Archive for January, 2010
Beyond the pre-packed sandwich – Snax ‘n the City
Posted: 18 January '10 by Kelly
Snax n the City, Belfast
Like most people I find myself in a bit of a rut when it comes to what to eat over lunchtime. Most days it ends up with me sitting at my desk eating a horrible pre-packed sandwich!! So, when a colleague suggested “Snax ‘n the city” I jumped at the chance to try something new.
It’s a small enough sandwich bar on Linenhall Street in Belfast that serves most things – from full breakfasts to sandwiches to hot food. It’s normally very busy (which is always a good sign), packed with people on their lunch hour. As it was so cold outside I decided that I needed something filling and warming – and the traditional stew certainly fit the bill. It was fantastic.. a delicious and hearty Irish stew served with two thick slices of fresh wheaten bread. The £4.15 price may seem a little extravagant for a lunch-time meal but this was hardly a light snack – I struggled to finish the stew (although I did force myself – the things I do for our readers!).
My friend Elaine tried the lasagne which came with a fresh salad, coleslaw and two pieces of garlic bread – and at £4.95 that seems like real value for money to me.
While you can eat in we decided to take our lunch back to the office. The food was packed in neat little containers – these were so well designed that even I was able to eat my lunch without making a mess at my desk!
Our Verdict
I am making Snax ‘n the city a regular lunch-time treat – the menu is quite varied and there is plently to choose from so you wont get bored. They also seem to have fairly quick service which, if you have a short lunch-break, is an absolute must.
Make sure you try the stew, it really is delicious.
Snax ‘n the City
19 Linenhall Street,
Belfast,
County Antrim
BT2 8AA
T: 028 9031 9631
You can also see Snax ‘n the City on Google Maps.
Categories: Lunch in the City
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It’s that time of the year again..
Posted: 15 January '10 by Niall
Michelin Guide to Great Britain and Ireland 2010
The Michelin Guide to Great Britain and Ireland 2010 was released today.
What’s it all about? The Michelin Guide is a series of guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries and is the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide. The venerated Red Book is researched and published on a yearly basis and is waited for with bated breath by top restauranteurs – a single star is a notable achievement in itself, while 3 stars can turn the talented chef into a household name overnight.
Topping the order are some of the restaurants that Kelly and I had already singled out as being our next targets from our eating-out-wishlist, among them newly awarded 3-star restaurant “Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester” in London and “The Fat Duck”, Heston Blumenthal’s restaurant in Bray-on-Thames.
Northern Ireland receives little attention, with Deanes of Belfast being the only our only entry. Thankfully, Michael Deane has retained his single Michelin star, a sure sign of continued high standards in his restaurant – and some welcome news after the restaurant had to close this week to repair a burst water pipe caused by the recent cold weather.
Other restaurants have not been so lucky, with chef Dylan McGrath’s restaurant “Mint” in Ranelagh, Dublin losing a star, along with “Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s” – I’m sure there will be a few F-words in the Ramsay household tonight!
For the rest of the winners and losers you should see the Michelin Guide to Great Britain and Ireland 2010 – you can also visit the Michelin website.
Categories: News
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Boulangere potatoes
Posted: 15 January '10 by Niall
Boulangere potatoes
After our superb lunch in Cafe Vaudeville I thought that I would have a go at making the Boulangere potatoes that were such an important part of that main course. This French recipe makes a really tasty side dish.
The type of potato that you use is important. I prefer a waxy variety of this type of side dish as they will hold their shape a little better rather than dissolving into the stock. Charlotte or Maris Peer varieties would be my choice.
Lighter and healthier than the cream-drenched Dauphinoise potatoes (and yes, I love them!), Boulangere potatoes are very similar in that the dish is composed of thinly sliced layers of potato that are cooked in the oven. The difference between the two is the addition of chicken stock. I tried the Knorr Stock-pots in this recipe and I quite like them, I have to admit – they produce a rich, flavoursome stock without the saltiness of stock cubes.
