Waste Not, Want not :-)

Using up Christmas dinner leftovers like ham and turkey is always on people's minds at this time of the year. If you feel strongly about not wasting food, then these recipes are for you :-)

Of course, you can replace the leeks or mushrooms with other leftover veg. Petit Pois work well as well as carrots. 

Don't forget you can access my other recipes on www.corrinneskitchen.ie.

Christmas Ham and Leek Quiche

Ingredients:

Pastry: 

1 cup grated mature cheddar

1 cup plain flour

pinch cayenne pepper

100g butter, cubed

little ice-cold water to bring together

Filling: 

400 - 500g leftover Christmas ham, sliced

2 leeks, washed carefully

25g butter

1 cup milk/cream

3 eggs

1 tsp Dijon mustard

pinch nutmeg

pinch paprika

salt and pepper

1 tsp baking powder

1 tablespoon plain flour

1/2 cup grated Grana Padano cheese

Method:

Use a stand mixer to bring your pastry ingredients together. 

Only add a few drops of cold water at the end to bring it together to form a dough.

Press pastry into a quiche tin/ceramic flan dish.

Beat eggs, milk/cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg, paprika, Dijon mustard, flour, and baking powder together. 

Slice leeks and fry gently in a pan with the butter. 

Add the ham. 

Assemble the Quiche by placing the leeks and ham onto the pastry base and pour over the egg custard. 

Sprinkle Grana Padano over and bake for approximately 30 minutes until golden on top and cooked through.

Serve with a green salad.

Turkey & Ham Pasties:
Ingredients:

Puff/flaky pastry - all butter (Store bought or homemade)

Beaten egg for egg wash
450g - 550g Leftover turkey meat, shredded

450g - 550g Leftover ham meat, shredded
25g butter

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp dried porcini mushroom dust (optional)

1 brown/white onion finely chopped

1 punnet chestnut mushrooms, sliced

Small bunch of spring onions  - chopped

2 tsp snipped chives

200g streaky bacon rashers

25g flour

1 Knorr chicken stock pot

300 ml water

250 ml double cream/creme fraiche

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley and thyme

salt and black pepper

Method:

You will need to make the filling ahead of time and chill it. A cold filling is essential when making pies or pastries.

Begin by frying the porcini mushroom dust in the butter and oil. 

Add mushrooms and fry them well to get maximum flavour.

Add onion and spring onions. 

Add the Knorr chicken stock pot.

Add turkey and ham meat. 

Toss well. 

Sprinkle flour over the mixture and slowly add the creme fraiche/double cream.

As it thickens slowly add the water and mix well. 

Add fresh herbs.

Season well with salt and black pepper.

Taste to check the seasoning and set aside to cool.

Roll your pastry into the shapes of your choice. I like half moons and rectangles. 

The thickness should be around 4mm. 

When your filling has cooled, place a generous amount on the pasties, close and press down to seal. 

I use a cake fork to seal mine. 

Prick the top a few times for steam to escape. 

Baste with egg wash. 

These can be frozen to take out when a 'ready-to-bake' meal is required or baked in a hot oven of 180'c. 

Serve with a green salad or petit pois.  

Christmas Leftovers

It has been a long time since I wrote a post, and what better way to do it than with a scrumptious recipe! This will knock the socks off of your guests or fill those tummies when you don't feel like cooking.

Using up Christmas dinner leftovers is always on people's minds. If you feel strongly about not wasting food, then this recipe is for you :-)

I first came across a similar recipe from Delia Smith's website, Delia Online. She was my first 'go-to chef' when I was in my late teens and twenties.

As with most of my recipes, I have changed them slightly by adding ingredients here and there. 

One of my favourite flavour boosters is dried porcini mushrooms that have been ground into a powder. Add to the frying pan with the butter and oil before adding your onions or meat. The flavour imparted will be fantastic! You can buy these from stores such as Moldova or Polonez.

Turkey Feuilletes:
Ingredients:

Puff/flaky pastry - all butter (Store bought or homemade)

Beaten egg for egg wash
450g - 550g Leftover turkey meat, shredded
25g butter

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp dried porcini mushroom dust (optional)

1 brown onion finely chopped

1 punnet mushrooms, sliced

Small bunch of spring onions  - chopped

2 tsp snipped chives

200g streaky bacon rashers

25g flour

1 Knorr chicken stock pot

300 ml water

250 ml double cream/creme fraiche

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

a few fresh thyme leaves

1 red or yellow pepper finely diced

salt and black pepper

Method:

You will need to make the filling ahead of time and chill it. A cold filling is essential when making pies or pasties.

