I have a few winter warming dishes coming up but this recipe is actually taken from the book and was featured on Georgina Campbell's Ireland Guide website. Plus I got a request in the comments section so I just couldn't resist!
Hearty Minestrone Soup This is a perfect winter meal solution, full of tasty vegetables, and filling thanks to the pasta. I use wholewheat spaghetti, but feel free to add other shapes like fusilli or pasta elbows instead. If you don’t have any paprika, you can get a bit of spice by adding a dash of tabasco sauce, or a good pinch of dried chilli flakes.
Serves 4 1 courgette, chopped into small chunks 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes 2 x 410g tins cannellini beans 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 stalks of celery, chopped 2 large carrots, chopped into small chunks 2 litres/4 pints homemade chicken stock 75g/3oz wholewheat spaghetti, broken into 1-inch pieces 2 tablespoons of olive oil A good pinch of paprika A good pinch of sea salt
In a large pot, heat the olive oil and fry the garlic cloves and onion for 2 minutes or until they become soft. Stir in the celery, carrots and courgette and cook for five minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and chicken stock, and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the wholewheat spaghetti, paprika and cannellini beans. Give the soup a good stir and cover. Cook gently for a further 10 minutes or until the pasta is cooked. Season with a little sea salt and serve straightaway with a good chunk of wholemeal bread and enjoy!
I have a few winter warming dishes coming up but this recipe is actually taken from the book and was featured on Georgina Campbell's Ireland Guide website. Plus I got a request in the comments section so I just couldn't resist!
Hearty Minestrone Soup This is a perfect winter meal solution, full of tasty vegetables, and filling thanks to the pasta. I use wholewheat spaghetti, but feel free to add other shapes like fusilli or pasta elbows instead. If you don’t have any paprika, you can get a bit of spice by adding a dash of tabasco sauce, or a good pinch of dried chilli flakes.
Serves 4 1 courgette, chopped into small chunks 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes 2 x 410g tins cannellini beans 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 stalks of celery, chopped 2 large carrots, chopped into small chunks 2 litres/4 pints homemade chicken stock 75g/3oz wholewheat spaghetti, broken into 1-inch pieces 2 tablespoons of olive oil A good pinch of paprika A good pinch of sea salt
In a large pot, heat the olive oil and fry the garlic cloves and onion for 2 minutes or until they become soft. Stir in the celery, carrots and courgette and cook for five minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and chicken stock, and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the wholewheat spaghetti, paprika and cannellini beans. Give the soup a good stir and cover. Cook gently for a further 10 minutes or until the pasta is cooked. Season with a little sea salt and serve straightaway with a good chunk of wholemeal bread and enjoy!
I have a few winter warming dishes coming up but this recipe is actually taken from the book and was featured on Georgina Campbell's Ireland Guide website. Plus I got a request in the comments section so I just couldn't resist!
Hearty Minestrone Soup This is a perfect winter meal solution, full of tasty vegetables, and filling thanks to the pasta. I use wholewheat spaghetti, but feel free to add other shapes like fusilli or pasta elbows instead. If you don’t have any paprika, you can get a bit of spice by adding a dash of tabasco sauce, or a good pinch of dried chilli flakes.
Serves 4 1 courgette, chopped into small chunks 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes 2 x 410g tins cannellini beans 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 stalks of celery, chopped 2 large carrots, chopped into small chunks 2 litres/4 pints homemade chicken stock 75g/3oz wholewheat spaghetti, broken into 1-inch pieces 2 tablespoons of olive oil A good pinch of paprika A good pinch of sea salt
In a large pot, heat the olive oil and fry the garlic cloves and onion for 2 minutes or until they become soft. Stir in the celery, carrots and courgette and cook for five minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and chicken stock, and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the wholewheat spaghetti, paprika and cannellini beans. Give the soup a good stir and cover. Cook gently for a further 10 minutes or until the pasta is cooked. Season with a little sea salt and serve straightaway with a good chunk of wholemeal bread and enjoy!
On Wednesday, I was out in Blanchardstown IT to launch a new campaign to get students eating healthy, the lovely girls in the pic were students at the college and we had lots of fun, though one of them got an oily courgette dropped on her lovely new UGG boots.... I think she might hate me! The launch went great and in a few week colleges and schools around the country will be serving up some Good Mood Food! You can have a read of the press release below...
NEW CAMPAIGN TO PUT IRISH STUDENTS IN A GOOD MOOD WITH FOOD Exciting new culinary campaign to boost mood, memory and concentration of students
Well-known food blogger and ‘Ireland’s answer to Jamie Oliver’, 23-year old Donal Skehan, has joined forces with the world’s biggest foodservice business, Unilever Food Solutions, to bring what he describes as “the power of good mood food” to students in secondary schools and IT colleges across Ireland.
Renowned for his love of good, simple, healthy, homecooked foods, Donal and Unilever Food Solutions are on a mission to show students and school chefs just how easy it is to make food that will lift spirits, naturally boost performance and generally put students in an all-round ‘good mood’, even in times of stress – perfect timing as Irish students face into their mid-term exams this month.
Donal has worked with Unilever Food Solutions’ culinary team to create five delicious and nutritious recipes that use a mix of readily-available ingredients that will appeal to even the fussiest of student palettes! The recipes range from fiery salsa chicken to vegetarian frittatas, which are packed with flavour and mood-enhancing goodness.
Speaking at the launch of the campaign in IT Blanchardstown, Aoife McGuigan, Channel Marketing Manager of Unilever Food Solutions said, “Good Mood Foods are foods and meals that have a positive impact on those eating them. They can be dishes that help you concentrate, an energy boost before a game, stimulation for the brain or just a dish made to share and lift the mood of all. We’re excited to have Donal on board – he’s a big believer in the power of food and how it effects our lives and is the perfect advocate for the campaign, appealing to all audiences in this exciting schools activation.”
The Good Mood Food campaign is open to all secondary schools and IT colleges in Ireland. To participate, teachers and school chefs can simply request an information pack and recipes when they place their order with their local Unilever sales representative. The information pack contains all the recipes along with colourful materials to promote the campaign in the school’s canteen including posters and Good Mood Food recipe cards that students can take home to try out for themselves.
All schools and IT colleges that participate will be entered into a competition to win a Good Mood Food masterclass with Donal where students and chefs can cook with the talented young chef and learn more about the foods that can help boost mood, memory and concentration powers.
The Unilever Food Solutions Good Mood Food campaign will commence in February, with the Good Mood Food masterclass held in April 2010.
