I have to admit that I am a little bit obssessed with bulgar wheat at the moment, which is probably why you're getting a second recipe using it here in two weeks. I have already raved about it's health benifits, but have I mentioned it is so easy to make, and goes with practically everything? Well maybe not everything, but it still is one of my favourite ingredients! Have you tried it yet?
Mediterranean Roast Vegetables with Bulgar Wheat Roast vegetables are delicious enough to be eaten on their own with just a little sea salt, but pair them up with some bulgar wheat and you have the makings a really delicious meal. You can use any roast veg here really, stuff like carrots, beetroot, or asparagus all work, but I really love the combination of aubergine, courgettes, red onion, and red pepper.
Serves 4-5 generous portions. 200g of bulgar wheat. 1 teaspoon of vegetable bouillon powder. 1 aubergine chopped into bitesize chunks. 2 courgettes chopped into bitesize chunks. 2 red onions chopped into bitesize chunks. 1 red pepper chopped into bitesize chunks. 2 tablespoons of 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 a cloth or cling film and allow to sit for about 30 minutes or until all the water is soaked up. Preheat the oven to 200oC. Add all the prepared vegetables to a large bowl and toss with the oil, sea salt and black pepper. Arrange the vegetables on a large non-stick low sided roasting tray, making sure not to overcrowd it, as this will make the vegetable pieces become soft. Place the roasting tray in the oven for approximately 40 minutes or until the vegetables become slightly scorched on the edges. Remove the tray from the oven and allow to cool. Add the roast vegetable pieces to the bulgar wheat and stir gently to combine. You may want to season with a little extra sea salt and black pepper at this point. Serve the bulgar wheat as tasty side dish or a super lunch box filler.
I've been packing a fair bit of travel in this summer and I'm fairly sure with the amount of airmiles that have wracked up, I'm doing the environment no favours! This week is no different I'm back in Sweden for a bit of work and to fully soak up all the best a Swedish summer has to offer! One of my favourite things about Sweden in the summer is the beautiful still lakes with their picturesque jetties. This week I finally got my first swim of the summer in and despite always being slightly worried about what lurks at the bottom of those murky waters, I can report that the water was beautiful. All that swimming in lakes can make a cook like myself hungry, so we decided to sample what the Swedes do best, the Smorgasbord!
One of my favourite places to eat in Gothenburg is the Gunnebo Coffee House and Restaurant which is situated on the grounds of one of Sweden's most beautiful neoclassical estates, just south of the city. The buffet style lunch is made with all organic ingredients and always has something interesting and healthy to offer. During the summer months the kitchen uses fruit and vegetables from the huge gardens outside, which I find very exciting to walk through! The day we were there amongst the fantastic choice of dishes there was a cabbage salad, cucumber and fennel lentil salad, herbed pork fillet, boiled cumin potatoes, roast salmon with a creamy sauce, and Roast tomatoes with Goats cheese and red onion. We assembled our plates with fairly hefty portions, a handful of the chunky homemade bread and headed outdoors to pick our way through it. There is something fairly special about eating fresh and healthy food outdoors on a warm summer day that just makes everything taste all the better! For now, as the Swedes say "hej då"!
Roast Tomatoes with Goats cheese and Red Onion This is a super way to make the most of the last of the summer tomatoes! This method brings out the fantastic natural sweetness and is perfection in every bite. You can prepare these ahead of time and serve them at room temperature.
Serves 4 4 tomatoes, cut in half 1 goats cheese log, cut in slices 1 red onion, sliced in half moons A good glug of olive oil A generous pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 200oC/Gas Mark 6. Arrange the tomato halves on a baking tray and top each on with a few slices of red onion and then place a slice of cheese on top. Drizzle each tomato with a little olive oil and season with sea salt and ground black pepper. Place in the oven to cook for 35 minutes or until the the tomatoes are soft and tender. Serve warm or cold.
Cucumber and Fennel, Lentil Salad I think lentils are by far one of the most underused pulses. They are like the black sheep of the legume family, with many people having never even cooked them before. However that all has to change, they are full of health benefits, and just as quick as pasta to cook so no excuses! They go great with lots of different dishes but they go great here as a tasty little salad!
Serves 4 1 cucumber, cut in chunky diagonal slices 150g of green lentils A good handful of fennel fronds, roughly chopped Juice of 1/2 a lemon 2 tablespoons of olive oil A generous pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper
Rinse the lentils in cold water drain and place in a pot. Cover them with plenty of water and bring to the boil, cooking for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside to cool. In a large bowl whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil. Add in the fennel fronds, cucumber slices, and cooled lentils. Season with sea salt and ground black pepper and serve!
This is still a fairly experimental dish, but the idea is similar to the duck salad I posted earlier this month, but without the noodles. It's really easy, quick and spicey! If you have a cold this will really clear those sinuses!