Begin by frying the porcini mushroom dust in the butter and oil. 

Add mushrooms and fry them well to get maximum flavour.

Add onion and spring onions. 

Add the Knorr chicken stock pot.

Add diced pepper.

Add turkey meat. 

Toss well. 

Sprinkle flour over the mixture and slowly add the cream.

As it thickens slowly add the water and mix well. 

Add fresh herbs.

Season well with salt and black pepper.

Taste to check the seasoning and set aside to cool.

Roll your pastry into the shapes of your choice. I like half moons and rectangles. 

The thickness should be around 4mm. 

When your filling has cooled, place a generous amount on the pasties and close and press down to seal. 

I use a cake fork to seal mine. 

Prick the top a few times for steam to escape. 

Baste with egg wash. 

These can be frozen to take out when a 'ready-to-bake' meal is required or baked straight away in a hot oven of 180'c. 

Serve with a green salad or petit pois.  

The Private Chef Experience

Never in a million years did I ever think my dream of becoming a chef, self-taught and taught by chefs I have been privileged to meet and work with over the years, would come to fruition. 

To name a few chefs who have inspired me and imparted knowledge in cooking demos or privately: 

Jackie Cameron of Jackie Cameron School of Food and Wine in Hilton, Jackie Rey of Food Matters, Ballito, Tarnah Blane, Sam Blane Scales, Daryn Bowers of Fig Tree Restaurant at Simbithi Country Club and Bryan McCarthy of Greene's Restaurant here in Cork. 

And here in 2022, I find myself venturing out on a new path, taking a new direction and offering a new service - the private chef experience! 

For those who have known me a while, food is in my blood, it is my passion, cooking new things, and experiencing new flavours, and tastes, makes me feel alive :-) 

I try to impart this by creating bespoke catering menus and hope that my passion shines through my food.

I have learned so many new skills and it is a wonderful feeling. 

Please drop me a message to create a personalised quotation to suit your function. 

Until then, enjoy the summer and enjoy your food! 

London Experience

I recently had the inspiring, exhilarating experience of travelling around London on my own! I came back to Ireland energised and ready to take on the world :-)

I saw a West End show - Mary Poppins, saw Buckingham Palace, the Royal Academy of Arts, and Tower Bridge, travelled on the trains and tubes, visited my cousin and one of my good friends, walked down Hyde Park and walked past Heston Blumenthal's Dinner, as well as Harrods and Gordon Ramsay's Burger restaurant. 

I viewed London from the London eye, went to the Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. My final stops were Twining's Tea house and The St. Clements Church where I heard the bells ringing out :-)

The buzz around the city was addictive and energising!

I have been coming up with new products and offerings for my food business and I hope you try them out on Neighbourfood.ie or my Online Order form

See below some of the pics I took and soon, some food pics of the exciting new products I have on offer :-) 

"Best foot forward, spit spot" - Mary Poppins :-)

Moroccan Chicken with Date & Pistachio Cous-Cous

When I lived in Ballito, South Africa I was inspired by many local chefs.

One in particular, Chef Jacqui Rey of Food Matters, inspired me to push my limits, experiment and be goal driven.

The Harissa Paste I am making and selling on Neighbourfood.ie, Cork City market is a wonderful item and so versatile. This recipe does it justice. Thanks Chef Jacqui Rey for sharing it in the Life 'n Style newspaper all those years ago!

Ingredients:
12 chicken thighs
200 g Harissa Paste

2 white/brown onions finely sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 thumb fresh ginger, finely sliced
1 sprig fresh thyme
60 ml olive oil
1 bayleaf
2 tins whole, peeled tomatoes chopped
1 can chickpeas

600g cous-cous
1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
5ml fresh origanum, chopped
60ml roasted shelled pisatchio nuts
8 fresh dates, sliced

Method:
Chicken:
Rub the thighs with the Harissa paste and roast in the oven at 180'c for 20 mins.

Sauce:
Saute onions in olive oil until pale golden and add sliced ginger and garlic.
Cook for 5 mins.
Add tomatoes, bay leaf, and thyme. Simmer for 20 mins, check seasoning.

Transfer the chicken thighs into a oven proof dish with a lid (Le Crueset or similar).
Be sure to scrape out all the delicious Harissa paste and juices along with the chicken.
Cover the chicken with the sauce, stir in the chickpeas and return to the oven.
Cook for 40 mins at 160'c.

