Popcorn Chicken

What you will need for the seasoned flour

• One cup of flour
• One teaspoon of salt
• One teaspoon of black pepper
• One teaspoon of chili powder
• Half a teaspoon of cumin powder
• A tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley
• A tablespoon of freshly snipped chives

The egg wash you will need

• One egg, beaten
• A tablespoon of milk

The crunchy coating you will need

• Three handfuls of crushed cornflakes

Preheat a large saucepan and fill with 1 to 2cm of vegetable oil, This should take roughly 5 to 10 minutes to heat up.
On a plate place all seasoned flour ingredients and mix well.
In a separate bowl add one beaten egg alongside with a tablespoon of milk.
On another place get 3 handfuls of cornflakes and crush! yes cornflakes
Dredge the chunks of chicken in the seasoned flour, egg wash and then the crushed cornflake mixture, repeat this method until you have used up all the chicken.
Fry for five minutes, they wont take long as the chicken is cut into bite sized chunks.
I like to serve these with a spicy dipping sauce and a squeeze of lemon.

Roasted Tomatoes with Mozzarella

You will need

• Six large tomatoes ,sliced thinly
• A bag of fresh spinach
• One ball of mozzarella, thinly sliced
• Four tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
• One tablespoon of olive oil
• One teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• A handful of fresh basil

Preheat your oven to 200 , Lay out your thinly sliced tomatoes with season with salt, pepper and drizzle with olive oil, at this stage I like to crush a bit of dried sage on them or thyme but its not essential bake for 15 minutes.
In a bowl lightly drizzle the spinach with olive oil , balsamic vinegar and season with black pepper.
Cut the mozzarella into thin slices, or tear into chunks for a more rustic appearance.
Tear the basil and scatter around the your choice of serving dish, Place roasted tomatoes on top.

 

Pizza Puff Pinwheels

You will need

• One shop bought packet of puff pastry, in my opinion life is far too short to make it but each to their own
• A ball of fresh mozzarella, torn into chunks
• 4-5 leaves of fresh basil, torn
•   Four sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
• A handful of freshly chopped parsley
• One tablespoon of cream cheese
• Two tablespoons of pasta sauce, or make your own like I did
• salt and pepper
• egg, for the egg wash

Preheat your oven to 180.
Roll out your puff pastry and spread one tablespoon of cream cheese and homemade pasta sauce.
Season with lots of black pepper and fresh herbs.
Scatter with chunks of torn mozzarella and finely chopped sundried tomatoes.
Roll the puff pastry into a log shape and to hold its shape make sure you mark it with a knife it will prevent it from falling apart.
Cut into 2cm slices and place down on a baking sheet and brush with egg wash.
Bake for 14- 18 minutes.

Spatchcock Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon

you will need

• 1 spatchcock chicken
• Three long sprigs of fresh rosemary
• Juice of one lemon, plus more to serve
• One red onion thinly sliced
• 100ml Olive oil
• Salt

Its best to marinade the chicken the night before as it will absorb more flavour

To spatchcock a chicken , first take the chicken breast side down, cut though all along the one side of the backbone. Then cut along the other side of the back bone, remove this. Turn the bird the other way around and press down as you open it out.

Put the spatchcock chicken onto a large chopping board season with salt and pepper, finely chop your rosemary and scatter onto the chicken.
Thinly slice one red onion and also rub on the chicken along side with 100ml of olive oil and lemon juice.
Leave overnight in a freezer bag in a roasting dish just in case the bag bursts.
Take the chicken out of the fridge and allow the chicken to come to room temperature.
Preheat your oven to 200.
Lay the chicken skin side up on a tin lined with foil, along with lemon wedges in the roasting dish.
Peirce the chicken with bamboo sticks which have been soaked in warm water for up to 30 minutes and set in place to keep the chicken flat.
Cook for about 45 minutes the chicken should be tender and the skin crisp.
Pour over any remaining juices in the roasting dish cut the chicken into four pieces.
Serve with a tossed green salad.

Mint Scented Hot Chocolate Mousse

I was recently at a Phelim Byrne cookery demonstration so I can't take credit for this recipe as my own but its  a simple gorgeous desert.
You will need

• 250g dark chocolate, melted
• Four egg whites
• 200g caster sugar
• A touch of crème de menthe, which is to you and a peppermint flavoured liquor, I didn't have that so I just left it out 

In a clean mixing bowl add the egg whites and half the sugar, beat until light and shiny, then add the rest of the sugar and beat till thick and smooth.
Add the melted chocolate and fold the mixture till fully combined.
Put in the fridge until needed, Bake in an oven at 185 for roughly 10 minutes, it should resemble a steamed chocolate pudding and the centre should ooze melted chocolate.

Homemade Tomato Ketchup

You will need

·         tablespoons of olive oil

·         1 red onion, peeled and chopped

·         2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

·         250g of plum tomatoes, chopped

·         250g canned chopped tomatoes

·         ½ teaspoon of ground ginger

·         ½ teaspoon of chilli powder

·         40g brown sugar

·         100ml of red wine vinegar

·         Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan and add the onion , garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes then add all the tomatoes. Add the ground spices and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes.

Pour the mixture into a food processor or blender and blend well. Sieve thoroughly to remove all the seeds. Return the mixture to the saucepan and add the  sugar and vinegar. Bring to the boil and cook until it resembles the consistency of ketchup.

Bottle in sterilized bottles of jars, and put in the fridge .

Butternut Squash Curry
You will need

• One large butternut squash ,peeled and diced into about 1 cm pieces
• Three garlic cloves, peeled and grated
• One red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• Two bay leaves
• One tablespoon of turmeric powder
• One teaspoon of cumin powder
• One teaspoon of garam masala
• One teaspoon of chilli powder
• One teaspoon of freshly ground cardamom seeds, If you don't have this I would use a teaspoon of lemon zest
• One red pepper thinly sliced
• Two fresh chopped tomatoes
• A pinch of sugar
• One tablespoon of freshly chopped coriander
• One chicken stock cube, dissolved in 300ml boiling water
• Two tablespoons of tomato puree
• 400ml can of coconut nut milk
• One large leek, cleaned and thinly sliced, Use the white park of the leek only

Start by frying your thinly sliced leek in a saucepan and sweat down for 2-5 minutes, Add your garlic, red chilli and bay leaves and allow to infuse the oil for a minute or so add a splash of water if the garlic is sticking to the saucepan.
Add your diced butternut squash , peppers and spices alongside with two tablespoons of tomato puree and cook for 2-3 minutes add a touch of water so the spices don't burn.
Add your freshly chopped tomatoes and a can of chopped tomatoes with a pinch of sugar.
I like to use both fresh and tinned tomatoes while I'm cooking, the fresh ones will obviously add a great amount of freshness to any dish, but the tinned had a lovely sweetness to any dish, the sugar will draw out the sweetness even more.
Add your chicken stock and allow to simmer for 30-35 minutes, just until the butternut squash is cooked though, but don't allow it to become very soft.
At the last 5 minutes or so of cooking add 400ml of coconut milk and remember to remove your bay leaves, Check for seasoning , I like to garnish this curry with chopped roasted cashews and serve with rice and naan bread.