Christmas Afternoon Tea – for friends and family..

Afternoon Tea (2)

Christmas chocolate cake

Afternoon tea has turned into one of the most popular day-time dining events of the 21st century.We all love to go and treat ourselves to a posh afternoon tea (with or without a glass of Champagne) – it’s the perfect excuse for long uninterrupted chats amongst friends or family.

Afternoon tea

Eating for Ireland and her pal do Afternoon Tea on the 23rd Floor in the Grand Central Hotel in Belfast for our respective birthdays :)

So, what does afternoon tea consist of?

Well, the formula is virtually the same, wherever you go.  It starts with the savoury bits – usually sandwiches, and possibly a speciality bread with smoked salmon or another baked savoury. Then scones, which may or may not be warm, with cream and jam. Then cake. Then something special, usually in a shot glass. Add as much tea or Prosecco as you can drink, and there you have it.

Simple, isn’t it? And yet so expensive in many places..

With this in mind, and if you’re keen to have family or friends over without taking up their precious spare time during the run-up to Christmas, why not try a Christmas Afternoon tea at your house?

Perhaps have it as a drop-in event on a Sunday afternoon in December?

It’s a lovely way to see all those important people; to catch up with family news, and to see how much the next generation has grown since the last get-together!

I must state immediately that in our house, we rarely serve tea unless it’s specially requested.. 😉

Here’s a suggested menu for your Afternoon tea:

Drinks:                                                                         p1210142

  • Tea/ Coffee
  • Various juices/cordials for the kids
  • Non-Alcoholic Apple Punch – warm
  • Mulled Cider https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/mulled-cider/
  • Wine/Beer
  • Tasters of this year’s Sloe Gin and Blackberry Liqueur – well, in my house anyway!

Savoury:

November 29th Afternoon Tea at the Grand Central (17)

Goats cheese and red onion marmalade rollups (1)

sausage rolls (1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweet:

 

Cranberry Curd scones (3)

ginger cake christmas - Copy - Copy

Christmas chocolate cake

  • Mince Pies (I only remembered them very late on, so people got to take a few home!)

Mince pies (2)

Special:

Cranachan 3

These, and lots of other  recipes are on the Eating for Ireland site at www.eatingforireland.com – please feel free to check it out!

Handy Hints for a Family Afternoon Tea:

  • I think a ‘drop-in’ event is a good idea. I usually say something like 3-6pm on a Sunday afternoon, and make sure that everyone knows that the end time is not set in stone, so late-comers will still be happy to turn up.
  • Get your invitations out early! If you have a family WhatsApp group, then it is really easy. Elder family members can pass the time and date along to the next generation, or  you could send out invitations, as I did one year when I got a great deal from a photographic website!
  • Start off with the savoury stuff – slightly older children love to take part by carrying plates around and offering some goodies. It’s also a great ice-breaker if, like us, you have cousins who don’t know each other too well.
  • I tend to leave the sweet stuff out for people to help themselves. The older family members will be delighted if some kind youngster brings them something sweet later on too!
  • It’s an issue that’s become so common that it’s always a good idea to ask in advance if any of your guests have allergies – that way you can plan ahead and know exactly what is and is not suitable for them.
  • The younger kids would be thrilled to have a ‘make-their-own’ session – in other words, if you have the space, and someone willing to supervise, there’s nothing they like better than icing their own buns (have lots of sprinkles and small sweets available), rolling out increasingly-grubby pastry to make their own jam or mince tarts, or if you’re lucky enough to have  someone artistic in the family – to make their own simple Christmas decorations. Child-sized aprons and table coverings are advisable unless like me,  you’re not particularly house proud!
  • Don’t get into too much of a panic – the Afternoon Tea is really just an excuse for family who may not see each other during the year to call in, have a chat and something nice to eat with their relatives. It also gives everyone an opportunity to exclaim how much the youngsters have grown since we saw them last!
  • Remember that it can be as simple or as complicated as you like – personally, I like simple!
  • Finally, I wouldn’t dream of insisting but I do love it when people arrive in their Christmas jumpers!
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Ted stays under the tree until the coast is clear!