Cous-Cous:
Bring 600ml water to the boil in a sauce pan with rosemary and origanum.
When it reaches boiling point, turn off the heat and add in the same amount of cous-cous as water.
Pop the lid on and allow to swell. After a few minutes, add in dates and a small knob
of butter and fluff with a fork. Garnish with Pistachios.

Serve with a green, leafy salad with sliced red onion, spring onions, fresh mint, flat leaf parsley, olives, and orange segments. Dress with lemon juice and olive oil. ENJOY!

Recipe credit: of Chef Jacqui Rey of Food Matters, Ballito, South Africa

Image credit: Life 'n Style Newspaper

Back to school meal ideas

Wow! The time has finally come! The children went back to school today and I was a ball of mixed emotions, but most of all happy that they were not at all scared, perhaps a little nervous. This was mostly due to starting a new school year with new teachers, and for this I am extremely grateful. My children are blessed to belong to an awesome school, run extremely well.

I thought parents might need a little inspiration for lunch box ideas and after school meals and snacks.

I hope the below info will inspire you and lend you a hand in the kitchen. This is also a wonderful opportunity to get your older children to pack their own lunches too :-)

Essential items to have on hand are various food saver items (sturdy water bottles, wooden/plastic spoons, small containers, lunch boxes with compartments, brown paper sandwich bags.)

Baking prep can be done on a weekend for the coming week ahead and I pack the lunches the day before and keep them fresh in the fridge. You need to find a suitable routine for your family.

It is most important that children do not share their lunches as some may have severe allergic reactions to certain foods.

Image credit: www.modernhoney.com/back-to-school-kids-lunch-ideas/

Protein options:

• Puff pastry cheese and ham slices

• Cocktail sausages

• Rolled cold meat slices

• Cold chicken BBQ wings from the supper the night before

• Savoury crepes/pancakes

• Meatballs

• Mini cheddar and onion pies

• Sausage rolls

Fruit & nuts: (Be aware of allergies)

• Mini fruit skewers (grapes, melon, assorted berries)

• Clementines

• Grapes

• Dried apricots

• Dried mango

• Fruit yoghurt (Alpro soya/oat is good for dairy intolerant children)

• Blueberries

• Strawberries

• Orange segments

• Bananas

• Apples

• Roasted pecan nuts, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts

• Peanuts and raisins

• Veg & dips: 

  • Carrot sticks

  • Cucumber sticks

  • Celery sticks

  • Cherry tomatoes

  • Crunchy green beans

  • Hummus dip

  • Cottage cheese dip

  • Cream cheese dip

  • Olives

  • Skewers with cheese and sweet gherkins/cherry tomatoes/cucumber

  • Radishes

  
  

  Carbohydrates:

  • Sandwiches/wraps/pita breads/bagels/bread rolls with healthy fillings:

  • Leftover chicken breast (from a roast chicken dinner) mixed with mayo & chives (lettuce separate)

  • Roast beef slices and mustard/tomato sauce

  • Cheese slices and crispy streaky bacon rashers

  • Ham & cheese

  • BLT (Put the filling items separate and let the child assemble at school)

  • Halloumi cheese and basil pesto

  • Sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella

  • Cream cheese/cottage cheese with thinly sliced cucumber (provide the cucumber separate)

  • Peanut butter, syrup/jam/banana (Beware of allergies)

  • Nutella and sliced banana (Beware of allergies)

  • Sausage slices, tomato sauce/mustard/mayo

  • I would steer clear of fish & eggs for your child’s sake (boiled egg, tuna, sardines etc all have strong smells)

  • I could go on and on….:-)

  • Cheese and chive savoury muffins

  • Blueberry muffins

  • Carrot muffins

  • Banana muffins

  • Sweetcorn & Cheddar fritters

  • Mashed potato croquettes 

  • Mini savoury quiches

  • Mini savoury tarts

  • Salted Crackers 

  • Pretzel sticks/shapes

Wufoo! I have created online order forms - please check them out :-)

I am able to start up the business again, albeit at a reduced capacity due to other commitments and supply of ingredients.
Nonetheless, I look forward to cooking for you again!
As always, Corrinne's Kitchen adheres strictly to HSE protocols for running a food business. Cleanliness is paramount.

