Ballyknocken Cookery School
Catherine Fulvio
Cookery Demonstration
Tullamore Show
Sunday 9th August 2015
Vegetable Stir Fry with Ginger & Hazelnuts, Shallot Sesame Rice
Creamy Pesto Chicken Penne
Beef Lettuce Cups
In conjunction with Offaly & Westmeath County Council
“Stop Food Waste Challenge”.
This challenges participants to reduce their food waste by ¼.
The main areas covered in the challenge are:
1. Know your waste
2. Planning and shopping
3. Storage, serving and reuse
4. Composting
And remember you can follow Catherine for her latest twips on twitter @CFulvio or on Facebook at
Catherine Fulvio
Ballyknocken House & Cookery School, Glenealy, Ashford, Co. Wicklow. 1
Telephone: 0404-44627
Email: info@thecookeryschool.ie
www.thecookeryschool.ie www.ballyknocken.com www.catherinefulvio.com
Ballyknocken Cookery School
Vegetable Stir Fry with Ginger & Hazelnuts, Shallot Sesame Rice
Serves 4
This is my easy midweek “go to” recipe when I have excess vegetables from the garden or you can
use up extras that are sold in those twin packs like the pak choi, red chillies, courgettes and the
likes. Prepare the rice first and then have all your ingredients ready for the stir fry because once
you start the cooking of the stir fry there is no time to start chopping peppers and onions!
4 spring onions, finely sliced diagonally
1 red chilli, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
3cm fresh root ginger, grated
½ tsp Chinese five spice
1 tbsp. hoisin sauce
1½ to 2 tbsp. soy sauce (or to taste)
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 large pak choi, chopped
A very generous handful of baby spinach, washed
1 to 2 tbsp. water
3 tbsp. toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
Rapeseed oil
Heat a large wok with some oil.
Add the spring onions and stir fry for 1 minute before adding the chilli and garlic, ginger and the
Chinese five spice and cook for a further 1 minute.
Add the hoisin sauce, some soy sauce, peppers and stems of the pak choi, water and stir-fry until the
vegetables are just tender.
Stir in the leaves of the pak choi and spinach, allow to wilt, check for seasoning, adding more soy
sauce to taste.
Spoon the shallot sesame rice into 4 serving bowls and divide the vegetable stir fry between 4
bowls.
Sprinkle over the toasted hazelnuts and serve immediately.
Tip: Keep your little pieces of fresh ginger in the freezer and just grate them into your dishes – no
wastage at all.
Ballyknocken House & Cookery School, Glenealy, Ashford, Co. Wicklow. 2
Telephone: 0404-44627
Email: info@thecookeryschool.ie
www.thecookeryschool.ie www.ballyknocken.com www.catherinefulvio.com
Ballyknocken Cookery School
Shallot Sesame Rice
Serves 4
It is just fine to use cups when measuring rice as long as you use the same size cup for the rice and
stock as well.
1½ tbsp. rapeseed oil
4 shallots, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1½ cups jasmine or basmati rice, well rinsed
2¼ cups chicken stock
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
2 tbsp. chopped coriander or parsley
Heat the oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add the shallots and garlic and sauté until just beginning to lightly brown, about 2 minutes.
Add the rice, stock and salt.
Bring the rice to the boil and then reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer until rice is
tender and liquid is absorbed – this should take about 18 minutes.
Fluff the rice with a fork and add the sesame seeds and coriander or parsley just before serving with
the stir fry.
Tip: Add ½ tsp turmeric or even a pinch of five spice to the rice when cooking. Sautéed red onions
or even leeks are really delicious stirred into the rice for a change and that will use up those half
leeks or red onions that you have sitting in the fridge.
Ballyknocken House & Cookery School, Glenealy, Ashford, Co. Wicklow. 3
Telephone: 0404-44627
Email: info@thecookeryschool.ie
www.thecookeryschool.ie www.ballyknocken.com www.catherinefulvio.com
Ballyknocken Cookery School
Creamy Pesto Chicken Penne
Serves 4
There’s always leftover vegetables, chicken and pasta and it all blends so well together with a
homemade white sauce or even using a soft cream cheese, some vegetable stock, loads of seasoning
and herbs and there you have a quick wholesome family meal in no time!
300g penne pasta
1 onion, finely chopped
½ medium courgette, grated
4 tbsp. basil pesto
A generous handful baby spinach leaves
250g cooked roast chicken, roughly shredded
100g leftover cooked carrots and / or peas
For the sauce
50g butter
50g flour
450ml milk (or half milk and half vegetable stock)
1 tsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard
4 tbsp. cheddar cheese, grated
4 tbsp. breadcrumbs
1 tbsp. chopped parsley
Rapeseed oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Cook the pasta according to the pacakge instructions.
Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/gas 4.
Heat a medium saucepan with some oil over a medium heat and sauté the onion and courgette until
softened and set aside.
To make the sauce, melt the butter and flour together and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring all the
time.
Gradually stir in the milk and stir until the sauce thickens.
Add the mustard and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Firstly, mix the cooked pasta with the white sauce.
Ballyknocken House & Cookery School, Glenealy, Ashford, Co. Wicklow. 4
Telephone: 0404-44627
Email: info@thecookeryschool.ie
www.thecookeryschool.ie www.ballyknocken.com www.catherinefulvio.com
Ballyknocken Cookery School
Spoon the basil pesto into the sauce and mix well. Check the seasoning, adding salt and freshly
ground black pepper if required
Sprinkle the spinach leaves over the base of the oven proof dish, season with freshly ground black
pepper and spoon over the cooked onion and courgette.
Add the chicken and leftover carrots and / or peas.
Pour over the pasta sauce mixture.
Sprinkle over the cheese, breadcrumbs and chopped parsley.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
Tip: Make your own breadcrumbs by just blending the leftover stale pieces of bread and then
keeping in a sealed bag in the freezer. Add chopped herbs like thyme and parsley to the bag and you
can use it straight from the freezer for the topping – how convenient is that!
Ballyknocken House & Cookery School, Glenealy, Ashford, Co. Wicklow. 5
Telephone: 0404-44627
Email: info@thecookeryschool.ie
www.thecookeryschool.ie www.ballyknocken.com www.catherinefulvio.com
Ballyknocken Cookery School
Beef Lettuce Cups
Serves 4
This is a great way to use up lettuce, tortillas or pitta and ideal for the summer as a healthy snack
or for dinner. It’s also very versatile, I use mince chicken, pork or even turkey as the filling.
For the filling
300g lean minced beef (or pork, chicken or turkey)
4 spring onions, thinly sliced diagonally
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ red chilli, finely sliced
1 tbsp. hot chilli sauce
1½ tbsp. nam pla (fish sauce)
4 tbsp. vegetable stock
Rapeseed oil
Freshly ground black pepper
For the salad topping
5 radishes, sliced
2 medium carrots, coarsely grated
½ cucumber, peeled into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
2 tbsp. flat parsley leaves
180ml rice vinegar
3 tbsp. caster sugar
1 lime, zest and juice
1 tsp salt
1 iceberg (or 2 baby gem) lettuce, leaves separated and rinsed, to serve
3 tbsp. bean sprouts, to serve
To prepare the filling, heat a large frying pan with a little oil over a medium heat and add the
minced beef, brown the beef before adding the spring onions, garlic, chilli and chilli sauce.
Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add a little freshly ground black pepper.
Add the nam pla and stock and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time and
checking the seasoning, adding a little ground black pepper and nam pla if needed.
The filling should not have too much liquid – if there is, simmer until fairly dry.
To make the salad, add all the vegetables to a bowl.
Whisk the rice vinegar, caster sugar, lime juice and zest and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk until the
sugar has dissolved.
Ballyknocken House & Cookery School, Glenealy, Ashford, Co. Wicklow. 6
Telephone: 0404-44627
Email: info@thecookeryschool.ie
www.thecookeryschool.ie www.ballyknocken.com www.catherinefulvio.com
Ballyknocken Cookery School
Pour the dressing over the vegetable and leave for 20 minutes.
When you are ready to serve, arrange the lettuce leaves out on a large pretty platter. Place 2
tablespoons of the warm beef filling into each lettuce leaf.
Using tongs, add some salad on top of the beef and then top with bean sprouts.
Serve immediately.
Tip: To serve these in pitas, slice the toasted pita in half, add the beef filling, the salad and top with
the bean sprout and then spoon a lightly sweet chilli mayo on top. To make the mayonnaise – 4 tbsp.
of homemade mayo or use up the mayo in the jar in the fridge and add 1 tbsp. of sweet chilli dipping
sauce (you’ll have that leftover as well!) and then a squeeze of lime juice and a twist of freshly
ground black pepper. There you’ll have an easy casual meal.
Ballyknocken House & Cookery School, Glenealy, Ashford, Co. Wicklow. 7
Telephone: 0404-44627
Email: info@thecookeryschool.ie
www.thecookeryschool.ie www.ballyknocken.com www.catherinefulvio.com