Made by Hand

2011-08-18T14:11:00.004+01:00

Yesterday's dinner had a little touch of summer....

Here's what we had:

250gr king prawns (with the shells but no head)

200gr clean squid tubes, sliced

1 small chrorizo sliced

2 small onions in wedges

1 yellow pepper in chunks

8 cherry tomatoes

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 red chili, chopped

salt

olive oil

Assemble 4 big skewers with the first 6 ingredients in whatever order you like. Season with the salt, garlic and chili and a generous amount of olive oil.

Cook in a hot BBQ and serve with a green salad and lemon wedges. Yum!

2011-03-03T14:50:00.002Z

Christenings, Communions, Confirmations or anything else you decide to celebrate!

Let’s celebrate! Here is this year menu! Pick 2 courses or 3 courses. Menus for children are also available.Everything is homemade with that special care! We can also provide a customized designer cake. Price on request.
We can also provide service, crockery, cutlery, etc. just for a small fee. Also, if there’s anything else you would like on the menu or if some of your guests have food allergies, just give us a call! We are here to help!

Something to start with…

Selection of mini quiches and other savory tartlets (Spinach and walnut, bacon and cheese, caramelized onion and goat’s cheese, roast peppers and spicy chorizo, etc….)
Or
Thai fish cakes and mini spring rolls with homemade lovely dips
Or
Fresh and smoked salmon mousse with melba toast and lemon wedges
Or
Antipasti – Selection of cold meats, cheese and olives (additional €1.50 pp)

Main Course

Glazed whole ham with apple sauce and roasted veggies
Or
Whole poached salmon dressed and served with homemade mayo and 3 salads
Or
Lasagna with garlic bread and a green and tomato salad
Or
Beef Bourguignon with rice and red coleslaw

And to finish….

Yummy chocolate cake
Or
Almond and red berries tart
Or
Lemon and orange cake
Or
Apple crumble

For the little ones

Mini burgers and wedges
Or
Mini sausage rolls and wedges
Or
Mini pizzas and garlic bread
Or
Lasagna and garlic bread

2011-02-23T10:27:00.002Z

Last weekend we experimented with one of my favourite cuisines:Thai. I made it as a main course, and although it was delicious, I think it needed some refinement. I also think it would make a stunning starter for a dinner party, as it can be dressed with an oriental inspired salad. It's one of those that needs just a bit of preparation and you can make the magic happen 5 minutes before serving.

Caramelized pork with Oriental salad (serves 6 as a starter)

For the pork:

5 Asian shallots (or 3 of the European version, if can't find them)

6 cloves of garlic

1 pork fillet

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp rice vinegar + 1 tsp

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

4 tbsp sugar (yes, it sounds like loads, but trust me)

For garnish finely chopped chili (optional)

For the salad

1 handful of radishes

1/2 cucumber

2 or 3 shallots

1/4 Chinese cabbage

1 big bunch of coriander

1 handful oh roasted peanuts for garnish

Prepare the fillet of pork by trimming all the fat and slice very thinly. Add the tsp of vinegar and coat well. Reserve. I always do this with pork as it cuts the fatty taste, making it light.

Heat a wok with a good amount of vegetable oil and fry the shallots, that you have sliced really thinly. When they are crisp and brown dry on kitchen paper and reserve. Discharge the oil, leaving only 2 tbsp. Peel and finely chop the garlic.

Meanwhile, for the salad, slice all the ingredients. The dressing will consist of boiling 6 tbsp of water, 2 tbsp of vinegar and 2 tbsp of sugar. Reduce to half and let it cool.

You can stop at this stage and finish it before serving.

To finish it all:

Heat the wok again until it smokes, add the garlic and stir around. Let it brown but don't let it burn. Add the pork and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the sauces and sugar and cook for 5 minutes or until it reduced to a shiny lovely caramel.

Finish the salad by dressing it and adding the peanuts. Plate a little pile of salad with the caramelized pork on top. Garnish with the fried and crispy shallots and add some chili for colour and heat if you prefer.

I challenge you to try it!

2011-02-18T11:25:00.005Z

When I went to do my weekly shopping this week, I couldn't stop noticing that the butcher counter had expanded its range, in a very good way.

At 6 euro per Kg, there were big chunks of oxtail smiling at me!

So I brought them home.

Slow cook is the rule for this tasty cut and when I do this I like to use a cast iron pot for extra taste, but you don't have to. And don't be afraid if you never tried it! The flavour is different of course, but the texture is very similar to that " fall of the bone", " melt in the mouth" well known lamb shank.

Most recipes of oxtail call for a good amount of wine, which, I agree, would make it richer, but in a country with a prohibitive tax on alcohol, I think it defeats the purpose, in some ways, of a cheap cut.

