Make the best of your isolation with these delicious snacks from Ballymaloe Foods 

Working from home during this coronavirus outbreak is a mixed bag for people. There are certainly times when some people relish the slower pace of life and the added family time, others are struggling with the disconnection with daily life, the lack of routine and the workload. Either way, with so many affected by government-mandated COVID-19 restrictions, it’s important to find enjoyment in the little things, make good food choices to nourish our  body and minds.

Maxine Hyde of Ballymaloe foods said: “We are ALL short on time right now. Eating well often gets put aside, replaced by fast food, or no food (followed later by eating a huge dinner, and high sugar snacks.) Looming deadlines are no excuse for horrible lunches. Long days at home call for some delicious comfort food. We’ve created  quick, simple and tasty recipes that are perfect to keep the family happy.”

At Ballymaloe Foods, we’re on a mission to help you create meals that are : convenient, nutritious and tasty that the kids will love. That’s why we’ve compiled five of our easiest and most favourite lunch time recipes to get you through the tedium of remote working.

In the spirit of convenience these are all quick to assemble so if you’ve got little ones around, take the time to arrange, cook and eat together.

  1. Club Sandwich  
  2. Superfood Wrap 
  3. Baked Potato with grated cheese and relish 
  4. Homemade Sausage Roll 
  5. Relish Muffins 

Club Sandwich 

  • 1 chicken breast cooked
  • 8 pieces of crispy streaky bacon
  • lettuce
  • 1 tbsp Ballymaloe Relish
  • 1 tbsp Mayonnaise
  • 6 slices country white loaf

Instructions

  1. Grilled chicken works well in this recipe or you can use leftover roast chicken if you prefer. Cook the bacon on a griddle pan. Cut the chicken into slices. Toast or griddle the bread.
  2. To assemble the club sandwich, spread the first piece of bread with mayo, and then add lettuce, 2 pieces of crispy bacon, a few slices of chicken and top with Ballymaloe Relish.
  3. For the second layer add another piece of toast spread with mayo, top with lettuce, 2 pieces of crispy bacon, a few slices of chicken, some Ballymaloe Relish and top with the final piece of toast. Cut on the diagonal. Slices of crisp cucumber are a nice addition here.

Superfood Wrap

  • celery
  • Iceberg lettuce
  • Feta cheese
  • Grated carrot
  • Ballymaloe Irish Beetroot
  • Chunky hummus
  • Baby spinach
  • A little sunflower oil
  • avocado
  • Ballymaloe Honey & Mustard Dressing

Instructions

  1. Chop up the celery and iceberg lettuce, then wash them thoroughly.
  2. Cut the Feta cheese into cubes, slice the avocado, grate the carrot and drain the Ballymaloe Irish Beetroot.
  3. This Superfood Wrap is so super it should really have its own cape! Instead, it’ll have to settle for a generous dollop of Ballymaloe Honey & Mustard Dressing!
  4. To assemble the wrap, spread the hummus first and then pop everything else on top!
  5. Shake your Ballymaloe Honey & Mustard Dressing well and then generously pour over the wrap.
  6. Roll up, cut on the diagonal and enjoy!

Baked Potato with grated cheese and relish 

  • A large potato (Golden Wonder or Records are good)
  • salt and pepper
  • A handfull of grated cheddar
  • A sprinkle of finely sliced spring onions
  • Ballymaloe Relish
  • Some fresh green leaves
  • Ballymaloe French Dressing

Instructions

  1. A baked potato is easy peasy to do. So for those who can’t cook at all, this is a good one to start with. It’s this simple: turn on the oven to 180ºC/gas 4. Scrub the potato, prick it with a knife and put it in the oven. Wait for about an hour (this depends on the size of the spud) and when it’s soft in the center it’s ready. With the point of a sharp knife cut a large cross, a few centimeters deep, on the top.
  2. Open the potato on a plate, season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, add a knob of butter, sprinkle with a little cheddar cheese and spring onions, pop a spoon of Ballymaloe Relish on top. Serve with a green salad drizzled with a little Ballymaloe French Dressing. That’s it! Once this is mastered and you’re looking for a greater challenge, add a few crisp lardons of bacon or some avocado.

Homemade Sausage Roll 

For the Sausage Rolls

  • 450g minced pork
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1-2 tsp thyme, marjoram, basil and rosemary, mixed and chopped
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 150g soft breadcrumbs
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the pastry

  • 300g (10oz) puff pastry
  • Ballymaloe Original Relish
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • A little milk

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Combine all the ingredients for the sausages together and mix well. Fry a little of the mixture in a pan to check the seasoning, adjust if necessary.
  2. On a floured work surface, roll the pastry out into a big rectangle, a little thicker than a one euro coin, and cut lengthways into two long, even rectangles. You can spread a thin layer of Ballymaloe Relish along the two rectangles.
  3. Roll the sausage mixture into sausage shapes with your hands and lay along the centre of each rectangle. Mix the egg and milk and brush the pastry with the mixture, then fold one side of the pastry over, wrapping the filling inside. Press down with your fingers or the edge of a spoon to seal.
  4. Cut the long rolls into the sizes you want and space them out on a baking tray. Brush with the rest of the egg wash and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until puffed, golden and cooked through. Serve with Ballymaloe Relish.

Relish Muffins:

  • 375 g self raising flour
  • 140 g Ballymaloe Original Relish or Ballymaloe Jalapeno Pepper Relish, plus extra to serve
  • 300 g finely sliced /chopped prosciutto or ham
  • 1 cup wild garlic leaves or baby spinach chopped
  • 1/4 cup chives chopped
  • 180 g cheddar grated
  • 125 ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 250 ml milk
  • 2 Eggs whisked
  • sea salt and cracked black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Place the flour, relish, prosciutto, wild garlic, chive, cheddar, oil, milk, eggs, salt and pepper in a large bowl and mix until just combined.
  2. Divide the mixture between 12 x ½-cup-capacity (125ml) lightly greased muffin tins lined with paper cases and cook for 25 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
  3. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve with the extra Ballymaloe Relish. Makes 12.

     

ABOUT BALLYMALOE FOODS 

In 1990, Yasmin Hyde began producing Ballymaloe Relish in her kitchen, using her mother, Myrtle Allen’s, recipe. Since then, the family-run business has been on the exciting journey of bringing delicious tasting products to kitchens all over the world. It continues to  grow and now produces a range of relishes, sauces and pickles in their purpose built kitchens located in Little Island, County Cork. Ballymaloe Foods has always been a progressive company in the areas of lean manufacturing, low water usage, recycling, community support and renewable energy.

www.ballymaloefoods.ie