Its getting dark in the evenings and early, the light goes quickly which is a bit of shock to the system!
The best way to get into "winter mode" is to soothe ourselves with delicious warming meals.
As always the shop is done on a weekly budget of €100 per week, feeding two adults and two
children, using produce which is in season and investing the time in the evenings making all meal from scratch.
This is critical to keep costs way down and much healthier too!
Lidl and Aldi are getting all their Christmas game produce in ,which calls for fun and creative cooking.
Saturday
Lunch
Aubergine and cheese paninis
To do
Make pizza dough at 3pm
OO Italian Flour is available in Supervalu - it makes great thin crispy pizzas.
Soak Ham in water and change every couple of hours throughout day.
Make 2 treats for the week - Tarte aux Pommes (see post)
Evening Meal
Proscuitto and Red Onion Pizzas
Sunday
Lunch
Winter picnic - flask of hot chocolate, biscuits, toasted ham and cheese sandwiches wrapped
in tinfoil.
Evening Meal
Lamb stew and Mashed potato with slow cooked red cabbage
To do for Monday - start the cook off at 5pm! (it will give a great headstart for the week)
Make salad dressing.
Make shortcrust pastry for quiche.
Cut up duck and apply rub, leave in the fridge overnight.
Simmer ham in 1000ml of apple juice for 2 hours in the am.
Let cool in applejuice to absorb flavours and take out and wrap in the evening.
Make potato soup.
Monday
Lunches
Herb and potato soup
Chopped carrots, ham and baguette sandwiches, raisins, apples
Evening Meal
Leek and Onion Quiche with baked potatoes and seasonal greens.
To do
Put Duck on when home - slow cook at 150 for 4 hours.
Tuesday
Lunches
Herb and potato soup with bread, cheese and oatbiscuits
Tahini sandwiches, chopped carrots with humous, pear, raisins
Evening Meal
Confit of Duck with roast potatoes, red cabbage and peas.
To do
Make bechamel sauce for macaroni
Make soup
Wednesday
lunches
Chard, leek and potato soup with bread, cheese etc.
Ham sandwiches, olive paste on oatbiscuits, raisins, apple
Evening Meal
Macaroni Cheese with seasonal greens
To do
Make potato gratin
Slow cook beef in Chianti (inexpensive brand in Lidl for €4.99)
Thursday
Lunches
Chard, leek and potato soup with bread, cheese etc
Evening Meal
Beef braised in red wine with roasted vegetables and rosemary potato gratin
Friday
Lunches
Roasted fennel and tomato soup
Evening Meal
Irish smoked salmon and whiskey risotto
Friday, November 8, 2013
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Pommes
The wonderful apple, a fruit which can be cooked in many ways, and also an edible which has many health
benefits, namely for the digestive system is now in full season.
"An apple a day keeps the doctor away", is certainly not to be sniffed at!
The apple originated in Central Asia and was then brought to North America and Europe by traders.
It thrives in western parts of Europe, most notably in France, in the stunning, lush and verdant regions of Normandy, Brittany and the Basque country.
Here they put the "apple" to full use and also make delicious Ciders which they have become famous for.
Norman and Breton cider pair extremely well with rich wintry pork dishes.
Take the opportunity to purchase local apples if you can and make some warm and comforting
recipes as the winter darkness comes upon us.
Tarte fine aux pommes
250g puff pastry (bought)
2 lemons
3 cooking apples
1 cinnamon stick
6 cloves
8 Cox's or Russets eating apples
75g icing sugar
Roll out the pastry on greaseproof paper.
Place on an baking tray and leave to rest for 30minutes in the fridge
Heat the oven to 190C
Place another baking tray in the oven to warm up
Squeeze the juice from the lemons and dilute with equal quantites of water.
Pour have of this juice mixture into a large bowl.
Peel and core the 3 cooking apples.
Chop the apples into small pieces and place in bowl.
Then place the cloves and cinnamon stick in a small pan with the apples.
Simmer gently
Add a little water mixture.