I still used some boozy liquid, but in small quantities and the result, was a warm, rich and very tasty cold night diner.

Here's what you need:

1 Kg of oxtail (go for the bigger bits, as the small ones are more bone than meat)

2 big onions

3 garlic cloves

1 celery stick

4 or 5 carrots

1 bunch of spring onions

60 grams of pancetta (or 3 or 4 rashers chopped)

1 bay leaf

a few sprigs of thyme

salt and pepper

a pinch of hot paprika

a little flour

about 750 ml of good chicken stock

a good measure of brandy

Start by trimming the extra fat from the meat. However, don't worry too much if you can't do this proper because you will scoop it from the final result before serving.

Patch dry the oxtail, season with salt, pepper and dust with flour, just to cover it.

Heat a heavy based pan with about 2 tbsp of olive oil. Brown the meat and set aside.

In the same pot brown the bacon. Add all the veggies roughly chopped. Don't go too small because you want some texture in the end. Brown every thing and add the brandy. Return the meat to the pot. Add the herbs and the chicken stock and correct seasoning if needed. Once it's boiling, transfer the pot, lid on, to the oven at 180 degrees. Let it cook for 3 to 4 hours, stirring half way and checking the amount of liquid. You can always add a bit more stock if you need. Before serving, if you think it's to fatty, scoop it from the top, carefully, with a spoon.

Serve with a smooth mash potato, the juices and the veggies.

2011-02-17T09:58:00.003Z

Last night we had Sea Bass for diner.

They were just arriving at our local fishmonger and I couldn't resist. And for me, when fish is this good, there's no messing around! Keep it simple and let it speak for itself. Salt, pepper, a drizzle of olive oil and grill. Wedge of lemon on your plate to taste. Done.

But it was the side last night that I thought worked really well. It turned out to be the perfect combination for my swimming little friends.

On a small roasting pan I put baby potatoes with their skin, peeled shallots and garlic cloves. The usual salt, pepper and a good bit of olive oil (about 4 to 5 tbsp). Don't forget the Sea Bass was grilled and the juices from this side are going to be your sauce.

Roast in the oven @ 180 for 40 minutes. At this point the potatoes were nearly done, so I added about 500grams of cherry tomatoes and 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar. Roasted for another 10 minutes. Taste and check if it needs a tiny bit of sugar. Sprinkled a generous amount of roughly chopped fresh basil and served with the fish.

The balsamic vinegar made it sweet but it also kept a little bit of the acidity, along with the tomatoes. Drizzling this juice over the Sea Bass just made it perfect.

2011-02-15T17:45:00.004Z

For a rainy February evening.

My Chili con Carne

1 big red onion

3 cloves of garlic

1 green pepper chopped in chunks

1 full red chili chopped, seeds and all

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon of cumin

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

450g of good beef mince

1 tin red kidney beans

1 tin of plum tomatoes

1 small tin of sweetcorn

1 bunch of chopped coriander

salt and pepper

Drizzle a casserole dish with a little bit of olive oil. Slowly fry the onion, garlic, pepper, chili, bay leaf and spices. When it starts to get some colour add the beef and stir, making sure there are no big lumps and it's all coated evenly. Add the 3 tins with their liquids as well as the coriander. Season to taste. Reduce to a very slow heat and cover. Cook for about an hour stirring occasionally. Serve with some boiled rice, natural yogurt and fresh coriander. For added texture crumble a few tortilla chips on top.

Warm feeling from inside out - guaranteed!

2011-02-15T15:02:00.004Z

Yesterday I wanted to have something special for diner. After all, I was inspired by the holiday!

Anyway, determined not to leave the nest to go to the supermarket, I had to work with what was in the fridge.

I had two beautiful chicken breast, but without the skin. So here's what I did:

On the food processor I quickly chopped 2 shallots, 3 garlic cloves and about 180 grs of button mushrooms, along with salt, pepper, fresh thyme and lemon juice. Sauteed the mixture fast in a little bit of olive oil and set aside. Opened the chicken breast, spooned in the mushroom mixture and involved it like a parcel in three very thin slices of parma ham. Placed these little beauties in an oven proof frying pan and drizzled with olive oil. Cooked for about 35 minutes in a high oven, basting once or twice until the ham was crispy and the chicken cooked through. Served with a melt in the mouth dauphinoise and french green beans.

Sometimes staying at home, pushes your imagination. Dinner, looked beautiful, smelt homely and tasted delicious. The glass of red Rioja made it!. Happy Valentines day.

2010-12-23T10:39:00.003Z

Happy Christmas to you all!

We are delighted to say that our Hampers this year went down a treat! We had over 100 going out the door!!!!!! Delicious jams, chutneys, relishes and sweets! All homemade and personalised to your requests! Thanks a million everybody!

