Banana Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 1 cup of mashed bananas (about 2 ½ large bananas)
  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 2 cups of flour
  • Small pinch of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground mace or nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
  • 1 cup of pecans (walnuts and chocolate chips are fine alternatives)

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

2 In a bowl, mix the mashed bananas and baking soda. Let sit for 2 minutes. The baking soda will react with the acid in the bananas which in turn will give the cookies their lift and rise.

3 Mix the banana mixture into the butter mixture. Mix together the flour, salt, and spices and sift into the butter and banana mixture and mix until just combined.

4 Fold into the batter the pecans or chocolate chips if using. Drop in dollops onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until nicely golden brown. Let cool on wire racks.

Makes about 30 cookies.

Colcannon / Better than Cabbage!

A real treat for St. Patrick's day and far nicer than regular cabbage (which can be lovely when done correctly).

Use REAL BUTTER in this recipe. You need three pots on the go to bring this all together at the same time - one with the cabbage, on with the spuds and one with the leeks.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound cabbage
  • 1 pound potatoes
  • 2 leeks
  • 1 cup milk
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 pinch ground mace
  • 1/2 cup butter

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, boil cabbage until tender; remove and chop finely. Set aside and keep warm. Boil potatoes until tender. Remove from heat and drain.
2. Chop leeks, green parts as well as white, and simmer them in just enough milk to cover, until they are soft.
3. Season and mash potatoes well. Stir in cooked leeks and milk. Blend in the kale or cabbage and heat until the whole is a pale green fluff. Make a well in the center and pour in the REAL melted butter. Mix well.

Thai Mackerel

Mackerel is thankfully categorised in the "sustainable" category and we're encouraged to comsune this rather than other vulnerbale fish species. Helps too that it's an Oily fish which is good for you....

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp Thai red curry paste
  • 500ml/17fl oz coconut milk
  • 500ml/17fl oz fish or vegetable stock
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • 4 fresh mackerel fillets, skin on but bones removed
  • 100g/4oz fine noodles, cooked according to instructions on packet
  • small bunch coriander, torn
  • 2 limes, juice and zest

Method

1. In a large pan fry off the red curry paste for a few seconds before adding the coconut milk, stock, finely chopped red chilli, fish sauce and sugar. Bring to the boil and turn down the heat before adding the mackerel pieces. Continue to simmer gently until the fish is cooked through.
2. Warm the noodles and place into the soup bowls. Spoon the finished broth over the top and sprinkle with freshly torn coriander leaves, together with the juice and zest of the limes.

Watercress Soup / Nice and Green for St. Patrick's Day

Ingredients

  • 20g/1oz unsalted butter
  • 100g/3½oz white onion, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 300g/10½oz watercress, tough stalks removed
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 100g/3½oz spinach leaves
  • 500ml/17½fl oz boiling water
  • 500g/17½ ice cubes
  • 100ml/3½fl oz crème fraîche
Method

1. In a large saucepan on a medium heat, melt the butter and gently cook the chopped onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes, or until soft and translucent but not coloured. This gentle sweetening of the onion and garlic will transform the natural starches present into sugar giving that lovely sweetened onion flavour as opposed to the harsh raw onion flavour.
2. Increase the heat to high, add the watercress and a pinch of salt, cover with a lid and cook for 30 seconds. Add the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until wilted. The spinach will round up the strong peppery qualities of the watercress.
3. Pour in the boiling water and simmer for 2-3 minutes, then remove from the heat and add the ice. This quick cooking of the vegetables and cooling with the ice will not only retain the colour and the flavour, but also maximise the vitamins and minerals.
4. Pour half the soup into a food processor, and blend until smooth. Transfer the soup into a clean pan, then repeat with the remaining soup.
5. When ready to serve, reheat the soup and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper if required. Serve the soup in a large tureen with the crème fraîche swirled through.

Egg Fried Rice

NOT Irish at all but tasty and quick.

Egg-fried rice is easy to prepare and tastes great as a meal on its own. For the best result, make sure the rice is cooked and cooled beforehand so it won't stick together when frying.
Ingredients

1 egg
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp vegetable oil
200g/7oz long-grain rice (uncooked weight), cooked and left to go cold
100g/4oz frozen peas, defrosted (rinse under warm water to do this quickly)
4 spring onions, finely chopped
100g/4oz bean sprouts (optional)
1-2 tsp soy sauce
ground white pepper
Method

1. Beat together the egg and sesame oil and put to one side.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan. When it's shimmering and almost smoking, add the rice and stir-fry for about 3-4 minutes until completely heated through.
3. Add the peas, spring onions and beansprouts, if using. Stir-fry, turning the rice constantly around the pan, for about 3 minutes. Season well with soy sauce and pepper, then push to one side of the pan. Pour the beaten egg mixture into the other side and leave for about 10 seconds so it begins to set. Using a chopstick, briskly swirl around the egg to break it up and then toss around with the rice. Stir-fry for a further minute and serve straight away.

Tip:
You could include some extras like chopped ham, cooked prawns or sweetcorn, when adding the peas.