We Love Cooking!:
herbs

I'm packing my bag this weekend so the meals are all a little light on the ground this week. For the next two weeks I will be staying in London to photograph the recipes for my new book which is out next year. It's all getting very exciting and as I am finally putting the finishing touches to the text, the next part is all fun. The photography process will take up most of the days while we're there, but I am hoping to finally get to see a bit of London. I have had loads of recommendations of places to eat, things to see and food markets to shop in so hopefully with a little bit of luck and hard work will we have some free time to see the sights!

Herby Sweet Potato Chips
These sweet and spicy little wedges knock the socks off greasy fast food chips any day. If you haven’t tried sweet potatoes before, this is a great introduction recipe, where you just can’t go wrong. Serve as a nice side dish or a quick and tasty snack!

Serves 4
5 large sweet potatoes
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons of olive oil
A good handful of fresh herbs
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5.
If I am serving these as a side dish, I generally prepare them first and let
them cook away in the oven while I get on with the rest of the dinner.
In a pestle and mortar, bash together the a little of the olive oil, the herbs, garlic and sea salt until you have a smooth paste.
Peel the sweet potatoes and slice in half lenghtways and then in half again,
then chop into rough chips. Place in a bowl and toss with the herby paste.
Place in a large roasting tin and drizzle with a little extra oil and sprinkle with ground black pepper until all the chips are well coated.
Roast in the oven for about 40–45 minutes, or until the insides are soft and
the edges are slightly charred.

I had planned to post both the chicken recipe and the roast beetroot starter but the terrible weather means low light conditions which in turn means terrible photos, so I will be shooting the starter recipe for the twinnerparty tomorrow morning and posting it before 12!

Yesterday both Market Kitchen and Nationwide aired and although I wasn't nervous doing them, having sit through them was another story! But thankfully it went quite well and everyone I have spoken too has been only complimentary, so I am relieved. I don't think you can see Market Kitchen online but the Nationwide interview can be seen here and here.

Herby Roast Chicken and Honey and Thyme Parsnips

Normally I make this herb paste for a full roast chicken, but I find pre-portioned chicken legs and thighs are perfect for entertaining as you don't have to fuss around with carving. The great thing about this dish is that you can prepare the two trays a few hours ahead of your guest arriving and pop them in the oven just before they arrive! If you don't grow your own herbs you can pick up little packets for about €1 in most supermarkets which are really handy for one off dishes. I love roasting whole garlic bulbs but if it's too much garlic for you just leave these out.

Serves 6
6 Chicken legs and thighs
4 red onions, peeled and quartered
2 bulbs of garlic,with the top sliced off
4 cloves of garlic
40g or a large handful of fresh herbs, basil, rosemary, thyme
6 medium sized parsnips, peeled and quartered
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tablespoon of honey
A good drizzle of olive oil
A good pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper

In a pestle and mortar or a food processor, blitz the mixed herbs, garlic cloves, and a little olive oil. Add a little more olive oil until you have a loose paste.
Place the parsnips on a large roasting tray with the thyme, drizzle with honey and oil and spoonful of the herb paste. Toss together until everything is combined.
On another roasting tray arrange the chickens pieces, garlic bulbs and red onion. Add the rest of the herb paste and toss everything together until the the chicken and onions have a nice coating of herbs.
Place both roasting trays in the oven at 190°C/Gas Mark 5, for about 45-50 minutes or until the chicken is cooked right through. The parsnips will cook slightly quicker than the chicken so you may need to take them out of the oven before the chicken.
Serve the chicken straight away, with the parsnips, red onion, garlic and an little drizzle of the juices.

It's official I have a new favourite recipe, and it has arrived just in time for the summer season! It's a really easy little number which is guaranteed to impress! Now I know the idea of cutting a chicken open, cracking bones, and skewering the flesh is all a little bit Hanibal but this recipe is so tasty and it's well worth the hassle. Though if you really can't handle it, ask your butchers to do it for you and I'm sure they will be happy to help. I served this for a summery Sunday dinner with Red Cabbage Coleslaw and some Spicy Sweet Potato Chips.

Barbeque Cajun Spatchcock Chicken
The combination of spices here are so tasty, but if you are missing some, don't be afraid to use dried herbs or even whatever fresh herbs you have available to you. Barbequing can be a little tricky but the cooking time will depend on the size of your chicken, if you are worried, simple insert a skewer at the thickest part and if the juices run clear, the bird is cooked!