 

 

 

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The ‘Family Lunch’ menu..

Easter table setting (1)

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I’m a huge fan of Sunday lunch, so it’s always a pleasure to have the family over to share it with us. It’s a great excuse to sit around a table, forget the mobiles and eat nice food in the company of people you’ve known all your life. There are no pretensions here, as most of these people remember you as a toddler.. they might have forgotten other stuff, but your youthful indiscretions are never far away and always worth mentioning!

November 18th Minnowburn and the Giant's ring (8)

Sunday lunch shouldn’t be a stressful meal to prepare – after all, it was often left cooking while the family were at Church, with the previously-prepared potatoes and veggies ready to go on as you returned home. The clue to Sunday lunch is right there – preparation.

I’m going to walk you through a simple – but delicious – Sunday lunch using some of my easiest prepare-ahead recipes. Of course you can change the menu – just check out www.eatingforireland.com for alternatives. There must however, be dessert! Sunday lunch isn’t Sunday lunch without something sweet at the end of it!

We’ll talk a little bit about accommodating intolerances, allergies and food choices later on too.

Regardless of how many turn up for lunch, you’ll find that you can usually extend this menu to any number you like.

Let’s have a look.. Starting off with a drink will usually give you a little extra breathing space, and mellow any midday grumpiness. The choice is up to you, but if everyone likes a G+T, then go with it.. Summery drink (2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr SN is particularly fond of a glass of fizz, or a Hugo cocktail which is Prosecco, Elderflower cordial and Soda water. Make sure that the Cook is offered one too – one only, mind!

STARTERS:

Quite often there isn’t a starter for Sunday lunch. As far as I know there’s no particular reason for this, except that perhaps the Cook was only feeding the immediate family, so there was no need for ‘fancy’ stuff! I’m going to leave you the option by offering a few of my favourite starters, and you can use them or not, as the notion takes you.

  • Chicken Liver Pate – Chicken liver parfait and crostini (1)

https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/my-chicken-liver-pate/ Always a winner – prepare up to 2 days ahead and keep covered in the fridge. Some homemade Wheaten bread or toast (you can safely leave a younger family member to do this) and a small salad – or even just a few slices of cucumber – and that’s all done.

 

veg and Red Lentil soup (3)

 

 

 

 

 

cambridge salad

 

 

 

 

 

 

MAIN COURSES:

  • CHICKEN: My personal favourite is Chicken breasts stuffed, then wrapped with bacon – prep up to a day ahead, keep covered in the fridge on a lined baking tray, then a quick drizzle of oil and into the oven for 35 mins or so. Job done.

chicken and bacon 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • FISH: This Salmon wrapped in Parma Ham is so perfect for Sunday lunch – it even has the veggies included! For Vegetarians, skip the Parma Ham leave the skin on and roast upside-down in a separate dish with it’s own vegetables.

Salmon with Parma ham (3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chicken and Leek pie 2

Steak and Kidney pie (1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SIDE DISHES:

Potatoes: take your pick:

Potato gratin

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Crush-hot potatoes – The easiest-ever roast potato recipe..     potatoes hot crush

 

 

 

 

 

VEGETABLES: If you’re doing fancy potatoes, I think you can get away with simple vegetable dishes

 

 

 

 

 

 

DESSERT: Don’t even think about not having one!

trifle (2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tiramisu Cake (5)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cranachan 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t forget something seasonal, if you’re cooking a Christmas or Easter Lunch –

  • Mince pies – I mean, who doesn’t love them?

https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/home-made-christmas-mincemeat/mince pies - Copy - Copy

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Easter Cake: This delicious Victoria Sponge, decorated with fluffy chicks!

https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/lucys-victoria-sponge/ Easter Cake (5)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a special treat, why not try one of my delicious homemade little sweets to go with coffee?

