Ramen Recipe.
Serves 2

Ingredients
Good vegetable stock (must be clear, no soupy stuff)
1 leek (finely sliced)
1 pack asparagus (tipped )
1 small courgette ( cut into diagonal chunks)
1 onion (finely sliced)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1 block of tofu (cubed)
Spring onions (finely sliced)
Sesame oil
Soya sauce
Wholewheat noodles


Cook your whole wheat noodles and then refresh them under cold water. Cube tofu. Fry tofu in vegetable oil and a little sesame oil until golden on all sides. Place on kitchen paper to mop up excess oil. Meanwhile bring stock to boil with 1 litre of water. Once boiling add a tablespoon of soy sauce and a small dash of sesame oil. Taste to see if it needs more or less. Heat a wok til it’s smoking and add vegetable oil and a little sesame oil. Add onions first and fry for 1 minute, then add garlic and all the other veggies except the spring onions. Fry until al dente. Put Add the tofu to the pan to heat it up again and to re-crisp it. the noodles in a very large bow and ladle in the stock. Add all the veggies from the pan. Garnish with spring onions.

Paneer Masala (ish) with fragrant rice

Paneer is pretty simple to make. I really like it too, its a whole lot better than the over salted quorn chicken style pieces. The one main problem with paneer is that one litre of milk about serves 2 medium sized appetites. This recipe makes enough paneer to serve 2 people, but the gravy and the rice can serve 4 easily.

In a deep non stick pan bring 1-2 litres of milk to the boil. To add a small bit of flavour to the milk add a very small sprinkle of salt and pepper. (I sometimes add chilli flakes or tandoori powder etc if I will be marinading the paneer later) Once the milk is brought to the boil turn down the heat. Add 2tablespoons of lemon juice ( lemon juice is good if you are doing a Masala/ Tandoor dish) or 3 teaspoons of vinegar. Stir with a spatula. The curds should begin to separate from the whey. If it doesn't then add a little more lemon or vinegar. Once you have a greenish liquid that is almost transparent and thick clumps of curd Pour the curds through a cheese cloth. Wrap them up tightly in the cloth and make a cube shape, place on a plate. Place something heavy on top like a filled pot and put in the fridge over night. This should make the curds bind together. Leave in the fridge for anything up to 48 hours, this makes it easier to cut.
Once the paneer is ready cut it into cubes. In a bowl mix youghurt, tikka masala powder, lemon juice, salt, pepper and ginger. Pour over cubed paneer and let sit in the fridge for a few hours until you prepare the gravy.

While you are cooking the rice you can fry the paneer. It is important to brown the paneer on all sides. Do not feel tempted to poke it. Let it carmalize like you would with Haloumi. I recommend a seriously NON stick pan for this job


For the Gravy
2 large onions very finely diced
3 cloves of garlic
one inch of ginger grated
Tomato passata
sugar
cumin seeds
coriander seeds
cumin powder
coriander powder
masalla powder/tandoori powder
On finely chopped red chilli
dried fenugrek leaves
turmeric
asofedita/hing
greek youghurt
garam massala
fresh cream
salt
pepper
Butter
vegetable oil


In the pan saute the onions on a medium heat in butter and oil until translucent. Add garlic, ginger and chill and saute till soft. Then add hing, cumin seeds and coriander seeds. At the last minute add the masala powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and turmeric (about 1tsp of each). Once the spices are cooked add half the jar/carton of the tomato passata and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a bubble. Turn down the heat and allow it to simmer for a half hour. Taste the gravy next and see if it needs salt, pepper or if it is too hot. Turn the heat back to medium and allow to bubble again and add 1 large tablespoon of yoghurt and a good drizzle of cream. The gravy should be a mild red fragant sauce now. Add the dried fengugrek leaves. Allow to bubble



For the Rice.
Basmatti to serve as many as required
1tsp cumin powder
1tsp coriander seeds
1 finely chopped onion
1 finely chopped clove of garlic
1 tsp turmeric
oil
butter
hing
white pepper
salt
black pepper


In a deep pan saute onions in butter and oil until soft and translucent, add garlic and spices (except hing) Add the basmati rice and coat in the flavours. Follow the packet directions and add as much water as required BUT add the hingm white pepper, salt and black pepper to the water as if making a stock. All the rice to cook while you reheat the gravy and fry the paneer



Serve the rice and the gravy in separate large bowls if serving guests.

Simple but tasty stirfry

You will need

1 large block of tofu

1large onion

3 cloves of garlic

inch of ginger

1 red chilli

3 baby bok choi

1 tsp sesame oil

3 tbsp vegetable oil

noodles for two

black pepper

soy sauce

Stir fries are amazing. Tofu on the other hand can sometimes be a bit of a chore to eat. What one needs for an epic tofu stir fry is a REALLY good pan. Non stick, obviously, and very wide so as to give the tofu plenty of space. Cut the tofu and dry it. I like tofu chunks to be approximately the size of the colouredy squares on a Rubic's cube. Finely slice and onion into strips. Finely chop 3 cloves of garlic. Finely chop ginger. Finely de-seed the chili and chop VERY finely.

Heat the pan. Add the vegetable oil and wait till it almost smokes. Then add the tofu chunks. Once one side of the tofu is crispy, turn it. Season it with the pepper and add the onions. Once the second side is crispy add the garlic, ginger and chilli. Cook off untill sort of tender and cooked. Keep an eye on your tofu that all sides get cooked and cripsy but none burn. Add the bok choi for about 30/40 seconds and then add your noodles (depending on the type you mail have to pre-boil) and the sesame oil. At the last moment add the soy sauce. Serve piping hot.

