Wild rocket with parmesan and balsamic vinegar salad
Posted: 08 February '10 by Kelly
Rocket salad with parmesan and balsamic vinegar
This really isn’t a recipe, but you will thank me for sharing it with you if you don’t already know about it.
Although you only need three ingredients for this salad, the quality of these three elements is very important. We use a mature Parmigiano-Reggiano, wild rocket, and a good quality balsamic vinegar – all of which are easily found in your local supermarket.
You can see more photos hereImage 1Image 2Image 3
Ingredients
- 60g parmesan cheese
- 200g wild rocket leaves
- 60ml balsamic vinegar
Method
- Rinse the wild rocket and shake well to dry – place the rocket leaves in a bowl.
- Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and toss the salad leaves.
- Using a sharp knife cut wedges chips of parmesan into the salad, working your way back from the thin end. It’s important that the chips aren’t too thin.
- Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Other information
Bio-store, which you can find at the market in Belfast’s St. George’s Market on Saturdays, are now carrying some fantastic balsamic vinegar from Modena, with more varieties to come.
Tags: italian food, recipe, salad
Categories: Featured Post > Italian Food > Recipes > Side Dishes > Starter Course
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Wheat-free fruit scones
Posted: 04 February '10 by Bloomsie
Wheat-free fruit scones
I was recently diagnosed as a coeliac (cue sympathy) so once getting my head around not being able to eat my beloved croissants and bagels from the my usual bakery I thought “right, let’s get baking!”.
After searching for some good recipes I found this wheat-free fruit scone one and the outcome was surprisingly delicious (if I do so myself!).
Ingredients
- 275g rice flour (can be brown rice flour)
- 50g tapioca starch (I did it without this)
- 4 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
- 2 teaspoons Xanthan gum
- 1 teaspooon salt
- 4 tablespoons caster sugar
- 110g butter
- 110g sultanas (you can used any dried fruit)
- 3 eggs inc. 1 beaten for egg wash
- 125ml natural yogurt (up to 175ml if needed)
Method
- Pre-heat oven to 250°C
- Sift all dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix well. Rub in the butter thoroughly (make sure the butter is at room temp). Add the sultanas or dried fruit and mix well.
- Lightly whisk the 2 eggs and 125ml of the yogurt together.
- With your hands make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the egg and yogurt mix slowly. If necessary and the mixture is to dry add more of the remaining yogurt.
- Turn onto a rice floured board and knead lightly, just enough to shape into a round. Roll out to a 2.5cm or 1 inch thick try. Then cut out rounds or use a pastry shape cutter.
- Place on a rice floured baking sheet and brush with the egg wash.
- Bake for around 10 mintues or until golden brown. Keep checking it as wheat-free foods tend to bake and burn quicker.
- When the scones have been baked to your liking remove them and place them on a wire tray to cool.
- To serve cut in half and you can use either butter or clotted cream with a tasty strawberry preserve. If you have any left over you can also freeze them.
Other information
Rice flour and Xanthan gum can be found in large stores with a good wheat free section (like a 24-hour Tesco not to name any names) and Tapioca starch can be found in Asian supermarkets.
Happy baking…wheat free of course!
Tags: coeliac, recipe, recipes
Categories: Biscuits and Cakes > Recipes
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Paul Richardson’s “A Late Dinner” – On BBC Radio 7
Posted: 02 February '10 by Niall
Paul Richardson
Kelly bought me Paul Richardson’s “A Late Dinner: Discovering the food of Spain” last year and it quickly became one of my favourite books.
Paul’s obvious love of all things Spanish is clear in his emotive and evocative descriptions of the regional food and the strong bond between the people, the land, and their cusine. I defy anyone who reads this book to say that they don’t want to take off immediately and discover Spanish regional cooking for themselves!
BBC Radio 7 have serialised the book and it’s available on the BBC iplayer in short 15 minute programmes – in this first episode Paul Richardson explores and enjoys food in Ibiza. Surprising, I know, but highly recommended.