We were soooo busy with didn't have time to take a photo!:( Sorry!

Have a great one everybody and we'll see you in the new year with loads of delicious stuff!

Joana and the gang.

2010-11-12T10:24:00.002Z

Halloween is gone now...
And since then we had fabulous events. The high light was really being part of the Celebration of Portuguese Cinema at the Cork Film Festival! It was great venue with great people and most of all great Portuguese food.

We also got a call from a Dublin Radio station to inquire about our services and our Ranelagh market stall. Check it out here :
http://www.facebook.com/ladybirdcatering

More events, loads of Christmas treats and hampers are on the way. Keep checking!

2010-10-26T13:58:00.002+01:00

We are soooooooo loving Thai, right now!

We were asked to do 7 weeks of Thai Cooking Demos, and we are delighted. Not only is a type of cuisine we love, it is also easy and healthy. The added dificulty is that the course should be oriented with feeding children in mind. Challenge? Yes! And a great one!
Every week I will be demonstrating a few recipes, and I promisse to post at least one here. Last Saturday was the first one. It was an introduction to Thai cuisine, ingredients, regions and traditions.
Here's a recipe that we did. It's very, very simple. A light salad, used as a palate cleaner, that should be on your table when serving something spicy.

Cucumber Salad
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1Tablespoon chopped chilly

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cucumber, unpeeled and sliced thin
• 1/4 cup sliced red onion
• garnish: 3 Tablespoons chopped mint, 3 Tablespoons chopped peanuts

How to make it
• In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, vinegar, water, chili pepper sauce and salt. Stir, cook over a medium heat until sugar is dissolved
• Add cucumbers and onion to appropriately sized dish that will allow all the cucumber mixture to be covered with marinade.
• Pour vinegar mixture over the vegetables and let marinate for 30 minutes.
• Just before serving, sprinkle with mint and peanuts.

2010-09-30T11:13:00.002+01:00

Hurray!

Ranelagh is back in action! Ladybird Catering will be back every Saturday and Sunday from 2nd October.

The old favorites will be there as well as new and tasty treats. Come on over and take a look.

Great food, smiling faces and fantastic atmosphere.

See you there!

2010-09-02T10:11:00.002+01:00

Dear Friends

As you might know, the management of the Ranelagh Market is currently being addressed and therefore doors are closed for the time being. However, we can assure our dear clients that everything is being done for a quick come back. We are looking forward to it, as we are full of ideas for the new season.

We will keep you posted with news and dates. Meanwhile, please feel free to email us with any orders or queries, as we are still busy bees, making people happy.

See you all soon.

Ps. A big thank you to all our customers and Ranelagh locals that sent us their support.

2010-08-18T10:38:00.002+01:00

I can't believe the summer is coming to an end already! Time does fly when you are having a good one! But don't be disappointed.... Look at all the good things to come. We are getting to a season I have always loved while growing up. September was the month we spent in the farm harvesting. Not only grapes for the wine but all different kinds of fruit and vegetables. Jams, jellies, compotes and preserves were prepared. The smell of sugary fruit was delicious. Quince paste was put in small bowls and left in the sun to dry. Grease proof paper on top after dried and there we go! Romeo and Juliet all year round. Wondering, ah? Romeo and Juliet is a chunk of cheese with a slice of quince paste. The Portuguese think is the perfect combination, just like the Shakespeare's characters. So, go on! We don't have a lot of quince here, but we have berries of all kinds, apples for a delicious apple sauce you can keep for that pork in winter and much more. Use your imagination. And if you're not sure it's gonna work, just ask! We're here.

2010-08-05T11:26:00.002+01:00

Hello all

It's been busy, busy , busy in Ladybird land so we apologise for our absence.

We have been preparing the most delicious new menus for after summer and will be up here very soon. Thinking already in what it's coming in season, colder nights and comfort food.

Meanwhile, you know where we are..... See you all in Ranelagh, where we now have an even more fabulous display!

2010-07-06T15:16:00.005+01:00

We celebrated the 4th of July in the market last Sunday. Here's what was on our table! And we gave it away as a gift to all present! Yum! Lucky ones! It was delicious. Make sure you don't miss our suprises! More changes, products and surprises are on the way. Keep tuned.

See you there...

2010-06-22T17:32:00.004+01:00

Ranelagh was great! Everybody was really pleased to see us there and the feedback from our goodies was fantastic! I'm looking forward to go back next week. Next Sunday we have a little Indian film festival in the market. Why don't you call in and try our surprises. You'll be in for a treat! See you all there....

2010-06-09T17:28:00.002+01:00

NEWS!

