Honey roasted plums with rose-water cream

This is a delicious healthy dessert to serve anytime of year. 

Ingredients:

8 ripe plums (8 should serve 4 people so add more if you wish for a larger serving)

3 Bay leaves ( The recipe suggest you use 6 but I don't like to use more than 3) 

3tbsp clear honey

2tbsp  lemon juice 

150ml of double cream 

2bsp of icing sugar

1tbsp rose water (Can get this in most Asian shops & some health food store) 

150g Greek Yogurt 

Seeds from pomegranate (buy these pre-made in Marks & Spencer as this can be a very messy job!)

How to make:

Step 1:  

Heat the oven to 180 C. Slice the plums in half and place cut sides up as you can see above. Place the bay leaves in and around the plums. Mix the honey with the lemon juice and spoon over the plums. Roast for 20 - 30 minutes, depending on if they look baked or not. 

Step 2:   

Combine the cream with the icing sugar and rose water, then whisk in the greek yogurt. 

Step 3: 

Scatter the plums with pomegranate seeds and serve with rose-water cream on the side. 

Enjoy A x 

Spinach, feta & pine nut filo triangles

Picpoul de pinet.. our favourite little find

We were on holiday in the South of France this summer and found this gorgeous white wine.. we looked for it in Dublin when we got back and were delighted to find it in "Baggot street wines" on Baggot street, Dublin. It's a real treat and a nice change from Sauvignon blanc..! 

Home made pizza with rocket and avocado.. perfect for lazy friday nights

Simple goats' cheese & beetroot salad

I would usually make this during summer but it is nice during winter especially when you serve the beetroot warm.


Ingredients:


1 raw beetroot or just buy a packet of cooked beetroot.
I bag of fresh salad leaves. ( If you want a real treat go to the Temple Bar market on Saturdays in Dublin to get some there.)
I clove of garlic.
3 tbls of Rapeseed oil (Prefer this as it is full of Omega 3 oils and is way nice than Oliver oil in salads)
Juice of half a Lemon
Soft goats cheese. (Lidil do a lovely one)


Extra's (you can add walnuts if you like... I just didn't this time)


To make:


So if you bought the beetroot raw then you should pop it into a big pot of boiling water and leave it there for an hour, maybe an hour and a half. It needs to be soft. This is well worth the effort if you have time as there is a nicer flavor from a freshly cooked beetroot.


Wash your salad leaves and place in a big salad bowl.
In a cup, crush a garlic clove, add the juice of half a lemon and then add a good glug of rapeseed oil. Add this to the salad leaves and stir.
Chop the beetroot into thin slices and add.
Then add the goats cheese.


Tip: This should be consumed as soon as possible, it's not a dish that keeps overnight!


Enjoy
A x 

Bananna fantastic banoffee pie

I have made this Banoffee pie for friends and family many times and it always goes down a real treat!

Ingredients: 

For the base:

100g (3½oz) butter, melted

250g (9oz) digestive biscuits

           

For the caramel:

          

100g (3½oz) butter

100g (3½oz) dark brown soft sugar 

397g can condensed milk (use the light can if you like – it’s just as nice).

           

Topping:

4/5 small bananas

250ml carton double cream (regular cream just as nice though) lightly whipped and 

cocoa power for dusting.

 You will also need: 20cm (8”) cake tin, greased. 

How to make it:

To make the base, process the biscuits until fine like crumbs in a bowl. Melt your butter and add to your digestive mixture. Press this mixture into the base of approx 4cm cake tin. Then pop that into the fridge to chill the base.

Making the filling is easy but be careful as hot caramel can be dangerous! Place the butter into a non-stick saucepan over a low heat, stirring until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Add the can of condensed milk (the low fat version will give a lighter brown caramel colour), then gently bring to the boil, stirring continuously at all times. Then as soon as it thickens, remove from the heat and spread the filling over the biscuit base. Leave for one hour to chill in the fridge (I often leave it overnight if I’m planning a dinner party).

To serve: whip the cream and add a thick layer over the top of the caramel layer. Then add some nice neatly chopped slices of bananas. Then to decorate sieve some cocoa powder over the top & enjoy.

Aoife X

Genoise sponge cake with raspberry jam filling...

Santa Barbara farmers market... where the berries are so good :)