Chorizo Pasta with Rocket                                                                                   Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tsp oregano (or mixed herbs)
1 chicken stock cube (or stock pot)
50g mild chorizo sausage, diced
300g penne pasta (or pasta of choice)
optional: pinch of chilli flakes
To Serve: Fresh Rocket Leaves

Method

1. Cook pasta according to packet instructions.
2. Heat oil in a large heavy based frying pan.
3. Sweat the onion over a medium heat until softened.
4. Add the peppers and garlic and fry for 3 minutes.
5. Add in the oregano (or other herbs). Optional: If you would like to add a bit of spicy heat to this dish you can add in some chilli flakes (but it is not necessary if you have bought spicy chorizo).
6. Add in the chopped tomatoes.
7. Add in the stock pot and stir it until it is dissolved (alternately dissolve it in a quarter teacup of boiling water).  Add it to the tomato...

 As a colourful side dish to liven up a boring old grilled chop, I boil them with frozen sweetcorn and serve them mixed together with a knob of butter.

For tasty vegetarian meals, a little creativity with some fresh herbs can make all the difference. Which is why this rich and creamy risotto with bright peas and mint is a real winner for me.

Many people are intimidated by risottos, imagining them to be a very 'cheffy dish'. But for relaxed home cooking, risotto is actually a simple and versatile thing to prepare. If you've got the patience to stand by the stove for half-an-hour, stirring and stirring, you've already cracked it.

Use either Arborio or Carnaroli rice as they contain more starch than other varieties.

Keep a pan of stock just simmering nearby, so as not to...

MACARONI CHEESE                                                                                                     Serves 4
Comfort Food – this simple dish is a winner with kids. Our recipe provides for a twist with the juicy cherry tomatoes.

Method 

1. To Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to packet instructions until the pasta is ‘al dente’ (with a slight bite to it). Once cooked, drain the pasta and set aside in a warm place.
2. For the White Sauce: Melt butter over a low heat in a medium saucepan. Stir in th
...

When the weather gets a bit chillier, I pull out my folder of comforting midweek meals and this Fish curry is always popular with the family.  Fish can be very expensive, but if you keep an eye on the blackboard at any good fish counter, you can pick up some fantastic deals on white fish.  For instance, you may notice Cod might be priced very high, while the Hake or Haddock offers a more economical alternative, with no compromise on the tastiness of a meal. This fish curry can be made with any white fish, and even prawns.

The creaminess of this curry comes from Cashew nuts rather than cream or coconut milk!

Serves 6

Cooking Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

    1.2kg haddock, skinless, pinboned, cut into large chunks
    1 tbsp turmeric
    30g butter
    2 tbsp sunflower oil
    1 tbsp fennel seeds
    1 tsp cumin seeds
    10 cardamom pods, crushed, seeds only
    1 cinnamon, stick
    2 onion, sliced
    4 cloves garlic, minced
    2cm ginger, finely chopped
    1 tbsp tomato purée
    400g tin chopped to...

For a Quintessentially Celtic Treat, Nothing Beats a Freshly Baked Fluffy Irish Scone!

It was “Sally O’Brien and the way she might look at you” that used to attract the tourists. Nowadays tourists are flocking to experience wild coasts, ancient ruins and Irish food. Though subtle culinary differences do exist between us and our close neighbours in Britain. Rather than high tea, Irish scones conjure images of a farmhouse kitchen, a wooden table and a ginormous pot of tea.

When I worked the morning shift in a kitchen, the scones were in the oven within 10 minutes of my arrival. All I had to do was crack some eggs, then pour them, along with milk, into the dry scone mixture (which I had prepared the day before). Every B&B in the country might make a fresh batch each morning if they knew how easy scones are to make.

Truly Irish scones are made in the fashion of white soda bread; combining plain flour, bread soda, salt and buttermilk. While delicious and fluffy when fresh, they are not a...