Tomorrow will be our last day in Mespil Road. We found a better place in the Ranelagh Food Market. It's indoors, so we'll be there all year, right at the entrance. Every Saturdays and Sundays you will be able to get our most loved sweets such as Custard Tars, Coconut sweets, Cookies, etc. Our range of Jams, Jellys and Chutneys is getting bigger and more and more delicious. The other good news are that you can get your weekend lunch (or dinner) with a wide choice of quiches and other savoury pies and tarts.

Hope to see you all there from 19th of June.

2010-06-03T18:15:00.002+01:00

Here's something for the BBQs this weekend. It's dedicated to all my vegetarian friends.

Mix together: 1 cup of fresh breadcrumbs, 2 shallots finely chopped, 1 garlic finely chopped, 1 can of borloti beans, a handful of chopped basil, 1 fresh mozzarella cubed in little pieces, salt pepper and drizzle of olive oil. Mix well and stuff any veggie that you like. I generally use Courgettes, peppers, aubergines or mushrooms. Wrap in foil and bbq for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the veggies cooked through.

I love meat but these can convert me!

Bon Appetit.

2010-05-24T17:09:00.002+01:00

BBQ Season.

Keep it simple! And it doesn't have to be always sausages and burgers! Marinate whole prawns (any size) in fresh garlic, fresh ginger, chopped red chili, coriander, salt and olive oil. Put them in skewers with baby tomatoes, and baby onions. BBQ, basting. Drizzle lemon juice before serving with a green salad and fresh mango. For desert, fresh fruit salad with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Ah! We love the summer!

2010-05-19T18:01:00.000+01:00

We are happy to say, the Ladybird was published, again! InBusiness magazine came in the post today with our picture and interview, under the subject of Ireland's new entrepreneurs! Happy Ladybird, I am today!

2010-05-10T15:58:00.002+01:00

Stuffed Pork Fillet

First the stuffing. In a a frying pan, melt a table spoon of butter. Add a finely chopped onion, a garlic clove, a chopped apple and a big bunch of fresh sage (straight from the garden). Mix in a cup of fresh breadcrumbs and set aside.

Prepare the fillet, by trimming some big lumps of fat that it might have. Rub it with a table spoon of white wine vinegar, sea salt and black pepper. Open the fillet lenght wise and stuff. With string, wrap it in loops, making sure you have plenty of stuffing inside. Meanwhile, make a paste using 4 tbsp of olive oil, 2 tbsp of butter, 1 tbsp of paprika, 2 bay leafs, 1 crushed garlic clove. Rub this paste into the meat, coating well and take it to a pre heated oven, 180, for 45 minutes or until cooked. Keep basting every 15 minutes or so.

Serve with a fresh garden salad and new potatoes.

See you all in Mespil Road!

2010-04-22T17:06:00.003+01:00

PS. Next week we WILL NOT be in Mespil Road, as we are in Far, Far Away, for a few days (planes, clouds and volcanoes permitting). But we are back in a fortnight better then ever! See you all there!

2010-04-22T16:52:00.003+01:00

Gosh! Time flies! Didn't realize it has been so long! Busy bee (or ladybird), I've been....:0)

So here we go! After a fantastic day in Mespil Road today, finally got home and what to do for dinner? Hummm......

First: Crack open a cold bottle of Heineken. (Ah, I have to! The sun is shining!)

Second: Chicken with white wine, mushrooms and cream!

Ingredients:

2 big chicken breast, chopped in chunks

4 shallots

salt and pepper

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 tbsp of butter

drizzle of olive oil

a small bunch of fresh tarragon

200g of mushrooms

1 big glass of white wine

1/2 cup of cream

Start by melting the butter with the olive oil. Fry the chicken chunks in batches, already seasoned with salt, pepper and the lemon juice. Set aside.

In the same juices, gently fry the shallots until transparent, then add the mushrooms. Leave for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Return the chicken to the pan and add the wine. Mix it all well and let the chicken get completely cooked. Finish with the cream and the fresh herbs. Serve with plain rice and a side salad. Done!

2010-04-09T14:08:00.002+01:00

Sun is shining and we are heading for summer!

All exciting fruits, vegetables, herbs are starting to appear. Sowing. Planting. I love this bit as much as I love cooking (and eating!)!

Last night was mild enough, so we decided to have a light dinner. Here is what we had with crusty bread, butter and a bottle of beer.

Heat a shallow pot (one that has a lid). Fry, with no added fat, half a good quality chorizo, and a cup full of bacon cut into lardons size. You could use panceta or a streaky bacon, but i think they are to fat for this, so just chop some rashers. When they start to get golden, add a finely chopped onion, 2 chopped garlic cloves, and a tiny bit of green chili. Keep stiring until all is golden. Add about 3 cups of garden peas. Stir all together. Check seasoning at this stage and add salt and pepper to taste. Create a little well and break an egg into it. Repeat process with as many eggs as you want. We had 2 each. Drop a knob of butter, reduce the heat and cover, without siring until the eggs are cooked to your liking. Finish with fresh chopped mint.