Serves 6-8
2 small chickens.
4 cloves of garlic.
2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar.
2 tablespoons of paprika.
2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper.
2 teaspoons of dried oregano.
A small handful of fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped.
A small handful of thyme.
Juice of 1 lemon.
3-4 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
A generous pinch of sea salt and pepper.

To prepare the chicken, place the bird breast down, and using a knife or a sharp scissors, cut along the back bone. Open the bird out and flip it over breast side up and using your fist push down hard on the breast to break the back bone. Thread a skewer diagonally through the bird from the leg to the breast and repeat on the other side. Score the bird on the legs and breasts. Repeat the whole process for the second chicken. Place the chicken in a large roasting tin. See diagram below.

Prepare the marinade. Place the rest of the ingredients in a pestle and mortar or a food processor and break down until you have a rough paste. Spread the paste over the chicken until it is completely covered. Cover the roasting tin in tin foil and place in the fridge to marinate for 30 mins to an hour, if you have time.
Place the birds on the barbeque over a medium heat and cook breast side up for 25-30 minutes. Half-way through give the birds a squeeze of lemon juice. Turn the birds over and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the chickens are cooked through. If you find the chicken is blackening too much, place them on some tinfoil until they are cooked through. Enjoy!

This one goes down really well when entertaining! It's an easy one to make ahead of time and stick in the fridge until you are ready to cook it.

Spinach and Riccotta Stuffed Pasta Shells
This is a delicious pasta dish, which is packed with fresh ingredients. It is a little bit tricky but the tastes are great and well worth the effort!

Serves 3-4 portions.
1 tablespoon of olive oil.
3 cloves of garlic chopped finely.
A good glug of red wine.
2 cans of chopped tomatoes.
A handful of fresh herbs chopped coarsely (Oregano, Parsley, Basil)
250g of large pasta shells.
250g of Ricotta cheese.
250g of steamed spinach.
A generous pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper.

Fry the garlic in the olive oil in a large frying pan for 30-40 seconds. Add the chopped tomatoes and and the red wine. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced and become thicker. Season with a little sea salt and black pepper and make sure to stir every few minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil and cook the pasta until al denté. While the pasta is cooking, mix the ricotta, herbs, steamed spinach, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl until everything is combined. Spread a layer of half the tomato sauce in a medium baking dish. When the pasta is cooked drain and allow to cool in a colander. Spoon a heaped teaspoon amount of the ricotta mixture into each one of the pasta shells and place in the baking tray. When you have added all the stuffed pasta shells to the baking tray, cover with the remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle over a handful of parmesan cheese and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese gets a nice colour.
Serve straight away with a crispy green salad.

Originally a middle eastern ingredient bulgar wheat is made from cracked wheat kernels. It's an excellent store cupboard ingredient which is highly nutritious and can be stored for long periods of time. This wholegrain product is packed with fiber and protein, but is low in calories, plus it's so easy to make. If you have never tried it before I would describe it as mix between couscous and brown rice.

Bulgarwheat Chicken Rocket and Parsley Salad
This sort of recipe is perfect for entertaining, it can easily be made the night before and stored in the fridge.

Serves 4-6 people.
200g bulgar wheat.
1 teaspoon of vegetable bouillon powder.
3 chicken breasts.
A large handful of parsley, roughly chopped.
A large handful of rocket, roughly chopped.
400g tin of chickpeas, drained and roughly chopped.
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar.
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
A good pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper.

Place the bulgar wheat in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Stir through the vegetable bouillon powder, cover with cloth or a cling film and allow to sit for about 30 minutes or until all the water is soaked up. Brush the chicken breasts with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Heat a griddle pan over a high heat and just before it begins smoking add the chicken breasts. Reduce the heat slightly and cook on both sides for approximately 6-7 minutes either side depending on the size of the chicken breasts. Remove the chicken from the pan and roughly chop into bitesize pieces. Add the chicken, parsley and rocket to the bulgar wheat and stir through to combine. Season with a good pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper and stir through the remaining olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy!

This is a repost of a recipe I posted last year, but I didn't have a picture to accompany it at the time, so I think the impact might have been lost! But here it is again just as tasty as last time but now with 100 percent more visual!

Basil and Sweetcorn
I picked this recipe up while staying with my lovely Auntie Annie in Florida, and it's a real discovery! The combination of Basil and sweetcorn works together to create a pretty a really interesting taste and a perfect side dish to grilled meat or chicken. The recipe itself is fairly straight forward but this one is definitely worth trying.