Details:
- Broadcast on: BBC Radio 7, 2:15pm Monday 1st February 2010
- Duration: 15 minutes
- Available until: 2:32pm Monday 8th February 2010
- Find it at: www.bbc.co.uk
- Buy the book at: www.amazon.co.uk for £11.03
Tags: bbc iplayer, paul richardson, radio
Categories: TV and Radio
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New Northern Ireland cookery programme needs you!
Posted: 01 February '10 by Kelly
New NI Cooking Programme
Are you the best cook in your family? Do you think you have what it takes to work with a celebrity chef and win the ultimate food fight? If the answer is yes then you can prove your worth in an exciting new BBC Northern Ireland cookery game.
Under the guidance of celebrity chefs Jenny Bristow and Kevin Dundon, each episode will feature two amateur cooks going head to head in a fun culinary challenge.
Working against the clock, the amateur cooks will have to prepare a three course meal for family and friends. Not knowing who has prepared which dish, the guests will be asked to vote in secret for their favourite dish based on taste and appearance.
In a final twist the chef who is declared the winner will not necessarily be the one who earns the most votes from the dinne guests – stepping into the role of judge will be a family member or friend who is willing to risk a few egos by declaring their own favourite dish and ultimately choosing which cook is the ‘dinner winner’.
In addition to the distinction of winning, the cook will be rewarded with a tailor-made treat – including a luxury spa treatment or tickets for a concert.
Castings are already underway, so if you think you could handle the pressure then get in touch with Green Inc. The deadline for applications is this friday (Friday 5th of February) so get applying!
To apply for the programme or to request more information you can:
- Ring Green inc. on 02890 573 001; or
- Email Green inc. at tv@greeninc.tv
Tags: television
Categories: TV and Radio
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Wine Review: Mouton-Cadet Bordeaux Rouge 2005
Posted: 01 February '10 by Niall
Mouton Cadet 2005
Kelly and I picked up this Mouton-Cadet 2005 from our local Sainsburys off-licence a few weeks ago – although we’d never tried this particular red before we thought we were on safe ground: a Bordeaux red; a young wine from the famous Baron Philippe de Rothschild; and it was also on offer, one of the frequent Sainsburys discounts being reduced to £5.00.
The Details
- The Wine: Mouton-Cadet 2005
- Producer: Château Cadet, Baron Philippe de Rothschild
- Region: Bordeaux, France
- Grape: 65% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc
- Alcohol: 13.3%
- Cost: £5.00 (on offer – normally £5.99)
- We bought it in: Sainsburys
Tasting Notes
The first thing that you’ll notice when pouring the Mouton-Cadet is the colour – an appealingly intense burgundy or dark cherry which promises great things to come. As you’d expect this colour carries to the rim of the wine, suggesting a young wine.
The bouquet matches the appearance with dark cherry and blackcurrant aromas, with some spice and a little vanilla in there for good measure.
Perhaps a little lighter-bodied than more expensive wines from the region, it is still full of ripe dark fruits and powerful tannins. The Cab Sauv and Cab Franc give the wine more complexity than might be suggested by the price tag. Although slightly tart, the Mouton-Cadet 2005 is fairly smooth and well-balanced, lingering pleasantly on the palate.
Our Verdict:
A pleasant wine that is suitable for everyday drinking, one that you’d be happy to enjoy alone or to serve to friends with a meal – not necessarily one for impressing, mind you.
At the price, particularly when discounted, you’d be hard pressed to find a much better alternative. Buy it when you can – Sainsburys typically stock a wine for a while and once gone it’s never seen again.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Other Information:
The Mouton-Cadet 2005 really benefits from being decanted and left to breathe for an hour or so – the bouquet and taste will only develop and reveal the complexity of the wine.
Mouton Cadet is the biggest-selling Bordeaux in the world and is the staple offering from the Baron Philippe de Rothschild house. It is not sophisticated or refined enough to be called a “Chateau Mouton Rothschild” – instead, it is classed as a “Mouton Cadet” (cadet meaning younger son in French)
Tags: french wine, red wine, wine
Categories: Red Wine > Wine Reviews
