cheese Archives

Steak recipes

Pan-fried steaks with blue cheese and sun-dried-tomato butter

15 minutes (7 minutes a side, depending on the thickness of the steaks)

Aliums

Leek, red onion & Knockanore Oakwood Smoked Farmhouse Cheese salad

5 minutes

Knockanore smoked cheese & tuna toasty

5 minutes

Freefold tomato-and-goats cheese tarts

Burst blueberry compote and soft cheese

15 – 20 minutes

Angel food cake with beetroot icing and dried pomegranate

45 minutes

Italian meatballs

30 minutes

Italian meatballs

Serves 6

Difficulty Easy

Prep Time 30 minutes, plus 1 hour chilling time

Cooking Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

4 T extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
500 g lean beef mince
250 g ricotta cheese
50 g breadcrumbs
1 free-range egg
Zest of ½ lemon
3 t ground fennel seeds
½ t freshly ground black pepper
2 t sea salt
30 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
10 large fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
¾ cup canola oil
Crusty ciabatta, for serving
Chianti, for serving

For the Napoletana sauce:

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, very finely chopped
1 sweet red pepper, very finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 litre tomato purée (I like using the POMI brand)
Sea salt, to taste
½ t black pepper
15 large fresh basil leaves, chopped

Method

In a pan over a medium to low heat, heat the olive oil and gently fry the onion until soft and golden. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Transfer to a mixing bowl and allow to cool.

Add the remaining ingredients (except the canola oil, ciabatta and Chianti) to the oniongarlic mixture and mix well by hand. Chill for 1 hour, then, using your hands, roll into 50 g balls.

In a large pan over a medium heat, heat the canola oil and, when hot, fry the meatballs (taking mcare not to overcrowd the pan) until evenly browned.

Transfer the meatballs to a saucepan containing 1.2 litres of gently simmering Napoletana sauce and cook for 12 minutes. Serve immediately with ciabatta and a glass of Chianti.

To make the Napoletana sauce: In a saucepan over a medium to low heat, heat the olive oil and gently fry the onion and red pepper until soft and lightly browned.

Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato purée and seasoning and simmer gently for 20 minutes, covered but stirring occasionally. Finally, stir through the basil and remove from the heat.

Giovanni’s notes: This recipe also makes a delicious sauce for freshly cooked penne or spaghetti served with grated Parmesan. The meatballs can be made into 10 g little balls and served with spaghetti. The kids love it.

Easy, butter-roasted tomato-and-sausage spaghetti

Sweetcorn tamarind soup

Pork cacciatore

Toasted quesadillas with crispy bacon and cheese

Pan-fried steaks with blue cheese and sun-dried-tomato butter

Leek, red onion & Knockanore Oakwood Smoked Farmhouse Cheese salad

Knockanore smoked cheese & tuna toasty

Freefold tomato-and-goats cheese tarts

Quick cheese straws

Burst blueberry compote and soft cheese

Angel food cake with beetroot icing and dried pomegranate

Caprice de dieux trio

Easy berry cheesecakes

Bite-size tarts

Italian meatballs

Italian meatballs

Ingredients

Method