Christmas Tiffen (21)

https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/christmas-chocolate-tiffin-traybake/

or some delicious Bailey’s truffles? https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/baileys-truffles/

Bailey's truffles (3)

However you choose to have a family lunch, be sure to enjoy it! These are the days we’ll remember.. :)

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Autumn is (definitely) here!

#nofilter

#nofilter

30th Sept. Shawsbridge (3)

The last day of September, on the Lagan towpath..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When you wake up and realise (as I did this morning) that it’s strangely quiet outside.. when you can hardly see the roof of the house opposite, then you realise that it is indeed Autumn.

The season of mists and mellow fruitfulness has arrived. The vital clue was all the local apples, pears and plums in the market, or being pressed on you by a desperate friend, eager to spread some of nature’s bounty before their own family stages a revolution at the thought of yet another apple pie or Crumble!

crumble 2

Apple and Plum Crumble..yum :)

Blackberry and apple pie (4)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Personally, I can never have too many Apple Pies or Crumbles, but perhaps if I ate some every day for weeks on end, then even I might get a little jaded! Or, you know, maybe not… 😉 Here’s my easy short-crust pastry recipe: https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/my-easy-short-crust-pastry/

Speaking of apples –  don’t forget to try my delicious new French Apple and Rum Cake too – I’ve made this several times recently, and it’s gone down a treat! https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/french-apple-cake/

French_Apple_Cake__(1) (1)

The other wonderful arrival at this time of year is the many different varieties of Pumpkin and Squash – we’ve already had some delicious squash from our friend Julie, which I roasted – here’s the recipe for that: https://eatingforireland.com/review/oven-roasted-squash-and-peppers/

Roasted Squash (10) Roasted Squash (8)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of you will have seen my recent post on Instagram about the arrival of – ahem – ‘Festive’ products in the supermarkets.. So just when you’d found good homes for all those apples, the advent (pardon the pun 😉 ) of all things twinkly, sparkly and expensive is almost upon us!

Never fear, Eating-for-Ireland has a plan for that, so let’s just enjoy the glories of Autumn; Halloween comes first, by the way – but on 1st November the gloves come off for the aforementioned sparkly stuff!

Pumpkin scones (14)

Squash at St George's market

Squash at St George’s market

Handmade pottery at Rowallane..

Handmade pottery at Rowallane..

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Fresh, local Pumpkin!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, put on an extra layer, some stout boots, your favourite woolly hat, and get outside to enjoy all that Autumn has to offer – it really is the most beautiful time of year, especially in Ireland  – I always say that, but I’m biased!

With the clocks going back an hour at the end of October, listen out for someone  saying wisely ‘the nights are fair drawing in..’; wait for the first scent of a wood fire from a house on your street, and dig out those casserole dishes – you’re going to need them!! :)

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The first chestnut of the year!

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Yes, we’ll be going there soon, but first enjoy Autumn – we only get one a year you know!

October 2016 Rowallane ) (14)

The golden carpet at Rowallane Gardens..

October 2016 Mount Stewart (3)

My favourite seat, overlooking the lake at Mount Stewart..

 

 

 

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Ah September…

And there, all of a sudden, goes the Summer – exiting stage left, followed by freedom, and those days that seemed to go on for ever…

11th June City Centre (11)

Did I blink and miss it?

I’m not giving up yet though. We all know that September can be glorious in Ireland – as long as you bring your cardie!

September 19th Portstewart (1) (1)

September 18th last year, at Portstewart.

We certainly are in the midst of a change of seasons though, with it’s most evident feature being the kids going back to school.

New shoes, new uniforms, school lunches, home work (groan) and sports kits occupy our attention. A friend of mine posted on Facebook today about his wife’s battle with sticky-back plastic, which took me back a full 20 years. Was I the only one who always had a crease on the back page of every copy-book? The front cover was fine, but the back told the truth – this child’s Mother was a failure, unable to manage the simplest task. I knew the teachers were judging me..

But enough of my failings… All I can tell you is that while you might not realise it, these are some of the best (and busiest) days of your lives, so try to relax and let the back cover of the home-work notebook be creased if that’s how it goes. You, and your children will survive.