Spicy Chicken and Cucumber Salad
2 Chicken Breasts finely sliced
Enough flour to coat the chicken slices
Salt and Pepper
1/2 Cucumber finely sliced length ways
2 Peppers finely sliced
1 Red Onion finely sliced
6 Radishes finely sliced
The juice of 1 Lime
3 tablespoons of Rice Wine Vinegar
1 tablespoon of Fish Sauce
1 Teaspoon of sesame oil
2 Cloves of Garlic very finely chopped
Half a red chili very finely chopped
Thumb sized piece of ginger peeled and very finely chopped
Wow fourteen that's a lot! STAY WITH ME! Mix the flour with salt and pepper and coat the thinly sliced chicken. Fry them in a very hot pan with vegetable oil until nice and brown, leave to the side.
In a large bowl, combine the lime juice, rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, sesame oil, garlic, chili, and ginger. This should be to your taste so add something, subtract something be my guest! Add to the bowl, the cucumber, radish, red onion and red pepper. Mix the all the ingredients together in the spicy dressing.
Serve the spicy cucumber salad with the chicken strips on top and enjoy!
Is it me or has it been a little quiet around here recently? I think I've only just gotten back into the swing of cooking again after my little break. Sofie and I finally made the journey up to IKEA in Belfast over the weekend to get all those essential apartment items after nearly a year. We have been threatening to make the trip, since it opened in December, but it just kept getting put off- but we did it in style and spent a whopping eight hours in the store as if to make up for it!
I know that's a bit mad but we did like 4 sweeps of the place and missed out on very little. I love the kitchen stuff in IKEA, and my favourite thing we got on our shopping trip was this cool little kitchen trolley thing which doubles up as both a storage unit and a work top! I particularly like this because now I can perform a mini cookery show when we have guests over! :) (Pictures coming soon!)
On to the food! I cooked this dish over the weekend as a bit of an experiment and thankfully no plates were left empty so I'm taking thath to be a good sign.
Cajun Salmon and Asian Greens (Serves 2) For Salmon: 2 Organic Salmon Fillets 1 tsp. white pepper 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. onion powder 1 tsp. cayenne pepper 1 tsp. paprika 1 tsp. black pepper
For Asian Greens: Selection of veg diced (Broccoli, Carrot, Asparagus, Red Pepper) 2 Tablespoons of Rice Wine Vinegar 1 Tablespoon of Nam Pla (Fish Sauce) 1 Teaspoon of Sesame Oil A pinch of salt
In a large bowl combine the Rice Wine Vinegar, Nam Pla, Sesame Oil and salt, then add the diced veg and mix through. Cover and set aside in the fridge.
Mix the spices for the salmon together. Place the salmon fillets skin side down on a grill plate and sprinkle with the seasoning. Place under a hot grill for approx 7-8 mins.
While the Salmon is under the grill, in a hot frying pan stir fry the diced veg mix until soft.
The Salmon should be cooked by this time, if your worried it isn't cooked through, poke a knife into the centre of the flesh and check if it is still pink- if its is you may want to give it another minute or so under the grill.
When everything is cooked serve on a plate and enjoy!
If you follow me on twitter, you will probably be sick of me talking about it, but we (Industry) are currently on tour with JLS for their tour dates in Ireland. It makes a stark contrast to all the cooking I have been doing lately! The one question I have been asked the most since the book came out is which I prefer, the singing or the cooking, and to be honest after Saturday night, when we performed in Dublin's o2 arena, the singing gives the cooking a good run for its money! Though I think I will always have that hunger for performing on stage, it is just one of the most amazing feelings to stand in front of a crowd that size and sing! All the excitement and nerves aside, I have been managing to eat really well despite the lack of time, and these noodles are just one of the dishes which have kept the band well fed the last few days.
Crunchy Peanut Satay Noodles I am a huge fan of Asian flavours, and I absolutely love exploring Asian supermarkets to find new weird and wonderful ingredients. Noodles are one of my favourite things to buy there, and there are so many varieties to choose from thin rice vermicelli to the thick chunky udon noodles I use in this dish. You can use whatever noodles you can get your hands on for this recipe, and don't be afraid to experiment with the veggies, just use what you have, Chinese cabbage, carrot, or bok choy all work really nicely here. The beauty of this recipe is that it is just basically combining all these fantastic flavours with noodles and fresh veg which gives it that extra crunch factor!
Serves 2 400g of udon noodles 1/2 cucumber, sliced thinly 1 red pepper, sliced thinly 5 spring onions, sliced finely diagonally A handful of salted peanuts, roughly chopped
For the peanut sauce: 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil 1 clove of garlic, finely minced 1 small thumb sized piece of ginger, finely minced 1 small chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 200ml coconut milk 3 tablespoons of soy sauce Juice of 1 lime 3 tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter
Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the pack, rinse under cold water, drain and set aside. Heat the oil in a small sauce pot, add the garlic, chilli and ginger and fry for about 30-40 seconds stirring continuously. Add in the coconut milk, lime juice, peanut butter and soy sauce. Bring to the boil, stirring to melt the peanut butter, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the cooked noodles to a large mixing bowl and add in the spring onions, red pepper, and cucumber. Pour in the peanut sauce and toss all the ingredients together until combined. Serve with a sprinkle of chopped peanuts and some extra sliced spring onion.