Delicious!

2010-04-02T11:23:00.002+01:00

And for special occasions, special treats...... Why only eating the eggs, if you can eat the nests as well?

HAPPY EASTER EVERYBODY!

2010-04-01T18:05:00.008+01:00

Yesterday was market day. We are increasing our stock on display by adding more jams, jellys, chutney and other preserves, all deliciously homemade by Kate. Meanwhile, this week, we were making these. We specially selected spices, herbs(from our garden!) and oils for you to use in your culinary adventures. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

2010-03-22T10:03:00.004Z

I was taking care of our herb garden yesterday, so i thought i could share some use for these wonderful smells and tastes with you.

Rack of spring lamb with aromatic salad

Rack of lamb (allow at least 3 chops per person)

Salt

Pepper

Lemon Thyme

Rosemary

2 tbsp Olive oil

2 tbsp Butter

Rub the rack of lamb with all the ingredients above expect the butter. Place on a pipping hot frying pan. Get it golden all sides. Set aside. After resting for 10 minutes, protect the end of the bones with a little bit of tin foil, to prevent them from burning in the oven.

On the same pan you were using, melt the butter and baste the lamb. Put in the oven @ 180C for about 25 minutes per pound. I like mine pink, but you can cook it for longer if you prefer.

For the salad:

Gem lettuce

Radicchio

Endive

A big bunch of fresh coriander

Fresh chives

Spring onions, chopped

a tiny bit of fresh ginger

Mix all together. At the last minute make a vinagrette with 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar, for every 3 tbsp of good olive oil. Add seasoning and serve with the delicious lamb, that was resting for another 5 minutes and carved into beautiful pink and moist chops.

Spring is here!

2010-03-16T09:07:00.001Z

Update on the salted cod

Great news! We got more from Portugal and it's a good one! Place your orders!

2010-03-15T15:42:00.004Z

HAPPY PADDY'S DAY!

Here's our recipe to celebrate it! It's not Irish, but it's "green"!

Green Pasta

You can pick whatever pasta you like but i generally use a spinach linguine. It can be vegetarian (if you omit the bacon), and it's really tasty and so quick, that we sometimes do it for lunch!

Follow the packet instructions to cook the pasta. Season the water with a little bit of salt. Drain.

Meanwhile, on a shallow pan, get a good drizzle of olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic (chopped), half a green chili (chopped) and a big bunch of spinach (don't forget they shrink a lot!). Saute until cooked. Add garden peas and a cup of crispy pancetta. Bring in the pasta, stir and finish with a good knob of butter,a few pine nuts and freshly ground black pepper. Delicious!

Variations: You can add on whatever vegetables you like, but i think that sometimes keeping it simple is the secret. You can serve it with a tablespoon of Parmesan over the top.

2010-03-09T11:59:00.000Z

This week's markets:

Mespil Road this Thursday!

Place your orders and see you there!

2010-03-09T11:46:00.002Z

It's still cold, but the sunny spring days are starting to inspire me for outdoor cooking. Love the stuff! The barbecue flavours, the smells (the great the advantage of very little washing up:0)) and siting by the fire afterwards enjoying a glass of wine are always relaxing and pleasant.

So, I know it's early days, but here goes a healthy, simple one for the barbie.

Spicy chicken kebabs

( I'm not putting any quantities on this one, because it's all about seasoning, and how strong do you like it, it's really up to you)

Chicken breast (if too big slice then in little pieces, as you want them to cook through without burning)

Sea salt

Pepper

Garlic (I like it a lot, but a milder way of using it is roasting it first and spread the sweet garlic on the chicken)

Red Chili

Fresh Coriander

Bay leaf

Olive Oil (generously)

Put all the seasoning into a pestle and mortar. Spread over the chicken and let it marinated for at least 2 hours. Assemble the skewers (if using disposable timber ones, make sure you had them in water for half an hour, for them not to burn). Grill on a low fire and keep basting with the marinate.

Serve with crusty bread and green herb salad.

Open the beer and enjoy!

(Ah! We're getting there!)

Ps. I wouldn't dare telling you how to cook a full spatchcock chicken because of cooking times. If you want to try it, you have to come over in summer!

2010-03-04T08:41:00.003Z

The favourite

We are happy to say that we are sold out on salted cod for a couple of weeks. Those of you who have placed orders are fine! But no more for the moment, please. We will post here as soon as we get some from the motherland (which should be in 2 weeks). Try our other stuff! It's all delicious!

Happy days!

2010-03-01T09:33:00.002Z

This week's markets:

Wednesday - Spencer Dock

Thursday - Mespil Road.

See you guys there.

