Kale...Queen among greens

"If the vegetable kingdom had supermodels, the girl of the moment would be Kale ". I am pleased to see this amazing green finally getting some recognition as I have always loved Kale. It is good for you and it's delicious, in fact it is trending as Thee Super food of the moment, from Kale Chips to detoxifying Kale juices, hence it came as no surprise that this super green is rapidly gaining in popularity and is being recognised for it's exceptional health benefits and flavour.

Belonging to the Brassica family( cabbage, broccoli,Brussels sprouts) with plain or curly leaves, ranging in colour from green,dark green to purplish red( Leaf & Spear, Curly kale, Cavolo Nero,Rape kale). It is rich in antioxidant, vitamins A,C &K as well as Calcium and is known to lower cholesterol.

In Ireland, we are mostly familiar with kale when mixed with mashed potatoes to make the traditional Colcannon. In Italy, Cavolo Nero is used in the Tuscan soup Ribollita,In China commonly used in stir-fry with beef or poultry,found in Portugal in Caldo Verde Soup and a firm favourite at Christmas with the festive ham in Scandinavia.

Kale is extremely versatile and makes a tasty addition to Soups, Casseroles or simply sautéed and even raw in a salad.

Look for firm, deeply coloured leaves and hardy stems. Smaller leaves will be more tender and milder in flavour hence ideals for raw salads. It is delicious when braised with smoked sausage or bacon.Very thinly sliced in a salad with pomegranate seeds, pear, avocado & nuts. Sautéed with olive oil, lemon and sumac, baked into a flan with nutmeg or herbs or blitz into a sauce to coat Farfalle or Conchiglie pasta.

 Remove limp, damaged leaves and thick coarse ribs and store kale unwashed,in a plastic bag in the fridge but it also freezes really well.

Here are a few easy ways in working this super green into your diet

Discover the Flavours of Knorr Flavour Pots & Enter the Competition to win a Hamper

If you want to serve delicious, nutritious home-cooked food everyday but don't have much time to do it, then here's a new way of cooking that can help you out and perfect for when time is short but you don't want to compromise on either taste or flavour.
With the new Knorr Flavour Pots, creating fabulous meals infused with the delicious flavour of fresh herbs and spices is now extremely easy. Whether you are whipping up a quick mid-week meal or a culinary masterpiece, this innovative five pot range is set to help you in introducing flavour to your every day meals.
You will find it in the Herbs & Spices aisle of your  local supermarket and comes in five carefully chosen variants. Mixed Herbs, 3 Peppercorns, Curry, Garlic and Mixed Chillies.
Each selected combinations, carefully capture all the fresh flavour, natural aroma and colour of each herb and spices. It is a must for your store cupboard.

With this in mind, I have chosen two of the flavours and prepared a dish. For you to win a Knorr Flavour Pot Hamper, choose any one of the other three flavours and submit  your recipe and a photo of the Dish.
There are 3 Hampers to give away. The winning recipes will also be featured on this site with full accreditation. Competition closes on the 31st August. 

e-mail your recipe to jacobrobert9@gmail.com
This competition is open to anyone in the world, Should you be a winner , your prize will be posted by registered post to you.

Thyme & brandy Chicken liver pate

There is no slaving over a hot cooker with this delicious Chicken liver paté that take less than 15 mins to cook, leaving you plenty of chill out time with friends.Whether served as a starter or as canapés, nothing beats the traditional Chicken liver paté served with crusty bread, Melba toasts and assorted pickles.

Thyme and Brandy Chicken liver pate

• 55o grms of Chicken livers, trimmed ,cleaned and soaked in milk
• 120 grms of unsalted butter
• 2 tsp of olive oil
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 tsp of fresh thyme 
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 50 ml of brandy / sherry/ Madeira
• 150 ml of cream
• sea salt & blk pepper
• pinch of chilli flakes
• bay leaf & juniper berries to garnish
• clarified butter to finish

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the some of the butter and the oil. Next add the shallots, garlic, chilli flakes and thyme. Cook until soft and aromatic.
Drain the chicken livers and add to the pan. Cook for a further couple of mins. Pour in the brandy and continue to cook until evaporated.
Blitz the mixture with the cream and the remaining butter until smooth. Season to taste and blitz again.
Push the mixture through a sieve and spoon into ramekins. Allow to cool slightly and coat with a thin layer of clarified butter. Garnish with a couple of juniper berries/ pink peppercorns and a small bay leaf . Refrigerate until firm.
Serve with crusty bread and pickles as a starter or turn into small quenelles over toasted bread for canapes.

