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  • Writer's pictureDanny Joyce | Editor

Mouth Watering Spring Recipes from Mash Direct

If you are looking to kick start and get ready for Spring healthy eating and exercise routine  getting there may seem like an impossible task, but with the help of Mash Direct’s time saving nutritious, quick and easy meals using their award-winning potato and vegetable side dishes we will keep you (and your family) out of your dinner rut once and for all and give back more time for healthy outdoor activities. Mash Direct products are grown and produced on their family farm in the heart of County Down, close to the shores of Strangford Lough. These nutritious recipes help shake up your comfort food favourites by adding more delicious veggies to all your meals! Mash Direct’s Health recipes are perfect for Lunch or Dinner, from a colourful Veggie Nourish bowl to a hearty Lamb dinner with all the healthy trimmings!

Egg Muffins


Ingredients: - ½ pack of Mash Direct Cauliflower Cheese Gratin - ½ pack of Mash Direct Broccoli with a Cheese Sauce - 1 pack of bacon lardons - 8 Eggs - Pinch of salt & black pepper - Splash of milk - Grated cheese - Cooking spray Method: 1. Preheat oven to 200oC. 2. Grease the muffin tray using cooking spray. 3. Fry bacon lardons on a medium heat for 4 – 5 minutes or until crispy. 4. Crack 8 eggs into a bowl and beat together. Add a splash of milk, salt and pepper, beat again until fully incorporated. 5. Roughly chop the Mash Direct Cauliflower Cheese Gratin and Mash Direct Broccoli with a Cheese Sauce into smaller pieces inside the packaging. 6. Combine egg mixture with the chopped Cauliflower Cheese Gratin and Broccoli with a Cheese Sauce and bacon lardons. 7. Pour the mixture into the greased muffin tray and top with a sprinkling of grated cheese. 8. Cook at 200oC for 18 – 20 minutes or until the egg has set and the cheese is crisp and golden on top. 9. Leave to cool slightly before removing and serve. These muffins are best served as a quick and satisfying breakfast or lunch. Leftovers will last in the fridge for approximately 3 days if cooled correctly and stored in an airtight container. To reheat the muffins simply place them into a microwavable container with a loose covering and heat for 4 – 6 mins. Ensure the muffins are piping hot in the centre.

 

Lamb Chops


Ingredients: - 1 pack of Mash Direct Red Cabbage & Beetroot - 1 pack of Mash Direct Mashed Potato - 200g green beans - 2 cloves of garlic - 4 lamb chops (roughly 2 per person depending on size) - Cooking spray - Pinch of salt & black pepper Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 200oC. Place a baking tray in the oven to heat up. 2. Remove the tops and tails of the green beans and rinse under cold water. 3. Remove skin and mince garlic cloves – mix with green beans. Spray with cooking spray, season with salt and black pepper and place in an oven dish, leaving to one side. 4. Generously spray the lamb chops with cooking spray on both sides and season with salt and black pepper. 5. In a high heat pan, sear the lamb chops for approximately 2 minutes on each side until brown. 6. Add the lamb chops to a preheated oven dish and cook for 15 – 20 minutes. After 15 minutes, add the green beans to the oven to cook for 5 – 7 minutes. 7. Rest the lamb on a chopping board for 2 minutes before serving. 8. Heat the Mash Direct Mashed Potato and Mash Direct Red Cabbage & Beetroot as per cooking instructions on the pack. 9. Serve warm and enjoy.  

 

Fish Cakes


Ingredients: - ½ pack of Mash Direct Carrot & Parsnip - 1 pack of Mash Direct Mashed Potato - 250g Smoked fish (haddock or cod) - 250g Salmon fillet - 150ml milk - 150ml water - 2 bay leaves - 8 black peppercorns - 1 tbsp chives (plus extra for serving) - Pinch of salt and black pepper - Plain flour for shaping - 1 beaten egg - Breadcrumbs - 2 eggs (fry, for serving) - Small salad (for serving) Method: 1. Place fish into a saucepan and cover with equal parts milk and water, enough to fully submerge the fish. Add the bay leaves and peppercorns and bring to a boil. 2. Once the liquid is boiling turn down the heat and simmer for 5 mins. After 5 minutes remove from the heat and allow to stand, covered, for a further 10 mins to finish cooking the fish. 3. When the fish is cooked fully, remove from the liquid, and flake into large pieces, discarding the skin from the fish. 4. Mix Mash Direct Carrot & Parsnip along with the Mash Direct Mashed Potato before adding the flaked fish, chives and seasoning. 5. Lightly flour a surface and tip the mixture out. With floured hands, roughly split the mixture into 6 – 8 equal parts and shape into discs – approximately 3cm thick and around palm sized. Place onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. 6. Transfer the fish cakes to the fridge for 30 minutes to ‘set’. Preheat your oven to 200oC. 7. After 30 minutes, coat each fish cake in the beaten egg before transferring it into the breadcrumbs. Gently pat the breadcrumbs onto the fish cake forming an even crust. Repeat with the remaining fish cakes. 8. Add 4 – 6 tbsp of vegetable oil to a frying pan so the base of the pan is fully covered in oil and heat on high until sizzling. Turn the pan down and fry the fish cakes over a medium heat for about 2 - 3 minutes on each side until golden and crisp. 9. Add your fish cakes to a baking tray and place in your oven to cook through for 10 – 15 minutes. 10. Serve with a fried egg, fresh salad and a sprinkling of chives on top. Enjoy. This recipe is perfect for lunch or a light tea.

