September 30, 2012
BLOG AWARDS FINALIST!!
So, Holly's Pantry has made it as a finalist in this year's Blog Awards Ireland! No big deal-eh actually, it is a massive deal! Cue embarrassing thank you speech that goes on much longer than it should!
I am absolutely delighted! To have even been nominated in the longlist, shortlist and now the finalist is mind blowing. For a student who has been blogging for just 6 months, that's not bad! I cannot say enough thanks yous to the people who voted for me!
I am up against some tough competition in my category Best Mobile Compatible Blog. Nerve racking! I would like to wish Hunters Lodge Living, Simple Zesty, Wardrobe Resurrection, Cigar Loving Doorman and Got Ireland the best of luck!
Love,
Holly, x
September 24, 2012
Caramelised Onion, Butternut Squash and Pancetta Quiche
I was planning on making this quiche last Wednesday but as you may (or may not) know, I got locked out of my house. Not just for an hour or two -but for the entire day. So my quiche making never happened -and- I've just about gotten over it! So, this weekend I took the time to finally make it.
You can really feel autumn in the air. The mornings are crisp and cold and evening time keep creeping closer and closer into night. Autumn is probably my favourite time of the year. I love the bright cold, dewy mornings that give you pink rosy cheeks. I love going out wrapped up in a coat and scarf and because there is bright sunshine, I get to wear sunglasses. I love the dry cold and the crunch of fallen leaves under my feet. Most of all I love the new ingredients Autumn brings: pumpkins, pears, plums, apples, cauliflower and parsnips Autumnal food is comforting, warming and inviting. I'm so stoked!
Since its early autumn I took a butternut squash and put it in a quiche. A light yet warming option for dinner. This recipe is holding onto the very last bit of summer before we dive deep into autumn cooking!
I'm not going to lie to you-there is a little bit of preparation for this quiche but its sooo worth it! The homemade shortcrust pastry could easily be swapped for a shop bought brand. I won't judge! But you've gotta make the caramelised onions yourself-you'll thank me because the smell in your house will be ridiculously good! The butternut squash is roasted with some rosemary. The shortcrust pastry is baked blind before being filled to the brim with the above vegetables, crispy pancetta and eggs.
Oh yeah, the caramelised onions and sweet rosemary roasted butternut squash is paired with saltly crispy pancetta. There's bacon in this too?? My face will be up against the oven door waiting for this to cook!
Enjoy,
Holly, x
Make the shortcrust pastry by rubbing together flour and butter until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Add 2-4 tablespoons of cold water until a dough forms.
Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Cut the butternut squash into disks, lay on a baking tray with the rosemary, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast.
Slice the onions, sweat for 15 minutes with no colour over a low heat until super soft before whacking up the heat and caramelising until golden brown and delicious.
Roll out the pastry and line a quiche dish. Crimp the edges with your fingers. Line with parchment and baking beans. Bake blind and egg wash.
Whisk 8 eggs with 50ml of cream.
Layer up the butternut squash, caramelised onions and crispy pancetta in the baked blind pastry shell before pouring over the egg/cream mixture and sprinkling with spring onions.
Recipe, makes 1 9/11 inch dish
Shortcrust Pastry
125g Plain Flour
55g Butter, cubed and cold
2-4 Tablespoons Water, ice cold
Eggwash
Sieve the flour into a bowl.
Using your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Add 2 tablespoons of water and using the tip of a knife work until a dough forms. Add more water if needed.
Turn out onto a slightly floured work surface and bring the dough together into a neat ball.
Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 180°C and remove pastry from fridge.
Lightly butter and flour a quiche dish.
Roll the pastry into a rough circle and line the quiche dish.
Crimp the over hanging pastry with your fingers or with a fork.
Bake blind by lining the pastry with greaseproof paper and dried beans.
Place in the oven for 8 minutes, remove, egg wash and place back in for another 4 minutes.
Pastry is ready to be filled with quiche mixture.
Filling
3 Medium Onion
1/2 Large Butternut Squash, cut lengthways
200g Pancetta
1 Sprig Rosemary, roughly chopped
3 Spring Onions
8 Large Eggs
50ml Cream
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Preheat oven to 180°C
Peel, top, tail and half the onions.
Slice into strips.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and add the onion along with a pinch of salt.
Over a low heat sweat the onions for 10-15 minutes with no colour until translucent and soft.
Turn the heat up full blast after 15 minutes and cook the onions until golden brown and caramelised stirring and scraping the golden crust that will coat the pan.
Place in a bowl and set aside.
Scoop the seeds from the butternut squash half and cut in half again lengthways.
Chop into 1/4 inch disks and remove the skin from the disks.
