Banoffee and Strawberry Pie

Ingredients:

1 packet of digestive biscuits
40g butter
Chocolate chips
2 tbsp Golden Syrup
1 can of condensed milk
2 fresh bananas
1 box of strawberries
1 bottle of cream
Packet of maltesers

Method:

1. Boil the can of condensed milk in a pot of water for 3 hours.
2. Crush the digestives into crumbs, add in the melted butter, golden syrup and chocolate chips.
3. Using a cold metal spoon flatten the biscuits into a shallow round cake tin until smooth.
4. Remove the tin of condensed milk from the water, open and smooth over the biscuit base.
5. Place the tin into the fridge.
6. Beat the cream until lightly whipped and pour over the caramel layer.
7. Place slices of banana and strawberries onto the cream in a decorative pattern.
8. Crumble the maltesers and scatter over the cream.
9. Enjoy!

Mac & Cheese

Ingredients: (serves 3-4)
Macaroni pasta
Inch of butter
half a mozzarella ball
half a block of red cheddar cheese ( I use Charleville)
1 small bottle of cream
tablespoon of flour

Method:

1. Cook and strain the pasta.
2. In an empty pan add the butter, cheese and cream until melted.
3. Add flour to thicken
4. Add pasta back into pan.
5. Enjoy!

Vegetable Soup (6-8 bowls)

Ingredients:
1 inch of butter
3 potatoes (peeled and cut into quarters)
3 sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into quarters)
2 onions (peeled and cut into quarters)
5 carrots chopped
6 sticks of celery roughly choppped.
1 stock cube

Method:

1. Chop the Veg.
2. In a large sauce pan add the butter.
3. Add all veg and cover with parchment paper and sweat on the hob (level 2-3) for 10 minutes.
4. Boil the kettle.
5. Remove parchment paper.
6. Add 3 pints of water (mostly boiled, then fill in whatever is left with cold water) & add the stock cube to the pan. 
7. Cover pan with lid, put onto level 5/6 and wait until it boils.
8. Once boiled, turn down to 2-3.
9. After 20 minutes check how soft the veg are, if they are easy to penetrate with a knife then remove from heat.
10. Liquidize the mixture until smooth.
11. Then enjoy with chili flakes to spice things up.

Broccoli & Bacon Tartiflette

Serves 6-8 people

8 Potatoes
2 onions
3-4 cloves of garlic
Cream (250ml)
Bacon (2 packets)
Reblochon cheese (ESSENTIAL)
1 head broccoli
2 Carrots

Method:

1. Preheat oven 220C
2. Slice the potatoes & boil in salted water for 8-10 minutes just until tender then drain.
3. Blanch the broccoli and carrots.
4. Chop garlic and onions finely and fry in 1oz of butter and a drizzle of olive oil for 5 mins.
5. Snip bacon into pieces with a scissors and add to the pan- stir well & cook for a further 5 mins until the onions, garlic and bacon are lightly coloured.
6. Chop cheese into small chunks.
7. Layer an ovenproof dish (which has been buttered) with potatoes , scatter over half the onions, garlic, bacon, broccoli, carrots and cheese, lightly season with salt and pepper and scatter repeat layers.
8. Pour the cream evenly over the top and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden.
9. Rest for 5 minutes and serve with a salad or garden peas cooked with chili and garlic.

Slow Cooked Beef Stew (Serves 8)

Ingredients:
1 Large onion (chopped)
6 carrots (chopped)
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp chili flakes
1 kilo of beef (lean and chopped)
1 bottle of good quality wine
1 head of garlic (cut some and leave some whole)
1 fresh chili finely cut

Also 10 potatoes boiled and peeled or mashed separately and served with finished stew.

Method:

1. Using a large saucepan heated on hob add a drizzle of olive oil, then the onion and soften for 10 minutes.
2. Crush the cumin seeds and add to a bowl with the paprika, chili flakes, some sea salt and black pepper with a splash of olive oil and mix well.
3. Rub the mixture all over the meat before placing them in the saucepan.
4. Pour over the wine, throw in the garlic cloves, carrots and the chili.
5. The meat should be covered- if not top up with water or stock.
6. Bring the liquid to a simmer-cover and cook gently for 2 1/5-3 hours, until the meat is really soft. If there is a lot of liquid left, remove the lid and simmer for the last half hour or until sauce thickens.
7. Boil the potatoes separately during the last half hour of cooking.

Glazed Ham

4.5-5kg (10-12lbs) Fresh Ham

Glaze
8 cloves
1 rounded tbsp mustard
5 tbsps golden syrup
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

4 oz brown sugar

Method:

1. If the ham is salty, soak it in cold water overnight, next day discard the water.
2. Cover the ham with fresh cold water & bring it slowly to the boil. If the meat is still salty, there will be white foam on top of the water. Discard  the water and cover the ham with fresh cold water again and repeat the process. 
3. Cover the ham with hot water and simmer until almost cooked. (Allow 45 minutes to the kg or 20 minutes to the lb).
4. When cooked remove from the pot and allow to cool. 
5. Preheat oven to 180C.
6. Trim off some of the excess skin and fat and score lines into it with a sharp knife.
7. Rub mustard all over the ham.
8. Push the cloves into the skin.
9. Place the ham on a large roasting pan.
10. Mix the golden syrup and vinegar and brush this all over the meat.
11. Sprinkle with the sugar and bake in oven for approx 30 minutes. (Spoon the pan juices over the meat at regular intervals).
12. When cooked, remove from pan and allow to cool for 10-15minutes.

~~TIP: When boiling the ham place a whole unpeeled potato in the pot with the ham to soak up all the fat.

Serve the ham with Christmas Turkey dinner or an Irish Favourite of potatoes and cabbage.

Brownie Cookies

Cookie Base:
10 oz self raising flour         
227g soft  butter
3.5oz caster sugar
100g chocolate chips

Method:

1. Put oven onto 180C.
2. Rub the butter, sugar and flour into crumbs using your fingers.
3. Add in the chocolate chips.
4. Using the back of a silver spoon flatten the biscuit base down into a baking tray.
5. Put tray into oven and allow to bake for 10 minutes or until light brown.

Brownies:

Ingredients:

150g butter
1/2 cup hot chocolate powder
3/4 cup dark chocolate
2 cups Demerera/light brown sugar
150g mini marshmallows
2 Tbsp Golden syrup
4 eggs beaten
2 cups self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsps vanilla essence
150g milk chocolate broken into pieces

Method:

1. Melt the first 6 ingredients over a medium heat until all melted into a glossy deep chocolate colour.
2. Add the final ingredients to the beaten eggs and whisk until no lumps are present.
3. Add the hot chocolate mixture into the flour and eggs and mix well, put on top of the almost baked cookies and into and back into an oven for 20 minutes or until a knife comes out clean once stuck into the centre.
4. Slice into squares and serve hot or cold.