As you might have guessed, if you are a regular reader of the blog, I have a major thing for zingy Asian food! It all started when I was a lot younger, when my grandmother bought me a simple Chinese cookbook. At that stage I had already worked my way through most of the cookbooks in our house but had never tried to cook any sort of Asian food. Ingredients like ginger, lemongrass, coconut milk, and the rather peculiar looking star anise were all foreign to me, as a curious youngster. I took it upon myself to become immersed in this little book, being brave and cooking the most strange sounding dishes first, in order to get a taste for the vast landscape of this cuisine. From fortune cookies to spring rolls, from Thai green curry to sushi, I really gave everything a go and even though they may not have all turned out quite to plan, the process in itself was totally enjoyable and left me with a fascination for Asian culture and recipes.
I have still never been anywhere in Asia and it is my absolute dream to travel, eat and photograph my way across the continent, well maybe that's a little ambitious, maybe just the main places to start with. I don't know when it's going to happen, but it will, and when it does I want to be ready for it so, I'm putting together a hit list of places to visit, people to see, and food to eat. If you have any good suggestions for recipes, stunning places to visit, interesting stories, photos or all of the above, let me know in the comment section or drop me a mail.
Mini Aromatic Duck Salad This a slightly adapted version of one of my favourite recipes from my cookbook. It's fairly similar, the only difference really being that, I serve the salad in mouthful portions on baby gem lettuce leaves here. Apart from the duck don't be too concerned about the salad ingredients, anything goes here really, things like bean sprouts, shredded Chinese cabbage, finely sliced snow peas are all perfect also. You can get amazing aromatic duck breasts in the frozen section at good Chinese supermarkets, which only require roasting time in the oven for delicious results.
Serves 4 2 aromatic duck breasts, cooked and shredded 2 carrots, thinly sliced 6 spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal 1 red pepper, thinly sliced Baby gem lettuce leaves, to serve
Dressing: 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil Juice of 1/2 lime 1 teaspoon of fish sauce 1 tablespoon soy sauce
Add all the ingredients for the dressing to a bowl and whisk to combine. Add the duck, carrots, spring onions, and red pepper to the bowl and toss with the dressing to combine. Arrange baby gem lettuce leaves on a serving platter and add spoonfuls of the duck salad to them. Serve straight away, or refrigerate the duck salad and assemble when required.
My Grandparents Heading On Their Honeymoon To Wicklow In 1950
It's definitely a sign you had a fairly packed weekend when you only start to relax on a Monday morning! I was working on Friday, Saturday and Sunday but Saturday night was the big occasion, 25 family members, young and old packed into my parents front room to eat their way through a three course meal and celebrate my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary.
They are my grandparents on my moms side of the family, they married in 1950 and made a living as sculptors, all the while raising my mom and her 3 brothers and 3 sisters. My grandmother has a fantastic knowledge of food and I can talk with her for hours about her delicious rich recipes (if we can steal a moment away from my granddad's well trained 3rd degree questioning skills!) which always seem to transform some extremely unique off cut of meat into a melt in your mouth, one pot wonder. I love how she can tell me she had nothing in the house, yet then go into intricate detail of how she whipped up an old French recipe so delicious it would put the great Elizabeth David to shame. Needless to say that love of food has been passed down the line, so the food at gathering such as this are normally of a certain standard! Anything less of course and you can expect a full critique by the time the coffee and teas are served!
On the menu was a delicious crab salad with lemon zest, for mains we had hefty portions of slow roasted lamb shanks in red wine with a tomato and white bean stew, and to wrap things up we had the delicious mocha meringues with whiskey cream, chocolate sauce and toasted hazelnuts which we cooked for the event in Paris during the spring. All this was followed by an amazing cheeseboard from Sheridans Cheesemongers which despite the big helpings for dinner was devoured! So things are back to normality this week thankfully so here's today's recipe, enjoy!
Whoohaa Chorizo Bean Pasta! Pasta is definitely a super-cheap store cupboard ingredient which can easily be transformed into hundreds of delicious dishes. This is one of my favourite ways of making the most of it. When making a tomato sauce, the key to getting the best flavour out of it is to cook it slowly. I love to add a good glug of red wine while it reduces to bring out a really great richness. The chorizo gives the dish a kick of heat and will leave you feeling full.
Serves four 150g chorizo, sliced in thick discs 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 red onion, finely chopped 400g tin chopped tomatoes 1 tsp dried oregano Sea salt and ground black pepper to season 400g tin cannellini beans 250g penne pasta Parmesan cheese, to serve
Heat a large frying pan over a high heat and throw in the sliced chorizo. Fry on both sides until roaring red and sizzling. Remove from the pan and set aside. You should be left with a rich red oil in the pan. Place the pan back over the heat, add the garlic and onions and fry for two to three minutes until the onions are soft. Add the chopped tomatoes and dried oregano, then half fill the empty chopped tomatoes tin with warm water and stir into the pan (if you have red wine it would be great here instead of the water). Bring the sauce to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until it has reduced a little. While the sauce is reducing, cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet, drain and set aside. Stir the chorizo and cannellini beans into the tomato sauce until everything is warmed through. Add the sauce to the cooked pasta and stir through. Serve with a good grating of Parmesan cheese.