2010-03-01T09:30:00.002Z

Big week starting.

Loads to do! 2 markets. 2 Dinners. A few orders. But, isn't this why we started it in the first place?

Sun is charging the batteries.

Ready! Steady! Go!

To Start: Puff pastry! Here I go....

2010-02-25T08:42:00.004Z

This is for my Friend Gosia. She's trying our recipes in Far Far Away.

(I thought you would like this!)

Portuguese Fish Stew (Caldeirada)

My Grandad used to be an expert on this one. I remember watching the boats coming a shore in front of our beach house in Portugal. Small boats. It was night time, I don't know, 10 pm or so. You would start to see torches on the beach and we would run to see the cows pulling the nets with all types of fish jumping and getting full of sand. This was very sustainable, and of a very small scale. This fishing method meant you would end up with all the different kinds of fish, so the fishermen came up with this stew. Simple flavours. A mixture of sea and land. There are several versions of this recipe, so here is mine. (Please note that this makes a massive quantity to feed a whole family on a summer Sunday! Downscale, if you want!)

1 Kg of fish (an assortment of white fish like monkfish, etc)

0,5 Kg of other seafood (like squid, prawns, etc. It depends on what you like)

0,5 kg of really good tomatoes, sliced in rings

0,3 kg of different colour peppers, sliced in rings

0,3 Kg of onions, sliced in rings

1 Kg of boiling potatoes, also sliced

loads of fresh parsley

a couple of bay leaves

good olive oil, about 150 ml

white wine, generously over everything

salt and pepper (and you can add a chili, if you like the heat)

Pick up a good casserole pot and start with a layer of onions, then the fish, then the seafood, then the tomatoes, then the peppers, then the potatoes. Season and add some parsley. Pour a bit of olive oil. Repeat the process until you run out of ingredients, finishing with a layer of potatoes and parsley. Pour the white wine over everything and a bit more olive oil. Put on the stove on a low to medium heat for about an hour and let the flavours mix. DO NOT STIR. Steam will go up and juices will come down, bringing wonderful aromas to the kitchen. Keep it covered at all times. Once the potatoes on top are cooked, you are ready to go. Serve it with crusty bread and soak it on the juices to clean your plate!

I love it!

2010-02-22T18:20:00.004Z

Time has passed. New events. New clients. New contacts.

We were even featured in the newspaper! How Exciting!

Massive learning curve in what regards business. The cooking? We'll..... It's a pleasure, as always! This weekend, we decided to take a break. What did I do? Cooked! Had a great Saturday with friends. We shop together, we cook together, we eat and drink together! Food is a celebration with the ones we really care about. It's not only fuel! It's an experience to all senses. And it's bonding. To friends. To family.

We are so lucky we can provide these moments all the time!

See you all soon.

2010-02-05T12:21:00.007Z

As promised!

Got an order of one of the most Portuguese tastes you can find.... "Caldo Verde"

It's a really simple soup. Traditionally from the country side in Portugal, it's great in winter, or in a cool summer night, at 2 or 3 in morning, after some sardines on the barbecue, fresh tomato salad, corn bread, and of course, a few glasses of wine!

So here it goes:

CALDO VERDE

1 litre of water

500g peeled potatoes

1 onion

3 tbsp olive oil

Salt

Mix all and bring to the boil until cooked. Blend.

Meanwhile get a savoy cabbage (original recipe is with Couve Galega, a Portuguese variety, but you can't find it here.) Shred it finely. Add to your broth until cooked, but leave it al dente. Finally slice some chourico, and add just before serving, with an extra drizzle of a really good olive oil. It's delicious with a slice of corn bread.

Enjoy!

2010-02-02T19:26:00.002Z

Apologies for the absence of recipes....

We've been planning more upcoming events. As, you know, we are back on the markets, so will hopefully see you there. The recipe will have to wait till Friday, ok? These things can't be rushed, if made proper! :0)

2010-01-27T11:18:00.003Z

A really Portuguese Chicken and Chourico (this is how we spell it in Portuguese) Pie! Thanks a lot Kate and Brian, we couldn't have done it without you!

2010-01-27T11:17:00.003Z

And, yes..... This is us! Very proud!

2010-01-27T11:12:00.003Z

The Portuguese Tourism then invited about 60 people for a Portuguese dinner in an Irish Pub. The venue was The Duke in Duke Street, an old school, authentic pub. We thought it was a great idea, as it gave everybody the chance to combine traditions of both worlds.

We, of course, were in charge of the food!

2010-01-27T11:08:00.003Z

And here is some of the Taste of Portugal..... These were the savoury trays. They vanished pretty quick! Yummy! Thanks Nancy and Ze for inviting us to participate!

2010-01-27T11:07:00.004Z

I have to say that the Portuguese stand was really impressive! One of the best I've seen!