Tagged:robert jacob- chicken liver pate- starter- canapes


 ©2012-2014;Robert Jacob;jacob'scrackers;jacobscrackers9; All rights reserved.

Bread Making at The Firehouse Bakery and Bread School

From the Pitta bread of the Middle East, Naan bread of India to the Rye breads of Scandinavia; Bread is found in all sorts of forms or shapes in most cultures. It is the staple diet of many. Even the word Bread has come to take on more significance than its nutritional values. It is used in religious rituals. " Breaking bread " to describe the gathering of souls, friends and family," Putting bread on the table " basic necessities, " Bread winner " living conditions and even value either in monetary or worth " Best thing since slice bread " or " lots of dough ".
But all in all, few types of cooking will offer you more rewards than Bread making. The actual hands-on process of mixing, kneading, folding, proofing, shaping and baking is immensely satisfying and you would be surprised how much fun it can be too.
The basic skills are really easy to learn and it requires no special equipments to produce great breads," just your hands "along with a little practice and guidance. This week, I went along to the Bread making class of Patrick Ryan from The Firehouse Bakery in Delgany, County Wicklow, just outside Dublin.
Patrick is the co-author of the " Bread Revolution " cookbook, which secured a 3rd place at the prestigious Gourmand World Cook Book Awards in Paris. His aim is to re-establish  bread as
 " King of the Table ".For him, Artisan bread making is a labour of love, in the old style with no preservatives and his passion was contagious.
We were warmly welcomed on arrival by Patrick himself. The group was kept small, with only 8 of us in total, it felt like a one to one lesson. We rolled up our sleeves and worked side by side with Patrick while he introduced us to the world of real bread and it's versatility. From the beautiful Rye bread, the Malt house to the Great white Sourdough. From fresh yeast, dry yeast to bread soda. It was very informative and broke down many myths that I had about bread making.

Eat like an Italian with Lidl's Italiamo range

The Cuisine of Italy is a reflection of this wonderful country of sapphire blue skies,land of the rolling hills, the ever winding roads with their tall elongated cypress trees,terraced vineyards,olives groves with their curiously twisted trees, glimpses of sienna red tiled roofs and above all, of warm,generous and hospitable people. The country's culinary tradition is as long as its history and an Italian meal is a leisurely, sociable affair, often taken in the open air.
Lidl's  Italiamo range is a vast array of Delicious Italian Delicacies that you will not be able to resist. Available in all stores as of Monday 24 th February .
Here are a few recipes and ideas for you to entertain without fuss or expense; Forget the cares of the day and linger, Italian style with your favourite people.
A typical Italian meal starts with An Antipasti platter, which usually includes an assortment of Cured Meats, Olives, Vegetables, Salads and Cheeses but it varies greatly according to regions.So for the most hassle-free, no-cook starter in the world, just take a trip to your local Lidl and pick up a selection of antipasti. Arrange on a large platter, with bowls of Olives and marinated vegetables and allow your guests to compose their own selection on their plates, leaving you with plenty of Chill-out time with friends and family as these recipes take 30 minutes or less to prepare as there is really very little cooking involved.
( Slates from Slated Ireland. www.slatedireland.ie )

Red Hot... Glorious Chillies

A word spelt in different ways , Chili, Chile,Chilli or Chilli pepper, the last is by all means the most accurate, insofar as it tells us that Chillies are from the Capsicum family, like the sweet peppers.

Indigenous to Central and South Americas, these fiery little pods now form part in many of the World's Cuisines. It was introduced to the rest of the World by Spanish and Portuguese navigators and through the Spice Trade found it's way to Europe, Central Asia and the Far East.