New ways we will be doing business include:

• Payment via online banking or direct deposit in advance
• Social distancing adhered to upon collection when I bring your order to your car
• Masks and gloves will be worn upon collection

To order click here: Order form

Meal Box :-) Feeds 2 - 4 people @ €65 for Breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner & dessert!
This week's box will contain:
- Homemade granola
- Bran & Raisin muffins
- Fresh fruit salad
- Homemade Lemon Cordial
- Leek & Potato Soup
- Sourdough Loaf
- Hummus & veg sticks
- Chimichurri sauce
- Spinach & Danish Feta Savoury Tart
- Baby Leaf salad
- Chocolate Cupcakes with Cherries & Glace icing

Order here: https://corrinneskitchen.wufoo.com/forms/mgvlp6r1vtuqdz/

Wild Garlic Chimichurri

I foraged some beautiful wild garlic last week and put it to good use by making this delicious, South American, Chimichurri sauce which goes beautifully with the mini beef and pork sliders I made last night :-)

Beef and pork sliders with foraged, Wild Garlic Chimichurri and homemade milk rolls

Wild Garlic Chimichurri

Ingredients:
Juice of 1 lime
Small handful of wild garlic leaves, flowers and stems
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
2 large sprigs fresh parsley
A few sprigs fresh coriander (optional)
A few sprigs fresh basil leaves (optional)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Method:
Place all ingredients into a small bowl and blend with a handheld, stick blender.
This will keep in a sterilized, glass bottle in the fridge for at least two weeks (although you might devour it long before then :-)

Sourdough Loaf - done and dusted!

Wow! Wow! Wow! Is all I can say to making your own yeast starter and baking your own bread.
During the time it takes to rise and rise again, you can leave it while you go about your work and daily routine.
I am so chuffed that today we can have our very own sourdough toast!
Here is the recipe I used courtesy of Paul Hollywood:
Paul's Sourdough loaf
I would love to hear your stories of your baking and send in pictures of your loaves to me at: corrinne.austin@gmail.com or message me on Facebook or Instagram.
Happy baking!

Let's make our own yeast!

Well, for some weeks I have been unable to find dry yeast on the shelves of any supermarket!
Seems like the COVID19 pandemic has made people more enthusiastic to bake :-)
Scarcity of ingredients have forced people to get back to basics.
Having more time on our hands, means we can spend more time doing things we wouldn't ordinarily do.
I did a quick search and found a tweet by a biologist, Sudeep Agarwala.
Here is a link to his post: https://twitter.com/shoelaces3/status/1244252079041974272
Here are good, concise instructions to maintaining your starter:
https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/feeding-and-maintaining-your-sourdough-starter-recipe
If you'd prefer to freeze it for future use:
https://www.thekitchn.com/an-ingenious-sourdough-tip-from-modernist-cuisine-250220

Find my experiment below:
I will add more pictures as the experiment progresses.
You'll need glass jars with lids. You may need more than one each as your starter begins to grow.

Sourdough starter

Sudeep Argawala's Dried Fruit starter

Sourdough starter:
50g plain, white flour
50g lukewarm water


Place the ingredients into the jar and mix well, place lid on slightly ajar to allow a little air in.
Leave in a warm place but not in direct sunlight.
After 24 hours (there should be bubbles) and starts to loosen up, could take up to 2 days.
Take half of the starter and add it to equal amounts of water and plain flour. (50g)
Discard the rest.
Repeat this process one or two times more. The bubbles should come to life a lot quicker this time around.
After 3 or 4 days your starter should have lots of bubbles and the starter should have a yeasty, acidic aroma.
Use 300 g starter to make a loaf.
You can keep your starter alive but growing slowly in the fridge for up to 14 days. Make sure to feed it once a week.
If you need to store it longer, refresh it then freeze it.
If baking bread, make sure you feed it the night before.


Sudeep Agarwala's starter:
50g dried apricots and raisins
50g plain, white flour
50g lukewarm water

Place the fruit and water into the jar and swivel. The water should become cloudy, that is the yeast. Place lid on slightly ajar to allow a little air in.
Leave in a warm place but not in direct sunlight.
After 24 hours (there should be bubbles) and starts to loosen up, could take up to 2 days.
Take half of the starter and add it to equal amounts of water and plain flour. (50g)
Discard the rest.
Repeat this process one or two times more. The bubbles should come to life a lot quicker this time around.
After 3 or 4 days your starter should have lots of bubbles and the starter should have a yeasty, acidic aroma.
Use 300g starter to make a loaf.
You can keep your starter alive but growing slowly in the fridge. Make sure to feed it once a week
If you need to store it longer, refresh it then freeze it.
If baking bread, make sure you feed it the night before.
Happy baking :-)

Day 1:

Day 2:

Sourdough starter

Sudeep Argarwala's starter

Day 3: 

Sourdough starter

Sudeep Argarwala's starter

Yeats are ready to use

Watch my blog for further posts on how I use the yeast :-)