The up-side of cooler weather is that you can start making a few cosy meals and try using up some of everyone’s glut of apples. My Blueberries performed magnificently this year, but are now finished, with a box of them nestled in the freezer, awaiting their moment of glory on Christmas morning (sorry to throw in the ‘C’ word there). But the Blackberries are still coming, and so far we’ve had an Apple and Blackberry Pie (so yum, and hardly any added sugar), and I’m working on this year’s batch of Blackberry Liqueur..

Blackberry Liqueur (10)

Blackberry Liqueur..

Blackberry and apple pie (2)

Apple and Blackberry – I think that this is my favourite pie!

Mr Saturday Night has had his longed-for Cottage Pie – I don’t usually make this in warm weather – so he’s happy for the moment, and tantalised by the hope of more cosy, warming dishes to come..

Cottage Pie and roasted cauliflower (2)

Like everyone, I have those awful ‘what on earth will I make tonight?’ moments,  and I’ve taken to looking up my own website for inspiration. That’s probably a bit boastful isn’t it? Still, I’m always grateful when I find a forgotten gem – next time you’re stuck, just have a quick look and see if you can find something to suit you.

All the dishes that I’ve mentioned here (and many more) are available on www.eatingforireland.com  so take 5 minutes to have a look every now and then.

To Mr Sat. Night’s chagrin, there is still no advertising on Eating for Ireland  (he can’t believe that someone hasn’t snapped me up by now!! 😉 ) And the only cookies on my site are Ginger biscuits and Shortbread!

Easter shortbread (3)

‘ Cookies’ – sorry, shortbread!

Ginger biscuits (12)

Ginger cookies!

 

 

 

So, Summer is not entirely over yet, but certainly Autumn is on it’s way. There’s so much to look forward to in this most glorious of seasons – golden leaves, abundant local produce, beautiful sunny but chilly days – wrap up, get out and make the most of it! :)

October 20th 2018 Rowallane (3)

Beautiful Rowallane gardens in Autumn..

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My sister-in-law’s apple tree..

October 10th 2018 (15)

Young love at Antrim Castle gardens.. :)

Enjoy September!

Love from Becks xx

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That’s one BIG mushroom!

Giant Puffball Parmigiana (1)

I had such an interesting time at St George’s market this morning!

Truthfully, it’s always interesting, but today I found myself in a corner that I don’t usually frequent, and there I found what appeared to be the World’s Largest Mushroom (I think it deserves capitals!)

Giant Puffball Parmigiana (1)

This HALF of the original Puffball – the other half went to a Vegan Fair!

Giant Puffball Parmigiana (3)

And here’s my slice!

Seamus, who owns the farm where it grew, was selling it in slices. He told me that these Giant Puffballs (Calvatia Gigantea – for those who want to look it up) have been growing on his family’s farm since he was a child. It was only recently that he’d heard that it was edible, so his wife had taken half of it to a Vegan Fair in Derry, while he was selling slices of the other half in Belfast!

Naturally I had to have some, so I bought a slice (vegans use it as pizza base) and nibbled a bit – I was amazed to discover that it tasted  like non-sweet marshmallow! It’s definitely a mushroom though, because you can certainly taste that too.

Off I went, to spend a happy half-hour on the internet finding out all about my Giant Puffball, and some recipes to try..

And that’s how we came to have Giant Puffball Parmigiana with our dinner this evening!

https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/giant-puffball-parmigiana/

Giant Puffball Parmigiana (14) Giant Puffball Parmigiana (15)

I cooked a few extra little bits, just in the oil/butter mixture, and had them as ‘Cook’s Treats’ while I was making dinner, and they were delicious.

 

 

 

 

 

The Parmigiana treatment made me realise why it’s such a popular choice as a vegan Pizza Base – I’m not a huge fan of Pizza, but I’d definitely eat it if the base tasted like this. I’m certainly going to try to get some more of this – my friend Julie said that she thought she has one growing at home – Seamus says they like Nettle patches best!

