January 01, 2020

“A tasty savoury treat to perk up your day”

Ingredients: Makes for 12 persons

1 Pink Onion, finely diced

50g melted butter

240ml semi skimmed milk

250g plain flour

3 tablespoons caster sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 sprigs of Fresh rosemary, finely cut. Discard the stem

1 egg beaten

170g mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

4 cloves of garlic, thinly diced and crushed

1 egg, beaten

12 muffin cases

Method

Preheat the oven to 200c.

In a large bowl stir together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and rosemary. Stir until the mixture is smooth and well incorporated. Mix in the Mozzarella, parmesan, onion and garlic. This will create a thick lumpy mixture. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, melted butter and milk. Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until mixed well. Spoon the mixture evenly into the 12 muffin cases.

Bake for 23 minutes. Remove from oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.

January 01, 2020

A versatile dish to bring a bit of sunshine to your kitchen. Serve this vibrant fish stew with crusty bread for a lovely warming meal on a chilly day. 

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pink onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
18 green olives, quartered
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
3 cups fish or chicken stock or broth
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons drained capers
1/4 teaspoon flaked red chilli
750g fish (I used a few uncooked prawns, salmon and sea bass fillets, cut into pieces to make up the weight)
Sea Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Optional Garnishes: 1/2 cup chopped parsley, 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

Method:

1. Add the oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook for 5 minutes, until softened

1. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the olives, tomatoes, stock, parsley capers and chilli and bring to a boil. Half cover with a lid, turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes

1. Add the fish to the pot and simmer for 5-10 minutes. When the fish is cooked it should be opaque and flake easily with a fork. Season well with salt and pepper

1. Ladle the stew into bowls and garnish with extra parsley and pine nuts, if desired

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

January 03, 2023

“Grab your mates and a pint and enjoy these tasty bites”

Ingredients: Makes for 4 persons

2/3 Pink Onions, Cut into thick circles or as desired

Semi skimmed milk, at least 1 pint

450g plain flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

2 Tablespoons salt

1 Tablespoon milled pepper

600ml Larger

Vegetable oil

Method

Cut the Onions and put into a shallow bowl. Pour over the milk. Stand for 25 minutes.

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper into a large bowl. Using a fork, stir in the larger slowly. Continue to stir until thoroughly mixed and a smooth sticky batter is achieved.

In a deep pan/ pot, fill with 4cm of vegetable Oil. Heat to circa 200c. Using tongs, take 4-5 onion rings out of the batter and into the pan. Fry for 2 minutes. If they turn dark brown to quickly your heat is too high. Remove and place on kitchen roll to soak up the oil.

Garlic mayonnaise is the perfect companion!

February 23, 2023

Nisha Thomas’ slow roast beef recipe is a family favourite featuring a wonderful mixture of Indian spices and a thick pink onion gravy sauce. The perfect winter warmer! Vegetarians can replace the beef with boiled eggs for an equally delicious dish.

Ingredients

500 gm beef, any cut will do, but boneless is preferred
 
To marinate
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1 inch long cinnamon bark
2 cloves
2 cardamom pods
1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder/ paprika
1 1/4 tbsp coriander powder
3/4th tsp freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 tsp curry powder or any meat masala (optional)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
 
1 small pink onion, finely chopped
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tbsp vinegar
Salt to taste

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 sprig of curry leaves
2 medium sized Rosanna onions, julienned + a few spoons for garnish
 

Method 

1. Dice the beef into equal cubes for even cooking

2. Grind together in a spice mill the fennel seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and all the other powders together until you get a fine powder. Mix in the finely diced Rosanna onions, garlic and ginger pastes, vinegar and salt

4. Marinate the beef in the mixture and set aside for 30 minutes
 
5. After this time, place the meat in a heavy bottomed pan adding about a ½ cup of water and cover. Cook on a low-medium heat for up to 1 ½ hours until the meat is completely cooked

6. Check the meat regularly and add add water if necessary, but no more than 1/3 cup at a time to avoid getting a curry like consistency. The meat should be semi-dry and coated in the masala

7. Once the meat is cooked and there is no water left in the pan, take off the heat and set aside (if you wanted to freeze it for later, this is the best point to do so)

8. Heat some oil in a large frying pan and crackle the mustard seeds. Add the Rosanna onions and curry leaves and sauté on a medium heat until the onions change colour slightly (don’t allow to brown completely)

9. Add the meat and slow roast on a low-medium heat until the meat becomes dark brown in colour. Stir regularly to prevent the meat from sticking to the pan. If needed add a little oil

10. Serve hot with some rice and poppadums

 
You can cook a similar preparation using hard-boiled eggs instead of beef.

1. Peel the boiled eggs and make gashed in the sides or you can slice them in half. Make about 5-6 eggs for a similar quantity

2. Heat some oil in a frying pan and splutter the mustard seeds. Add the onions and curry leaves and sauté the onions until they turn translucent

3. Add the remaining powders, ginger and garlic pastes, vinegar and salt and continue cooking on a medium heat until the raw masala smell disappears

4. Mix in the boiled eggs taking care not to break the yolk if you have halved the eggs

5. Cook for a few more minutes and take off heat. This version dish is best served with chapati rather than rice

May 28, 2023

Cochinita Pibil is a traditional Mexican dish of spicy pulled pork. Danny introduces some freshness to the rich meat with tangy pickled Rosanna onions

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 Pink onions, peeled and sliced thinly
100 ml white wine vinegar
1.5 kg joint of pork shoulder
1 tbs of Achiote paste (well worth ordering from Seasoned Pioneers)
2 oranges, juiced
4 limes, juiced
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped and crushed into a paste with salt
2 tsp of dried oregano
1 tsp of dried chilli
1 tsp of smoked paprika
Salt
Cracked black pepper

Method:
 

1. Rub the pork with a generous amount of salt and pepper then put into a large casserole dish. Add the citrus juice, reserving a small amount, and rub into the meat. In a small bowl, mix together the reserved citrus juice, achiote paste, oregano and spices, then rub this mixture over the meat too. The achiote paste can stain so gloves are recommended. Place the lid on the casserole and set aside to marinate for 2 hours

1. Preheat the oven to 120C. Remove the lid and place a rough circle of greaseproof paper over the meat. Return the lid to the casserole, place it in the oven and cook slowly for 7-8 hours. The pork should be beginning to collapse and easy to shred roughly into ribbons

1. Make the pickled onions while the meat cooks: Pour the vinegar into a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. When boiling, add the pink onions and simmer for 1 minute – you want them to keep their bite. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool

Our favourite way to serve cochinita pibil is wrapped in tortillas, with toasted corn (kernels fried in a dry pan), guacamole, and pickled Pink onions