Mashed Swede

Here is a quick post with the recipe for mashed swede (called turnip in Ireland). Sorry, I'm English and my habit is to call it swede - I get very confused !

Here in Ireland a swede (orange flesh, round, root vegetable) is called a turnip and a turnip (white flesh, pointed and like a big carrot, root vegetable) is called a white turnip.... I think I have the hang of it now...

Where I came from in Somerset... swedes are called mangelwurzels (pale yellow flesh, round, root vegetable) by some older folk .... but in fact a mangelwurzel is a slightly different root veg than the swede - and so there is the same confusion in Somerset just with a different slant !

Mangelwurzels were even used in past times in England for a sport called Mangold Hurling (the mind boggles) and the making of hooch (illicit liquor).

Anyway enough rambling - here is the recipe

Mashed Swede

1 whole Swede
Water
Freshly ground black Pepper
Ground Sea Salt
3 ozs Butter

1. Peel and chop the swede into small pieces.

2. Place the pieces into a saucepan, add a large pinch of salt and cover with water. Bring to the boil.

3. Boil for about 20 minutes, or until nice and soft.

4. Drain the swede and return it to the saucepan.

5. Add the butter, together with the pepper and salt to taste.

6. Mash very well until the mixture is consistent. It won't go smooth and some small lumps usually remain.

7. Taste and season with salt and pepper again if required.

8. Ready to serve.

Cottage Pie & Shepherd's Pie

Here is one of my all time favourite lunch or dinner recipes.

My Mother used to make this in the same way, as did my Nan. It's very simple and basic - no fancy unusual ingredients.

Fast n Easy !

Good old fashioned home comfort cooking at its best !

What's the difference between Cottage Pie and Shepherd's Pie ?
The only difference between cottage pie and shepherd's pie is that cottage pie is made with minced beef and shepherd's pie is made with minced lamb. Everything else is the same. I'm sure there are many variations - but this is how I make it.
Cottage Pie - Shepherd's Pie

This recipe is for the beef version (Cottage Pie) - if you are making Shepherd's Pie, just substitute minced lamb for the beef.

1.5 lbs (700g) Minced Beef/Lamb
1/2 medium Onion (chopped well)
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Bisto Instant Chicken Gravy Mix (the chicken version tastes 100 times better in any recipe than the beef version and you can't taste that it's chicken !)
1.5 tablespoons Lee & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
Water (small amount)
6 medium sized Potatoes
2 ozs Butter
2 tablespoons Milk
Freshly ground black Pepper
Sea Salt
1. Lightly cook the chopped onion in a saucepan in the olive oil for 3 to 4 minutes.


2. Add the minced beef or lamb and mix it in well - breaking up the mince so that there are no clumps.




3. Cook the meat and onion until it is all brown. Keep the lid on the saucepan as much as possible in between stirring, in order to keep as much liquid as possible (rather than loose it via steam).

5. Add the gravy mix granules and stir in well.

6. Immediately add the worcestershire sauce and a small amount of water. The amount of water added should be just enough to make a moist mix, but not one with runny sauce. Mix it in well while still cooking on the stove top.

7. Spoon the meat mixture into an ovenproof dish.

8. Peel and chop the potatoes into small chunks as below. Cook for about 20 minutes until they are soft.

9. Drain the cooked potatoes and return them to the saucepan (its still warm and will keep the mix warm and soft).

10. Add the butter and milk to the potatoes and mash very very well.

11. Add a nice bit of freshly ground black pepper and some ground sea salt, then mash and mix this in well too.

12. Spoon the mash potato onto the top on the meat mix in the dish. If you spoon it in small amounts you can cover the area without having to 'spread' it too much. Spreading it often stirs up the meat underneath and makes a mess.

13. Flatten the top with the back of a fork.

14. Place in the oven at 160C (325F & gas mark 3). Cook until the top is golden all over and the ridges are slightly brown and crispy looking. (Takes about 30-40 mins usually).

15. Serve with something like mashed swede (as below) then eat !

The instructions for making the mashed swede / turnip (called turnip in Ireland - swede in UK) are in the next post (Click Here)

Kittens, Wild Birds and a Sunset

Sunset over Chez Sophii

What can I try and kill now...

Oisín having a snooze after a hard day playing...

Tibbles

Tibbles again

Oisín and Meabh playing in the turf basket

Tibbles again

My fire in my office - warm n cosy

A fluffed up thrush eating the seeds and the fat balls on this birdtable.

A robin eating various seeds I put out.

Note the frozen sprouts in the background !!!

Another wee robin eating a slice of bread

Frozen Floods in South Galway

This is a pic of the frozen edge of the flood waters near my house today (-4).

So beautiful

just ... wow




Before Christmas you couldn't see any of this - it was all still underwater, since November.

Heavenly Hummus aka Houmus

I am addicted to this stuff !

Houmus
(hummus, humus, humous etc)

400g tin Chickpeas
100g Tahini (sesame seed paste)
3 Garlic Cloves (crushed)
4 (maybe 5) tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sea Salt

1. Blend the chickpeas with the lemon juice until it makes a nice smooth paste (in a blender or food processor).

2. Add the tahini, garlic, olive oil and a good pinch of sea salt.

3. Blend this in until smooth. You may need a wee bit more lemon juice.

4. Serve with fresh bread or pitta and some high quality olive oil for drizzling or dipping.

Yum !

You can add things like cumin or chilli (maybe 1/2 teaspoon each), or even chopped peppers etc to vary the taste.

Raspberry Lemonade

My great friend D was sorting through her collection of newspapers and newspaper cuttings, when I happened to visit yesterday.

She poured me my usual cup of peppermint tea, offered me some toast and we settled down for a few minutes gossip and chat.

I was browsing through the old newspapers on her table, and found a page that she had cut out for some reason. It was from the Galway Advertiser maybe, but I can't be sure. Anyway, it had a few recipes for Christmas drinks. It was dated October 29th ! Nothing like being prepared.

One of the recipes caught my eye and D promptly said that the cutting was now mine...

So here it is...

Raspberry Lemonade

3/4 cup fresh Raspberries (or defrosted frozen ones)
9 cups Water
2 cups freshly squeezed Lemon Juice (about 12 lemons)
2 cups Castor Sugar

1. Puree the raspberries in a blender - or with a hand blender.

2. Strain the pureed raspberry through a fine sieve, into a large jug. Throw what's left in the sieve into the compost bin.

3. Add all the other ingredients to the jug of raspberry puree.

4. Whisk them together until the sugar is dissolved completely.

You can serve this over crushed or whole ice if you like...

Frozen Tundra On Galway Clare Border

Feck !

It's 10.15am and it's still -6 celcius here !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the west coast of Ireland - we have the North Atlantic Drift and the Gulf Stream... Where are they now ? !

Happily floating off the coast somewhere huh - NOT keeping me warm and snug for the winter...

I'm now off to boil the kettle about 20 times in order to carry bucket loads of water over to the donkeys in their field, as their water is frozen 6 inches thick and I can't break it. Their tap ran a bit yesterday afternoon - but the fresh water was frozen within an hour. Still, they got a good drink.

I think I might start advertising 'The Tundra Experience - A Retreat' holidays on the Burren...