sauce – Cookin' with Carmel

Spicy Prawn Salad

August 24, 20161 Comment

Sun’s out in Dublin, and it’s beautiful! Such a change from yesterday. Maybe you’re hosting or going to one last summer BBQ? Or just don’t feel like cooking a massive meal?

This is a super quick and easy salad recipe, but there is a lot of flavor. It’s a colorful and bright dish, but the marinade really steals the show! It’s a good go-to for get togethers. Although it’s only August, this would make for a great, and very refreshing, starter at Christmas time.

The prawns are from Castletownbere, where the seafood is unreal. If you ever find yourself in West Cork, picking up some seafood is a must! Top chefs all over Ireland use, and give high praise to, West Cork’s seafood.

I made this Spicy Prawn Salad at my cooking demo earlier this month, and it was such a hit! Thanks again for those who came out.

CARMEL’S SPICY PRAWN SALAD

Serves 5-6

INGREDIENTS:

6 ears of fresh corn

1 lb cooked prawns

10 ounces cherry tomatoes

1 red bell pepper

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon paprika

¼ cup tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

sprinkle of chili flakes

2 tablespoons parsley

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons white vinegar

salt and pepper

METHOD:

Marinade the prawns for at least 45 minutes(the longer the better!). Marinade is: olive oil, cumin, turmeric, paprika, garlic and chili flakes. While marinating the prawns, cook the corn. Place the corn in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to boil, then drain and rinse. Set aside to cool. Whisk together parsley, lime juice, vinegar and salt and pepper. Put corn, prawns, tomatoes, and bell pepper in bowl. Pour the parsley dressing over. Serve alongside BBQ and enjoy!

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Soy Honey Marinade AND Lime-Chili Butter

June 19, 2016June 19, 2016Leave a comment

I used this Marinade on some ribs yesterday. But it would go on any cut of chicken, beef, pork, etc. I oven baked the ribs, but throwing them on a BBQ would be fantastic!

But before baking the ribs, I marinaded them overnight-which I highly suggest, to really get all the elements of flavor!

It is SSSOOO good! And so easy to put together!

Soy Honey Marinade:

1/4 cup Soy sauce

3 tablespoons Honey

2 teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ginger, minced (I added a little extra to give it that extra kick!)

1 tablespoon parsley leaves, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon , each, of poppyseed and sesame seeds

Large sandwich bag.

You simply toss all the ingredients into the sandwich bag, along with your meat. CLose tightly, and shake. Leave to marinade anywhere fro 4 hours, to overnight.

Bake or grill your choice of meat (or chunky veg, like aubergine/eggplant or courgette/zucchini)! Sprinkle with more seeds and parsley. Can easily be doubled.

Now time for the second recipe~

I slathered this on corn, but it can go on anything. Even use it in frying(or butter your toast with it and make fancy toast!). It’s so simple but adds that extra WOW factor to any dish.

Lime-Chili Butter:

1/2 pound of butter (about 1/2 a stick)

1/2 teaspoon tumeric

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped red chili (or use chili flakes)

1 teaspoon lime juice

In a mixing bowl, use a wooden spoon to soften the butter. Add the rest of the ingredients. Sprinkle with roughly chopped parsley and sea salt. This can easily be doubled. And what you don’t use, just store covered in fridge. Think I’ll use my leftovers on a shrimp dish this week!

Homemade yogurt with a blackberry coulis

May 10, 2016May 10, 2016Leave a comment

Making yogurt at home can seem quite daunting. It’s certainly a labor of love, but it’s incredibly rewarding! As a snack, in smoothies, or on pancakes, you’ll be so happy you made your own! This homemade recipe can also make a great frozen treat-line a bread tin with cling film, just pour in the yogurt, and set overnight!

The equipment you’ll need:

A HEAVY saucepan

Thermometer (one that can clip to the side of the pan makes things easy!)

Spatula

Whisk

Small measuring cup

Ingredients:

½ gallon of milk (2% or whole is best!)