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It’s the May Bank Holiday!!

It’s only been about 10 minutes since Easter, but here we are again as another long weekend stretches before us! Happy days!

28th May 2018 Mount Stewart (6)

The swans and baby Cygnets at Mount Stewart

Lough Neagh, 4th Feb 2018 (4)

Beautiful Lough Neagh, on a misty Summer morning..

 

 

 

 

 

6th April Antrim Castle gardens (1)

The Six Mile Water at Antrin Castle Gardens..

We’ve been told to expect cooler weather – at least in my neck of the woods – but it sounds like it might at least be dry. An extra cardie should do the trick..

Bank Holiday weekends were made for easy eating, and relaxing with families and friends, so here I’m offering some suggestions for things you might like to try this weekend..

If there’s even a chance of a barbecue, I’ll be making these simple Chicken Kebabs  –

https://eatingforireland.com/2018/04/27/chicken-chilli-chorizo-and-pineapple-kebabs-with-savoury-rice/ – so easy and so tasty!

Chicken kebabs (5)

Chicken kebabs (1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another great favourite, and one I’m often asked to bring to parties, is my Warm Chicken Salad

https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/warm-spicy-chicken-and-mango-salad/

Chicken tikka salad (1)Chicken tikka salad (3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With only a tiny bit of forward planning, you too will be wowing the family this weekend!

When there’s a chilly wind blowing, something a little warming is always welcome, without diving back into Winter comfort-food. One recipe that is warm and cosy is my one-pot wonder –  https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/one-pot-beef-and-rice-enchilada/

Beef enchilada one pot (11)

 

 

 

 

I need hardly tell you that no self-respecting Bank Holiday weekend would be complete without a few sweet treats to finish off that perfect day 😉  My Tiramisu Cake was such a success at Easter (both here at home, and also with Gayle, my Australian niece-by-marriage) that it’s definitely getting another outing this weekend!

Tiramisu Cake (6)

this only needs one word – NOM!!

Tiramisu Cake (9)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Regular readers – thank  you for all your lovely comments! – will know how fond I am of my virtually infallible Stem Ginger Cake

https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/preserved-ginger-cake-with-lemon-icing/

This is the cake that gets fluffy chicks on it for Easter, festive sprinkles for Christmas, and even candles for the odd family birthday.. It’s a fantastic cake to have for when visitors put their heads round the door, so that’s definitely on my list for this weekend.

Ginger cake 3

My Ginger cake with its Easter coat on!

A couple of batches of my Simple scones which take just 25-30 minutes from start to finish will complete my line-up of BH treats!        https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/home-made-scones/

Cranberry Curd scones (3)

Mmm.. Cream and Jam!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check out the Website ( www.eatingforireland.com) to find your perfect Bank Holiday favourites!

And have a lovely time! :) x

 

 

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Getting ready for Easter..

Easter (2)

Easter 2018Easter (3)P1230969

 

Yes I know, I’m a bit early with this – I mean, Easter’s not for another few weeks or so, but it’s a little bit like Christmas for me – ‘How soon can I put up the decorations?’  A few weeks ago, while I was still making Irish Stew and talking about St Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland..

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..Easter was there, tickling the back of my brain..

I snuck out to the absolute disgrace that is my garage, and miracles-of-miracles, I found the Easter decorations! To be truthful, there aren’t really that many of them, but I do like a nice (bunny) statue – to quote Sr Michael from Derry Girls 😉

March 13th Belfast (14)

I’d forgotten about the Easter Egg tree that I got in Dunnes last year  – they have them again this year, if you fancy one.. (and no, they’re not paying me for this!)

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Nice, isn’t it? There’s a recipe for the Hot-Cross Buns on Eating for Ireland, btw..

And here’s a true story about the Easter egg tree – it sat proudly on my kitchen table for most of Lent last year, and looked lovely. However, I only discovered this year that it lights up.. it lights up if you turn it upside down and find the place where you’re supposed to put the batteries.. cue eye-roll from Sr Michael..