Serves 4.
A Good Handful of Fresh Basil
4 Corn on the Cob (Fresh if available)
1 Tablespoon of Butter
A Good sprinkle of Salt and Pepper

In a large bowl, slice the the corn off the cob- if your using fresh, don't bother straining any of the excess juice that comes out, it all adds to the flavour. Chop the Basil roughly and put to the side.
Place a sauce pan over a medium heat and add the butter until melted. Add the corn, toss, and then add the basil. Keep the mixture moving by stirring for about 3 Min's.
Season with the Salt and Pepper and serve piping hot!

Pasta is a super way to beat the credit crunch, not only is it cheap but it is also a great source of carbohydrates, which provide the body with energy. I buy wholewheat pasta as it contains more fiber and has more health benefits than its plain counterpart. You can easily choose wholemeal pasta in most supermarkets and Irish brand Roma has wholewheat options on both its penne and spaghetti.

Sundried Tomato, Basil and Goats Cheese Pasta
This is a tasty variation on my mushroom and goats cheese pasta, for those of you who just can't stand fungi! I actually originally made this with sunblushed tomatoes but I think sundried give a more intense flavour to the dish.

150g of sundried tomatoes (plus a little of the oil they are stored in).
75g of goats cheese.
25g of fresh basil leaves.
250g of wholemeal penne pasta.
A good pinch of sea salt.
A few slices of good crunchy toasted bread to serve.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add the pasta.
While the pasta is cooking, remove the tomatoes from the oil they are stored and set aside to add to the pasta later. Roughly chop the basil leaves and sundried tomatoes and set aside.
When the pasta is cooked drain in a colander and put back in the pot. Drizzle with the sundried tomato oil and add the basil and sundried tomatoes, stir to combine.
Crumble in the goats cheese and using a large serving spoon stir the cheese through the pasta.
Serve straight away or this also works really well as a tasty lunch box filler.

First of all a big thank you to some of the readers here who nominated "The Good Mood Food Blog" for this year's Irish Blog Awards and a big congratulations to everyone else nominated- Fingers crossed!

The last few months have been a little crazy and things don't look to be settling down, I'm going to be in Sweden for the next week and bit so hopefully will be able to stick up a few pictures up here. Even if they aren't food related!

In other news, myself and Sofie have been busy planning our very own little vegetable patch as an experiment for this year. The aim is to expand our herb garden and learn a little more about growing our own vegetables, with the hope to provide enough, to include in a good few recipe's during the spring, summer, and autumn. We will be documenting the process as we go along, so stay tuned to keep up with our progress!

Fork Crushed Herb and Roast Garlic Potatoes
This recipe always has my mouth watering at the thoughts of it. Roast garlic has to be one of my absolute favourite roast ingredients. The process takes the pungent cloves and transforms them into a smoky, sweet and wonderfully creamy mush.
This is a super side dish which goes really well with any main course, or even on its own as a tasty belly filler!

750g or about 16 Baby Potatoes.
2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
A Large handful of Flat Leaf Parsley.
A Handful of Chives, chopped coarsely.
A Handful of roughly chopped Dill.
1 Bulb of Garlic.
A Good Pinch of Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper.

Before you start anything get the garlic in the oven. Cut off the top of the garlic so the tips of the cloves can just about be seen. Drizzle with a few drops of olive oil so the exposed tips are covered. Now cover in tinfoil and pop in the oven for 40 minutes at 200oC/ Gas Mark 6.
While the garlic is roasting, place the potatoes in a large pot of water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender, you can check this with a fork. While the potatoes are cooking prepare and chop your herbs. Drain the potatoes and tumble into a large mixing bowl.

With a fork roughly crush each potato and season with salt and pepper. When the Garlic is ready, pop out the cloves from their skins and mash with a fork on a chopping board. Transfer the garlic to the mixing bowl and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and scatter the dill, chives and parsley on top. Gently mix all the ingredients to combine, and be careful not to break up the potato too much.
Serve in a large bowl with a final scattering of Parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.

Sofie recently turned 22 and to celebrate her mom and brother came over to visit. Since we are always treated to some tasty traditional Swedish dishes when we visit them, I thought I would try and serve something traditionally Irish for our first meal! One of the few dishes that I know well as being traditionally Irish is this Irish Stew.

We always had it growing up and I’m sure most homes across the country were the same. I used to have a serious problem with the potatoes, insisting they were picked out before I was served- much to my mom’s disgust!