Chilli rapidly became an important ingredient in the food of South East Asia, China and India. So not surprising that today India is the World's largest producer, consumer and exporter of Chillies.
There are no less than 200 variety of Chillies and they come in all shapes, sizes, colour and level of hotness. In green, yellow, orange, red or black; From the bell shape of the West Indian Scotch bonnet, tiny pointed bird eye chilli to the large fleshly Hungarian yellow wax peppers; Fresh or dried, whole,as flakes or ground into spicy powders such as Cayenne, Chilli, and Paprika; Preserved in oils and vinegars or turn into sauces such as the World's famous Tabasco.
Dried Chilli flakes work well when fried in olive oil with garlic for an Italian style sauce, or Dry roasted over an open flame for a Mexican salsa. From Hungarian Goulash, Puttanesca sauce from Italy, Mole Poblano from Mexico, Curries from India, Sambal from Indonesia, Harissa from North Africa or Gong Bao Chicken from the Sichuan region of China, Chilli is an essential part of these dishes.
Chilli is known to stimulate the appetite as well as improve circulation. High in Vitamin C,Beta carotene, Potassium as well as Vitamins B & E.
I don't know about you but I just love Chillies, and I must stress that I am very against de-seeding Chillies as I believe, much of the flavour & heat are in the seeds. Use less if you don't like your food too hot.

New Year's Eve Buffet.... Almost traditional, but with added bling

Celebrate the New Year with a relaxed and stylish buffet and treat your guests to a luxurious feast of simple yet sensational food. These no-fuss dishes will impress your guests and still leave you with plenty of time to, ditch the apron, slip into your little black dress, a touch of rouge, the crown jewels if they are handy and you are ready to party.
Whether with a contemporary reinvention of the Classics, a bit of drama in shape, form or colour, keep it simple. Not great heaped servings and an overload of luxury , but a spoonful or two of festive treats, with flavours intense and complimentary.
And don't forget, that the most basic recipe can be topped and dressed up to look fabulous and as long as you use quality ingredients, they will look fantastic too.
Here, Dinner is served on smart white china with crisp pressed napkins and Champagne , not mulled wine , is the drink of choice.

Wishing you a very Happy New Year. x

Menu :

• Cherry Gazpacho with prawns
• Tian of Castleberetown Crab & Goat's bridge trout caviar
• Winter pears, goat's cheese & hazelnut dressing
• Maple syrup and mustard ham
• Smoked haddock, leek & gruyere tart
• Leek & Stilton tart
• Remoulade of Celeriac & green apples
• Carrot & broccoli salad with mixed seeds
• Peach & Raspberry pots
• Chocolate & chestnut log

Preserved Lemons

Preserved Lemons are Lemons that have been Pickled in Salt . The fruit develops a mellow yet intensely lemony flavour . A wonderful staple ingredient to have in your store cupboard and very easy to do . These will bring a ray of Sunshine and memories of hot summer days to your dishes over the Winter months.
Many Mediterranean Dishes call for Preserved Lemons such as Rabbit Ragu where the lemons will add warm flavours, Black olive & Tuna Tapenade or even a Spelt Risotto, Middle Eastern dishes also call for tangy preserved lemons to balance out the sweetness of their dishes , such as a Tagine and Couscous .

" An Indonesian Feast " Recipes courtesy of Chef Kevin O'Toole from Chameleon Restaurant .

Here at last  is your Bonus Surprise , a couple of recipes courtesy of Chef Kevin O'Toole .
  So this weekend , if you are feeling dampened by a dull rainy day , wile away the afternoon blues and lift your spirits with a batch of these ..... If you can add an open fire ... Highbank Orchard Honeyed Cider....  a pretty shaggy dog , a super model or a handsome rugged man !!!! so much the better ...  This is immediate gratification on so many levels !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

" A Japanese feast ... A Simple Art "

Discovering the essence of Japanese Cuisine doesn't rely only with it's emphasis on simplicity , a balance of textures, flavours & colours or artful presentation , But most importantly, it's in tune with the seasons, so as when seasonal vegetables and condiments change, so does the dishes throughout the year . It's learning to live and cooking with the seasons and with what is growing and available all around you .
The Cooking methods used are very simple and quick, to ensure that the food is never overcooked, but that the flavour is sealed in and that it remains as close to it's natural state as possible . In fact , raw food plays an important role in Japanese Cuisine .  From Slicing ( sashimi ) , Grilling ( yakitori ) , Simmering ( miso soup , ramen or dishes cooked in a broth ), Steaming ( delicate egg dishes , tofu , fish & vegetables placed on kelp leaves ) , Hand rolling ( sushi ) , Frying ( tempura ) to Pickling ( vinegared salads & pickles ).