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Oaty Fudge Treats

Irresistible treats that disappear in minutes

Oaty Fudge TreatsMakes 36
Time 10 mins
Calories 110 per portion
Fat 3g of which 0.9g is saturated
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing

Milk 150ml (¼ pint)
Brown sugar 450g (1lb)
Butter 15g (½oz)
Salt pinch
Vanilla essence ½ tsp
Crunchy peanut butter 175g (6oz)
Porridge oats 110g (4oz)
No added sugar muesli 110g (4oz)
Glacè cherries 75g (3oz), chopped

1 Place milk, sugar, butter, salt and vanilla essence in a pan and bring up to boil, stirring. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat.

2 Add peanut butter and stir, then add all remaining ingredients and mix well. Place spoonfuls of mixture into petit four cases and leave to set.

Recipe taken from Dairy Diary 2011.

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Celebrate St Patrick’s Day

The forsythia bush in the garden is looking a bit odd.

It’s quite big and beautifully trimmed into a round shape (not by me!) and just near the ground it’s covered in bright yellow flowers, but the rest is a thick tangle of branches with not a flower in sight.

When I’m in the kitchen I always take a minute to watch because it’s a haven for sparrows – a few years ago there didn’t seem to be many in the garden and now there are hundreds and they’ve really discovered the forsythia bush.

ColcannonSt Patrick’s Day on Thursday has reminded me of Colcannon, a substantial mashed potato dish, just right for these days when it’s still cold enough to need warming up.

The basics are boiled potatoes and shredded cabbage – and fresh Cornish spring greens are just hitting the shops – mashed together with butter and a little milk, but you can add other bits and pieces, such as finely chopped spring onions.

I’m told it’s very good with chopped bacon mixed in, and goes well with pork. I like it with naturally smoked haddock or cod (not the canary yellow variety). You could even flake the fish into the creamy mash – and maybe grate a little mild cheese on top so it melts in. Delicious!

Colcannon is the perfect accompaniment for Liver & Bacon on Irish Soda Farls from Just One Pot. Try it on Wednesday to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. It takes less than 30 minutes and tastes simply wonderful.

Marion
Dairy Diary Team

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Liver & Bacon on Irish Soda Farls

A classic combination of succulent meats on toasted Irish soda farls

Liver & Bacon on Irish Soda FarlsPreparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 15 minutes
Calories per portion 394 Kcal
Fat per portion 23gof which saturated 7.5g
Serves 4

Olive oil 2 tbsp
Onions 2 large, peeled, halved and sliced
Smoked back bacon 8 rashers, rind removed and cut into strips
Lamb’s liver 450g (1lb), cleaned and sliced
Cayenne pepper a pinch
Plain flour 1 tbsp
Fresh gravy 300g pot
Worcestershire sauce 1 tbsp
Irish soda farls 2, halved and toasted
Baby spinach 2 x 180g packs

1 Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based non-stick frying pan. Cook the onions over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, for at least 10 minutes, until they are softened and golden.

2 Add the bacon to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, toss the slices of liver in the cayenne pepper and flour. Add the liver to the pan and cook over a high heat until the liver is just cooked, stirring.

3 Add the pot of gravy and Worcestershire sauce and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2–5 minutes until thickened, to taste.

4 Toast the Irish soda farls and cook the spinach in the microwave in its bag according to the packet’s instructions. To serve, divide the spinach between warmed plates, top with the farls and then with the liver and bacon.

Recipe taken from Just One Pot.

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Pancakes & Strawberry and Amaretto Pancakes

Who doesn’t like pancakes?  Here’s a classic pancake recipe to serve with lemon and sugar plus something a little more exotic if you have an extra 20 minutes.


PancakesPancakes

Time 30 minutes
Makes 8 pancakes
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing

Plain flour 110g (4oz)
Salt a pinch
Egg 1
Whole milk 300ml (½ pint)
Butter 25g (1oz), melted

1 Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, make a well in the centre and add the egg and a little of the milk. Whisk slowly with a rotary or hand-held electric whisk until the mixture starts to thicken.

