We have a winner!
Posted: 30 July '10 by Niall and Kelly
Boozeberries - Artisan Irish Liqueurs
That’s it! The Boozeberries competition has ended.. finis.. finito..
With almost 300 hundred entries it’s been our most popular competition yet. We asked you the name of the cocktail that Kelly made using the Boozeberries Wild Cranberry liqueur.. fiendishly difficult, we know! The correct answer was a Cranberry Kick.
Unfortunately, there can only be one winner and, after randomly selecting one entry from all the entrants, we can tell you that the lucky person is: Donna T.
Congratulations, Donna – the basket of Boozeberries is winging it’s way to you.
Thanks to everyone that took the time to enter the competition – better luck next time!
Other information
Remember, you can find Boozeberries in Sainsbury’s stores across Northern Ireland and in O’Briens beers and Wines in the Republic of Ireland.
You can find out more about Boozeberries here.
Tags: boozeberries, competition, competition winner, promotion, Promotions
Categories: Competitions : Promotions
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All I want for Christmas is….
Posted: 28 July '10 by Kelly
Wagamama - coming to Belfast!
.. for Wagamama to come to town.. And guess what?! It is!! The much-loved Japanese restaurant will be opening in Belfast’s Victoria Square in time for Christmas.
Niall and I are so excited by the news! If you’ve been to a Wagamama resturant then you’ll know why – If not, then you are in for a treat!
I lived in Nottingham for a while and I was lucky enough to have a Wagamama at the bottom of my street – I originally ventured in when I couldn’t face another evening of cooking for one person, but after that I subconsciously found more and more reasons to eat there. I loved everything about the experience: the smells and sounds of the open kitchen when you arrive; being seated at the ‘communal dining’ long benches that replace the traditional table and chairs, creating an authentic Asian dining experience; and the arrival of the food, with steaming bowls of delicious broth and noodles being a specialty.
Wagamama is all about Positive Eating and Positive Living, a philosophy that they explain as “combining fresh and nutritious food in an elegant yet simple setting with helpful, friendly service and value for money”. The food is certainly fresh and you leave the restaurant feeling very virtuous (and satisfied) which is perfect if, like most of us, you love eating out but are worried about putting on weight.
Our favourite meals at Wagamama in Nottingham (and this is hard to pin down as there were many!!) were -
- ebi katsu – deep-fried prawns in panko breadcrumbs, served with a spicy chilli and garlic sauce garnished with lime
- edamame – steamed green soya beans with either salt or chilli and garlic salt
- miso soup and japanese style pickles
- seafood ramen – noodles in a vegetable soup topped with grilled smooth dory, prawns, squid and seasonal greens.
- teriyaki soba-grilled teriyaki beef on a bed of teppan fried soba noodles with curry oil, mangetout, chillies, bok choi and sesame seeds
There was also an amazingly gooey chocolate cake with wasabi.. I could go on and on and on as the menu really is delicious!! And the best thing is that everyone will find something they like – there are lots of chicken and rice dishes for those who aren’t as adventurous or who have a plainer palate. Knives and forks are available but it’s alot of fun trying to master the chopsticks.
Roll on christmas is all I can say!
50 new jobs for Belfast
Wagamama’s opening in the run-up to Christmas means that there will be new jobs in the service industry, including waiters and waitresses, administrative staff, line chefs, managers and supervisors. They’re currently recruiting for a Head Chef and Senior Management positions – CV’s should be submitted with a covering letter to chris@wagamama.ie.
Other information
“Wagamama” means “naughty/wilful child” although it is probably more accurately translated as “selfish”.
You can visit the Wagamama website at www.wagamama.com.
Tags: belfast restaurant, belfast restaurants, christmas, japanese food, News
Categories: News
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Extra-virgin oils from Harnett’s
Posted: 27 July '10 by Niall
Harnett's Oils
One of my favourite programmes on TV in the last couple of years was “The Urban Chef” in which Ollie Rowe opened his Konstam restaurant in London and attempted to source all of his ingredients from within the M25. One of the most difficult tasks was finding cooking oil. I’d never seen that many olive trees within the M25 so I thought he was stuck – but when Ollie found a rapeseed producer and a local pressing works it got me thinking – do we have something like that in Northern Ireland?
I’ve always been a devotee of Olive Oil, but Ollie certainly made a case for Rapeseed oil: rapeseed and hemp oil can be produced locally; and there are lots of health benefits.
It was almost by chance that I came across Harnett’s Oils, who more than fit the bill. A quick internet-search later and I was chatting to Jane..
- N: Who are Harnett’s Oils?
