A new online cookery series has been launched by Agri Aware in partnership with television chef and author Edward Hayden. The series will focus on family-friendly recipes made with Bord Bia-approved quality ingredients; the aim to provide quick and healthy meals that even the pickiest eaters can enjoy.

The series was launched yesterday and will continue through to Saturday 12 June. Videos can be viewed on Agri Aware's social media platforms.

We have some of the world’s best food producers in this country

Edward Hayden has become well known for his cookery school (the Edward Hayden School of Cookery) and his regular appearances on Ireland AM (Virgin Media). He feels that cooking family meals doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming.

Edward Hayden gives a cookery demo at the Agri Aware Open Farm in Co Kildare, 2019.

"We have some of the world’s best food producers in this country, exercising the greatest levels of professional and culinary integrity to ensure that the food being produced in people’s homes is to the highest possible standard," he states. "Obviously families are very busy at this time of year, but if they take time to prepare these quick and tasty meals they will be fuelling their bodies.”

The aim of the series is to highlight to busy families that it is possible to make healthy and quick meals

Agri Aware chair Alan Jagoe says they are delighted to have teamed up with Edward for this campaign; saying he has been a large supporter of Agri Aware and the Irish farming community.

Edward Hayden and MEP Mairead McGuinness at the 2019 Agri Aware Open Farm in Co Kildare.

"The aim of the series is to highlight to busy families that it is possible to make healthy and quick meals even when you have a busy lifestyle," he says. "These meals are hearty and filling for farmers who are working hard during the summer months and for Irish families with busy lifestyles.The series also recognises the renewed interest in cooking at home which has occurred as a result of the recent lockdown period in Ireland."

Recipes covered in the series include: slow-cooked pork in cider and mustard (recipe below), homemade beef burgers, chicken and chorizo spaghetti and chargrilled lamb chops with garlic and herb butter.

Recipe

Slow-cooked pork in cider and mustard

Serves four to six

2 pork steaks (or one large one) (approx 800-900g)

2oz/50g butter

2oz/50g plain flour

1 large onion, diced roughly

8 mushrooms, sliced

1 rounded dessertspoon of wholegrain mustard

1 large cooking apple-diced

½ teaspoon of paprika/cayenne pepper

330ml (long-neck bottle) cider

150ml pouring cream

200ml chicken stock/water

Basmati rice, to serve

  • 1 Begin by preparing all of your ingredients because once this starts to cook you will not have time to be chopping and preparing anything. You do need to be available to stand over this dish at least for the first few minutes.
  • 2 Melt the butter and add to the butter just a tiny amount of oil to stop the butter from burning. Dice the two pork steaks into small pieces and add them to the pot and quickly seal the pork all over. Don’t worry about any little pieces of pork that may stick to the base of the saucepan because they will come away later on when you are making your sauce. After the pork is sealed all over season the meat with a little salt and pepper and add the mushrooms and onions and cook them gently.
  • 3 At this stage sprinkle in the flour mixed with the paprika/cayenne and use this to coat all of the pork and vegetable mixture. If you wish you can take it off the heat to stir in the flour.
  • 4 Return the saucepan to the heat and then pour in the cider, pouring cream and chicken stock.
  • 5 Immediately mix in the wholegrain mustard at this time also (of course you could add more mustard if you wish).
  • 6 Allow this sauce to come to the boil at this stage, and then add in the chopped cooking apple and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer for a further 30-35 minutes.
  • 7 Serve the pork and cider stroganoff with some softly boiled basmati rice.

    • Additional notes:

    Chopped parsley can be added to the stroganoff just prior to service. This can be transferred to a casserole dish and topped with short crust pastry and baked in the oven for 20 minutes.

    Additional stock or even unsweetened apple juice can be used instead of cider.