BRIAN' S CRUMBED RACK OF LAMB

One of our favourite meals is CRUMBED RACK OF LAMB – as done by Brian (as you know, he does all the cooking in our house; I am the main taster and critic).

This is Brian’s recipe:

Depending on how many you are feeding, ask your butcher to prepare the rack – allowing 2-3 cutlets per person;

In a small saucepan melt approx 3 ozs butter with 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil; remove from heat;
Add 1-2 crushed garlic cloves (depending on how much you like garlic); generous salt and pepper – both freshly milled ;
Throw in lots of crushed fresh herbs (from your own herb garden!) – Brian likes to use a mix of mint, thyme, rosemary and chives;
Lastly, into this mixture, add some fresh breadcrumbs – approx 2 small cups – but it depends on the size of your rack of lamb;
Stir the whole lot very well – making sure that the breadcrumbs are fully integrated;
Spread the mix evenly on top of your rack of lamb – pressing down well to make it stick.
Place the lamb in a pre-heated oven (180 degrees) and roast as usual; as a guideline, a rack of 6 cutlets will be cooked PINK after one hour; allow another 10-15 minutes if you like your lamb well done (ie spoilt). Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before carefully splitting the rack into cutlets.

Serve with fresh mint sauce - yummy!

PS A quickie veg to go with this is courgettes chopped into 1” chunks and cooked in the roasting pan with the lamb; drizzle the courgettes with olive oil and black pepper and turn once or twice during cooking.

Claire's No Name Yummy Scrummy in my Tummy

This has no name but is delicious! Perhaps you can name it after me!
Make a ratatouille - fresh garlic, onions, peppers, courgettes, tomatoes, aubergine etc
Put it into an oven proof dish, sprinkle the top with grated cheese (use a mix of cheeses for extra interest) and breadcrumbs. pop in the oven at 180degrees for 30-45mins. Serve with rice, salad and some crunchy bread....yum
Very low in fat if you reduce the cheese!
Also you can make it in advance and bake later

A variation - add some cooked and diced chicken fillets.

Claire's Festive Chicken & Broccoli Bake

You can use chicken fillets cooked and cubed or get a pre cooked chicken for ease.

Put the chicken pieces into an oven proof dish, add approx 1lb of par boiled broccoli.

For the sauce
Take a pack of (knorr) chicken soup and make it up with a pint of milk (or 3/4 milk and 1/4 cream) add 2 tbsp of mayonnaise, a tsp of curry powder and pour this over the chicken and broccoli. Top with grated cheese and breadcrumb. Bake at 180degree for 45 mins - serve with rice, boiled spuds salad....whatever seems good on the day

Can also add mushrooms to the dish or a few par boiled and sliced carrots.

Have a fab recipe for a pavlova that I make on request - everyone thinks you've spent ages in the kitchen when its really a very easy dessert! Will send it on soon running out of time, little people need attention!

Joan & Dave’s Stuffed Mussels

Ingredients

48 Large Mussels
White Wine
½ lb unsalted butter
10 Cloves Garlic Crushed
½ lb breadcrumbs
lemon wedges

What to DO

· De-beard & scrub the mussels. Throw away any mussels that remain open when tapped
· Steam open the mussels in a little wine wine and water. Drain & take off the top shell.
· Soften the butter a little with your hands, add the crushed garlic cloves and work the breadcrumbs into the garlic butter
· Put a knob of the stuffing on each mussel and place under a hot grill
· Serve very hot with lemon wedges and crusty French bread

Joan & Dave’s Stir Fried Scallops

Ingredients

12 Large Scallops
3 Cloves Garlic Finely Chopped
1 Red Chilli Finely Chopped
2 Tbsp Oil
2 Limes – Jest & Juice
4 Spring Onions Cut
1 Carrot Chopped
7oz Pak Choi / Chinese Leaves
2 tbsp Honey
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 inch grated ginger
2 tbsp fresh coriander
7oz bean sprouts
Plain boiled rice

What to Do

· Season the scallops and put aside
· Heat oil in Wok / Frying pan
· Stir fry scallops for 1/ 2 mins
· Spoon onto plate and put aside
· Add oil, garlic, chilli, lime juice & zest, spring onion carrot and pak choi to wok stir frying for 1 or 2 minutes until vegetables are tender
· Add honey, soy sauce, ginger & bean sprouts. Return scallops to pan and stir-fry for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in coriander.
· Serve with boiled rice

Joan & Dave’s Summer Pudding

Ingredients

1 lb Raspberries
8oz Redcurrants
4oz Blackcurrants (or berries in season)
5oz Caster sugar
7-8 slices of white bread or sponge
1 ½ pint pudding basin

