WHEN you are getting your big Christmas shop in this year will you be “keeping it local”?
According to Tesco NI it’s never been easier to buy and serve local produce.
From sprouts and parsnips to Northern Ireland’s very first potato vodka, it’s all on the shelves at Tesco Northern Ireland.
So if you’re stuck for a few ideas here’s some top recipes from Tesco which support local suppliers:
Stir-fried Brussels sprouts with leeks and carrots recipe
250g (8oz) Tesco Northern Irish Brussels sprouts, halved
2 tbsp Dunola rapeseed oil
1 Tesco Northern Irish leeks, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
2cm (1in) piece fresh ginger, finely sliced
1 red chilli, seeded and finely sliced
1 large Tesco Northern Irish carrots, grated
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp clear honey
150g (5oz) fresh or straight-to-wok noodles
Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the sprouts and cook for 5 minutes, or until just softened. Drain and rinse under cold water. Pat dry and set aside.
Put the oil in a wok over a medium high heat. Add the leek and cook for 2 minutes, or until softened. Add the sprouts, stir-fry for 2 minutes more, then add the garlic, ginger and chilli. Stir-fry for a further minute, until fragrant, then add the carrot, soy sauce and honey. Toss to combine.
Add the noodles and stir-fry until combined and heated through.
Honey glazed ham with baked apples and parsnips
1.5kg (3lb) Cookstown unsmoked gammon joint
500ml McCanns cider
1 Tesco Northern Irish carrot, chopped
1 onion, halved
2 fresh bay leaves
2 Tesco Northern Irish celery sticks, chopped
6 black peppercorns
2 star anise
1 tbsp calvados
2 tbsp clear honey
2 tsp English mustard powder
For the apples and parsnips
2 large Tesco Northern Irish parsnips, quartered
1 tbsp Tesco olive oil
3 McCann’s Dessert apples, cut into wedges
Put the ham in a large pan. Pour over the cider and add the carrot, onion, bay leaves, celery, peppercorns and star anise. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Remove and leave to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Put the parsnips in a large roasting tin and drizzle with most of the oil; season well. Roast for 20 minutes.
Using a knife, remove the skin from the ham, leaving behind a 1cm (1/2in) layer of fat; score diamond shapes.
In a bowl, mix the calvados, honey and mustard powder to a paste, then spread most of it over the ham (reserving a little for the parsnips and apples).
Add the gammon and apples to the roasting tin. Drizzle the apples and parsnips with the remaining oil and reserved honey paste; season. Roast for 20 minutes, basting once or twice, until golden on top. Remove and leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with Wilson’s potatoes, roasted.
Spiced Dark Apple Cake
5 medium Skea eggs
200g (7oz) golden granulated sugar
100ml (3½fl oz) vegetable oil
175g (6oz) Neills plain flour
2 tbsp cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground ginger
5 McCann’s Dessert apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
1 tbsp icing sugar, to dust
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 180°C, fan 160°C.
Grease and line a 23cm (9in) loose-based cake tin. In a large bowl beat together the eggs and sugar until thick and pale – this will take about 5 minutes – then pour in the oil and stir well to combine.
Sieve in the dry ingredients and fold through until the mixture is smooth and well combined before adding the diced apples.
Carefully pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 45-50 minutes. Leave to cool slightly before turning out onto a cooling rack. Once the cake is cool, dust with icing sugar and a little more ground cinnamon and serve in wedges.
Red velvet bûche de Noel with boozy cranberry liqueur
Ingredients
100g (3 1/2oz) cranberries
200g (7oz) caster sugar, plus extra for dusting
150ml (5fl oz) RubyBlue cranberry liqueur
For the herb butter
125g (4oz) unsalted butter, softened
2 large Skea eggs, separated
140g (5oz) plain flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
120ml (3 3/4fl oz) Tesco Dale Farm buttermilk
For the caramel yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp white wine vinegar
30ml red food colouring
For the filling
200g (7oz) cream cheese
150g (5oz) mascarpone
75g (3oz) butter
175g (6oz) icing sugar
175g (6oz) white chocolate, melted
sugar snowflakes (optional)
Celebrate the festive period in style with this luxurious show-stopping Christmas red velvet buche de noël. This Yule log is a great alternative to a Christmas cake, with a rich and indulgent taste and packed with boozy cranberries for an extra special treat.
Heat 100g (3 1/2oz) sugar and 300ml (1/2pt) water in a pan over a low heat, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat, add the cranberries and leave to stand for 15 minutes. Drain and then transfer to a bowl. Cover with the liqueur. Chill until needed.
Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. Grease and line a 23 x 33cm (9 x 13in) Swiss roll tin. In a bowl, beat the butter and remaining 100g (3 1/2oz) sugar with an electric whisk, until fluffy, then gradually beat in the egg yolks.
Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt into a separate bowl. In a jug, combine the buttermilk, vanilla extract, vinegar and food colouring.
Fold in a third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, followed by a third of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat until you have used up all the ingredients.
In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Gently fold them into the cake mixture.
Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the sponge
Dust a large sheet of baking paper with caster sugar. Turn out the bûche onto the sugar and peel off the lining paper. Lightly score a line about 1cm (1/2in) from one of the shorter ends, being careful not to cut through the sponge, then roll it up. Leave to cool.
Meanwhile, make the filling. In a bowl, whisk the cream cheese, mascarpone, butter and icing sugar. Whisk in the melted chocolate and 2 tbsp of the cranberry soaking liquid, until smooth.
Unroll the sponge and spread with a third of the icing, then roll it back up and put on a serving plate. Using a palette knife, spread the top and sides of the bûche with the remaining icing.
Drain the cranberries and arrange over the bûche. Decorate with sugar snowflakes (if using) and an extra dusting of caster sugar. Serve.