Irish Farmhouse cheese parcel on a salad
Ingredients:
75g Durrus cheese, cut to a rectangular slice; 75g firm Cashel Blue cheese; 75g Milleens cheese; double sheet of filo pastry 15cm squared; one egg yolk; one peeled parsnip; one peeled carrot; one peeled courgette; 50g of butter and one tablespoon of sherry vinegar.
Dressing:
Good pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper; one teaspoon of caster sugar; two tablespoons of freshly chopped herbs; one tablespoon of white wine vinegar; four tablespoons of olive oil and one egg yolk.
Method:
Preheat a fairly hot oven, gas mark 6, 200°C (400°F ). Oil and heat a small ovenproof pan. Stack the cheeses with the Cashel Blue in the middle, wrap in the pastry then seal and brush with the egg yolk mixed with a little water. Brown lightly in the hot pan, then transfer to the oven for five to seven minutes until the cheese melts and the pastry puffs up and turns to biscuit brown. Meanwhile make the root salad: Cut the vegetables into fine julienne strips, liquidise all the dressing ingredients and toss the prepared vegetables in most of it.
To serve:
Arrange the salad like a hay stack on a cold serving plate, drizzle the remaining dressing around the edge of the plate, then sprinkle droplets of sherry vinegar on top of it. The cheese parcel will now be ready: Arrange it on top of the root vegetable salad and serve immediately.
Stir-fry steak with green beans and chilli
Ingredients:
One to two tablespoons of oil; 100g of sliced green beans; one sliced onion; two to three cloves of chopped garlic; one large chopped red chilli; 450g of sirloin steak, thinly sliced and cut into finger-size strips; one tablespoon of oyster sauce; one tablespoon of chopped fresh coriander and one teaspoon of sugar.
Method:
Heat half the oil in a wok or pan. Stir-fry the beans with onion, garlic, and chilli until just tender. Remove from the wok. Add remaining oil. Stir-fry steak in two lots to avoid the juices running from the meat. Return the bean mixture to the wok or pan. Add the oyster sauce, coriander, and sugar. Season if you think it is necessary. Serve immediately.
Nutty biscuits
Ingredients:
225g of butter, softened; 325g of caster sugar; one egg; one teaspoon of vanilla essence; 250g of plain flour; one teaspoon of bread soda; one teaspoon of baking powder and 100g of nuts, chopped
To cook:
Set oven at gas mark 4, 180°C (350°F ). Cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla. Stir in the flour, bread soda, baking powder and nuts. Line a baking sheet with non-stick paper. Place spoonfuls onto the sheet, leaving space between them. Bake for seven to eight minutes until golden brown. Remove from the baking sheet and leave to cool.
