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Shatter: Garda chief told me about WallaceEmbattled Justice Minister Alan Shatter said the Garda commissioner gave him details about TD Mick Wallace escaping penalty points and that he publicly revealed it to defend the integrity of the force.
Panicked last minutes aboard the Tit Bonhomme revealed at inquest Rarely has a voice ever carried so much panic.
- WORLD
Horror and heroism as tornado wreaks havocThe search for survivors and the dead in the Oklahoma City suburb raked by a massive tornado was almost complete last night.
Chile miner happy to be played by Banderas in filmAntonio Banderas will star in a movie as one of the 33 Chilean miners trapped deep underground for more than two months in 2010, and the charismatic survivor he's playing couldn't be happier.
- BUSINESS
Smooth exit from bailout forecastIreland is heading for a smooth exit from the bailout programme as GDP grows — delivering a huge political and reputational reward for the country, according to the latest Ernst & Young Economic Eye.
Glanbia’s Talbot first woman to take helm at a major Irish food companySiobhan Talbot is set to succeed John Moloney as group managing director of Glanbia, at the end of this year — becoming the first woman to head up a major Irish food company.
- SPORT
Deegan in dock over advantage ruleArmagh's Jamie Clarke has cleared Paul Grimley of all responsibility for Sunday's defeat by Cavan, but questioned referee Maurice Deegan's decision not to allow him advantage in scoring his second-half disallowed goal.
One more year and that’s it, insists O’DriscollBrian O'Driscoll has ruled out extending his career beyond next June.
- LIFESTYLE
Tyranny of the majorityIn the play An Enemy of the People, one man stands for right, says Pádraic Killeen.
Opening a can of wormsThe UN thinks it's a good idea, but what do the Irish think of eating creepy crawlies, wonders Jonathan deBurca Butler.
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One list, five meals: White Bean and Thyme Stew
MONDAY
A dash of olive oil
8 cloves of garlic, very finely chopped
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
175ml of stock
2 large bunches of thyme, chopped
2 tins of cannellini beans, drained
Baguette for 4
Heat a dash of oil and sauté the garlic on a low heat. As soon as it begins to change colour add the tin of tomatoes and the stock. Stir in the thyme, taste and season. If your tomatoes are a little bitter you can always add a tsp of honey to sweeten them up.
Add the drained beans and stir through. Keep bubbling away at a low heat until the beans are heated through. You can add a little more stock if the stew thickens too much.
Serve with a sprinkling of thyme and the baguette on the side.
TUESDAY
Baked Chicken Breasts with Spiced Wedges
Serves 4
4 chicken breasts
A bunch of rosemary, chopped
8 rashers
Two dashes of olive oil
2 large bunches of cherry tomatoes, left whole
Potatoes for 4, peeled and sliced
2 tsp of smoked paprika
Heat your oven to medium.
Toss the sliced potatoes in a little olive oil, a quarter of the rosemary and the paprika. Season and place on a baking tray.
Sprinkle the remaining rosemary onto the chicken breasts and wrap each breast in two rashers. Drizzle with oil and place into an oven proof dish.
Place the potatoes and the chicken breasts into the oven and leave to cook for 15 minutes. Stir the potatoes and add the tomatoes and some seasoning to the chicken. Place everything back in the oven for a further 10 minutes or until cooked through.
WEDNESDAY
Goats Cheese and Cherry Tomato Puff Pastry Parcels
Serves 4
2 sheets of puff pastry
200g of soft goats cheese
16 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
A bunch of thyme, chopped
4 dashes of balsamic vinegar
A bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped
A bulb of fennel, very thinly sliced
Juice of one lemon
A dash of olive oil
Cut the puff pastry into eight squares. Place on a baking tray and spread a layer of goats cheese onto the centre of each. Top with about four halves of cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle with thyme, seasoning and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.
Turn up each corner of the pastry so the cheese is incased in the centre.
Place into a medium oven for about 20 minutes until the pastry has turned golden and the cheese has melted. Sprinkle with a generous amount of parsley when you remove them from the oven.
Toss the sliced fennel in a small dash of olive oil and lemon juice, season to your liking and serve on the side of the parcels.
THURSDAY
Cheesy French Toast with Bacon and Lemon Salad
Serves 4
Rapeseed oil
4 eggs, lightly whisked
250 mls of milk
8 thick slices of bread
150g of cheddar, grated
A few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
8 streaky rashers
Salad for 4
Juice of half a lemon
4 tsp of mustard
Mix the eggs and the milk well and season. Add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce if you wish and stir through. Pour into a flat dish and add the slices of bread. Leave to sit there until all of the liquid has been absorbed by the bread.
Heat a dash of rapeseed oil and fry the bread until golden on one side. Turn the slices over and place the cheese on the already cooked side. The cheese should start to melt as the second side of the bread cooks.
Grill the rashers until cooked. If you like your cheese more melted you can pop the french toast under the grill for a little while as well. Place a rasher on top of the melted cheese.
Mix the lemon juice with three times the amount of rapeseed oil, stir and season well. Toss the leaves in the dressing and place on a plate with a dollop of mustard on the side. Serve with the french toast.
FRIDAY
Dal with Naan Bread Soldiers
Serves 4
500g of yellow lentils
2 green chillis, finely sliced
A dash of rapeseed oil
2 onions, finely sliced
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
A thumb piece of ginger, thinly sliced
2 tsp of ground turmeric
2 tsp of ground cumin
2 tsp of ground coriander seeds
600 mls of stock
Boil the lentils in about 800ml water for 15 minutes until almost tender. Keep an eye on the pot and top up with water if needs be.
Meanwhile heat the oil and sauté the onions until they are about to turn translucent. Add the garlic, chilli and ginger to the pan and continue cooking for a further minute. Stir in the spices so they coat all of the ingredients in the pan. Add the softened lentils and top up with about 600 mls of stock depending on the lentils and how thick you like your dal. Simmer for a further 20 minutes until thickened. Taste and season.
Toast the naan breads under a grill and slice into soldiers. Serve on the side of the soup.
A dollop of natural yoghurt is also good served with dal.