A terrine with smoked salmon is something you can prepare ahead for Christmas. 
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Ingredients:
10 slices of smoked salmon
2-3 tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice
200g crème fraîche
200g cream cheese
1 tbsp of freshly chopped dill
salt and pepper
For the Cucumber:
1 cucumber
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dill
1 tsp salt
pinch freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Peel, deseed and finely slice the cucumber and place in a bowl.  Sprinkle over the salt, mix and allow to marinate for 30 minutes.
2. Line 4 ramekins with a double layer of cling film.  Cut away any waxy edges from the smoked salmon (reserve these smoked salmon trimmings) then place 2 overlapping slices of smoked salmon over the clingfilm.
3. Chop up the smoked salmon trimmings and put in a bowl together with the crème fraîche and cream cheese, lemon juice and dill.  Mix together thoroughly.  Season to taste.
4. Put the smoked salmon paté in
...

Tart apples, sweetened and topped with a crisp, buttery crumble.

Ingredients
3-4 apples, peeled and cubed (cooking or dessert apples)
2 tbsp butter (plus extra for greasing)
third cup sugar
½ lemon, zest and juice of
1 cup blackberries
Crumble Topping
1 cup porridge oats
½ cup all purpose flour
quarter cup sugar
third cup butter, melted
Optional: ½ cup nuts (chopped hazelnuts)
To serve: whipped cream 

1. Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit (180°C) fan. Grease a medium size ovenproof dish.
2. In a saucepan, gently melt the butter and sugar. Add in the cubed apples and lemon juice.  Cook for 5-7 minutes on a medium high heat (the apples should still be al dente and retain their shape).
3. Remove from the heat and gently fold in two thirds of the blackberries until their juices start to run into the apples. Taste and adjust to your desired sweetness adding more sugar if needed. 
4. Transfer the fruit filling into the greased ovenproof dish. Dot the remaining blackberries over the top of the fruit filli
...

Guinness Stew may well be the mother of all stews since anything simmered for hours is going to be wonderfully tasty. Arguably the most deeply flavourful sauce of all stews, with a rich dark brown flavour, this is an Irish classic. The not-so-secret ingredient that goes into Stew that gives the sauce the deep flavour and colour is Guinness Stout (or 'The Black Stuff' as we often say in Ireland), which is known to be much richer than most beers (the thick foam that gathers on the top of a pint).  Irish Stout is widely exported nowadays and other equally good Irish Stouts such as Murphys Irish Stout or Beamish) can be substituted in this recipe . All Irish Stout is so dark it is almost black and it’s why the gravy of the stew is such a beautiful deep brown colour. Don't get confused between a Beef and Guinness Stew and Irish Stew (which is more famous and authentic, made with lamb and more like a soup when served, with NO guinness). In an Irish Stew, the potatoes are cooked alongside the...

Transform vanilla ice cream with sweetened breadcrumbs.

Brown bread ice cream is unique to Ireland. Just as other European cuisines have their own iconic dishes used to stretch the last of ingredients which might otherwise go stale. Since home baked Soda bread is best eaten within a day or two of baking, you don’t want to waste any.  It is wonder simply spread with butter on the first day, fabulous toasted on the second day but, by day three, it might be more brick than brioche. Brown bread ice cream was a way to use up the old (not quite stale) bread. Similar traditions exist in cuisines all over the world. In France the 'pain perdu', is used in many different recipes. In Italian cuisine, 'gremolata' dishes make use of the day old bread, turning the stale bread into breadcrumbs, and in England, bread and butter pudding makes use of the nearly stale sliced pan.

An English friend of mine was bemused one day when I mentioned the ‘heel of the loaf’ – a term she had never heard of to des...

Shortbread Biscuits make wonderful Edible Christmas Gifts!

The delightful buttery flavour and crunchy texture of shortbread makes it irresistible. Fine shortbread biscuits appear in most luxury goods displays at this time of year. Sold in brightly coloured tubes and nestled among the prints, 3-D cards, candles, scarves and gloves they certainly endure as a considered gift for discerning givers. They are also a God send for last minute shoppers. Just baked, homemade shortbread is beyond compare as it is the tastiest and the best. Delicately crisp, the rich buttery flavour is enough to make your heart flutter. When covered in a light dusting of caster sugar, the experience reminds me of the pleasure of a fall of uncompacted snow. Shortbread is very easy to make with the added benefit of containing ingredients that you probably have in your fridge or pantry. For some festive baking, this shortbread recipe, made in a food processor, is whipped up like any cookie dough. Extremely quick and...