Cook apples until soft and can be pureed.
Place in bowl when cooked and let fully cool.
Peel, halve and core the eating apples and turn them into the lemon juice mixture.
Remove the spices from the puree and smear over the pastry.
leave a 1cm border with no puree.
Slice the apples into thick half moons.
Arrange them in overlapping rows until pastry is covered.
Dust with half the icing sugar
Place the tart on the warm tray (this will give a crisp base).
Put in oven for 20 minutes.
benefits, namely for the digestive system is now in full season.
"An apple a day keeps the doctor away", is certainly not to be sniffed at!
The apple originated in Central Asia and was then brought to North America and Europe by traders.
It thrives in western parts of Europe, most notably in France, in the stunning, lush and verdant regions of Normandy, Brittany and the Basque country.
Here they put the "apple" to full use and also make delicious Ciders which they have become famous for.
Norman and Breton cider pair extremely well with rich wintry pork dishes.
Take the opportunity to purchase local apples if you can and make some warm and comforting
recipes as the winter darkness comes upon us.
Tarte fine aux pommes
250g puff pastry (bought)
2 lemons
3 cooking apples
1 cinnamon stick
6 cloves
8 Cox's or Russets eating apples
75g icing sugar
Roll out the pastry on greaseproof paper.
Place on an baking tray and leave to rest for 30minutes in the fridge
Heat the oven to 190C
Place another baking tray in the oven to warm up
Squeeze the juice from the lemons and dilute with equal quantites of water.
Pour have of this juice mixture into a large bowl.
Peel and core the 3 cooking apples.
Chop the apples into small pieces and place in bowl.
Then place the cloves and cinnamon stick in a small pan with the apples.
Simmer gently
Add a little water mixture.
Cook apples until soft and can be pureed.
Place in bowl when cooked and let fully cool.
Peel, halve and core the eating apples and turn them into the lemon juice mixture.
Remove the spices from the puree and smear over the pastry.
leave a 1cm border with no puree.
Slice the apples into thick half moons.
Arrange them in overlapping rows until pastry is covered.
Dust with half the icing sugar
Place the tart on the warm tray (this will give a crisp base).
Put in oven for 20 minutes.
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Herb Garden Jelly
If you have a large glut of herbs in your vegetable patch, perhaps think about making
"herb" jellies. Herb jellies go really well with a variety of meats, poultry and fish and are really quick and easy to make.
As well, they are always expensive to buy in a supermarket and often difficult to come by.
Make it yourself and get your store cupboard ready for the winter!
Herb Jelly
8g fresh parsley
8g fresh mint
3g fresh thyme
3g fresh tarragon.
850ml apple juice
700g granulated sugar
Blanch the leaves in boiling water for 2-3 seconds
Drain and rinse under cold water.
Drain again and pat dry with kitchen paper
Finely chop the herbs.
Pour the apple juice into a pan, add the warmed sugar and stir over a gentle heat until
it has dissolved completely.
Boil rapidly for 5-10 minutes or until setting point is reached. (use jam thermometer if you have one!)
Remove from heat, skim and stir in chopped herbs.
Pot and cover in sterlised jars.
"herb" jellies. Herb jellies go really well with a variety of meats, poultry and fish and are really quick and easy to make.
As well, they are always expensive to buy in a supermarket and often difficult to come by.
Make it yourself and get your store cupboard ready for the winter!
Herb Jelly
8g fresh parsley
8g fresh mint
3g fresh thyme
3g fresh tarragon.
850ml apple juice
700g granulated sugar
Blanch the leaves in boiling water for 2-3 seconds
Drain and rinse under cold water.
Drain again and pat dry with kitchen paper
Finely chop the herbs.
Pour the apple juice into a pan, add the warmed sugar and stir over a gentle heat until
it has dissolved completely.
Boil rapidly for 5-10 minutes or until setting point is reached. (use jam thermometer if you have one!)
Remove from heat, skim and stir in chopped herbs.
Pot and cover in sterlised jars.
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