½ gallon of yogurt (with active cultures)

Heat the milk.Pour the milk into the heavy saucepan and set over medium to medium-high heat. Warm the milk to right below boiling, about 200°F. Stir the milk gently as it heats to make sure the bottom doesn’t scorch and the milk doesn’t boil over.
Cool the milk.Let the milk cool until it is just warm to the touch, 112°F to 115°F. Stir occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.
Thin the yogurt with milk.Scoop out about a cup of warm milk with a measuring cup and add the yogurt. Whisk until smooth and the yogurt is dissolved in the milk.
Whisk the thinned yogurt into the milk. Pour the thinned yogurt into the warm milk while whisking gently.
Transfer the pot to the (turned-off) oven. Cover the Dutch oven with the lid and place the whole pot in a turned-off oven — turn on the oven light or wrap the pot in towels to keep the milk warm as it sets (ideally around 110°F).
Wait for the yogurt to set. Let the yogurt set for at least 4 hours or as long as overnight — the exact time will depend on the cultures used, the temperature of the yogurt, and your yogurt preferences. The longer yogurt sits, the thicker and more tart it becomes. If this is your first time making yogurt, start checking it after 4 hours and stop when it reaches a flavor and consistency you like. Avoid moving or stirring the yogurt until it has fully set.
Cool the yogurt. Once the yogurt has set to your liking, remove it from the oven. If you see any watery whey on the surface of the yogurt, you can either drain this off or whisk it back into the yogurt before transferring to containers. Whisking also gives the yogurt a more consistent creamy texture. I love to add vanilla beans that I’ve scraped out of the pods-I just fold them in!

Transfer the to storage containers, cover, and refrigerate.

Homemade yogurt will keep for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

BLACKBERRY COULIS

My fondest memories are those spent on Bere Island, during the summertime. There’s really no place quite like it in the sun! Amongst the wild herbs and plants that grow here, are blackberries. One of the activities we would do when were younger, was go on long walks and pick blackberries along the way, either to be made into jam or as a healthy snack!

This coulis goes great with homemade yogurt or ice cream…you’ll probably be eating it with a spoon!

What you’ll need:

250g blackberries

50 g caster sugar

1.2 tspn vanilla extract

Put the blackberries and sugar into a saucepan with 2 fl oz of water. Bring to the boil, and then let simmer. Stir in the vanilla. Remove from stovetop, and let the mixture cool. Once room temperature, blitz all the ingredients in our food processor. Strain through a sieve-be sure to use a ladle or spatula to really rub the blitzed mix to get as much out of it as you can! Keep in an airtight container, like a jam jar, and it should last anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months.

Date Caramel Sauce

April 2, 2016April 2, 20163 Comments

“Say my name, say my name”…sort of! Date Caramel is an INCREDIBLY easy way to make a healthier caramel sauce. It’s richer than the traditional. It has a lot of flavor, but also so many benefits! I found myself slathering it on banana bread, porridge, making a take on maple syrup for pancakes, it’s even good on it’s on (a tiny teaspoon!) it’s own!

All you need is: 20 dates (Medjool are the queens of dates)

teaspoon of vanilla

little pinch of sea salt

a good food processor

A bowl of warm water, and a cup of warm water

Here’s what to do:

Soak 20 dates in a bowl of warm water for about 15 minutes. Strain after they’re soft. In your food processor, add a little bit of the cup of water. Blitz until smooth, you may need to add a little more of the cup of water, depending on what consistency you’re going for. Like I added about three tablespoons to make it more of a syrup for pancakes.

Let me know what you end up doing with the Date Caramel, love hearing from you guys!

Crazy Good BBQ Sauce

May 16, 2015July 3, 20161 Comment

About three years ago I visited my friend in Texas, where I was introduced to homemade barbecue sauce. Ever since, I have been hooked! I have even said “I could drink bbq sauce!” There are so many varieties out there, so many brands, but so many additives. Why not bring a jar of your homemade bbq sauce to your next spring/summer grill out? Your friends and family will be highly impressed. I flavored mine with honey and whiskey(today happens to be National Whiskey Day!) and it’s lovely on sliders or pulled pork sandwiches!

Carmel’s Crazy Good BBQ Sauce: 1 onion-chopped 4 cloves of garlic-chopped 1 can of chopped tomatoes 2 tablespoons tomato paste ½ cup of brown sugar 2 tablespoons honey Pinch of chili flakes or two-three tablespoons hot sauce 1/3-1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce 3/4 cup whiskey Using a heavy bottom sauce pan, cook onion and garlic in whiskey until transluscent, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring the pot to a boil, and simmer away for an hour to an hour and a half. Pour through a sieve or pour the mix into a blender/food processor and blend until smooth. Store in sterilized, air-tight jars, it should keep for three weeks. Enjoy!