- J: Harnett’s Oils is a family-run business on the Waring Estate, a working arable farm. There are 4 of us: I produce the final product and selling, marketing the business; My father Michael is in charge of growing the crops and caring for the harvesting of the crop; My mother Ann manages the food safety element of the plant as well as the marketing of the products; and my brother William is creative director looking after the different aspects of the website and marketing literature.
- N: Where are you based?
- J: we live on the Waring Estate based in Waringstown which is between Lurgan and Banbridge in County Down. The oilseeds are grown here and on our out-farm in Lisnacree, Kilkeel in County Down.
- N: You can’t much more local than that.. What sort of oils do you produce?
- J: At the minute we produce Hemp Oil and Rapeseed Oil and we’re trialling dressings (hemp vinaigrette and a garlic dressing) and flavoured oils (hot chilli & garlic and orange & rosemary) in St. George’s Market over the Summer months.
- N: I read that you use “cold-pressing” to extract the oil.. What’s that?
- J: A cold-pressed oil is when an oilseed like Rape or Hemp is pressed together to crush the majority of oil out of the seed. About 90% of the seed’s oil is squeezed out like this, which is filtered to produce an “extra-virgin” oil. Industry uses heat and chemicals to “hot-press” so they can get the remaining 10% but this releases phosphates and unwanted saturates into the oil taking away all the goodness that would have been produced if cold-pressed. The majority of vegetable oils and palm oils use this method.
- N: Kelly and I are really concerned about GM crops. You don’t use any, do you?
- J: We don’t use GM crops – we’re against the idea and believe in promoting biodiversity and the local wildlife. Not only are we actively involved with the Farming, Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) but don’t use pesticides or insecticides on the crops. Over the last 30 years we are proud to say we have seen an increase in insects, birds and mammals on the Estate and proud to be working close beside them. In regards with Organic Status the farm has decided not to go down with this scheme however we do adhere to such principles encouraging wildlife and biodiversity. Harnett’s Oils is also a strong supporter of local produce and is proud to be a member of the Slow Food Movement which wholly believes in producing a product that is GOOD, CLEAN and FAIR.
- N: That all sounds good to me! So, the important question is where can our readers buy your products?
- J: Harnett’s Oils have a stand in St Georges every Saturday where you can talk to us direct. Over the summer we will be at a few shows which will be updated on the website. We do sell from the website and it is possible to buy from the farm itself. We are trying to stock our products across the country in delis, butchers, farm shops and health shops. We also produce oils for trade and sell into restaurants and other food-based businesses – everything from 3 litres up to 20 litres.
- N: Lastly, what are your big hopes for the future?
- J: We’d like more people to know about and use our oils! They’re a quality product and compliment good food and good cooking, and have a really worthwhile ethic behind them: supporting the local countryside. On top of that we’re a local business. So, by buying our oils, everyone wins!
Thanks Jane!
We’re making Tuna seared using Harnett’s rapeseed oil and a hemp-oil pesto tonight.. Make sure you check the site later this week to see how we got on!
Other information
Hemp Oil has lots of health benefits including Omega 3, 6 and 9 and vitamins C, E, B1, B2 and carotene. It’s smoking point is too low to be used in cooking, but it’s nutty flavour makes it perfect for salad dressings and the like.
Rapeseed Oil (also known as “Canola Oil” which you’ll see in American recipes) is a good alternative to Olive Oil and can be used in cooking or as a dressing, having little taste. It has Omega 3, 6 and 9, vitamins E and K, and is low in cholesterol.
Harnett’s Oils
Waring Estate,
15 Banbridge Road,
Waringstown,
County Down
BT66 7QA
T: 028 38 881210
E: info@harnettoils.com
W: www.harnettoils.co.uk
You can also find Harnett’s Oils on Google Maps.
Tags: food heroes, harnetts oils, Local Food Heroes, local producers
Categories: Local Food Heroes : Northern Ireland : United Kingdom
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Pappardelle with crème fraîche, parmesan and asparagus
Posted: 23 July '10 by Niall and Kelly
Pappardelle with creme fraiche, parmesan and asparagus
Kelly’s love of Italian food knows almost no bounds, and one of her favourite chefs is Theo Randall. I’d have to agree – his dishes always seem so flavoursome, often quite simple, and smack of authentic Italian cooking. Perfect for the home cook.
With the publication of his new book Pasta there’s now a great resource for some of his best recipes. This is one of our favourites which appears typically simple, but which delivers a satisfyingly tasty meal – Pappardelle with crème fraîche, parmesan and asparagus.
Made using egg yolks, crème fraîche and Parmesan, the sauce is particularly rich but the asparagus is a great counterbalance, cutting through the robust flavours and adding a fresh dimension – grassy and slightly bitter. The asparagus is also a fantastic visual ingredient – little shards of apple-green amidst the deep yellow of the pasta and the creamy-gold of the glossy sauce.