2 Gradually whisk in all the remaining milk and half of the melted butter. Cover and leave to stand for 10–15 minutes.

3 Heat a 20cm (8in) heavy based pancake pan or frying pan and have ready ten sheets of kitchen paper and a large plate.

4 Lightly wipe the pan with a little of the melted butter. Then pour a small ladle-full of the batter into the pan and quickly swirl it over the base until it is evenly coated, pouring any excess back into the batter.

5 Cook the pancake for approximately 30 seconds, until lightly browned underneath and the top looks almost dry. Then quickly flip, or turn the pancake over, and cook the other side until lightly browned.

6 Place a sheet of kitchen paper on the plate, slide the pancake out of the pan onto the paper, and then cover with another sheet of paper. Make seven more pancakes in the same way and keep warm.

Serve with freshly squeezed lemon juice and sprinkled sugar or try the Strawberry and Amaretto Pancakes for something really special.

Strawberry Amaretto PancakesStrawberry and Amaretto Pancakes

Time 20 minutes plus pancake cooking
Calories per portion 457 Kcal
Fat per portion 27gof which saturated 16g
Serves 2Suitable for vegetarians

Pancakes 4 (see Pancakes recipe)
Unsalted butter 40g (1½oz)
Lemon 1, finely grated zest and strained juice
Caster sugar 25g (1oz)
Strawberries 175g (6oz), hulled and cut into slices
Amaretto (or orange liqueur or kirsch) 2 tbsp, optional
Whipped cream or ice cream to serve

1 Put the butter, lemon zest and juice and sugar into a large non-stick frying pan and heat gently until the butter and sugar have dissolved and the mixture is piping hot.

2 One at a time, put the pancakes into the lemon sauce and heat through. Fold in half in the pan, and then in half again to make a triangle. Transfer onto warmed plates.

3 Add the strawberries to the pan and heat through in the remaining butter mixture until hot and slightly softened.Gently stir the Amaretto (or other liqueur), if using, into the strawberries and heat through. Then spoon the strawberries and pan juices over the pancakes and serve with dollops of cream or ice cream.

Recipes taken from Good Food, Fast.

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Welsh Leek Soup

Also known as cawl cennin, the word ‘cawl’ meaning broth.

Welsh Leek SoupPreparation time – 10 minutes
Cooking time – 40 minutes
Calories per portion – 140 Kcal
Fat per portion – 11g of which saturated – 6.5g
Serves – 6
Suitable for vegetarians (with vegetable stock)
Suitable for freezing

Butter 25g (1oz)
Onion 1, peeled and chopped
Potato 1, peeled and diced
Celery 2 sticks, chopped
Leeks 3, trimmed, sliced and washed
Stock, chicken or vegetable 900ml (1½ pints)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crème fraîche 6 tbsp (about half a tub) plus extra for serving
Chives to garnish

1 Heat the butter in a large saucepan and add the onion, potato and celery. Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring a couple of times.

2 Add the leeks to the pan, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3 Add the stock and some seasoning and simmer, half-covered with the lid, for 20 minutes or until the potato is softened.

4 Ladle out about half the soup into a food processor and purée until fairly smooth. Pour the purée back into the pan with the rest of the soup and reheat with the crème fraîche. Add hot water to thin the soup a little more if you like.

5 Serve hot in warmed bowls, each garnished with a spoonful of crème fraîche and some snipped chives.

Cook’s tip
If you haven’t got crème fraîche, use double or single cream instead.

Recipe taken from Around Britain, Dairy Cookbook

 

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Blueberry Rice

Delicious rice pudding that’s low in calories!

Blueberry Rice a Dairy Diary recipeServes 6
Time 1 hour 40 mins
Calories 168 per portion
Fat 5g of which 2.0g is saturated
Suitable for vegetarians

Pudding rice 50g (2oz)
Eggs 3, beaten
Caster sugar 50g (2oz)
Vanilla essence ½ tsp
Milk 600ml (1 pint)
Dried blueberries 40g (1½oz)
Ground nutmeg pinch
Single cream to serve, optional

1 Preheat oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas 3. Cook rice in boiling water for 10 minutes, drain well.

2 Beat eggs, sugar, vanilla essence and milk together. Add blueberries and rice.

3 Pour into an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Stand in a baking dish containing enough hot water to come halfway up sides of dish. Bake for 1½ hours or until set. Serve with single cream, if using.

A Dairy Diary recipe

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