There are things in this world that excite me, things which in many ways do not excite the majority of the rest of world. One of these little things happened the other day while I was on a walk around the cliffs in Howth- I came across a kind of mini crate sitting right in the middle of my path. Now you see to a normal person, this would just be a bit of wood and they would casually pass by without thinking twice. Not me though, I was turning it over inspecting the cracks, the colours and the rusty nails! I'm not crazy I swear! It's just I have a little bit of an obsession with photography props and this perfectly formed little piece wood makes an ideal platform to shoot food pictures upon. I dragged the mini crate home, despite objections from Sofie, and as you can see from the photo's here I think you'll agree it was well worth it- it gives a great rustic feel to the shots!
Warm Chorizo, Red Onion and Baby Potato Salad I'm totally in love with this dish at the moment, its a perfect summer garden dinner. I normally just serve this as a side dish but you can beef it up by adding a few eggs to the dish and baking them until cooked. I can't tell you tell you just how tasty this little recipe is, you will just have to try it!
Serves 4 Approximately 16 baby potatoes. 300g of chorizo. 2 red onions, finely sliced. Juice of 1/2 lemon. A good pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Add the potatoes to a pot and cover with water. Place over a high heat and bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 10-12 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft when poked with a fork. Remove from the heat and drain. Place a large frying pan over and medium high heat and add the chorizo, you shouldn't need any oil. Fry the chorizo slices for 2-3 minutes until they are really red and crispy. Remove the pan from the heat and squeeze over the juice of half a lemon. With the back of a fork or a whisk, combine the chorizo and lemon juices. Add the red onion to the pan and stir through. Finally chop the potatoes into bitesize pieces and add to the pan gently tossing so that all the ingredients are combined. Season with sea salt and black pepper and serve warm as a tasty side dish.
I have some big news! We are upping sticks and moving to a new kitchen next week, so we have our serious planning hats on at the moment. It's always so exciting when you get a new kitchen and of course a place to stay, although for me one is most definitely secondary to the other. There are a few things I look forward to most when it comes to moving into a kitchen, first and foremost a good storecupboard, jam packed with all those handy essentials which make a meal, and the second, kitchen gadgets! I've been getting lots and lots of advice on twitter and facebook about your "new kitchen essentials" with the one over ruling suggestion being a Kitchen Aid mixer, which I do not already have. We've decided that the best thing to do is get settled, see what we need, beyond what we already have, and plan a shopping list! I'll keep you posted on the big move but for now here's a recipe for today!
Zingy Quick and Tasty Stir-Fry Stir-fries are a brilliant way of getting lots of veggies into your diet without compromising on taste. This one is full of zingy flavours and healthy, tasty veg. Don’t be put off by Chinese cabbage — it’s a great standby vegetable which will last quite a while in the fridge and works well in stirfries such as this one or eaten raw in a crunchy Asian salad.
Serves four 250g noodles of your choice 2 tbsps soy sauce 1 tsp honey Juice of 1 lime 1 red pepper, thinly sliced 2 carrots, grated or sliced in thin matchsticks ½ head Chinese cabbage, roughly shredded 1 red onion, sliced into thin half moons 2 cloves garlic, finely minced 1 red chilli, finely chopped
Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet, drain and set aside. Whisk together the soy sauce, honey and lime juice in the bottom of a large bowl. Add in the chopped veggies, except for the onion, garlic and chillies, and toss until everything is combined. Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan until it’s very hot, add the onion, chilli and garlic and stir-fry for about 40 seconds. Add in the veggies and stir fry until they are tender. You can check this by taking a bite. Then add the noodles and toss in with all the veggies until combined, then fry for a further minute. Serve straight away or allow to cool then pop in a lunchbox for the next day.
One of my most favorite things to do after enjoying a great meal out, is to recreate it from memory! Normally it doesn't exactly go to plan, but this one really worked out and it's now a classic here in the mood food kitchen. I have a terrible habit when I eat in a restaurant that when I find my favorite dish, I tend to stick to it and order the dish over and over again! I know variety is the spice of life and all that but when it tastes so good I'd feel like I was missing out if I didn't order it.
This is an adaptation of a classic dish on the menu at the Wagamama chain of eateries, I think the original recipe includes shrimp, chicken and squid but this is more of a vegetarian version. The eggs added add the end of recipe gives a great texture to the noodles!
Mood Food Yaki Soba
4oz of Ramen Noodles
1/2 Cup of Oyster Sauce
1/3 Cup of Water
1 Tablespoon of Salt
1 Tablespoon of Sugar
1/2 Head of Broccoli Finely chopped
1 cup of finely chopped Chinese Cabbage
5 Baby Corn finely sliced
1 Small Onion sliced into half moons
5 Spring Onions finely sliced length ways
2 Cloves of Garlic finely chopped
1 Red Pepper finely chopped
2 Eggs lightly beaten
Before you start finely chopping all the veg, boil the noodles according to the instructions on the packet. Strain and set aside. In a small sauce pan bring to the boil, Oyster sauce, Water, Salt and Sugar. Leave on a low heat and cook for 10 mins. While the sauce is cooking, prep the Broccoli, Chinese Cabbage, Baby Corn, Spring Onions, and Onion and set aside in a large bowl. Chop the pepper and garlic and set aside. Take the sauce pan off the heat and combine it with the veg in the bowl and toss. Add the noodles and toss again. In a large very hot frying pan or wok, add about two tablespoons of vegetable oil and stirfry the pepper and garlic for about 1 minute. Add the noodles and veg mix and cook for another 2 minutes until cooked through, then add the eggs and cook for a further minute.