Easter egg tree (1)

I bought some lovely lemons yesterday, and although it’s probably too early to make Lemon Curd to give away as Easter gifts, I’m making a couple of pots for ourselves and some special friends in the meantime :)

Lemon Curd (7)

The days are getting lighter; there are daffodils flowering, and blossom on the trees – there’s a real feeling that the earth is stirring and that summer surely can’t be too far away..

9th March 2018 Titanic (3)

 

 

 

 

 

23rd April 2018 Ormeau Park (1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the next week or so, I’ll be posting lots of my family-friendly Easter recipes, but of course if you’re curious, you can check them all out on www.eatingforireland.com

For the moment, let’s enjoy the longer evenings, and the sights and sounds of Spring, as we wait anxiously to make sure that winter really has past!

P1230721Oh, and in case you’re wondering – it’s NEVER too early to eat Hot Cross Buns!!

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VALENTINE’S DINNER AT HOME ..

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Chocolate dipped strawberries (1)

 

 

It looks like the traditional Valentine’s Night Out is back! Some of you may want to push the boat out as a kind-of ‘We’re out-out!’ celebration.

We’ll be doing our usual ”Have a nice dinner at home, and eat out later on, when everything has calmed down a bit” Valentine’s night! It’s worked for us this far..

 

We’ve moved our Valentine’s night out from Feb 14th because after many years, we’d had enough of  ‘Valentine’s Special’ dinners with a limited ‘set’ menu, packed in with a bunch of similar poor critters,  and all of us wondering how the hell we’d ended up there..

cloud heart

Some ‘blue-sky’ thinking is required..

Romantic?  I think not..

Our solution, having survived many Valentine’s Days, is to have dinner at home, with some nice wine, and then go out to eat some other time when the panic is over. Valentine’s night at home should be delicious food – mostly prepared ahead – needing minimal effort on the night, and tasting fabulous – now that’s what I call quality time!

 

 

 

 

Below is my suggestion for your home-made Valentine’s Dinner – all the recipes are on the Eating for Ireland website – just either click on the links, or use the search feature to find your perfect dish..

 

EQUIPMENT:

You, plus or minus:

  • Your significant other.
  • a crowd of your like-minded pals (always a winner!)
  • Chilled Prosecco/wine/cocktails, and enough glasses for all
  • Some Valentine decorations, the tackier the better..
Doormat

My Valentine-themed front door mat!

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St George’s Market, all loved up :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It might be good fun to have a bunch of friends demonstrating their signature dishes, cocktails, or desserts on line, with the rest of you making your own along with them – a link with the recipe ingredients sent a day or so before makes it all very easy – or just sit back watching admiringly as you sip your beverage of choice and reach for a packet of crisps come dinner time!

 

INGREDIENTS:  All these recipes, and many others, are on www.eatingforireland.com

  • To Begin: Something fizzy I think, or cocktails..
  • Starter: The Cambridge Salad – so easily prepared ahead, or perfect for everyone to make at home at the same time, so that you can all eat your starter together. It’s vegetarian, and always so delicious and refreshing.

Here’s the link: https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/the-cambridge-salad/

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Chicken liver parfait and crostini (1)

Main Course:

Lizzie’s Chicken – a creamy all-in-one Chicken dish, served with some garlicky French beans or tender stem broccoli, and either Champ, or baby boiled potatoes (whichever you prefer)

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Duck Ragu – made ahead and served with pasta and (not too) garlicky bread!

A Vegetarian Main Course: Well, you’ve got a choice here:

chicken curry

  • Or how about the vegetarian version of my Crispy Tortellini pasta bake – make it ahead of time and just reheat – a crisp green salad and some garlic bread makes it a delicious feast.
  • https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/crispy-tortell…mon-pasta-bake/

Vegetarian Pasta Bake (1)

 

Dessert – Oh so important!

