina were knocked out of the tournament but not before achieving their first win at a World Cup. Pretty impressive for a country that is just 22 years old.

I made a pasulj (directly translated as 'bean') in honour of Bosnia and Herzegovina, although the dish is enjoyed in all the Balkan states. I researched recipes but they vary wildly from each other, so I took elements from each one and added my own touches. It certainly isn't authentic but it works. I added rice to make it more substantial but you could leave it out and add zafrig (oil mixed with flour) to thicken.

Serves 4

4 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion (finely chopped)
1 stick of Celery (finely chopped)
1 Carrot (finely chopped)
1/2 Chilli (finely chopped)
160g Smoked Rashers (chopped)
150g Smoked Kabanossi Sausage (sliced)
750ml Boiling Water
400g tin of Cannellini Beans (drained)
1 Bay Leaf
150g Long Grain Rice
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Heat the oil over a medium heat and add the onion, celery, carrot, chilli, rashers and sausage. Season and cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the boiling water, beans, bay leaf and rice. Season, bring to the boil and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the rice is tender. Remove the bay leaf 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!

Fajitas

World Cup, Day 12 - Mexico

Fajitas

The final round of the group stages have arrived and today we'll lose four teams from this year's World Cup. I wanted to celebrate one of my favourite cuisines this evening - Mexican. I really enjoy Mexican food, I like that it's practical and delicious. I decided to make fajitas because they're quick and satisfying after a busy Monday. I used turkey instead of beef or chicken as it's cheaper and healthier.

Serves 4

8 Flour Tortillas
400g Turkey Breast/Steaks
4 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 clove of Garlic (finely chopped)
1 Chilli (finely chopped)
1/4 tsp Ground Corriander
juice of 1 Lime
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1 Yellow Pepper (cut into strips)
1 Onion (sliced)

For the Salsa:

8 Cherry Tomatoes (halved)
2 Spring Onions (sliced)
15g Fresh Coriander (finely chopped)
1 clove of Garlic (finely sliced)
juice of 1/2 Lime
Good Pinch of Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1. First make the salsa. Place all the ingredients except the oil in a pestle and mortar. Pound to a rough paste and add the oil. Stir well, check for seasoning and set as

ide in the fridge until ready to serve.

2. Cut the turkey steaks into strips and put them in a bowl with 2 tbsp of oil, garlic, chilli, ground coriander, lime juice, salt and pepper. Mix well and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

3. Wrap the tortillas in foil and place into a 150 degree oven for 10 minutes to heat through.

4. Meanwhile heat the remaining 2 tbsp of oil in a pan over a high heat and add the yellow pepper and onion. Stir fry for a few minutes to soften before removing from the pan. Add the turkey strips and marinade to the same pan and brown all over. Add the pepper and onions back in and cook until the turkey is cooked through. 

Serve on a tray with the salsa, the tortillas, some mayo and yoghurt.

Das Eierbrot and Spaghetti with Meatballs

World Cup, Day 10 & 11 - Germany & U.S.A.

Das Eierbrot and Spaghetti with Meatballs

Day 10 is the first time I've struggled to fulfill my challenge as we had a hectic day but I managed to cheat and prepare a German 'dish' - Das Eierbrot: an open faced sandwich topped with butter and egg. It's simple yet satisfying. With an easy dish like this, it's important to use the right ingredients. Get some good sour dough bread and cover with real butter, no spreadable or heart friendly stuff here please! Then slice a hard boiled egg and place it on top with a sprinkling of salt and pepper - beautiful!

Today, Day 11, I wanted to make something from the U.S.A. It was a tough choice: a nation the size of a continent has several dishes to choose from! I decided on spaghetti with meatballs in a tomato sauce. Most people think this is Italian but it's actually from the U.S.A. Although spaghetti and meatballs are staples of Italian cuisine, they are never served together. Spaghetti with tomato sauce is served as a pasta course, followed by the meatballs as a meat course. Italian chef Paolo Tullio on his Newstalk slot with Sean Moncrieff explained recently that when working in New York, the Italian's would bring a packed lunch of spaghetti with tomato sauce and meatballs. Although the Italians looked upon this as two separate courses, Americans understood it as one meal.

I always make a big batch of meatballs and freeze half of them before cooking. The meatballs should be about golf ball size. Half of the meatballs with the sauce will serve 4-5 people.

Makes 28-30 Meatballs

2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 Onions (finely chopped)
2 cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
500g Beef Mince
500g Pork Mince
1 Egg (beaten)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

For the Sauce:

6 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion (finely chopped)
1 clove of Garlic (finely chopped)
1 Chilli (finely chopped)
1 Carrot (Grated)
1 stick of Celery (finely chopped)
2 Tins of Chopped Tomatoes
1 tsp Sugar
1tsp Dried Oregano
2 tbsp Parmesan Cheese (grated)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Spaghetti to Serve

1. Make the meatballs by heating half the oil in a pan and adding the onion and garlic. Season well and cook for 6-7 minutes to soften. Set aside and allow to cool completely. 

2. Put the beef and pork mince into a mixing bowl and season well. Add the cooled onion mixture and egg and mix well. With wet hands, shape into golf balls. Use half the meatballs to serve 4-5 people and place the rest in the freezer. Let the meatballs you're using chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile make the sauce by heating the oil in a saucepan and adding the onion, garlic, chilli, carrot and celery. Season well and cook for 6-7 minutes before adding the tinned tomatoes, sugar and oregano. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

4. Heat the remaining oil in a clean pan over a high heat and fry the meatballs on all sides to brown. Add the meatballs to a baking dish and pour over the sauce to cover. Cook in a 180 degree oven for 10 minutes before sprinkling over the Parmesan. Cook for another 5-10 minutes. Serve over spaghetti topped with more Parmesan if you like.

Arroz con Camarones

World Cup, Day 9 - Ecuador

Arroz con Camarones

Rice with Shrimp

Day 8 of the World Cup was a sad one for our nearest neighbours. A loss to Uruguay coupled with Italy's loss to Costa Rica today sends the three loins home after only two games. I may have to rethink celebrating an English dish next week! Today I decided to cook an Ecuadorian dish. A simple arroz con camarones or rice with shrimp. 

This dish isn't too extravagant but it does contain one ingredient that I haven't had with this type of meal before; cumin. I liked it. As usual I used crevettes as they are cheap and easy to get in Newbridge. After boiling the crevettes make sure to reserve the cooking water to cook the rice in, it adds a lot to the flavour. Here is my take on the Ecuadorian staple.

Serves 3-4

500g Raw Crevettes
3tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion (finely chopped)
2 cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
1 Red Pepper (finely chopped)
8 Cherry Tomatoes (halved)
1tsp Cumin Seeds
200g Long Grain Rice
100ml White Wine
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Bring 2 litres of water to the boil and add a pinch of salt. Add the crevettes and boil for 2 minutes. Drain, reserving the cooking water and run the crevettes under cold water to stop them overcooking. Set crevettes and cooking broth aside.

2. Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and add the onion, garlic, red pepper, tomatoes and cumin. Season well and cook for 7-8 minutes until soft but not coloured. Add the rice and stir well before adding the wine. Cook for 5-6 minutes to burn off the alcohol before adding 300ml of the reserved cooking broth. Cook for 15-20 minutes until rice is tender. Add the crevettes into the rice about 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time and stir well. If the pan becomes dry before the rice is cooked add extra broth.

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.