Serve in a big bowl and enjoy! You can garnish the dish with thinly sliced pickled ginger but that's optional.
GOOD MORNING! Well this was dinner last night mainly because I decided that if i didn't use the squash in the fridge it was going to end up in the bin! I love love love roast veggies, when there done properly that is, I mean when there's a little crispy chewy and caramel like on the outside and soft and mushy on the inside, now that's perfection. I have just moved into a new apartment which means a new oven, which means getting used to regulating the heat! I'm used to gas hob and oven so moving to electric isn't exactly great news as it seems much harder to regulate the temperature. But I'm getting there!
Also I just want to apologise if you've seen the gaudy yellow plates repetitively in photo's and have had just about enough of them but there all I have at the moment what with the moving and all! Were going to Sweden in a few weeks time so I intend to stock up with a few Ikea essentials.
This dish came together as a result of wanting to make a meal out of the squash rather than presenting it as the weird vegetable on the side of some other complicated dish. Squash is a strong meaty vegetable and should be treated as such.
Spicy Sticky Roast Squash Salad
(serves 2)
1 Large Squash
1 Red Onion
1 Red Pepper
1 Large Carrot
8 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons of Honey
1 teaspoon of chili powder
A good splash of olive oil
This is an extremely easy dish and comes out looking like your a pro! So first of all prepare all your veg. I've read about different ways of cooking squash mainly with the skin on but being a glutton for punishment I like to peel them, so there's no work involved during the eating process. Once you have peeled your squash, cut it into halves and scoop out the seeds, then cut into chunky slices. Prepare the rest of the veg cutting into chunks. Leave the garlic cloves as they are, this will result in a rich yet mellow flavour a lot more palatable than in it's raw form.
Place all the veg into a large roasting tin and toss in some olive oil, next drizzle the honey over the mix, and finally sprinkle the chili powder.
Roast in a preheated oven at about 150 degrees Celsius for approx 30 minutes or until brown. YUM!
Another recipe from Catherine's cookbook today and it's a damn good one, you seriously can't go wrong with homemade spaghetti and meatballs, especially on a day like today! Can you believe it's already the 1st of September? This dish would make a perfect little warming supper dish so enjoy!
Meatballs in Spicy Tomato Sauce Meatballs form the secondi or meat course at the Italian table, while pasta is the primi, so they would not traditionally be served together. That said, they work well together, so if this takes your fancy, allow 400–450g of dried spaghetti to serve four. I also sometimes add 50g freshly grated Parmesan to the meatballs and reduce the salt, yum! Have a bowl of cold water beside you when forming the meatballs to dip your hands into, as keeping your hands moist prevents the meat from sticking when forming the balls.
Serves 6 for the meatballs: 50g fresh breadcrumbs 100ml milk 1 onion, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 225g minced pork 225g lean minced beef 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp salt 1⁄2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 egg, beaten extra virgin olive oil
for the spicy tomato sauce: 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 1 onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 175ml vegetable stock 500g tinned chopped tomatoes 2 tbsp tomato puree salt and freshly ground black pepper pasta, to serve freshly grated Parmesan, to serve
To make the meatballs, first soak the breadcrumbs in the milk. Mix the chopped onion and garlic with the pork and beef. Add the breadcrumbs, oregano, salt and pepper to the meat mixture and mix well. Add in the beaten egg and mix thoroughly. Roll the mixture into small balls. Heat some oil in a frying pan and add in the meatballs. Fry for approximately 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides. Remove from the heat and set aside. To make the sauce, heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the chilli and onion and cook on a low heat for 7–10 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, stock, tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Add the meatballs to the sauce and leave to simmer for 10 minutes to heat through. Serve with your favourite pasta and sprinkle grated Parmesan on top.
Since the launch of the book I have been asked to do quite a few kids school demonstrations, and although I was a little apprehensive at first, I have pretty much grown to love them. The amazing thing that I forget about everytime I do a demo, is just how excited they get about food, and not only that, but how much they actually take in, when you speak about food. Today a little guy, around 7 years old, bravely stuck up his hand during the demo, in front of all of his mates and asked me, what was the best healthy substitute for mayonnaise. I was totally taken aback because it just shows that these kids are really thinking about the food that is being cooked! Having grown up learning how to cook from a very early age, I guess I always took that sort of knowledge as granted and to a certain extent it was just a part of normal life for me. After reading recent reports that 1in 5 of Ireland's children are obese, it's quite disturbing to think that these kids with unhealthy diets are growing up without that sort of knowledge. Knowledge which could potentially change their lives and have a dramatic impact on their health both now and in the long run.
From what I can see on the TV and in the press, the problem with kids eating unhealthy diets doesn't lie with the schools, they can only do so much, the problem and the solution lies with the food routines set out by the parents at home. Which is why an emphasis has to be put on teaching those parents who can't cook, the basic meals and cooking habits which will set them up to run a healthy, happy household. I am of course coming to you from the viewpoint of someone who doesn't have kids and I don't mean to get all preachy on you, I know there are time constraints and all sorts of other factors to consider but when you see kids who have such an active interest in food you seriously have to question where the problem actually lies. What do you think?
