So, it was my birthday this week and, though I wish I was turning 24 instead of 34, we decided to have a nice dinner to celebrate. Since I’m still a bit iffy about going out to a restaurant for a big meal, I cooked us up a three-course feast. Himself would have cooked it for me but he’s a not a cook 😉 Instead he paid for it all including a €20 bottle of wine that was really delicious.

The wine I got was called Tiger Horse from the term Hippotigris which is what Victorian naturalists called the zebra. I really liked that little touch of history with my wine. It was a lightly coloured fruity red wine that went well with the salmon and goat’s cheese.

I bought a prepared Potato Gratin and Baileys Cheesecake cause I didn’t really want to spend the entire day cooking. They were nice but I know I would have made better myself if I had set my mind to it. Having said that though, my local butcher’s makes a gorgeous potato gratin that I should have gotten instead of the one from Tesco. The cheesecake I got was made by a local dairy company which was nice but they added yogurt to it and I could’ve done without the yogurty taste.

All around it was a delicious dinner I very much enjoyed. I’ve included some recipes for you below. Please let me know if you decide to try any of them.

Recipes

Goat’s Cheese & Beetroot

• Goat’s Cheese Log
• Beetroot
• Rocket/Arugula
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

The plates I use for this dish are technically saucers but I think they work well for a starter/appetizer. I pour the balsamic vinegar into the circle meant for the cup but you can just drizzle it onto your plate. Slice two pieces of the goat’s cheese and place on either side of the plate. Use a vegetable peeler to cut thin slices of the beetroot and place randomly around the plate. Place some rocket/arugula between the cheese slices and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Airfryer Steak with Steak Rub

• 1 tsp Onion Granules
• 1 tsp Garlic Granules
• 1 tsp Dried Oregano
• 1/2 tsp Smoked Salt
• 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1/4 cup Soy Sauce

Mix all of the seasonings except the soy sauce together and coat the top and bottom of your steak with it. Gently press the seasoning into it on each side. Place the steak into a zip lock bag or other container and pour in the soy sauce. Toss the steak in the sauce a little bit then leave to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour. Preheat an airfryer for about 5 minutes at 180c/355f. Cook the steak in the airfryer for 6-10 minutes turning once halfway through.

Mushrooms & Garlic Butter Sauce

• Button Mushrooms
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• Kerrygold Butter
• 1 tsp Dried Parsley

I used about 5 mushrooms and I’m not sure how much butter….maybe 4 or 5 tablespoons. Just use enough butter so that the mushrooms won’t soak it all up and it will be quite liquidy. Chop the mushrooms in quarters. Melt the butter in a frying pan then add the mushrooms. Using a garlic press, press the garlic cloves into the pan. You could chop the garlic finely if you don’t have a garlic press but I highly recommend one of these kitchen gadgets if you’re a garlic fan. You get a much better flavour from the garlic using one. Toss in about 1 teaspoon of dried parsley near the end. Fry lightly until the mushrooms are cooked.

Dessert

• Baileys Cheesecake
• Whipped Cream
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Chocolate Shavings

I bought a prepared cheesecake but if you’d prefer to make it here’s a great recipe from Mummy Pages. Whip about 100ml of cream with a teaspoon or two of caster sugar using a handheld blender or you could buy pre-whipped cream too. I absolutely adore freshly whipped cream so I did this myself. Chop up the fruit however you like and use a cheese grater or vegetable peeler to grate a chocolate bar. This works best if you put the chocolate bar in the fridge the night before.

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