 

Chicken Stack


Ingredients: - 1 pack of Mash Direct Mashed Potato - 1 pack of Mash Direct Beer Battered Onion Rings - Chicken goujons (2 per person) - For the Peppercorn sauce: o 2 shallots – finely diced o 40g butter o 40ml brandy o 200ml double cream o 150ml chicken stock o 4 tbsp black peppercorns o Pinch of salt Method: - Preheat the oven to 200oC to cook the Mash Direct Beer Battered Onion Rings and chicken goujons as per cooking instructions. Making the sauce will take approx. 20 minutes, so be sure to time this with the chicken and Onion Rings. - To make the peppercorn sauce; gently heat the peppercorns in a frying pan on a medium heat until they start to make a popping sound (usually around 5 minutes). Be sure they do not burn. - Once cooked, leave the peppercorns to one side to cool and then crack them open using a pestle and mortar. If you do not have a pestle and mortar, simply place the peppercorns into a freezer bag and bash with a rolling bin or bottom of a saucepan. - Using a small saucepan, melt your butter on a medium heat. Add in your diced shallots and gently fry until soft – usually 2 – 3 minutes. Do not allow to burn. - Add your brandy to the saucepan, turn the heat up high and allow the alcohol to burn off. Continue for around 5 minutes, to allow the liquid to reduce. - Add the chicken stock and allow the mixture to continue to reduce for a further 5 minutes. - Turn the heat down to a low simmer and add in your double cream and crushed peppercorns. Gently heat the mixture for about 5 minutes, until you have a thick sauce consistency. Do not allow the cream to boil. - While the sauce is simmering on a low heat, begin to heat the Mash Direct Mashed Potato as per pack instructions. - To serve, stack the Mashed Potato on the bottom. Place the chicken goujons and Onion Rings on top, and cover in your home-made peppercorn sauce. This recipe is a quick and satisfying dinner for the entire family. If you wish to be even quicker and fuss free simply buy peppercorn sauce from your local supermarket, but homemade is often best.

 

Nourish Bowl

Serves 2


Ingredients: - 1 pack of Mash Direct Red Cabbage and Beetroot - 1 sweet potato - 1 red pepper - 1 red onion - 1 courgette - 2 sprigs of fresh thyme - 2 cloves of garlic - Cooking spray - Pinch of salt & black pepper - 1 pouch of quinoa (You can use a microwaveable pouch) - 1 avocado (thinly sliced, to top) - 1 tbsp of sour cream or crème fraiche Method: 1. Preheat oven to 200oC. 2. Peel and dice sweet potato into approximately 20mm cubes. Place the potato into a saucepan of boiling water for 5 mins to soften. 3. While sweet potato is boiling, dice 1 red pepper, 1 red onion and 1 courgette into similar size pieces. 4. Drain the sweet potato and add to a baking sheet along with the red pepper and onion. Spray with oil and season with salt and black pepper. 5. Remove the leaves from your thyme and peel and finely slice your garlic. Add both to your vegetables and toss together. 6. Cook for 12 – 15 minutes or until the edges begin to caramelise and crisp up. 7. Heat the quinoa pouch and Mash Direct Red Cabbage & Beetroot as per pack instructions. 8. Assemble your nourish bowl with the grains at the bottom then topped with the rest of the vegetables. Add a thinly sliced avocado on top of the bowl, with a spoonful of sour cream or crème fraiche.

This recipe is perfect to be eaten immediately or can be assembled cold and heated together as meal prep.

 

Deconstructed Burger


Ingredients: - 1 pack of Mash Direct Beer Battered Chips - 1 pack of Mash Direct Beer Battered Onion Rings - 500g beef mince - 1 small white onion - 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce - Pinch of salt & pepper - Vegetable oil - 2 slices of cheese (cut in half) - Pickles - Tomato - Red onion - Watercress - For the Burger sauce (this will make enough to use again): o 20g Pickle or burger relish o 70g mayonnaise o 30g ketchup o 10g American mustard Method: 1. Preheat oven to 200oC. Cook Mash Direct Beer Battered Chips and Onion Rings as per cooking instructions on pack. 2. To make the burger sauce: mix the mayonnaise, ketchup, American mustard, and pickle relish in a bowl. Taste the sauce and season according to personal preference. Leave in the fridge until assembling your meal. 3. For the burgers: peel and grate the onion and mix with the beef mince, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Mix well to combine. 4. Shape the burger mix into 6 small burger patties and flatten down slightly – about 6cm in diameter and 1cm in thickness. 5. In a large frying pan, heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil over a medium heat. If your pan is small, cook the burgers in two batches. Add patties to the pan and brown on one side for around two minutes. 6. Turn your burgers and cover the top of the frying pan with a large lid or a metal bowl, covering the entirety of the pan. Cook the burgers for a further 5 – 7 minutes. 7. Remove your lid and top each burger with half a slice of cheese. Cover the pan again and cook for a further 2 – 3 minutes. Remove the burgers from the pan and leave to rest on a chopping board for 3 minutes. The burgers should be fully cooked through with no pink. 8. While the burgers are resting, slice your tomato, red onion and pickle. 9. Assemble the deconstructed burger: Beer Battered Chips and Onion Rings, mini burgers and top with a teaspoon of sauce, tomato, pickle and red onion. You canadd some watercress to top.

This is a similar style to loaded fries – all the ingredients for the burger are used as toppings on the Beer Battered Chips.

 

These nutritious recipes help shake up your comfort food favourites by adding more delicious veggies to all your meals!


Mash Direct products can be found in Supermarkets nationwide or on MashDirect.com


Slán go fóill,

Danny

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