In terms of slicing the potatoes, while a mandolin would be ideal, I like using the “D-shaped” potato peeler – it makes the chore of slicing the potatoes so much easier, and the slices are wafer thin. Obviously, if you have neither, there’s nothing wrong with a good sharp kitchen knife either.
My recipe uses a large casserole dish but you could be very chef-y and use a “tower” to create a cylinder of stacked potatoes, liberally brushing the top with rosemary flavoured olive oil to caramelise the top layer of potato for even more flavour.
Serves 4
You can see more photos hereImage 1Image 2Image 3Image 4Image 5
Ingredients
- 4-5 largish potatoes – thinly sliced
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 small red onion – finely chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- Fresh rosemary, chooped (optional)
- 1 to 11/2 pints of chicken stock (I used the Knorr stockpots for the stock)
- 25g butter, cubed (and some more or greasing the casserole dish)
Method
- Peel the potatoes, slice them thinly, and then wash and drain the potato slices in water to remove the excess starch .
- Mince the onion and the garlic.
- Pre-heat the oven to 180/360/gas mark 5.
- Rip a small section from the wrapper of your butter and rub then inner-side around your casserole dish to grease the dish.
- Now layer the potatoes in the bottom of this dish, and sprinkle some of the onion, garlic and bay leaves on top.
- Season the top of this layer with a little salt and pepper (and the rosemary, if you’re using it).
- Continue to layer the potatoes, garlic, bay and onion, finishing with a layer of potato at the top. It’s important that you press each layer down to make the layers of potato as compact as possible.
- Dot the top of this top layer with the cubes of butter.
- Now pour on the stock so it comes up level to the top layer of potato.
- Place the casserole dish in the oven on the highest shelf and leave it there for about an hour. When it’s ready the crust should be a golden brown and the bottom layer tender when prodded with a knife.
Enjoy!
Categories: Featured Post > Recipes > Side Dishes > Vegetables
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Graze for less – First box free, second at half price from Graze.com
Posted: 13 January '10 by Niall
Graze.com - Nature Delivered
We loved the Graze nibble box so much that the nice people at Graze thought you should try some too!
To find out how to get your first box free and your second box at half price just visit our members’ page.
Enjoy!
Categories: Promotions > Site Messages
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Parmesan Chicken Goujons & Honey mustard dip
Posted: 13 January '10 by Ciara
Parmesan Chicken Goujons
Firstly, i would like to apologise for being a bit lazy about adding new recipes. I have been extremely busy since the end of November between shopping in New York and the lead up to Christmas. But i’m sure i’ll be forgiven when i share some of the new recipes that i have picked up recently.
I also have to write a few reviews on restaurants that i visited while in New York and also in Dublin during the lead up to Christmas.
The chicken goujons are a definite favourite in our house. These are one of my daughter Sophies favourite foods. They are really handy and can be made in advance. I made them recently with chips and mushy peas but they also go well with mashed potatoes and broccoli and parma ham.
Ingredients
Parmesan Chicken goujons
- 600g chicken breasts
- 50g flour
- salt and pepper
- 2 eggs beaten
- 100g breadcrumbs
- 50g parmesan cheese
- 3 tbsp oil (i used goose fat recently and it was yummy)
Honey mustard dip
- 250ml creme fraiche
- 1 tbsp grainy mustard
- 1/2 tsp honey
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
Method
Method – Parmesan Chicken goujons
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees
- Cut the chicken fillets into finger sizes
- Place the flour and salt and pepper into a bag
- Place the eggs into a bowl and beat with a fork
- Place the breadcrumbs and parmesan into another bag
- Toss the goujons into the seasoned flour, then remove and shake off excess flour
- Dip into beaten egg
- Toss into breadcrumb and parmesan mix and lay themk unto a plate
- Cook in the oven for 20 minutes turning once and serve with honey mustard dip
Method – Honey mustard dip
- Mix all of the ingredients altogether and serve. Note, depending on your taste you may want to add more honey or more mustard.
Enjoy!
Categories: Chicken > Featured Post > Recipes > Starter Course
