Eastcorkcookeryschool

Thanks to for supplying me with a bottle of delicious berry kefir drink. Kefir is well known for its benefits of improving gut health and keeping the immune system strong. Drinking a small glass a day will do the trick. Well done to Niamh on her product, it is available and comes in various sizes and flavours. Yum

Happy Christmas. Time to enjoy some good food with family and friends. I hope everyone has a nice Christmas. Nollaig Shona daoibh go léir.

Did you know is available in dark chocolate. I have only seen it available it in the shops at around Christmas so i picked up a few in .
I use it in baking cakes, brownies, choc mousse, choc orange icing. Or i might have a segment with a coffee, i prefer dark chocolate. It has an intense orange flavour, made with real orange oil. These flavours go very well together.
If you are not really a Christmas cake lover, why not make a decadent rich chocolate orange cake instead.

Fresh mince pies going to a very happy customer. Its not Christmas until you've had a few of these. Absolutely delicious. I have stopped taking orders now.

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas... I am taking orders for homemade mincepies now.. 🎄🎅🛀. Please dm for more details.

No sugar banana bread. This is suitable for diabetic diets.
5 large bananas mashed
2 cups flour (multiseed is a good option)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup of butter
2 large eggs
1/2 teasp vanilla essence

Beat the butter and eggs well, add the mashed bananas and the vanilla essence. Mix the wet ingredients with the flour and baking powder and pour into a 1lb loaf tin and bake in the oven for 50 mins to 1 hour at 160oc.

Chopped nuts or raisins (soaked until soft) or chopped dates could be added for extra nutrition.
This bread warrants a little butter
🧈

Naked red velvet birthday cake with meringue ghosts for miss Maggie.

Fresh Fragrant Chicken Curry
Put 1 onion, 1 green chilli, 1 inch ginger, 3 peeled garlic cloves into the bowl of a food processor and finely chop.
Melt 2oz butter or sunflower oil in a pan and add the above, cook until soft.
Add in 2 tablespoons of curry powder (I use tesco own brand)
Add in 4 diced chicken fillets and 1 can of coconut milk. Simmer for 15 mins making sure the chicken is cooked. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Serve with boiled basmati rice, toasted flaked almonds and corriander.
Try it. 😋

During Lockdown I decided to study online to develop my understanding of food and nutrition. I am delighted to receive my QQI level 5 award in Nutrition (distinction if course!!) from Mallow College.
I loved doing this course.

Top tip: If you are making a curry, get the onions soft and beginning to brown before adding the garlic. Then continue to cook on a low heat in clarified butter or ghee until the garlic is soft but not brown. This is where flavour begins. The next stage is adding the spices to cook and then the meat and liquid. Dont be tempted to speed up the process!

Brown Bread.
Delicious with soup, in an open sandwich, in lunchboxes or for supper. Well worth making your own. I add whever seeds i have in the press, you could add nuts or fruit too. The treacle adds depth of flavour.
200g plain flour, 350g brown flour, (i used a lidl one) 2 teasp baking powder, 1 teasp salt, 1 handful sesame seeds, 1 handful poppy seeds, 2 handfulls sunflower seeds, 1 teasp chia seeds. 1 tablepoon black treacle, 11/2 pints of milk.
Put all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and then add the milk and mix thoroughly. Pour into a well oiled 2 lb loaftin and bake in a preheated oven (160) for one hour. I usually take it out of the tin for the last 15 mins of cooking.
Tip: I always put a few things into the oven at the same time as i think its a waste to put on an oven just for one loaf, so plan it out for yourself depending on what you want to cook.
Happy cooking