Giant Turbot

Turbot! 

This fish was heavy! Ordered fresh from Howth, the turbot was amazing and fed nearly ten people! It is a serious fish. Stuffed with lots of herbs and roasted in the oven on a bed of chicory, celery, shallots, tomatoes and fennel and lemon.

Humble Pie

In light of the fact that Brian Cowen resigned the day we cooked and ate this we chose to call this post and this pie...Humble Pie 

ingredients for the pie
chicken, leeks, onions, fresh herbs (tarragon is good), a clove of garlic, mushrooms, fresh chili and ready made or homemade pastry for the top

for the indulgent beetroot and avocado salad
fresh beets, avocados, lemon juice and roasted garlic (yum) 

for the dessert
chocolate and fruit

Pie

• cook the diced chicken and set aside
• cook the leeks, onions, mushrooms, chili, garlic and herbs
• add the chicken and after a bit pile the lot into a pie dish and cover with the rolled out pastry
• in this case make the 'f's' and stick em on
• bake in the oven for half an hour or so

Salad

• chop fresh beets up and roast with some thyme, olive oil and lemon and 2 whole garlic cloves
• roughly chop a ripe avocado
• when the beets are cooked take them out and let them cool a bit, then toss with the avocado
• squeeze out the roast garlic and mix it in to the beets and avocado and throw in juice of half a lemon

Chocolate fruit

• melt the chocolate, dip in the fruit and let cool

Sauce Forever

Recipe to make life easier and it tastes great (also the perfect excuse to try my new hand blender)

A GIANT pot of pasta sauce that you can freeze in little freezer bags until you need it, take one out, leave to defrost for a hour or two or speed it up if you need to.

makes approx 10 portions with each feeding 2-3 people

Ingredients 

• 5 tins of tomatoes (2 of cherry to sweeten it up, no sugar in this recipe)
• 4-5 stalks of celery
• 2 carrots
• 2 big handfuls of mushrooms
• a courgette or two
• 4 onions
• 15-20 cloves of garlic (you really can't have enough)
• herbs like basil, oregano, whatever takes your fancy
• star anise (leave this in for an hour of simmering and then take it out)
• bit of fresh chili or dried chili flakes if you want a bit of spice 
• handful of anchovies (put them in even if you don't like anchovies. it will be ok i promise)
• black pepper at the end
• ...................there's something else.........i know it.......
• .................
• oh yes, at least half a bottle of wine, red or white will do

How to

Cook up the onions in olive oil til nice and soft, chop the garlic roughly and toss it in. In another pot cook the chopped up celery, courgette, chopped or grated carrots, diced mushrooms until a bit soft too. 

Throw the onions, garlic and veg together in a big pot, add herbs, star anise and tomatoes. Cook on a low heat for about 20 mins and add half of the wine and the anchovies. Add the rest of the wine whenever you feel like it. 

Give it all a good stir occasionally and take out the star anise after about an hour. Leave it for about another 20 mins on a low heat and then let it cool a good bit before you attack it with a hand blender! 

When it's completely cool...and blended to whatever consistency you like it, spoon it into small sized freezer bags (about 2 ladles makes a good portion for 2-3 people), freeze and there you go....sauce forever (or until you eat it all)

This is perfect on its own with wholewheat sketti (spaghetti) or throw in some tuna if you like. You can even eat it as soup or use it as a sauce for chicken or something.