Asian beef stew

Recently I collaborated with the Best of Beef with this Asian beef stew to highlight the exceptional quality that is Irish Hereford Prime beef. I have been making this stew for many years now, and I can wholeheartedly say that using Irish Hereford Prime beef has produced the most succulent version of this meal. The…

Maple mustard chicken

Two days ago, I received a notification that I am a finalist in the Irish Blog Awards which has both shocked and surprised me. This time last year, I was eagerly updating my blog; Frequently creating content, including recipes and reviews of eating establishments near and far, and just generally paying more attention to this…

Moroccan-style lamb meatballs (Kefta)

Whenever I think of Morocco, I think of my Grandma’s travels during the 1980s and how we had to sit and look at all her slides in the living room of her house. Did anyone else have to endure that? The incessant clicking of the slide projector, as it showed each photo beamed to the…

Pipis in white wine (cockles)

Growing up we’d head to the beach to get pipis, mainly for fish bait but also for eating. Going at low tide so that we’d be able to get them at the shoreline, trousers rolled up and our thongs (flip flops) precariously hanging on to our feet as the waves rolled in. Once a wave…

Pink, gin cured salmon (gravlaks)

Over the last few years this has been my go to recipe for entertaining, as it’s perfect as a canape or a starter. It’s vibrant colour, thanks to beetroot, easily wows guests without too much effort. I first came across gravlaks when traveling around Scandinavia, where it features in open-faced sandwiches mainly. So this can…

Festive cranberry bread

Having grown up in a country where Christmas is during the summer, I really enjoy the contrast of the lead up to Christmas where there’s a chill in the air and towns are sparkling from all the festive lights, like here in Ireland. Whilst I love looking at the Myer Christmas windows on a balmy…

Spanish-style lentils (lentejas).

One of the dishes that transports me back to my childhood is lentils. They were a regular feature growing up because they were cheap and a small amount made a mountain of food. We used to have two versions of this dish, a Swiss-style version with smoked pork belly and bratwurst sausage or occasionally a…

Roasted miso aubergines with udon noodles

I’ve previously gushed about my fascination about Japan and Japanese food in my Crispy tofu skewers post. Back when I was 20 years old, I was invited to a friend’s birthday dinner in a Japanese restaurant where I was introduced to Japanese style aubergine/ eggplant. Prior to this, I had only eaten aubergine mainly in…

Pea and walnut pesto with gnocchi

Firstly, I have to thank Nigella Lawson for introducing me to the joy that is pan fried gnocchi. What’s not to like about the soft potato dumplings having a crunchy exterior?! If you have the time or inclination, making them from scratch is worth the effort, but this recipe is about rustling up something quick…

Smoked cheese and pink peppercorn croquetas

My father is Spanish, so growing up we’d always have Spanish food in our house. Chorizo was a staple, tortilla and croquetas would be made regularly and paella would be made over an open fire on special occasions. For me Spanish food is linked to many happy memories. One of those happy memories is visiting…

Nduja stuffed mushrooms

Nduja is an Italian soft pork salami, hailing from Calabria. I’d love to be telling a story about how I came across this ingredient during my travels in Italy, but alas that is not the case. I have only come across it on pizzas in various Italian pizzerias across Ireland and the UK, so I…

Chickpea and Chorizo stew with pan fried Sea bass

To me, this stew is a stew for all seasons. Make it as is and it’s perfect with a glass of red, in front of a fire in the depths of winter. Or add pan fried Sea bass, or any white fish, and you’ve changed it into something light and summery. The punchy flavours of…