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...

Carrot cake fans seem to fall into two categories: those who insist their carrot cake should be light, fluffy and cloud-like; and those who prefer a believe the perfect carrot cake is dense, moist and rich. I fall into the latter. The only thing the two camps seem to agree on is that the cake should definitely include a thick layer of cream cheese frosting with a citrusy hint. Historically carrots were a good source of sweetness when sugar and dried fruits were extremely expensive. Carrot cake seems to have its roots in a sweet meat dish. Much like mincemeat, it slowly lost its meat and gained sugar over the centuries. During the second world war, carrot cake took off, making the best use of a home grown source of sweetness. The oil in the mixture means this is a beautifully moist cake which will keep very well. Once the frosting has been added, the cake should be refrigerated. A butter-based cake will firm up in the fridge, but the oil in this cake means it will stay moist even...

Brown Soda Bread - An Irish Staple

Its not uncommon for you to be offered soda bread when staying in a B&B anywhere in Ireland.

Long ago, the Irish mostly made flat griddle bread because Irish flour didn’t have enough gluten to rise with yeast. Baking soda was developed in the US in 1846 and was quickly adopted by Irish cooks, as it enabled bread with Irish flour to rise. In the late 1800s, white Canadian flour with a higher gluten content came over on returning emigration ships, and bakeries started making white bread raised with yeast, known as “shop bread”, and distributing it by horse and cart.

Irish Soda Bread is delicious and like all recipes, you can make your own changes to please your taste. I discovered one tip from a recipe that I looked up years ago - use raw, unsalted sunflower seeds and mix them in thoroughly. The chemical interaction of the soda and the raw sunflower seeds causes the seeds to turn a beautiful, emerald green that looks fantastic...

Spaghetti alla puttanesca is the ultimate fast food dish!  An iconic dish from the city of Naples, Italy.  The pasta is dressed in a rich and flavourful sauce which can be made in less time than it takes to boil a pot of linguine, spaghetti or any pasta you choose.  The basic ingredients are pantry staples including tinned tomatoes, garlic, anchovies, olives and capers.  I like to add thinly sliced carrots and since this dish should be salty, piquant and hot. and you can add extra heat with the addition of crushed chillies (another of my store cupboard favourites).

My top tip when cooking pasta, is to always use plenty of water, plenty of salt and keep the pasta on a rolling boil (not splashing!), lid off.

Because anchovies are quite salty it is unlikely that salt will be required but black pepper and perhaps a pinch of sugar to balance the acidity of tinned tomatoes will suffice as seasoning.

It is such a simple, cheap and delicious recipe.  You'll...

There's no better time to settle into some creative cooking than in the run up to the party season. It's no secret that I adore this time of year and one of my favourite culinary hobbies is dreaming up little morsels of heaven to delight guests with.  By now I have a few signature recipes which many of my family and friends look forward to when they come for drinks.  Canapés don’t have to be difficult but they do give you an opportunity to showcase your culinary talents and impress your friends. Best of all, tasty bites are a great way to set any occasion off on a fabulous note! 

Try these 3 signature canapés that are true crowd pleasers. Remember, preparation is the key, but there is still lots of scope for creativity. You can store canape bases and fillings in an airtight container until ready to use.  Always buy plenty of extra fresh herbs for freshness.  Contrast and colourful garnishes make finger food look so appetising. Once you...

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...

Old recipes are always the best recipes. This whiskey cake recipe was given to me by a lady from Lurgan, Northern Ireland. Intensely dark and moist, it is very easy to make. This is a traditional boiled fruit cake, so called because part of the fruit mixture is boiled before adding it into the cake batter.

The old housewife trick of liberally lacing a little extra whiskey over the top of the cake once it is freshly baked increases the shelf life and in creating this intensely flavoured cake, which remains wonderfully moist even for up to a week, if stored tightly wrapped in an airtight container. The boiling method also means there is no creaming of butter and sugar involved, so the stove actually does the work for you. The mixed dried fruits are soaked in whiskey and spices before being boiled with butter and sugar. Though you’ll be tempted to eat the plump, liquor-soaked fruit straight from the pot, the sacrifice of leaving it be, will be worth it. 

The world would be...

Irish Seafood Chowder: A traditional Irish delicacy that never fails to disappoint!

This traditional hearty soup has been a feature in Irish life for as long as village communities have subsisted on the fisherman's catch landed along the wild shores of the Atlantic Coast. The memorable mix of fresh haddock, salmon, and shrimp (or prawns as we call them in Ireland) is nicely balanced out with seasonal veggies such as leeks, carrots, and potatoes. The sauce of fish stock and cream brings a flavourful and comforting warmth that refreshes the soul. Unlike the American versions of chowder, this more authentic recipe has less cream, allowing for the other true flavours to show through. Ireland is known for it's seafood, and this delicious chowder is a prime example of Irish cooking using fresh ingredients from nature to create a wholesome meal enjoyed by many all across the island. This is why you can find it at local pubs all around Ireland 

Because we are an island, it is only...

Irish Farmhouse Apple Pie: A nurturing dessert loved by all ages!

A delicious warm Apple Pie (we also say Apple Tart in Ireland) reminds us all of home. Here's an Irish recipe to celebrate St Patrick's Day. Served with freshly whipped cream it is a wonderful dessert.

Is there anything more homely than apple pie? It must be one of the most nurturing desserts, loved by adults and children alike. The aroma of a freshly baked apple pie takes me right back to my childhood.

I would be sent out into my grandfather’s garden and farm in Delgany, grumbling all the way, to collect the windfall apples. Windfalls don’t store well. The bruise which forms where they hit the ground quickly starts to go bad. They had to be used immediately, and my grandma’s deep dish apple pie was the perfect way to do it. I love everything about it: the wonderful smell, the rich golden buttery crust and the slightly tart apple filling.

I have a favourite Pyrex glass pie dish which I’ve been...

It seems you’re nobody these days, unless you’re a kickboxing, cleaning eating, kale juicing junkie.  My ‘A’ for effort is my zeal for kale salads.  When asked if kale really needs all that ‘massaging’, I explain that the challenging dark green leafy fibres are broken down by the concentrated acidity in limes and lemons, but I’m no scientist.  For me it is the difference between chewing a pale woody indigestible leaf versus chowing down an appetising salad of vibrant tender leaves.  When laced with a hefty dressing (I use tahini but you can use peanut butter instead for a similar consistency) a kale salad can be very satisfying.  Pomegranates are a luxury, adding an exotic twist, but you can mix and match sultanas, cranberries, pumpkin seeds, grated ginger, nuts and even turn it into a main course salad with fish or chicken.  

KALE SALAD WITH TAHINI SOY DRESSING

Serves 6

200g Curly Kale, washed, ribs removed,...