Food politics aside, I started a brand new weekly food column with Cork based newspaper, The Cork News, a few weeks back and it has been getting a really great response so far! Here is the recipe from today's column!
Garlic and Rosemary Chicken with Roast Cherry Tomato Salad Although I do try to buy as much in season vegetables as possible I just can't resist using cherry tomatoes in this tasty little dish. The good thing about roasting the them is that it brings out the best from even the most tasteless tomatoes. By feeding them with a little sea salt, black pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar you are guaranteed little morsels packed with punchy flavour. It's dishes like this which are really simple and full of flavour that make mealtimes far more enjoyable and take the hassle out of cooking for groups. Feel free to adapt the recipe as you wish, try using different herbs, different salad leaves, just use what you have.
Serves 4 4 chicken breasts 6 cloves of garlic 2-3 sprigs of rosemary 4 tablespoons of olive oil A good pinch of ground black pepper A good pinch of sea salt
For the salad: 4 tablespoons of olive oil 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar A good pinch of ground black pepper A good pinch of sea salt 1 large punnet of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half 120g of rocket leaves 1 small red onion, finaly sliced Shavings of parmesan cheese to serve
In a bowl whisk together the olive oil and balsamic vinegar for the salad. Add the tomatoes to a large roasting tray cut side up, pour half the dressing over and toss to combine. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Place in an oven at 200oC/Gas Mark 6 for about 35 minutes or until the tomatoes have reduced in size. While the tomatoes are roasting in the oven, in a pestle and mortar or with the back of a knife, crush the garlic cloves with a little sea salt, until you have a fine paste. Remove the leaves from the sprigs of rosemary, and add them with the mushed garlic, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, and chicken breasts to a bowl and allow to marinade while you prepare the rest of the salad ingredients. On a large hot griddle pan, fry the chicken breasts for 3-4 minutes either side, depending on the size, but just make sure they are cooked through. In a large bowl, toss together the rocket, roasted cherry tomatoes, red onion and remaining dressing. Serve alongside the chicken with some shavings of parmesan cheese.
Now I don't know about you but when it comes to coleslaw I am extremely picky and only homemade will do. There is absolutely nothing worse than the soggy, boring, mayonaise laden coleslaws available from supermarkets which have been sitting in the salad bar all day long. Don't get me wrong, some places can get it right, but they are few and far between. It is extremely inexpensive and takes only a few minutes to make a really tasty coleslaw at home, plus you can add whatever you want to it! This is my plain coleslaw recipe but feel free to experiment with it, add your own ingredients and ideas!
Red Cabbage and Carrot Coleslaw I have a handy dandy Magimix food processor and it makes this recipe so simple and takes only minutes to prepare. If you don't have one, it's no big deal but it makes this easy recipe a little more time consuming. This crunchy coleslaw is the perfect accompaniment to any meat or poultry dish.
Serves 4-6 people 3 carrots, grated 1/2 head of red cabbage, finely chopped or coarsely grated 3 spring onions, finely chopped 3 tablespoon of mayonaisse 1 tablespoon of wholegrain mustard A good pinch of ground black pepper
Add all the vegetables to a large mixing bowl. Add the wholegrain mustard, ground black pepper and mayonaisse and using a large spoon combine all the ingredients until the carrot and cabbage is evenly coated. Transfer to a large serving dish, cover with cling film and place in the fridge until you are ready to serve. The coleslaw should last 2-3 days kept in the fridge.
I'm writing this on a dark train in the middle of a snow bound Sweden, this week we are visiting Sofie's folks in Gothenburg, so I have unwillingly been catapulted into the Christmas season whether I like it or not. As you all know of course snow equals Christmas and during the long dark days in Sweden they really go all out for the festive season. We are hoping to get in all the sights and sounds of a Swedish Christmas to bring home some Scandinavian inspiration to our home just in time for the seasonal period. While all that is going on let's not forget that on these cold dark days, serious fuel is needed to boost the immune system and keep you up and running! My mushy Roast Garlic and Cherry Tomato Pasta is one of those dishes I came up with hungry after work last winter. It has all those great punchy flavors of roast vegetables combined to make the most luscious thick juicy tomato sauce for the hot pasta you tumble in on top. Don't be afraid of using a whole bulb of garlic, the roasting process will take away the strong flavors you get from raw garlic and instead you will be left with a sweet intense mush which can be pushed out its skin using the back of a fork. Possibly one of THE BEST recipes from Good Mood Food, you will make this one again and again!
Mushy Roast Garlic and Cherry Tomato Pasta Serving this little supper hot to the table with a good handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese is an absolute must! It brings the whole dish together and pumps up all those amazing roasted flavors.
