Back to College time! Good eating is easy.

Get those College Guys & Girls Cooking ...

This is the time of year that our young guys and girls begin to head to college for the first time or get ready to head back.. learning to cook is really essential if you live away from home as its the only way to manage money and at the same time nourish yourself...  but equally can be very useful if you are living at home but now you are not always on the same schedule as everyone else in the house..  

Eggs - breakfast - lunch and dinner 

Soups - easy minestrone filling and satisfying 

Cook a whole chicken..  dinner & leftovers

Stir Fries... - wok or non stick pan - dinner in minutes

Quick, Easy & minced beef, turkey, lamb, pork…

Minced meat  has to be one of the  most versatile of ingredients,  its very easy to cook with, easily absorbs flavours and can cook for a long period or a shorter quick cook without loosing flavour or texture…  

Tip:  Buy good quality lean minced meat – use within 24,hours of purchasing an if you are going to freeze cooked product do so within 24 hours to keep the flavours..

Some of my tried and tested favourites..

Asiany Turkey Mince roll ups.. babycorn, sugarsnaps, beansprouts, chilli, garlic, coriander splash of soy & teriyaki beansprouts & iceberg..

A Mexican variation using Turkey mince  with  nachos, or tortillas…  fry off with garlic, chilli, cumin, coriander, add the turkey mince and a few chopped fresh tomatoes with coriander…  

Asian Turkey patties… Fab flavours of kaffir lime leaf and lemongrass….  Turkey mince, egg, kaffir lime leaf, lemongrass, garlic, chilli … mix up and form little patties..Pan fry and transfer to the oven to finish for 10 mins.

Minced pork or a mixture of minced pork and beef make very tasty meatballs…. Add a bit of spice or herbs to mixture.

Lamb lasagne with feta, chilli & olives or mousakka...

Chilli Beef in nachos, tacos, wraps, or jacket potatoes, vary it with different topping for example salsa, cheese, guacamole, lime juice, coriander.

Meatloaf – spice it up with chilli or add some fresh herbs and serve with tossed salads.

Cottage pie – top with carrot & parsnip mash or potato & parsnip with a little horseradish

Lasagne  - forget the béchamel and use cottage cheese & fresh basil pesto.

Meatballs, serve with a tomato & basil sauce, arabiata or do them Moroccan style - add some ground cumin, coriander & chilli serve with couscous

Asiany Turkey Mince Roll ups… 

500g Turkey mince – lovely and lean

6 Baby corn chopped 

1 handful Sugar snap peas 

3 handfuls of mushrooms

1 red pepper cubed into small pieces

1 red chilli chopped very finely

2 cloves of garlic chopped very finely

1 red onion chopped very finely

Small piece of ginger

1 bunch of coriander chopped

3 handfuls of beansprouts

8 iceberg lettuce cups

Couple of splashes of soy & teriyaki sauce

Splash or spray of oil

Heat a wok, add the onion, pepper, chilli, garlic& ginger cook for 3 mins, add the mince stir fry with a splash of soy and teriyaki, add half the coriander, cook for 5 mins. Meanwhile  Steam the chopped baby corn for 5 mins, chop the sugar snaps into small pieces add to the mixture with the baby corn , stir to combine cook for another 5 mins add the remaining coriander with another splash of soy & teriyaki.

Pop the beansprouts on top of the mixture just as you are about to serve.. combine and pop mixture into a bowl.  Serve in cups of iceberg… roll up and eat… just delicious!!

Greek Moussaka

500g minced lamb

500g natural yoghurt

3 raw eggs

2 red onions finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic

1 glass of red wine

2 large aubergines in big cubes

4 rooster potatoes sliced

2 cans of chopped tomatoes

1 large handful of basil

Fry the aubergine in oil remove and place on kitchen paper.

Heat a little oil and cook the onion & garlic for 3 mins, add the mince cook until browned add the wine and tomatoes cook for 10 mins, pop the aubergine and basil into the mixture and bring to a simmer.

Meanwhile Steam the rooster potatoes for 5 mins just to remove the big bite…   

Combine the yoghurt with the eggs..  Layer the lamb mixture with potatoes and top with the yoghurt mixture on top…. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake for 45 mins @ 190… serve with a green salad…  

Homemade Burgers…

Everyone loves a good homemade burger…  here’s a few variations that will satisfy everyone..

Basic ingredients..

500g minced good quality beef,  1 egg, 1 handful of fine breadcrumbs, salt & ground pepper.

This is a simple plain recipe however, you could top with melted cheese & bacon or why not top with a little with mixed pepper sauce..

These variations will keep everyone interested..