Serves 2-4 depending on how hungry you are

Butternut Squash and Sage Risotto

Now as most vegetarians know, vegetable stock cubes bought in supermarkets are gross generally. And homemade stock tastes mainly like carrots, so for this risotto doesn't use stock, but it does use a little something tastier than water.

Add a teaspoon of white pepper

A half teaspoon of salt

And a half teaspoon of hing(asofetida) to

500ml warm water

Serves 3/4

Ingredients

1 cup risotto

500ml+ of the flavoured water

1/4 large butternut squash cubed

1 Large White onion finely diced

1 clove garlic finely chopped

4 large knobs of butter

dash of olive oil

Grated Parmesan to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Sage to taste ( I use the dried stuff, but you could use fresh too)

In a large deep wok/frying pan saute the onions and the butternut squash in the butter and the oil. The oil is to keep the butter from burning. Saute for 3 minutes until the onions become slightly translucent but not soft. Add garlic and rice. Cook until rice is coated and the edges are becoming translucent. Add one ladleful of the water. Reduce heat to medium. STIR CONSTANTLY. Add as much Sage as you feel you can tolerate. I find 2 teaspoons if the dried stuff plenty. When water is almost absorbed add more water. REPEAT white STIRRING CONSTANTLY. The constant stirring helps the risotto become creamy. Half way through season with salt and pepper to taste. IF you run out of flavoured water just use normal water from now on. Add water till rice is fully cooked. When rice is cooked stir in Parmesan until the desired thickness of the creamy sauce is achieved. Squash should be tender as should rice. Ideally however, it should not be mush!

Serve with green salad or buttery garlic bread.

Tasty Omlette

Omlettes are traditionally boring fare, usually we make them when we can't think of anything else to make, but is this any reason for them not to be tasty. This omlette isn't good for your hips, or your weight in general, but it is delicious! For one person I use 2 eggs and do 5 for two people. The secret to this omlette is the cream, it really gives the omlette a kick. If you don't have the patience for kale spinach makes a good alternative or any other iron rich vegetable. Cabbage is a bit rank in it though so steer clear. I find that peas and tomatoes are excellent in this recipe too so I'll do both.

Ingredients - Omlette 1

5 eggs

1 half head of curly kale

100mls cream

100mls milk

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Salt

Pepper

1 large onion

Butter

Gruyere cheese

In large frying pan heat up lots of butter with a small amount of oil to a medium heat. While the oil and the butter are heating remove the stalks from the curly kale. Add the kale to the pan and cook until it begins to wilt. Meanwhile, vigorously whisk 5 eggs in a separate bowl, add 100mls of milk and whisk until there are no clumps of egg left and there are small bubbles in the egg and leave to stand for a minute

Chop one large onion very finely and add to the kale, cook until the kale has fully wilted and the onions have softened. Add the cream and the nutmeg to the kale and onions. Cook for a further minute until the cream begins to thicken. Add a good amount of cracked black pepper and a sprinkle of salt. If the pan looks a little dry add a small amount more butter. Add the eggs to the pan and cook through the bottom. When the bottom of the omlette is cooked grate some of the gruyere cheese on top of the omlette put the omlette under the grill. You'll know it's done when you shake the pan and none of the egg moves.

Omlette 2

5 eggs

100g peas

1 large tomato chopped and seeded

1 onion

100mls cream

100mls milk

pepper

salt

butter

Gruyere cheese

Follow many of the same steps as above, this time fry the onions first in lots of butter. When the onions are nearly done add your peas and tomatoes and warm through. Add the cream and allow to thicken. Then add the egg mixture and season.

The quest for Butterbeer

I am currently getting very excited about the imminent release of the last filmic stages of Harry Potter. During the summer I re-read the entire series in hearty gulps and completed them in less than a week once more, huzzah. Now however, I am attempting to find the most appealing recipe for butter beer.

So far, from my research, I have gleaned that strong old fashioned ale is the best basic ingredient. I have yet to source one in my home country, though I am still looking. Secondly, I understand that some herbs and spices are necessary to add to the mixture. Finally butter, cream and sugar.

Unfortunately, everything I have tried has been vomit inducing grossness, sad times.

Haloumi Salad

Seeing as how Ireland is simply blessed with fantastic weather salads are an essential summer dish. Well ok not really the weather, but salads are a delicious dish. It's just a pity many of the famous ones have meat in them. I'm tired of reading menus and just about letting myself salivate to discover that the dish is covered in parma ham or other bits of pig or poultry.

This salad, however, is Mediterranean inspired dish, using haloumi and sharon fruits. Due to my political leanings my sharon fruits are sourced from South Africa and not Israel.

Ingredients

1 block haloumi cheese

Spinach leaves

Peti Pois

1 whole sharon fruit

On a chopping board dice your haloumi into half inch cubes. On a lightly oiled frying pan fry till golden on all sides. Meanwhile in a pot boil your peas. On a chopping board peel and chop your sharon fruit into bite sized chunks

Arrange the salad leaves in a bowl add your cooked peas, haloumi and sharon fruit.

Dressing

3parts good olive oil

1part balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Generously dress your salad. This salad serves 1 for a good meal, 2 for a light snack