Serves 4 people 250g/9oz wholewheat penne 1 large bulb of garlic 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes 1 large red onion 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar 3 tablespoons of olive oil A good pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper A large handful of grated parmesan cheese An extra glug of olive oil
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Slice the top off the bulb of garlic so that almost all the cloves are exposed. Place the garlic in a large roasting tray. Prepare the cherry tomatoes by slicing them in half. Place the tomatoes in the roasting tray. Prepare the red onion by peeling and slicing into rough quarters, place alongside the tomatoes and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together the balsamic vinegar and olive oil and using a pastry brush, brush the mix over the tomatoes, the red onion and garlic bulb. Sprinkle the tomatoes, garlic and onion with a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Roast in the oven for 30–35 minutes or until the tomatoes have reduced to half their size. While the garlic, tomatoes and onion are roasting, bring a medium-sized pot of water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet. Drain the pasta in a colander and set aside. When the tomatoes, garlic and onion are cooked, remove from the oven and, using a fork, carefully push out the garlic cloves from their skins and mash all the ingredients together until you have a thick mushy sauce. Tumble the cooked pasta into the roasting tray and add the parmesan cheese and an extra glug of olive oil. Toss everything together until the pasta is evenly coated. Serve in a large bowl and enjoy!
Looking for a quick "hands on" starter dish which comes packed with a punch? Well I'm pretty sure these quesadillas fit the bill! I am completely addicted to chorizo, it's full of great smokey spiced flavour, has a fantastic, rich, deep red colour and adds so much to any dish you use it in. I love using chorizo in hearty bean stews for a more wintery dish, but it will forever and for always remind me of summer. I first tasted it on a holiday in Spain as part of a tapas dish and was hooked forever more!
Chorizo and Spring Onion Quesadillas You can get chorizo in fine soft slices or in thick sausage form which I use in this recipe. If you are really stuck and can't get your hands on some chorizo for this recipe, don't panic, you can use a little leftover cooked chicken or some sliced cooked ham as a substitute. The great thing about quesadillas is that you can really adapt them to what you have, the classic ones I normally make are with some salsa, cheese and thinly sliced red onion, simple and delicious!
Serves 2 150g of chorizo, sliced in bite size chunky rounds 1 clove of garlic, finely minced A small handful of cherry tomatoes, finely chopped 4 wholewheat tortilla wraps A bunch of spring onions, sliced finely A small handful of grated cheddar cheese Sea salt and black pepper to season
Heat a large frying pan over a high heat and cook the chorizo on both sides until sizzling and roaring red. When it's cooked, remove from the pan and place on a plate lined with some kitchen paper. Drain a little of the chorizo oil, leaving enough to fry the quesadillas. While the chorizo is frying off, combine the minced garlic and chopped tomatoes in a bowl and season with a little salt and pepper. Spread half the tomato and garlic mix on one of the tortilla wraps, top with a little cheese, a generous amount of spring onions, and some of the cooked chorizo. Place another tortilla wrap on top and fry on both sides over a high heat, until the quesadilla is golden brown and the cheese inside has melted. Repeat with the second quesadilla. Serve the quessdillas sliced in quarters with an extra sprinkle of sliced spring onions, and a little of the leftover tomato and garlic mix.
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.
I finally sent off the manuscript of text for the book to Mercier press last week, so things have finally calmed down a little here in the Good Mood Kitchen! I have to say the whole process has been a major learning process and has been totally enjoyable. The most exciting part of the entire project had to be spending the two days working hell for leather in September with Jocasta the lovely food photographer and Erica my lovely food stylist/sous chef/psychiatrist/ and Auntie!! I picked up so many great little tips, so I'll have to do an extra special post detailing them all. For now here's a great quick dinner, which I made the other night, it's super tasty and so easy to make.
Mushy Roast Garlic and Cherry Tomato Pasta
This is an absolutely delicious dish which is so easy to prepare and is perfect for entertaining. I roast all the ingredients in a large roasting tray and when they are cooked using a fork mash them altogether to create a super tasty thick tomato sauce. Don’t be put off my roasting the whole garlic bulb, it produces a really rich, deep and faintly sweet flavour and makes it a lot more palatable than in its raw state.
250g of Wholewheat Penne Pasta. 1 large bulb of garlic. 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes. 1 large red onion. 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. 3 tablespoons of olive oil. A good pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper. An extra glug of olive oil. A large handful of grated parmesan cheese.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 4. Slice the top off the bulb of garlic so that almost all the cloves are exposed. Place the garlic in a large roasting tray. Prepare the cherry tomatoes by slicing them in half. A quick tip I picked up recently is that in order to always get an open faced halved tomato, look for the small dimple at the top of the tomato. Always slice across this bump and you will end up with perfectly sliced tomato faces! Place the tomatoes in the roasting tray. Prepare the red onion by peeling and slicing into rough quarters, place alongside the tomatoes and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together the balsamic vinegar and olive oil and using a pastry brush, brush the mix over the tomatoes, the red onion, and the garlic bulb. Sprinkle the tomatoes, garlic, and onion with a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Roast the tray in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until the tomatoes have reduced to half their size. While the garlic, tomatoes, and onion are roasting, bring a medium sized pot of water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet. Drain the pasta in a colander and set aside.
When the tomatoes, garlic and onion are cooked remove from the oven and using a fork, mash all the ingredients together until you have a thick mushy sauce. Tumble the cooked pasta into the roasting tray and add the Parmesan cheese and an extra glug of olive oil. Toss everything together until the pasta is evenly coated. Serve in a large bowl and enjoy!