Cranachan 2019 (2)

 

  • The Surprise: Well it has to be Chocolate based, otherwise it’s not Valentine’s day, so I’m going to go for Mr Sat. Night’s favourite – Chocolate-dipped fresh strawberries

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chocolate cake 3

Don’t forget my all-in-one Chocolate cake!

Tiramisu Cake (10)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/hilarys-all-in-one-chocolate-cake/

https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/mary-berrys-tiramisu-cake/

Don’t forget that there are lots of ideas on the website – www.eatingforireland.com – Have a browse and see what you fancy!

How great would it be if you could send a list of ingredients (chocolate, strawberries – not exactly rocket science) to everyone and have a Chocolate-covered Strawberry Master Class on line before you all sit , have a natter, and eat the results with a well-deserved glass of something bubbly?

Chocolate dipped strawberries (1)

You can cover biscuits or raspberries as well!

I hope I’ve given you a few ideas for how to make Valentine/Galentine/ Palentine’s day 2021 as cheerful as possible, while we wait hopefully for a return to our old lives. Or, you might decide, as himself and meself have, that Valentine’s Night can be just as much fun at home!

Have a great Val/Pal/Galentine’s evening, and I’ll be in touch asap about Pancake Tuesday! :)

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January 6th..Little Christmas..

Christmas 2018 (11)

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Christmas 2018 (11)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6th January… In Ireland, this is the day that the Christmas decorations traditionally come down – never a cause for celebration, in my book – as kids we knew in our hearts that Christmas was indeed gone for another year, and that the new school term was only round the corner..

My Mother called this day ‘ Little Christmas’, and we always had an especially nice dinner and one of the half-dozen Christmas puddings that she made each year – served with caster sugar and whipped cream, since you’re asking – none of that oul Brandy Butter or Custard nonsense..

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It’s also the Feast of the Epiphany – the day the Three Wise men arrived at Bethlehem.

Another name for this day is Nollaig na mBan, or  ‘The Womens’  Christmas’  – Apparently, this was the day when women did no work at home, and went out to socialise with their mothers, sisters, aunts and friends. Sounds like a great idea, and certainly it’s still very popular in various parts of Ireland. But not this year, right?

Anyway, enough history – today I hit the ground running – by early lunchtime, I’ll have  brought all the boxes back in from the garage and – hopefully – have started to pulling apart my lovingly constructed Christmas House. Even though it was only us who saw it this year!

Christmas cake decorations

Farewell, Christmas Cookie cutters!!

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Back to the bookshelf for you, my Christmas cookbooks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, this is not a tale of sparkly things, ripped from their rightful place and banished to the black hole that is my garage (and my garage is, seriously, a black hole), but rather of most of it being banished etc., but some of it being reprieved – those fake candles, and the fairy lights that switch themselves on for 6 hours every evening, and turn themselves off for the rest of the time – I just couldn’t let them go into that darkness..

So this evening I have a couple of candles flickering gently in carefully chosen spots – the trick is to put them in places where they don’t look fake – like lanterns and jars, but you knew that already didn’t you?

My gesture to the Hygge trend  -and it was a minimal gesture, consisting mostly of a Swedish-themed throw over the back of the sofa – turned out to be much appreciated by the cats, so the cosy fleecy throws have remained, with a promise to myself that they (and the poor old cats) will be properly evicted when Spring  finally arrives.

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So, most of my seasonal treasures are enjoying their well-earned slumbers, but a little bit of Christmas remains – with hopes of a more ‘usual’ Christmas time next year..

The evenings are getting brighter by the day – only by a minute or so – it’s still time for cosy food, but Spring is on its way!

Happy 6th January! :)

Posted in Blog, Photographs Tagged with: , , , , , ,

T’was the day after Christmas..

Christmas day at home 2018 JPG (16)

Mr Saturday Night’s Christmas Pudding.. utterly yum!