Place the disks on a baking tray with the rosemary, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes.
Remove, place in a bowl and set aside.
Fry the pancetta in a dry pan until crispy.
Drain on some kitchen towel, place in a bowl and set aside.
Whisk the eggs with the cream and a pinch of salt.
Lay butternut squash in the base of the pastry that has been baked blind.
Next, lay over caramelised onions followed by the pancetta.
Pour in the eggs and sprinkle with chopped spring onions.
Bake at 180°C for 25-30 minutes until just set and puffed.
September 20, 2012
Mini Lemon and Ricotta Crumb Muffins
I finished college earlier than expected yesterday. The first week back in college is pretty boring. I knew this would be the case, so I had planned to come home and make a quiche. If you follow me on Facebook
you will know this. However, all did not go as planned. Does it ever?!
So, I got
home and discovered I was locked out. Not cool. I don't think I have ever been so annoyed in my life. Hypothetically speaking, I may or may not have tried to pick the
lock with a hair clip (didn't work).
As a result no quiche on the blog today. I put two days thought into making a quiche. Is that the reason I got locked out? Some quiche-like being didn't want me to make one?? No, not going to fly-I am now determined to make a quiche. This weekend to be exact.
In the meantime I am sharing this mini muffin recipe with you. While I was waiting for a key sitting in my back garden, I was having a major freak out. I didn't think I would have a recipe to post on my blog today and I had a mini heart attack. I actually forgot I had this mini muffin recipe. You have no idea how delighted I was when I found it hiding on my desktop.
Three weeks ago I made 150 of these mini muffins for my Aunty. They are totes easy to make and even easier to eat! They are super lemony, the ricotta makes them lovely and moist and the crumb topping is sugary and just fun!
They are perfect with a morning coffee or in a kids lunch box or whenever really! You hardly need to find an excuse to make and eat these?!
Enjoy,
Holly, x
Begin by making the crumb mix for sprinkling on these mini muffins.
Brown sugar, flour, butter and lemon zest.
Crumble the ingredients together with your fingertps until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Let it chill in the fridge as you get on with your mini muffins-mmm.
Sieve your flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl.
Cream together the butter, sugar and lemon zest until...
... pale, light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each egg, until creamy and glossy.
With the mixer on low, add flour and ricotta and mix until just combined. Turn off the mixer and give one final mixing with a spatula.
Line the mini cupcake tin with cases and add 2 teaspoons of batter to each case.
Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the crumble mixture. Bake at 180°C.
Make the super lemony sour glaze by mixing icing sugar with freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Once the muffins are cooked and cooled, lay them on a wire rack over a tray and drizzle liberally with the lemon glaze!
Recipe, Makes 48 Mini Muffins or 12 Regular Muffins. Adapted from CrepesofRath
Crumb Mix
100g Plain Flour
100g Soft Brown Sugar
Zest of 2 Lemons
100g Unsalted Butter
Combine all ingredients together in a bowl.
Use your fingertips and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
Place the bowl in the fridge until later.
Mini Muffins
250g Plain Flour
1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
Pinch Salt
125g Unsalted Butter, room temperature
200g Caster Sugar
Zest of 6 Lemons
2 Eggs
2 Yeaspoon Vanilla Extract
250g Ricotta
Preheat the oven to 180°C and line two mini cupcake tins with paper cases or one regular muffin tin with 12 regular paper cases.
Sieve together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking powder.
In the bowl of a mixer, beat together the sugar, butter and lemon zest until light and fluffy-about 2 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, cleaning down the bowl after each egg.
With the mixer on low add 1/3 of the flour followed by 1/2 of the ricotta, continue adding flour and ricotta until all gone, ending with flour.
Add 2 teaspoons of the muffin batter to the cases and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of crumb topping.
Fill all the cases and bake at 180°C for 18-22 minutes.
Once baked, remove from oven, cool slightly in tin before removing from tins.
Once completely cooled drizzle over lemon glaze and allow to cool.
Lemon Glaze
75g Icing Sugar, sieved
1-3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed
Whisk together icing sugar with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
Add more lemon juice until the correct consistency is achieved.
You should be able to drizzle the glaze like a loose honey.
September 14, 2012
White Chocolate and Cranberry Scones
A friend from college, Lara, asked me for a scone recipe the other day. Listen to how she put it, 'do you have a super scone recipe? My friend does a teatime and reading session in her book store in Germany.'
Ok, hold on. Read the second part of that again-'my friend does a teatime and reading session in her book store in Germany'. Is that not the cutest thing you've ever heard? I want to go to Germany and be part of the reading session. I'll even bring the friggen scones. It sounds idyllic. I want some of that chill in my life.