Well we're two rooms down on the house and surprisingly after 3 days in a row in IKEA, I'm still ready for more! We have just got in the door from sorting out the bedroom, with a bed and wardrobe set for delivery tomorrow. I have to admit that with all the rushing around, we have ended up in the cafe twice and I have to confess that I have munched my way through 30 meatballs in the last two days, with copious amounts of mashed potato, gravy and lingonberry jam! But then again when you are lugging your life around there is most definitely a need for some serious comfort food. Speaking of which today's recipe is one of my ultimate comfort foods- Slow cooked lamb shanks for many need absolutely no introduction as you will know just how delicious, slow-cooking this off-cut of meat is. If you haven't tried them before, give this recipe a go it's perfect for the cooler evenings.
Lamb Shanks with Colcannon Mash I really am a sucker for a good lamb shank, with it's melt-in-the-mouth texture, which literally falls off the bone, it truly is a thing of beauty! The key is to slow cook it at a low temperature. This transforms the gnarly piece of meat into a rich and juicy piece of deliciousness. You can serve it on normal mash, sweet potato mash, or with lentils, but I love colcannon and seeing as it is the season, it makes perfect sense!
Serves 4 30ml/2 tbsp of olive oil 4 lamb shanks 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 3 onions, finely chopped 1 carrot, finely diced 1 stalk of celery, finely sliced 350ml/12 fl oz of red wine A few sprigs of thyme, tied in a bunch with string 650ml/1 ½ pts of stock (vegetable or beef) 2 tablespoons of cornflour A good pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper
In a large casserole dish, heat the olive oil and add the lamb shanks and brown on all sides. Remove and set aside. Fry the onions for two to three minutes until soft but not browned. Add the garlic, carrot and celery and fry for another couple of minutes. Pop in the thyme and stir through. Add the red wine and bring to the boil and simmer for five minutes. Place in the browned lamb shanks and pour over the stock. Bring to a steady simmer, then cover and place in the oven at 150oC/300oF/Gas Mark 2. Cook the lamb shanks very slowly, for three hours, turning them half way through the cooking time, until the meat is extremely tender and almost falls off the bone. Toward the end of the cooking time, taste and season. If you want to serve the lamb shanks with its juices, I remove a few ladles of the juices and place them in a small saucepan. Then place two tablespoons of the juices in a bowl and stir through the cornflour until you have a smooth mix, pour this back into the saucepan and bring to a steady simmer, cooking down until you have a thick gravy. Serve in large deep bowls with the colcannon.
For the colcannon: 1kg potatoes, peeled and diced 250g cabbage, finely sliced 1 bunch of spring onions, finely sliced 2 tablespoons of butter 75ml of milk or cream A good pinch of sea salt and black pepper
Add the peeled and diced potato to a pot of cold water, cover, place over a high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potato is tender when pierced with a fork. Place a metal steamer into another pot, add a little water and bring to the boil. Place the cabbage into the steamer and steam cook until it is tender. When the potatoes are cooked, remove from the heat, drain into a colander, then add back into the pot with the butter and milk. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until smooth and creamy. You may want to add a little bit more or less milk and butter, it's up to you! Add in the spring onion, steamed cabbage, sea salt and black pepper and stir through with a spoon until evenly combined. Serve with the lamb shanks.
I don't eat red meat that often but when I do, I always make sure to do it right, it's so worth putting in the extra effort for a really fresh piece of meat. I made these delicious steaks for dinner the other day and they went down an absolute treat. The rich mushroom sauce adds an extra moistness that could save even the driest steak! My dad picked up the steaks while he was passing through Mitchelstown in Cork last week and it was well worth going the distance for a fine auld hunk of country meat.
Simple Steaks with Mixed Forest Mushroom Sauce Depending on the dried mushrooms you buy, you can use the water you soak them in as part of the stock added in this recipe- Simply substitute half the beef stock with the mushroom water. If you don't have dried mushrooms, they are not essential but give a real depth to the sauce, so feel free to substitute with any fresh mushrooms available to you.
Serves 4 people 40g of dried mixed forest mushrooms. 4 steaks. 1 tablespoon of butter. 1 tablespoon of olive oil (plus a little extra for the steaks) 3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped. 1 onion, thinly sliced. 250g of button mushrooms, sliced thinly. 125ml of white wine. 250ml of beef stock. 4 tablespoons of cream. A good pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Rinse the dried mushrooms with water and then submerge in a bowl with warm water and leave for 20 minutes. Prepare the steaks by drizzling them with a little olive oil, sprinkle over a generous amount of ground black pepper, cover and set aside. When the dried mushrooms have finished soaking, heat a large pan over a medium high heat and add the butter and olive oil. Fry the garlic and onion for 2 minutes, then add the mushrooms and continue to cook for 5 minutes or until they become soft. Add the white wine, continue to cook and reduce the liquid by half. Then add the beef stock and simmer for a further 2 minutes or until the liquid begins to thicken slightly. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream until combined. Season with sea salt and black pepper and set aside. Heat a large griddle pan over a high heat and cook the steaks for 2-3 minutes either side for medium rare steak, depending on thickness. Remove the steaks from the pan and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes. Serve them with the tasty mushroom sauce and some steamed veg.