2010-01-27T10:54:00.003Z

Holiday World - RDS

It was a great success. Giving a little taste of Portugal on a Holiday Fair was a great idea!

We had fun, meeting loads of people and the Portuguese fingerfood and sweets went down a treat! Hope to do it again next year! Here are a few photos.

2010-01-21T20:09:00.004Z

And this week recipe is........Something sweet!

We actually did this today. It's very Portuguese. Moorish and sweet.

Carrot swirls

500g carrot peeled, cooked, mashed and dry.

500g sugar

5 eggs

125g self raising flour

Mix the carrots with the sugar. Add the egg yolks and mix. Add the flour. Separately, beat the egg whites until soft peaks. Fold into the mixture. Put into a lined baking tray at 180 degrees for 25 minutes. As soon as you take it out of the oven have a baking sheet ready with caster sugar and cinnamon. Place the cake and sprinkle with some more cinnamon. Roll it as a Swiss roll while still really hot.

Slice it when cold and put the kettle on for that cup of tea! It's moist, sweet and melts in your mouth...

Enjoy!

2010-01-16T16:01:00.003Z

More news....

We are happy to say that we are supplying a taste of Portugal on the HOLIDAY WORLD fair in the RDS next friday, saturday and sunday (22, 23 and 24 January 2010). The fair is full of fun competitions and ideas for going away (and, if nothing else, you get to try our goodies!). So get out there and visit the Portuguese Tourism Stand.

See you all there!

2010-01-16T15:44:00.004Z

NEW YEAR'S SCHEDULE

Dear Friends, Family and Customers

We have now booked the first markets for the beginning of 2010.

If you want to find us, or collect any orders here is where we are going to be:

(for orders, please give us 2 days notice, as we prefer making everything fresh)

- Starting on Wednesday, 27th January we are going to be on East Point Market, repeating every 2 weeks (for more info on location www.irishvillagemarkets.ie)

-Starting on Thursday, 28th January we are going to be on Mespil Road Market, repeating every 2 weeks (for more info on location www.irishfarmersmarkets.ie)

- Staring on Wednesday, 3rd February we are going to be on Spencer Dock Market, repeating every 2 weeks (for more information on location www.irishvillagemarkets.ie)

- Starting on Thursday, 4th February we are going to be on Harcourt Street Market, repeating every 2 weeks (for more information on location www.irishfarmersmarkets.ie)

- Starting on Saturday, 13th February we are going to be on Dalkey Market, repeating every 2 weeks (for more information on location www.irishfarmersmarkets.ie)

So, it's very simple, from the 27th we are going to be on the streets every wednesday and thursday, alternating markets every fortnight. Wednesdays is northside and thursdays, southside. Saturdays are starting in mid February, also every fortnight.

We are also very happy to confirm that in April we are going to participate in the biggest street market in Dublin - The Village Point Market, and we are going to be there every weekend, saturdays and sundays, for at least a month.

Hope to see you all soon.

2010-01-13T13:13:00.004Z

This weeks recipe (late, but here we go....)

Fresh salmon cakes

200 g cooked salmon

300g boiled and mashed potatoes

a big bunch of parsley

1 egg + 1 egg yolk

salt and pepper

2 eggs and dried breadcrumbs for coating

vegetable oil

Mix the first five ingredients really well. Make 8 cakes. Coat. Shallow fry. Serve with basmati rice and soy sauce pak Choi. Enjoy!

This is a great recipe to use leftovers of potatoes or salmon, if you had a poached one on a party the day before.

2010-01-05T16:45:00.003Z

We have finally emailed a list of Portuguese delicious meals we can supply to you. If, by any reason, you didn't get this list, please email us.

We are working on a way to have a link to that list here.

Very soon we will be sending an Irish version.

2010-01-04T17:07:00.009Z

New Year! New Ideas!

One thing that we are going to start regularly here is posting at least one recipe every monday. Many times, i'm sure, i will be cooking it for dinner myself. It's winter, just after christmas, it's cold and it's monday, so nobody feels like a lot of work in the kitchen.

My version of a LAMB HOT POT

400g of lamb meat (I prefer the neck, but if you can't find it, some chops will do the trick)

400g of potatoes peeled and sliced

200g of onions

80g butter

200ml of chicken stock

salt and pepper

a little bit of flour

Season the lamb and dust generously with flour. Prepare the potatoes and peel and slice the onions in rings.

Assemble layer by layer, in a oven proof pot (one that has a lid) starting with onions and finishing with potatoes, nicely arranged on top. Pour the stock, season with salt and pepper and put the butter in cubes on top. Close and take to a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for 45 minutes. Take the lid of and leave in the oven for another 10 minutes or until you have a golden potato crust. You can serve it with some minty green beans on the side.

