Caramelised Red Onion Goats Cheese Tart

I'd be a bit of Goats cheese fan to say the very least.
This tart is a super easy and so tasty especially for this warm weather we're experiencing at the moment!


Shortcrust Pastry:
200g plain flour
pinch of salt
100g cold butter (cut into cubes)
1 egg yolk
2-3 tablespoons of cold water

Filling
4 red onions
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
3 eggs
1 block of goats cheese
pinch of salt and pepper


Begin by making the pastry. Sieve the flour and add the pinch of salt. Rub in the butter until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and a few drops of cold water and bring together using your fingers into a smooth ball of dough. Wrap in cling film and leave in the fridge for as long as possible. (I made mine in the morning for dinner that evening).

Preheat the oven to 180℃.
Peel and slice the red onions finely and gently fry them in a pan with a little oil. Wait until they become soft and then slowly add in the balsamic vinegar to flavour them. Stir for 10-15minutes on a low heat bringing out the natural sugars in the onions. Turn off the heat once soft and dark in colour.

Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll out to the size of your pie dish. Gently grease the bottom of the tin and cover with the pastry. Prick the bottom with a fork to prevent it rising. Cover the top of the pastry with a little greaseproof paper and some baking beans or rice. Bake blind in the oven for 10mins until lightly golden. After ten minutes remove the beans and greaseproof paper and return to the oven for a further 5minutes to dry out.

Pour the onions first over the baked pastry followed by generous slices of the goats cheese. Pour over the whisked eggs and return to the oven for 20minutes until golden brown.

Serve with some simple salad.

Loaded Cheesy Nachos with Homemade Guacamole

Fantastic Finger Food!

These pack a serious punch if you are looking to serve something for light entertaining with numbers or fill an everyday lunchtime with something a little bit more exciting! It's perfect summer time food which doesn't take long to prepare and is light yet filling.


Ingredients: 
400g ground lean beef mince
1 white onion
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of chilli
1 teaspoon of dried coriander
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons of tomato puree

1 large bag of plain nachos
100g cheddar cheese grated
4 spring onions
handful of fresh coriander


Guacamole
2 avocados
1 lime
2 cherry tomatoes
1 shallot
1 red chilli
pinch of salt and pepper
finely chopped coriander

Method
Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and gently fry the finely chopped onions and garlic together for 4-5minutes until soft but not coloured. Add in the spices and cook for 2-3minutes to release their flavours.

Next add in the lean mince and cook until brown. Add in the tomato puree and tin of tomatoes and leave to reduce on a medium heat for up to ten minutes.

Grate the cheddar cheese and leave to one side to sprinkle on top of the mince. (Be generous with the cheese!)

To make the Guacamole -
Smash up the two avocados with a fork and add the juice of one lime. This will help soften the avocados and create a smoother consistency. Add in the finely chopped red chill and cherry tomatoes along with the diced shallot. Finally add some chopped coriander on top. Mash up and leave to one side to serve alongside the nachos.

Once the sauce has reduced, spread on top of the nachos in a casserole dish and add the grated cheese. Heat under a hot grill for 5-7minutes until the cheese is melted. Sprinkle some spring onion and some cherry tomatoes on top and voila!

Simple, hearty beautiful food!

Hope you enjoy!

Fragrant Quinoa and Pomegranate Salad

So this is a first… Yes you did read the title correct. Yes I did in fact feature a recipe using Quinoa. And yes I did also include a recipe which is (new to poundofbutter) not a sweet dish. Two new phenomenons in one.  

I have always been a little suspicious of anything that gets promoted as the new ‘superfood’. Hence the reason why it took me a while to get around to trying quinoa. I must admit I was totally overwhelmed by the abundance of fresh flavours and texture from this recipe.

For anyone unfamiliar with Quinoa like myself it is a grain like crop derived from South America. It is cultivated as a food source for it’s edible starchy seeds and it is species of goosefoot. Strictly speaking, quinoa is a seed but it is commonly referred to as a grain and as such is prepared like so. 

Nutritionally it is high in protein, has essential vitamins and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus & iron, not to mention the 8 essential amino acids required for good health and repair. 

Regardless of all this one of the most interesting things for me about Quinoa is it’s texture. Something a little like barley with its chewiness, it also has a light fluffiness comparable to well prepared couscous. 

In this simple salad I decided to combine a small number of different ingredients which have been inspired by some pals of mine who regularly enjoy Quinoa. 

Finally would you know you're eating something very healthy? The answer is Yes. Quinoa needs plenty of flavours added to help it but in saying all this I would incorporate it again into my diet and I think some roasted butternut squash cubes would also really give it some extra body and flavour. 

This salad is a healthy, light dish delicately flavoured through the use of coriander, pomegranate and lemon. It is also a great gluten free dish to add to your table during this nice weather for the summer. This recipe serves 6 people as a small side dish serving. 

Hope you enjoy! 

Ingredients:

-1 cup of quinoa 

-1/2 red pepper 

-1 red onion 

-Juice of 1 lemon 

-1 pomegranate

-Bunch of coriander finely chopped 

-1/2 cup of toasted pine nuts 

-Several twists of freshly ground black pepper 

Method

1. To cook the quinoa, first rinse the quinoa in a sieve under cold water to remove any impurities for a minute or two. In a medium size saucepan combine the rinsed quinoa and 2 cups of water. Bring the water to the boil, then cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15minutes. Remove the quinoa from the heat and let it rest still covered for 5minutes. Uncover the pot, drain any excess water and fluff the quinoa with a fork and leave on a plate to cool completely. 

2. Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan over a medium - low heat for 2-3minutes stirring frequently until they turn a light golden brown colour. Do not leave the frying pan as they can burn easily. Transfer them to a small bowl and leave to cool. 

3. Finely chop the red pepper, red onion and coriander and combine together with the quinoa once cooled. Juice the lemon and add the juice to the quinoa mixture. Slice the pomegranate in half and using a wooden spoon lightly tap the back of the fruit to gently pop out the seeds. 

Assemble salad and toss together all the ingredients gently. Season with some freshly ground black pepper. 

Serve right away or refrigerate for later. 

New Beginnings

This blog is about to step up a notch. After five short years of teaching Home Economics in Dublin I have decided to venture down another road. Some may say a road less travelled. I’ve swapped my secure comfortable teaching job in Dublin to pursue something I can longer ignore. 

This September I am headed to Ballymaloe Cookery School and to say I’m excited is an understatement. I'm sharing this news as I hope that now it will allow me to spend more time doing and throwing myself into what it is I love. More time for blogging about food, preparing and cooking food, learning about food and immersing myself completely in the world of food, aka Ballymaloe Cookery School. 

Looking forward to sharing some of the journey! 

Wish me luck!