So, she asked for a 'super scone recipe'. I believe I delivered. Scones are tricky. You may not think so, but they are. Fact. It all comes down to your recipe, duh! Unfortunately, a lot of recipes you find use a ferocious amount of baking powder. This makes the scones look big and beautiful, but, halfway through eating them you get a nasty burn from too much baking powder in the recipe. Also it makes the scones cakey rather than light and fluffy.
I'm quite picky about scones. For me, they must be eaten cold with real butter, raspberry jam and if I'm feeling fancy, some softly whipped cream. I must emphasis the raspberry jam-it's a life or death situation. Please, please, please no strawberry jam for me. Fresh strawberries? Absolutely. Strawberry jam? Never.
These scones kind of surprise you. They have dried cranberries instead of the usual raisins. So, they're a little tart but then you get a little nugget of white chocolate, and it's like, oh hey sweetness. They balance each other perfectly.
Let us take inspiration from Lara's friend. Take a scone, break it open to reveal its crumbly interior, spread it with softened real butter and raspberry jam, grab a book and sit with a cup of tea and get lost for an hour or so.
Enjoy,
Holly, x
Sieve flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
Add butter and work with fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add the chocolate chunks and dried cranberries. Stir together.
Make a well in the centre of the flour.
Whisk the milk and eggs together.
Add 3/4 of the milk and eggs to the flour, mixing with a fork until almost combined.
Tip out onto a floured work surface and finish combining, working as little as possible.
This will prevent the scones from being overworked.
Roll out into a rectangular shape that is 1 inch in thickness.
Use a 3 inch scone cutter to cut out the scones, place on lined baking trays and brush with egg-wash.
Bake at 200°C for 20-25 minutes.
Recipe, Makes 10
Adapted from Avoca Café Cookbook
500g Self Raising Flour
150g Unsalted Butter, diced and cold
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Baking Powder
2 Eggs
200ml Milk-I used low fat
100g Dried Cranberries
150g White Chocolate Chinks/White Chocolate Chips
1 Egg-egg wash
Preheat oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with parchment.
Sieve together self rasing flour, salt and baking powder.
Using fingertips, rub in the cubed cold butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.
Add the cranberries and white chocolate chunks and combine.
Make a well in the centre.
Whisk together milk and eggs.
Pour 3/4 of the egg/milk mixture into the well.
Using a fork, mix together adding more milk if necessary
When 3/4 mixed in, turn out onto a floured work surface and combine together.
Roll out into a 1 inch shape.
Using a 3' cutter cut out 10 scones.
Place on a baking tray, egg wash and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Remove allow to cool for 5 minutes before cooling on a baking tray.
September 11, 2012
Pulled Pork Sandwich {Part 2of 2}
I apologise in advance if you are a vegetarian/vegan/pescetarian. Look the other way! Actually, maybe you should come back later in the week, this blog post involves a honking piece of pork shoulder. Sweet, tender, juicy pork. Drool.
This is another sandwich I would love to have in my New York style deli (if I ever have one!) along with my chicken sandwich and steak sandwich. Big, honest and mouth watering-ly good!
Pulled pork has been on my to-do list for a while. I get so excited about cooking certain things -but I leave them on my list for the guts of a year. That's dedication if I ever I did see it! (N0t) Am I glad that I finely checked this recipe off my list?? Duh, I don't know why it took me so long!!
Actually, yes I do. The pork shoulder takes 4 hours to cook. Fear not!! It is completely worth it! Think of all the stuff you could do while the pork is cooking-re-organise the kitchen, clean out 'that' press, find the matches to all your spare socks, write a poem, alphabetise your CD collection...or...watch day time TV, whatevs.
After 4 hours the pork will literally fall off the bone. Pull the pork from the bone, mix it with some barbecue sauce (make this yourself) pile it high onto a bun and crown it with some creamy, tangy red cabbage coleslaw.
Ok, before you go, remember these words-low and slow. Say it with me: 'loooow and sloooow'. You got it. The key to this pulled pork sandwich is the 'low and slow cooking method'. Cooking it overtime in a low oven as the cut of pork is seriously tough. A little bit like myself, haha, I joke!
But on a serious note, you've got to dedicate yourself to the pork shoulder. It is your responsibility to make it soooo tender that you can just pull it from the bone. I have an immense amount of faith in you. Go forth and pull pork!
Enjoy,
Holly, x
Get the dry rub ingredients together: soft brown sugar, smoked paprika, cayenne powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin seeds, salt and pepper.
Take the pork shoulder, with the bone in and...
...rub all over with the dry rub and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
In the meantime chop 2 onions and smash 5 garlic cloves.
After 30 minutes brown the meat all over...