Home, Dec. 2017 (7) P1210485

And breathe…

Another Christmas day over, and thanks to more than a little help from my family and friends, yet again I’ve lived to tell the story.. :)

St Stephen’s Day/ Boxing Day/ 26th December – call it what you will – In our house it’s generally a day for eating cold turkey, stuffing and trifle at whatever time of day suits you; for properly perusing the gifts which you only had time to gaze at briefly yesterday, and for catching up with the Christmas Day TV viewing. Or in my case, turning my mind towards using up all those leftovers, and touching base with Eating for Ireland after a 2-day break..(missed you, darlings!)

You’ll be glad to hear that I didn’t burn the sprouts this year – rather, I steamed them briefly before frying them off with some crispy Chorizo – and there were NO leftovers!

The Turkey and Ham behaved themselves; the roasties were perfectly crispy; the parsnips got doused in Maple syrup last minute – so sweet and crunchy! As usual, there was a space issue in my tiny kitchen – but my excellent hand-picked staff (ie: Mr Saturday Night and Little Miss EfI) jumped in to save me as I almost became swamped with the sheer volume of meat/vegetables/sauces/ serving spoons etc. etc..

The card below shows my permanent Christmas ‘Mission Statement’  😉

Christmas at home (5)

I bought this card from a talented artist called Christine (www.offone.co.uk) whose work is amazing, and can always make me laugh!

However, that was yesterday – now it’s time to think up some clever ways of disguising that enormous turkey – which seemed like such a great idea when you ordered it back in November, right? – and how to use up the ham, and all those leftover vegetables.. did I mention that I had no leftover Sprouts? 😉

sprouts

Yes, that is a decorated Sprout tree!

What I’m really going to do here is point you in the direction of a few recipes that are already on the Eating for Ireland website. These will make a complete change from the traditional Christmas flavours which can become repetitive in the days running up to the New Year.

One of my new recipes last year was Chicken Tartiflette, which helps use up both Turkey and Ham for you –

https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/chicken-tartiflette/

– this is a great family and friends comfort-food dish which is topped with cheese-covered potato slices. Once you’ve tried this, it will be come an all-year favourite – guaranteed!

Chicken Tarteflette (3)

My Pasta Surprise is one of our perennial family favourites at home, and will use up your left-over Ham beautifully.

https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/spaghetti-surprise/

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At this time of year, it’s lovely to add a little crumbly stuffing to the breadcrumbs and cheese for the topping

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My sister-in law Dorothy introduced me to Mexican Gammon many, many years ago, and while it certainly does have that 80’s vibe, it also has a universally popular range of flavours – this again will use up your Ham – and, as a real change for this time of year, is served with boiled Basmati Rice

https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/spicy-mexican-gammon/

Mexican gammon (8) mexican gammon (7)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other possible recipes include a delicious Chicken (for Chicken, read Turkey 😉 ) and Leek Pie, which also has the extra advantage of using up that roll of Puff Pastry in the Fridge, and a little ham too.

https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/chicken-and-leek-pie/

Chicken and Leek pie 2 Chicken and leek Pie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking of pies, there’s another pie on the website – it’s called Christmas Dinner in a Pie – and has all the ingredients you’d expect (including sprouts! :) ) Don’t let the 2017 embellishment put you off!

https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/christmas-dinner-in-a-pie/

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Using up Mincemeat and Cranberry Sauce is easy with a roll of ready-made Puff Pastry.

https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/cheats-mince-a…ranberry-rolls/

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Puff Pastry is also used in my Goats Cheese and Red Onion marmalade roll-ups..

https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/goats-cheese-and-red-onion-marmalade-roll-ups/

Which look remarkably like the Cranberry and Mincemeat Rolls above, but taste completely different!

The second picture below is made using my own Shortcrust pastry made into little tartlets

Goats cheese and red onion marmalade rollups (1) Red onion and goats cheese tarts

 

I hope that this has given you a little, if you’ll pardon the pun, food for thought!

Think of all your own favourite recipes and see if you can adapt them for this time of year. I’d love to hear your suggestions over on the Eating for Ireland Facebook page.. Enjoy these relaxing few days – I’m off to check out my Christmas presents!

 

 

 

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