I’ve tinkered with the recipe a little, preferring the thick ribbons of pappardelle to tagliatelle and changing some quantities to match what was readily available at the supermarket. I’ve also used a little lemon zest and juice to give the final dish a little kick.
Serves 4 as a main course or 6 plus as a starter.
You can see more photos hereImage 2Image 3Image 4Image 5
Ingredients
- 300ml crème fraîche
- 2 egg yolks
- 150g parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus extra to serve
- 500g fresh pappardelle (you could use tagliatelle)
- 200g young asparagus spears, trimmed and finely sliced at an angle
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lemon, zested and squeezed
Method
- Put the crème fraîche, egg yolks and a tablespoon of lemon juice in a large bowl and set it over a pan of simmering water, making sure the water does not touch the base of the bowl.
- Whisk vigorously with a balloon whisk until the mixture is the consistency of yoghurt and then sprinkle in the grated parmesan, whisking continuously.
- The sauce is ready when it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon – Check the seasoning and then leave to one side.
- Put the pappardelle and asparagus in a saucepan of boiling, slightly salted water and cook until both the pasta and asparagus still have a little stiffness to them. It should take between 3 and 5 minutes.
- Drain the pasta thoroughly and add the sauce – as much as you want, but remember that the dish really doesn’t need to be swamped in the sauce – tossing the pasta to mix the sauce through.
- Serve with some freshly ground black pepper, some lemon zest and more parmesan.
Enjoy!
Tags: italian food, pasta, theo randall, vegetarian
Categories: Featured Post : Italian Food : Pasta : Recipes : Starter Course
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Viva España!
Posted: 21 July '10 by Niall
Prawn and Chorizo paella
OK, so Spain winning the World Cup is a very thin excuse for making one of our favourite dishes again – a wonderfully tasty Prawn and Chorizo Paella.
Spanish cuisine is incredibly varied and is certainly wider than just paella recipes, but thanks to the tourist trade that has been flourishing there Spain has become synonymous with the rice dish. I say “the rice dish” as if there is only one recipe, but in reality there are lots of different takes on the recipe. It was traditionally made with whatever ingredients were available so you’ll find recipes that use rabbit, chicken, snails, seafood..
We are lucky enough to have a paellera but you certainly don’t absolutely have to have one of these special pans to make your own paella – a good big frying pan will do.
Here’s our own recipe, one that’s always served us well both as a mid-week meal for Kelly and I or when served at dinner parties.
Remember! Once you’ve added your chicken stock don’t stir the rice – it’ll start to break down. You want to end up with a little liquid and individual grains of rice, not a clumpy, mushy porridge.
You can see more photos hereImage 1Image 2Image 3Image 4Image 5Image 6Image 7Image 8
Makes 4 good portions
Ingredients
- 225g piece chorizo, sliced into rounds
- 240g x 2 packets of cooked King Prawns, de-veined and butterflied
- Olive oil for cooking
- 2 chillis, chopped (optional)
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbsp smoked sweet paprika
- 500g of Spanish paella rice
- 1.5 to 2 litres chicken stock, hot
- 3 red peppers, deseeded and sliced
- 4 ripe tomatoes, cut into chunky pieces
- A good pinch of Saffron
- Lemon wedges, to serve
Method
- Add a good glug of olive oil to your pan and sweat the garlic over a low heat until it has become soft and flavoured the oil.
- Add the sliced peppers, chillis (if you’re using them) and tomatoes, stirring the contents of the pan to coat everything in the oil, allowing them to cook for a minute of two.
- Add the smoked paprika.
- Pour the rice into your pan and stir to thoroughly coat the grains in the oil for 5 minutes.
- Add your stock to the pan and increase the heat to medium which will allow the paella to bubble and simmer.
- After 10 minutes your can add the chopped Chorizo to the pan along with a good pinch of Saffron, sprinkling across the whole pan.
- Continue to cook the other paella for 5 minutes and add the prawns, placing them on top of the bed of rice, allowing them to steam.
- After another 5 minutes you should taste the Paella – the liquid should have all but evaporated and the rice cooked but with a little bite to them.
- Take the Paella off the heat, cover the pan with a clean tea-towel and allow to stand for 10 minutes for the rice to finish swelling.
- Spoon portions of the Paella into deep dishes and serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over.
Enjoy!
Other information
Paella is a rice dish that is now synonymous with Spain but which probably originated in Valencia. Paella got it’s name from the dish in which the meal is cooked – a large, low-rimmed pan called a “paellera”.
Traditionally the paella is eaten at lunch-time, but due to the level of tourism in Spain it’s also become popular as an evening meal.
Tags: recipe, spain, spanish food
Categories: Featured Post : Main Course : Recipes : Spanish Food
