Thai Red Curry with an Irish twist

This is the recipe that first got me started on my Thai cooking journey. After finding the Avoca green curry recipe I decided to attempt to maximise the flavour of this Red Curry. The recipe is fab, so I added

Sunflower oil
1 Large Onion Diced
1 Celery Stalk chopped and
2 cloves of garlic grated
1 talespoon on minced ginger

Sautee the onion in the sunflower oil till soft approx 6 - 8 minutes. Add the celery, garlic and ginger and cook until the garlic is cooked but not brown. Then follow the recipe below adding the curry paste.

RECIPE: Thai Red Curry
(from Catherine Fulvio's Book -‘Catherine’s Family Kitchen')

Chef's Note: Here’s a very non-Thai idea – a guest at our cookery school told me that a good splash of sherry in a curry just before serving gives a wonderful rounded taste. And you know what?
It works!


Serves 4

• Vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp red curry paste
• 275ml coconut milk
• 100ml chicken stock
• 200g butternut squash peeled and cubed, (about 1⁄2 medium squash)
• 1 large potato, peeled and cubed
• 3 chicken breasts cubed, ( I used chickcen thigh fillets and I browned them before adding them to the curry)
• 75g green beans quartered
• 8 cherry tomatoes
• 6 mushrooms halved
• Thai fish sauce (nam pla), to taste
• Fresh coriander leaves, to garnish
• Jasmine rice, to serve

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and fry the curry paste for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the coconut milk and chicken stock and stir well. Simmer gently for 2 minutes.
2. Add the butternut squash and potato, cover and cook for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are almost tender. Add the chicken with a little extra stock, if needed, and simmer for 5–7 minutes.
3. Add the rest of the vegetables and simmer for 5 minutes, until they are cooked through. Season with fish sauce to taste.
4. Sprinkle the coriander over and serve with steamed jasmine rice

Beef Stroganoff

I normally make a Pork Stroganoff and was looking through my cook books and decided to try a new recipe. Most of the recipes I have made would require you to stir fry beef, onions and garlic with paprika and then add cream. This I have to say is the BEST Beef Stroganoff recipe I have tried so far.. It takes a little longer than my usual recipes picks so would say this is weekend recipe or you could get this done and in the oven mid week.. you decide.

It is also from A Year at Avoca - Cook Book 3

Ingredients
Serves 6 - 8

1.5kg good quality striploin beef, cut into thin strips (I picked up Sirloin in the supermarket by mistake and it worked out extremely well)
2 tblsp seasoned flour (salt and pepper added to the flour)
2 tlsp olive oil
1 large onion thinly sliced
3 large garlic cloves crushed
1 dessert spoon sweet paprika powder
couple sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
3 tblsp cognac (Hennesey)
200 - 300ml Beef stock
1 dessert spoon dijon mustard
good splash worchestershire sauce
300g mixed button and chestnut mushrooms
400g sour cream or creme fraiche
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

To Make

Lightly toss the meat in the seasoned flour, then brown meat in small batches on a medium heat in a frying pan. Set aside on a plate until you have browned all the meat. In a casserole, cook the onion in a little oil until softened, 6 - 8 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, herbs and the browned meat and juices and cook, stirring gently, 2 - 3 minutes. Next, add the cognac and carefully light it using a match, you want it to flame for 20 - 30 seconds, to cook off the brandy, giving a subtle flavour. Now, Add just enough beef stock to cover everything by 2 cm, add a splash or worchestershire sauce and the mustard and stir well. Bring the casserole to a simmer on the heat and then cover with a tight-fitiing lid and transfer to oven to cook for 30 mins. Remove from the oven, add the mushrooms and creme fraiche and return to the oven for a further 30 mins by which stage the meat should  be very tender and mushrooms are cooked through.

To Serve

Serve this with creamy champ and a lightly salad of organic baby leaves.

My daughter does not like spring onions so I served this with creamy mash potato.

Gratin Potato & Mushroom

This is a great recipe for using up old potatoes.

Serves 3 (Recipe Doubles well)

350g old potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 clove garlic crushed
115g mushrooms sliced
150ml single cream
1 1/2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 180oC

Blanch and refresh potatoes (Pour over hot water then place potatoes in cold water).
Grease shallow dish with butter and scatter garlic on bottom on dish.
Later Potatoes, (salt pepper), Mushrooms then potatoes.(salt & pepper)
Bring cream to boil and pour over and scatter parmesan.
Bake for approx 45 mins till potatoes are cooked and top is crisp and golden brown with cream bubbling around the edges.

Yummy....

Recipe from Darina Allen's, Ballymaloe Cookery Course

Baked Eggs with Sausage and Mushroom

Great Breakfast alternative / addition to brunch. Amazingly good. I didnt have fennel sausages so I used some of the Tesco's finest range. Your local butcher probably have their own gourmet sausages. Pork goes well with fennel so even plain pork sausages would do.

Ingredients

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 pound fennel sausage, casings removed
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
• Kosher salt
• 4 sage leaves, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 8 eggs
• 6 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

Directions

Special equipment: 8 (6-ounce) ramekins

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Coat a large saute pan with olive oil, add the garlic cloves and the crushed red pepper and bring to a medium heat. When the garlic has become golden brown and very aromatic, remove it and discard, it has fulfilled its garlic destiny. Add the sausage and brown.

Once, nicely browned, add the mushrooms and season with kosher salt. When the mushrooms have softened, add in the sage and white wine. Cook until the wine has almost been absorbed. Turn off the heat and reserve.

Brush 8 individual ramekins with olive oil. Divide the sausage mixture equally among the ramekins and press gently into the bottom. Top each with an egg. Sprinkle each egg with a couple drops of olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Sprinkle each egg lightly with Gruyere cheese and bake until the cheese is brown and bubbly and the egg whites are cooked and the yolks are still runny, about 5 minutes

Serve with grilled bread rubbed with garlic, if desired.

Now thats an egg!

Courgette, Mushroom and Leek Fritata

Another quick and easy different breakfast / brunch idea.

You need:

6 eggs
1 courgette halved and sliced
5 mushroom thinly sliced
1 leek halved and sliced
20mls cream or milk
grated cheese (I used onion and chive chedder)
chopped parsley or other herbs
salt and pepper to taste
oil and butter to sautee

Heat oil on high heat add mushrooms and reduce heat to medium heat. Once browned add courgettes and once these are soft add the leeks. Whisk eggs and cream together with cheese and herbs and season with salt and pepper. Add the sauteed vegetables to the egg mixture. Put pan back on heat with a small knob of butter. Add egg mix and leave to cook on medium to low heat. Can grate extra cheese on top. Can finish off top under grill or in the oven. Cook till set and serve. Enjoy.