There are many different takes on this recipe with many using lamb instead of beef, but this is the one we grew up with. I actually rang my mom the other day for the recipe, and she got a little bit excited and started adding all sorts of mad vegetables to it to make it more exciting, but at the end of the day Irish stew is Irish stew, so I’ve tried to keep it simple! Just like mammy used to make- without parsnips thank you very much! ;)

Irish Stew
This is a really tasty one pot dinner which is perfect for cold winter evenings. Ask your butcher for stew steak, which is normally available, but you can also use any other cheap cuts of meat. This recipe serves 6 people and you will need a large casserole.

3 tablespoons of wholemeal flour.
3 teaspoons of ground black pepper.
1 ½ pounds of stew steak.
2 tablespoons of sunflower oil.
4 large carrots, chopped roughly.
2 large onions, chopped into half moon pieces.
1 ½ litres of beef stock.
A good pinch of sea salt.
2 bay leaves.
5 large potatoes peeled and sliced into 1cm discs.
A good handful of freshly chopped parsley.

Preheat the oven to 200˚C/390˚F/Gas 6.
Place the stew steak, wholemeal flour, and black pepper in a resealable plastic bag. Seal the bag and give it a good shake so that all the steak pieces have a nice coating of flour and pepper. Heat a large frying pan with a good glug of sunflower oil and brown half the steak pieces. Transfer the steak pieces to the casserole. Repeat with the rest of the meat.
Fry the onions in the meat juices on the pan for 2 minutes, adding an extra drop of oil if necessary. Transfer the onions to the casserole. Add in the carrots, beef stock, sea salt, bay leaves, and stir through. Add the potato slices on top, season with a generous amount of black pepper and cover with the lid. Transfer the casserole to the oven and cook for 1 ½ hours.
Serve straight from the casserole to some large bowls with some tasty wholemeal bread. Sprinkle the parsley on top and enjoy!

Winter is coming so quickly this year, but I want to make sure I hang on to the best of the summer in my cooking during the coming cold months. How you ask? The answer- home dried herbs!

If you've been growing herbs in your garden all summer like me, this is probably one of your last chances this year to make the most of them. Plus home drying herbs is so simple and fun and they also make a great Christmas pressie for fellow food lovers!

Drying herbs can really bring out some intense flavors, which can often be even tastier than there fresh counterparts. They are a fantastic addition to recipes and I love using them to intensify the flavors of soups, stews, and sauces. Hardy herbs like Thyme, Rosemary, Oregano, Bay, and Sage, are perfect for drying and in most cases the natural oils are not depleted during the process.
Try to harvest the herbs on a dry day, mid morning just after the dew has dried, this will ensure the herbs are at their freshest when you pick them.

Here are my tips for harvesting and drying herbs! :

1. Snip the herbs at the stem.
2. Choose nice long branches and pick off any dead leaves.
3. Give the stems a gentle shake to remove any insects or dirt. (You can choose to give the herbs a quick wash, but make sure to dry on kitchen paper, as moisture can cause rot.)
4. Bundle a good handful of the stems together and tie at the bottom with twine tightly. (As the herbs dry, you may need to tighten the knot)
5. Hang the herbs in a warm dry place, I hang mine in a small room just over the water heater, so they're kept nice and warm!
6. The time it takes to dry the herbs will depend on their moisture content, but in most cases when the stems crack and no longer bend, they are ready to be stored.
7. Store the dried herbs in an airtight container and leave the leaves uncrushed until you're ready to use them.

Unfortunately thanks to my hangover a few weeks ago, after one or two many Mohito's, it was not a pleasant experience pouring the rum into this recipe at 8am yesterday. Why was I pouring rum, bleary eyed, into a zip lock bag in the early hours of the morning? Well I came up with an ingenious idea to marinade the chicken in the mix for this recipe, while I was at work, so the flavors would permeate through the breasts.

I'm glad I did, because this dish was packed with really tasty flavors. I served the breasts with couscous, but it would also go really nicely with a crisp green salad. Sofie told me the chicken was like heaven in her mouth, and if that doesn't sell it to you I don't know what will!

Lime and Mint Mohito Chicken

1. 4 Free-range Chicken Breasts.
2. A small handful of Fresh Mint.
3. 2 Limes Quartered.
   
4. Juice of 2 Limes.
   
5. A glug of Rum (About 1/4 of a cup).
6. 1 Tbsp of Olive Oil.
   
7. 1 Clove of Garlic.
8. A generous pinch of Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper.

To cook the chicken, heat a pan over a high heat and fry the breasts for about 3 minutes on either side. Tumble in the lime quarters after you turn the chicken and allow to caramelize. Serve straight away with a final squeeze of juice from the lime quarters.