...add the onions, garlic, dry cider and some white wine vinegar.
Swaddle the pork shoulder in parchment and...
...wrap with tinfoil.
When the meat is cooked, scrape the onions and garlic into a pot. Add tomato ketchup and brown sugar.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes and voilĂ you have the easiest barbecue sauce!
Take two forks and 'pull' the pork from the shoulder into glorious threads of tender juicy meat.
Add 3-5 tablespoons of the barbecue sauce to the pulled pork to make it saucy!
Take a bun, spread with some mustard, pile on the pulled pork followed by some red cabbage coleslaw.
Recipe, makes 5-8 generous sandwiches
2.5-3 pound Pork Shoulder, on the bone
2 Medium Onions
5 Garlic Cloves
1 Bottle (330ml) Dry Cider
100ml White Wine Vinegar
5 Rolls
Yellow Mustard
Olive Oil
Dry Rub, adapted from Kevin&Amanda
1 Tablespoon Soft Brown Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Pepper
Preheat oven to 150°C.
Mix all the ingredients for the dry rub together.
Rub into the pork shoulder and leave for 30 minutes.
In the meantime peel the garlic and cut each onion into 6 pieces.
Heat some olive oil in a casserole/roasting tray that will fit in the oven and brown the pork shoulder all over.
Add the onions, garlic, white wine vinegar, dry cider and 100ml water.
Cover with parchment and tin foil.
Place in the oven for 4 hours.
Remove from oven, allow to rest for 10-20 minutes before pulling apart.
Remove the fat from the meat.
Place the meat in a bowl and mix with barbecue sauce.
Barbecue Sauce
After 4 hours remove the onions, garlic and any juices from the roasting tray.
Place in a pot, add 6 tablespoons of ketchup and 1 1/2 tablespoons of soft brown sugar.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
Blitz with a stick blender and add to pulled pork.
Use remaining barbecue sauce for dipping.
September 06, 2012
Red Cabbage Coleslaw {Part 1 of 2}
Welcome. Take a seat. I've got a little explaining to do. This is part one of a two part post. This red cabbage coleslaw is part one-obviously! I won't tell you what part two is, sooo mysterious!!! I will next week when I blog it! I'll give you a little clue because I like ya so much. This coleslaw sits on top of what's to come! Any guesses?!
Ok, so this coleslaw is made with red cabbage instead of white cabbage. It is delish-crunchy, sweet and a little tangy. Even if you never check back next week to see part two, I will be happy knowing that I got to share part 1 with you.
I'm not going to say too much more on this, apart from that the coleslaw will keep for 1-2 days in the fridge. Pretty please buy the ingredients and get ready to make it OR make it anyway to go with a weekend BBQ.
I will leave you until next week-excited I hope!
Enjoy,
Holly,x
Cut the red cabbage straight down the centre through the core into two halves.
Place each half flat on a chopping board and cut in half again-this time not through the core. Get me?
Using a sharp knife, shred the red cabbage real fine.
Top and tail the carrot.
Trim a a little from the length of the carrot and turn over so that is sits flat on the board.
Take these stripes, stake them on top of each other and...
...slice into a julienne aka matchsticks!
Do the same thing with the apple.
You'll be a pro at chopping after this-remember: mind your fingers!
Squezze a little lemon over the apples to keep them from going brown (gross!)
Coleslaw dressing ingredients: apple juice mixed with some white wine vinegar and sugar, mayo, scallions, pecans, almonds and celery seeds.
Place the chopped veg in a bowl with the nuts.
Mix all the dressing ingredients together, except the scallions, and pour over the vegetables and toss together.
Slice the scallions and sprinkle over before serving.
Recipe, serves 4-6
1 Small-Medium Red Cabbage
2 Carrots
1 Large Granny Smith Apple
2 Scallions
Handful Pecans and Almonds
50g Mayo
1-2 Tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
50ml Apple Juice
1 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon Celery Seeds.
1 Lemon
Salt and Pepper
Trim the base off the red cabbage and sit on a board with the rounded end facing up.
Take a sharp knife and cut it in half through the core.
Lay each half flat on the chopping board and cut in half across the cabbage-not through the core.
Shred the quarters with a sharp knife as finely as possible.
Place in a bowl.
Top and tail the carrots and cut into julienne. See pictures.
Do the same with the apple and squeeze with lemon juice.
Place the carrot and apple in the bowl with the red cabbage.
Add the nuts.
Mix together the apple juice, mayo, sugar, celery seeds, salt and pepper and 1 tablespoon of vinegar together.
Pour over the vegetables.
Taste and check for seasoning-more salt/pepper/vinegar.
Slice the scallions and sprinkle over before serving.
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