Tastes absolutly delicious with very little work! (The oven does it for you!!) It's wintery and homemade. Enjoy!

2010-01-04T16:30:00.002Z

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!
Apologies for the absence, but Christmas was busy for all of us, which i suppose, is GREAT news. Hope you all had a great one.

Anyway, just a quick note to let you that we're back from the holiday season and we are preparing new and delicious treats for both the markets and events. We are going low fat, high fibre, detox on the markets, but always with a sweet tooth for these winter days.

On the events, we'll keep you posted and we are also releasing orders price lists soon. So keep in touch!

2009-12-15T18:18:00.005Z

BOLO REI (King's Cake)

It is meant to represent the crown of the three wise Kings. The jewells are all there and the taste is divine. The recipe comes from long, long time ago! Have a taste....

2009-12-15T18:01:00.004Z

New dates!!!

After the big success that was Baggot Street last week, we were reviewing our dates, so here they are:

Thursday 17 - Harcourt Street

Friday 18 - Clondalkin

Saturday 19 - Dalkey

Monday 21 - Clondalkin

Drop us an email or a phone call with your order and collect it in Harcourt Street/ Dalkey. Hope to see you all at some stage!

Always Baking with Love.......

2009-12-08T10:31:00.002Z

Dublin Zoo Market.

It was coolllllddddd! But here is a tasty display for kids! The nephews said it looked like "Charlie and the Chocolate factory"! Sweet!

2009-12-08T10:22:00.002Z

And there it was......another dinner!

Lovely, moist roast shoulder of pork with apple sauce and crispy potatoes.....

A wintery apple crumble to finish.

Great times...

2009-12-03T19:18:00.001Z

These are gourgeos for the festive season! And they taste great too! Pick coloured packs of six and your kids will be delighted!

2009-12-03T19:16:00.001Z

This is a real treat on a cold day....

Hot Chocolate on a stick! Come and taste it or take it home!

2009-12-03T19:14:00.000Z

Banana and walnut.................

2009-12-03T19:12:00.001Z

Apple and Cinnamon...................

2009-12-03T19:10:00.000Z

Chocolate....................

2009-12-03T18:45:00.005Z

Sorry.....

We've been sooooooo busy baking we didn't have time to come here to talk to you!

Will post some pictures of the goodies in a Christmas Market next to you. We did Harcourt Street today. It was cold but very good! Portuguese tarts go down a treat. And if you want to order them, please do! You know our email and you can collect at any of the markets! We also make a lovely full King's cake for you for 15 euro only.

Now.... The dates you have been looking for are:

- 10 Dec - Harcourt Street

- 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20 - Dublin Zoo (all weekends till Christmas)

- 15, 16, 18, 21 - Clondalkin

Hope to see you some time soon.

Made by Hand Baked with Love

2009-11-18T21:56:00.004Z

Made some fantastic Tomato and Cinnamon Jam and a CLASSIC Apple Chutney today!

Finally bought the table and the gazebo for the markets! The marvelous world of eBay! Let's see if it really works. Trying to get a chest freezer somewhere, but it's prooving hard. But all and all, things are moving forward....

The big news is that all markets are booked for the Christmas season now, so I will let you know shortly. To start, hope to see you all in Philsborough on the 27th or the 28th November (behind Tesco). It's indoors, so even if the weather doesn't help, come along and check us out! We'll have loads of delicious stuff!

LadyBird

Made by Hand. Baked with Love.

2009-11-13T12:37:00.001Z

Isn't she soooooooo cute??!

2009-11-13T12:31:00.005Z

And here are the WORLD FAMOUS Portuguese custard tarts! Made by "moi"!

Made some today and they turned out great. I have to say I have mastered the pastry now. And it's not that difficult! You have to make it yourself to get the extra cripiness!

Now it's time for a few more jars of Homemade Mincemeat for those cracking Mince Pies. I'll post some pictures as soon as I see the result.

2009-11-13T12:26:00.003Z

Here are some results of the Jam the other day!

The Asian Market Chillies are really HoT! But I think it is delicious this year.

2009-11-11T20:26:00.005Z

Farmer's markets

Finally got through to someone in charge in the farmer's markets! It's been difficult but we'll get there....Meeting on Friday.

Went shopping for all the displays and found great things! I could loose my mind in buying this kind of stuff. I know that the falor is what matters, but presentation is very important. Appeal to all senses, they say..... I'm a great believer of that! Still missing a few things. Trying to get set up for tomorrow week. Will let you know.

Here we are!

2009-11-09T16:38:00.001Z

Hello all!

Here's the start of something good!

This page will give updates on the markets that the Ladybird is doing, new events, and most of all, easy recipes for you to follow!

All coming very, very soon.....

LadyBird!

Made by hand

Baked with Love.