Well I did think my plan to have a party on Saturday night, based purely on drinking Mohito's, was good one, however it's now Monday and my head still hurts. After not drinking for almost two months, the alcohol had me in a pretty bad way, and the drinking games most certainly did not help! (Damn you Paulie!) But I have to say the one thing that tickles me pink about having people over, is making dainty party food! It can come in so many different forms, a large sit down meal, a buffet style banquet, and even my favourite, finger food. Entertaining for me has to be easy, it has to be quick, and it's gotta be tasty! I have some more recipe's from Saturday night but here is just one of the quick snacks I came up with:

Basil Pesto with Roasted Balsamic Cherry Tomatoes on Toast

For the Pesto:

1. One large handful of basil leaves.
2. One large handful of pine nuts.
3. 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
4. One large handful of grated Parmesan Cheese.
5. A good sprinkle of Sea Salt and freshly ground Pepper.

For the Roasted Balsamic Cherry Tomatoes:

1. Two punnets of Cherry Tomatoes.
2. 2 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
3. 1 tbsp of Balsamic Vinegar.
4. 1 tbsp of Dried Oregano.
5. A pinch of Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper.

To finish the dish, toast slices of good hearty bread under the grill, and allow to cool. Spread the pesto generously on the bread, and add a few of the cherry tomatoes on top. Garnish with an extra sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and serve! Delicious!

Unfortunately I have gotten into a seriously bad habit of taking photo's of the food I cook and then doing nothing with them for a week or two, which means I end up forgetting what I have actually done, very irritating indeed! The good news is I have managed to recover this recipe, from the deep dark depths of my memory bank, and have also made a pact with myself to finally start writing my recipe's down. We'll just have to wait and see how that works out.

I haven't been doing any serious cooking this week as I'm doing a 3 day course in Dublin city for Adobe After Effects. And being in town has meant making my ritual stops at Aya, Cafe Mao, and Wagamama, for lunch time- I'm so glad I don't work in town, because my bank balance would be zero!

Today is my last day in the big smoke, so I'll be soaking up all the culture I can before I head back to the sticks of Ashbourne, Co. Meath to earn my daily bread. Not that I'm complaining though, I once loved the hustle and bustle of the city, but nowadays, I seem to much prefer the calmer side of life. And anyway who really enjoys the scrum with the 5 million Spanish students on Grafton St.?

Personal soul searching aside it's time for a recipe, when I made this a few weeks ago I wasn't so sure that it was going to come out the way I wanted and had set myself up for disappointment as soon as the over door was closed. But I was pleasantly surprised with the results- the baking of the salmon with the mix creates a really interesting texture to the bite, but doesn't loose any of the peppery spice from the chopped garlic.

Baked Dill and Garlic Salmon

1. 2 large Organic Salmon Fillets.
2. A large handful of Dill.
3. A small handful of Basil
4. 2 Cloves of Garlic crushed.
5. 3 Tbsp of Olive Oil.
6. Sea Salt

Enjoy!

A few things have been going on in the Irish blogging world since my little blogging break, and even though I might be a bit late on some of the news I thought it was high time I mentioned them here.

The biggest news of course is the release of the Murphy's Ice Cream book which is a really impressive collection of recipe's- lots of research, lots of tips and tricks, and some really great pictures! I think the lads really chose the best time to release it too, with Ireland's attempt at a summer coming thick and fast. If you want to pick up a copy you can do so through their blog IcecreamIreland.

The other food bloggie related news is that, Deb from The Humble Housewife, has moved on up to an even better and bigger blog which is located right here @ Tast.ie.
It's already full of posts so head over and take a peak!

A few months ago, I posted about my Basil plant which was thriving at the time- since then it has been through a lot- Sofie left all the windows open one very cold day and it looked very worse for wear by the time I came home and saved it! However two months later, and despite a plague of green fly and some sort of growing fungus on the stems- it is still alive and well. Which is a hell of a lot better then the rest of my herbs. The lemon balm, mint, chives and coriander all had to be re potted and moved inside after going slightly black on the edges.

The move seems to have done the trick, with all the plants thriving, except for a few stray little flies which seem to mainly hang around the mint. Anyone have any idea why? Answers on a postcard or in the comments section below. I've now planted, bay, lavender and a brand new rosemary plant in the remaining pots, so I'll just have to wait and see if they survive the balcony.

Is there anyone else out there growing a herb garden this summer? Got any tips or advice?