What to Do

· Rinse the fruit
· Place the fruit and sugar in a large saucepan over a medium heat heat and let them cook for 5 minutes, until the sugar has melted and the juices have begun to run
· Remove fruit from heat
· Line the pudding basin with bread/sponge, seal well by pressing the edges so no juice can escape when you add the fruit
· Pour the fruit and juice in – except for 2/3 of a cup, cover the pudding with another slice of bread / sponge
· Place a small plate or saucer on top, flatten down and leave in the fridge over night
· Just before serving, turn the pudding over onto a large serving dish and spoon the juice all over
· Serve with fresh cream

Giffs Thai Green Curry

Thai Green Curry

400ml can of coconut milk blue dragon
5 tsp of thai green curry paste
4 – 6 chicken fillets
4 tblsp soy sauce
2 tblsp caster sugar
8oz can bamboo shoots
1 juice of lime
5 med spring onions

Method

Pour half a can of coconut milk into saucepan, add curry paste. Bring to boil stirring continuously. Boil rapidly for 4 minutes or until sauce is reduced by half.

Add chicken (cut into strips) and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally

Add soy sauce, sugar. Stir and bring back to boil.

Drain the bamboo shoots and cut into matchsticks. Add to pot. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in remaining coconut milk, lime juice and shredded spring onion. Heat through for 2 – 3 minutes.

Serve with rice crusty bread, chickpea salad and a green salad.


Chick pea salad

Tin of chickpeas
Punnet of cherry tomatoes
Half a cucumber
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
2 tblsp olive oil
Fresh ground salt and pepper to taste

Drain chickpeas and put in serving bowl. Quarter your tomatoes; chop your cucumber small put in your vinegar, oil and seasoning. Stir it up, cover and put in fridge 2 hours before serving.

Quick Quinn Curry

Chicken Curry


Ingredients
Chicken Breasts
Paprika
Curry Powder
Cream
Can of mushroom soup
Chopped Onions
Chopped Mushrooms
1 Chopped Apple

Cooking Instructions
Ø Gently fry the chicken breasts, two minutes on each side. When done place in a baking dish.
Ø Now fry the onions, mushrooms and apple pieces.
Ø Sprinkle a light coating of paprika over the chicken pieces.
Ø Mix the can of soup together with the cream in a pan. Heat gently.
Ø Add three or four spoonfuls of curry powder to the pan. This is just to add a hint of flavour to our dish.
Ø Add the fried onions, mushrooms and apple to the top of the chicken pieces.
Ø Now pour the soup and cream mixture onto the chicken.
Ø Place in the oven at gas mark 6 for approx 60-70mins until brown and bubbling.

Serving
Serve with rice or salad and crunchy bread.

Best Kitchen Gadgets

Blessington Doyles : -


Gadgets (top 6(!) but not in order of preference)
Potato peeler
Knife sharpener
Garlic crusher
Hamburger maker
Potato masher
Pasta measurer

Blessington Doyles Duck Out

Roast Duck with Honey Glaze

Ingredients per serving
175g duck breast
2 x 15ml spoon honey
25g fresh ginger
25g carrots (chopped into strips)
25g baby corn
25g courgettes (optional) (chopped into fine strips)
25ml sherry
2 x 5ml spoon soy sauce
25g bean sprouts

Pre-heat oven to 400F/200C/Gas mark 6

Seal the duck breast in a frying pan and place in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes. Put the sherry, honey, ginger and soy sauce into a pan. Bring to the boil and reduce by half. Pan fry the bean sprouts, baby corn, carrots and courgettes. Arrange the stir-fry vegetables in the centre of a plate. Cut the cooked duck breast in half and place on top of the vegetables. Drizzle the sauce over the whole dish and serve immediately.

Also nice served with garlic mashed potatoes and mange tout.


Spicy Chicken & Rice (Louisiana dish)

Ingredients
1.5kg chicken
1 red, green and yellow pepper
2 green chillies
450g tomatoes
few drops Tabasco
1 tsp paprika
100g green olives
2 tbsp shredded flat leaf parsley
1 onion
Salt and Cayenne Pepper
150g long grain rice
1 tsb dried thyme
2 tbsp vegetable oil
450ml hot vegetable stock

Cut the chicken into 12 pieces. Cut the peppers and chillies in half, then remove the seeds and white pith. Cut the peppers into quarters and finely chop the chillies. Make a few cuts in the tomatoes, put in a bowl, pour over boiling water and leave for a few minutes. Peel off the skin and chop the flesh. Dice the onion. Heat the oil in large frying pan. Season the chicken with salt and cayenne pepper, add to the pan and fry for 8 minutes, turning to brown all over. Remove the chicken from the pan. Add the peppers and onion and fry for 5 minutes until browned. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon. Add the chillies, paprika and rice and fry, stirring for 1 minute to coat the rice in oil. Add the hot vegetable stock to the pan, cover and cook the rice over a low heat for 10 minutes. Return the peppers, onion and chicken to the pan, add the thyme and tomatoes, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Stone the olives if necessary, roughly chop and stir into the pan. Add the Tabasco, then taste and add seasoning. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Can also add fresh prawns to this dish.