Squash and Coconut Soup

Well if ever there was weather for a vibrant and warming soup, then this is it! We woke this morning to a cool and rainy weather and a chilling 1ºC not to mention the wind chill factor...burr! Time for some warming comfort food.

Smoked Salmon Terrine With Cream Cheese and Fresh Herbs

I wanted to share with you one of the dishes I enjoyed both making and eating, I had reason to do a spot of entertaining recently and I was at a loss as what to serve as the starter. I wanted a dish that really didn't need too much involvement or fussiness, with no cooking on the day, something that I could make in advance and then produce with a flourish!

Potato and Leek Soup

I think it would be true to say then her in Ireland we often get our harshest weather right after the festive period, with that in mind I think that there is nothing better than a hearty soup. Don't get me wrong I love nothing more than warming up to a bowl of soup on chilly days, it gives me the excuse to light the fire and watch something on Netflix!

Homemade Garlic and Herb Cheese

You can smell it's pungent fragrance through the open window and see it's dedicated white flower all along the hedgerows, what else could it be but Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum). After a light rain shower last week and being very organised (for once) the children and I went for a walk to a wooded copse a short distance from our home. It took our breath away, firstly we were astounded by the sheer number of bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) elegantly hanging their heads, seeming almost as if they are looking demurely at us through their petals. The second was the smell of the garlic, in the steamy mist after the rain it was remarkable. The small white flowers are so pretty, so eager are they to catch your attention with their tiny upturned faces that you can't help but be drawn to them.

Very appealing indeed, which was a good thing really because I had a great hankering for some garlic cheese, now don't go running off in terror thinking that I'm going to talk endlessly about cheese cultures and curds, nope this is really very easy. In fact there is nothing really to do other that stir and leave in the fridge overnight or if you can stand it, for a full 24 hours! The result is a soft spreadable cream cheese that goes much easier on your waistline than Boursin cheese for example (a whopping 405kCal per 100g!!) and although not an exact replica it is very good to eat on all kinds of breads and cheese crackers. I prefer to use Greek yogurt as my main ingredient but feel free to experiment and let me know how it goes. If you would like a tasty dip instead then follow the method below but reduce the chilling time to 6 hours and you're good to go!!

Yield: 300g

Ingredients
500g Greek yogurt ( I used Aldi Greek Style Yogurt)
1 Clove garlic, crushed or finely chopped
1 tbsp Dried parsley or fresh parsley finely chopped
2 tsp Table salt

To serve
French baguette
Spring onions, sliced

Method
The equipment for this recipe is fairly basic, a large bowl for mixing, a square of muslin (I bought my Kilner muslin square in Heaton's, Cavan for €3.00), sieve and a smaller bowl to catch the excess liquid.

Scoop the yogurt into a large clean bowl, add the garlic, parsley and the table salt.

Combine the ingredients together, make sure all the ingredients are evenly distributed.

Place the sieve over the smaller bowl, line the sieve with the muslin square and spoon in the garlicky yogurt mixture. 

Gather the muslin together, gently twist and lay on top of the yogurt. Leave in the fridge for 18-24 hours depending on how firm you want the finished cheese to be.

Immediately the yogurt will start to drain away the excess liquid.

This is how the cheese will look after 24 hours, it is much firmer and a has the consistency of  cream cheese.

After 24 hours I usually have about 150mls of liquid left in the bowl.

Spread on freshly toasted sliced baguette and devour!!

Stuffed Baked Tomatoes

This is a quick and simple snack and is best served with salad and crunchy bread. I serve two halves as a portion and slightly cooled (because tomato can remove the skin from the roof of your mouth in two seconds flat when served straight from the oven!)

Serves 4 as a starter

Ingredients
1tbsp Oil
4 Beef tomatoes, halved and seeds removed
180g Cooked tiger prawns or any large prawns
1 Clove garlic, finely chopped
80g Breadcrumbs
Bunch parsley chopped

Method
Prepare the tomatoes, scooping out the seeds with a spoon.

Preheat oven to 180ºC/325ºF/Gas Mark 4. Fry the garlic in the oil on a gently heat in a frying pan until golden. Roughly chop the prawns and add to the pan, cook for 1-2 minutes. Tip the breadcrumbs into the pan, stir to soak up the juices.

Remove from the heat, add the fresh parsley. Fill the tomatoes with the prawn stuffing and bake in a gratin dish for 20-25 minutes.