Mexican – 1 teasp chilli powder, 1 handful of fresh coriander, juice of 1 lime

Italian inspired – add some sunblushed tomatoes, 

basil pesto into the mixture

Aisany – grate ginger, garlic & sweet chilli sauce into the mixture 

Spanish – chopped chorizo sausage & carmelized red onions

Delicious Chilli Beef..

This chilli con carne is ready to go in the pan in a few mins.. then it will bubble away happily until dinner time

Ingredients

500g good-quality beef mince

1 glass of red wine

2 onions, diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 carrots, diced

2 celery sticks, diced

2 red peppers, diced

1 heaped tsp chilli powder

1 heaped tsp ground cumin

1 heaped tsp ground cinnamon

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 x 400g/14oz can red kidney beans, drained

2 x 400g/14oz cans chopped tomatoes

To serve

sour cream

chopped fresh coriander leaves

lime wedges

nachos

Preparation method

Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan over 

a medium heat. Add the mince and fry until golden-brown all over.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a saucepan over a medium to high heat. Add the onions, garlic, carrots, celery and peppers and fry until softened.

Add the chilli powder, cumin and cinnamon and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fry for a further 4-5 minutes, stirring well.

Remove the mince from the pan using a slotted spoon and add to the vegetable mixture.

Add the drained kidney beans and the chopped tinned tomatoes and bring the mixture to the boil. Reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering, then half-cover the pan with a lid and simmer for about an hour, stirring every now and again to stop it from catching on the bottom of the pan.

To serve, ladle the chilli into four serving bowls. Drizzle over the soured cream. Sprinkle with the chopped coriander. Garnish with the lime wedges and serve with nachos or steamed  alongside

Penne Pasta with Meatballs & Tomato Sauce

500g beef minced or mixture of beef & pork

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 red onion chopped finely 

2 cloves of garlic finely chopped

Sprinkle of chilli flakes (if you like spicy food)

1 cup of breadcrumbs

1 carrot grated

2 eggs beaten

Olive oil

2 tbsp of warm water

500g Penne Pasta 

Tomato Sauce

2 cans of tomatoes  

2 cloves of garlic

1  red onion finely chopped

1 tablespoon of sugar

1 glass of white wine

Sprinkle of chilli flakes (only if you like spicy food)

1 handful of chopped basil

Cook off the onion and garlic for a few mins, then add the wine and cook for 3 min, pop in the tomatoes,& chopped basil.  Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 mins.

Meatballs

Place the mince, tomato puree, egg, onion mixture breadcrumbs, carrot and warm water into a large bowl and mix well with your hands.

Using your hands shape the meat into bit sized meatballs, roll in flour and place on a tray while you finish rolling all the shapes.

Cook the meatballs on a hot pan in small batches until browned.  Keep warm in the oven while cooking the remaining meatballs..  

Cook the pasta according to the instructions on pack.

Pop the meatballs into the hot tomato sauce mixture for 15 mins until cooked through..  serve scattered with fresh basil & grated parmesan cheese.

Oven baked Lasagne

Using cottage cheese instead of béchamel 

Ingredients

500g lean beef mince

1 onion, finely chopped

1 red pepper, seeds removed, finely chopped

2 generous handfuls of chopped mushrooms

1 tbls of tomato purée

1 large glass of red wine

10 fresh basil leaves shredded

2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes

salt and freshly ground pepper

Approx 15 dried pasta sheets

300g cottage cheese

150g/5oz grated mozzarella cheese

Olive oil to cook..

Preparation method

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and grease a medium sized oven proof baking dish.

Heat a dash of oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over a high heat. Fry the mince until browned all over. Remove the mince from the pan.

Add another dash of oil to the pan over a medium heat. Gently fry the onion, peppers and mushrooms until soft.

Add the mince back into the pan together with the tomato purée and wine.  Cook for a further five minutes.

Add the tomatoes and herbs, and bring to the mixture to the boil. Simmer for at least 30 minutes and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

Line the base of the baking dish with pasta and cover with about one-third of the mince mixture.  Pop  teaspoonfuls of cottage cheese evenly across the mince, using up about 1/3 of the cheese.

Repeat this in layers once or twice depending on the size of your dish…finally cover the lasagne with the grated mozzarella. Bake in the over for 45 minutes, or until golden-brown and bubbling on top.  Serve with a fresh baby leaf salad.. enjoy..

Best Shepherds Pie

Ingredients

1 large onion chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

500g beef mince

400g tin tomatoes

290ml beef stock

1 bay leaf

fresh thyme leaves from 1 sprig

2 tbsp tomato purée

salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the topping

8 potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 carrots, 2 parsnips, peeled and chopped

1 cup of milk

1 tablespoon of butter

Olive Oil for cooking

Preparation method

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.

Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and carrot and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes until soft.

Add the minced beef and cook for 3 minutes to brown.

Add the tomatoes, purée, beef stock, bay leaf and thyme.

Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Season.

Meanwhile, to make the topping, boil the potatoes, carrots and parsnips in water until soft. Drain and mash with the butter and milk.

Spoon the meat into an ovenproof dish. Top with the mash and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.

Eat your Veggies..!!!

We eat a lot of meat in Ireland, however our European neighbours view vegetables a little different than us.  We have been brought up with the idea that a meal is meat and 2 veg, however many of our European neighbours take a different approach and see meat and vegetables  as equals.   They will eat whole meals based on vegetables because they like them and have cooked this way all their lives.

We have access to a fantastic array of vegetables in this country.  Vegetables combined with a carbohydrate like Pasta, Noodles, Rice or Potatoes is an extremely economic way of putting a meal on the table.

We are also fortunate that many of our supermarkets, vegetable shops and markets stock Organic Vegetables. 

The veggies that are in season at the moment are...

September – October 

Artichokes, Aubergines, Beetroot, Broccoli, Butternut squash, Carrots, Courgettes, Cucumber, Fennel,  Kale, Garlic, Leeks, Mange tout, Onions, Parsnips, Peas, Peppers, Radishes, Sweetcorn, Turnip, Mushrooms.

Let’s look at Beetroot... 

Beetroot is a fantastic vegetable but many of us steer away from it because of the bad experiences we have had with beetroot in jars sitting in the rather nasty vinegar.

Fresh beetroot is totally different experience (it is now possible to buy freshly cooked vac packed beetroot in supermarkets)

Why buying beetroot buy beets that are the same size and no bigger than a tennis ball, they will cook evenly if the same size.  Also make sure you buy beets that are intact and not bruised or have broken skin.

In Italy they often cook beetroot in a wood fire they pop it covered in its own leaves into the ashes for about 1 hour.  However, probably the easiest way to cook it at home is to pop them into salted water bring to the boil and simmer until it is slightly separated from the root; the skin should then simply slip off.

What can I do with Beetroot...?

Served beetroot sliced with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of parmesan.

Beetroot Salad

Slice and combine with crème fraiche and sprinkle with flaked almonds.

Roast Beetroot & Warm Goats Salad

Roast Beetroot on a baking tray drizzled with olive oil and serve warm with grilled goats cheese & rocket salad

Beetroot & Red Cabbage

Finely shred a small red cabbage, cover with some veggie stock with 2 tbls of red wine vinegar and 1 tbls of sugar  cook for 1 hour.  Add a pinch of salt and pop in 3 cooked and finely shredded beetroot, simmer for 5 mins.

Simple Ideas with Vegetables in season right now..

• Make a risotto with mushrooms, peas & roast butternut squash.

• Toss grilled courgettes & peppers through penne pasta with a little basil butter

• Make a filling aubergine bake by layering fried aubergines between layers of cheese & tomato sauce, top with breadcrumbs and bake for 30 mins.

• Noodles tossed with steamed sweetcorn, peas, broccoli & mange tout sprinkle some sesame seeds & a little soy.

• Make a veggie lasagne – roast a tray of peppers, courgettes, aubergines, mushrooms, onions & garlic – make a simple white sauce and layer sheets of lasagne with veggie mixture, sauce and top with grated mozzarella cheese..

• Thai Green Curry – Combine 1 tbls spoon of Thai Curry Paste with 1 can of coconut milk heat gently stirring until well combined , chop some butternut squash, potato, carrots, pop into the curry mixture cook on medium heat for 10 mins, toss in some peas or mange tout and if you happen to have basil or coriander or even unsalted peanuts are fab with this curry... this is such a quick,  tasty, warming, and economical dinner to make... serve with steamed rice..

Make a Filling Satisfying Vegetarian Chilli

Serves 4

2 courgette thinly sliced

2 carrots, thinly sliced

1 small onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, chopped very finely

1 tablespoon chilli powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cans kidney or mixed beans, rinsed and drained

1 can of chopped tomatoes

Salt & Ground Pepper

1 good glug of olive oil

Directions

Pop a good glug of olive oil into a heavyish pot and heat oil over medium-high heat. 

Add onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes.

Add carrots, chilli powder, and cumin. Cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add beans, courgettes, tomatoes and 1 cup water. Simmer for about another 6 minutes until it begins to thicken.

Serve with steamed rice, tortilla chips or tortilla wraps

You could also add some side dishes of grated cheese, sour cream avocado & tomato salsa