Butter bean and basil dip

Making this is super easy and delicious as a pre dinner snack or as a party dish. 

I threw into a blender, 1tin of butter beans, 1 clover of garlic, a bunch of fresh basil leaves, a gulp of olive oil and seasoning - blending until it reaches a smooth but still slightly chunky consistency. 

Serve with toasted homemade brown bread or anything you fancy really. Super easy and healthy! 

Farmstall brown bread and freshly laid poached eggs

One of the treats of staying in Ireland for these past few months is having the opportunity to be close to nature, the outdoors, and family. After enjoying a Sunday walk through Glendalough last week, we stopped at this small farm stall selling homemade seed loafs, brown breads and delicious Oxford lunch cakes. We couldn't leave without purchasing and supporting!

This morning I topped the pumpkin seed brown bread loaf with poached eggs given to us from my partner's mother, fresh from her garden, where her hens run free.

Together they make the perfect free range homemade breakfast!

Leek and Potato soup with garlic and herb croutons

I've always wanted to try this recipe - being a classic it's a must try for the winter nights! 

For the soup:
I peeled about 5/6 white potatoes and mixed them in a large pan with diced white onion. Allowing this to simmer, I then added a whole sliced sliced leek. After allowing the mix to cook down, adding 2 cups of water gradually, I then blended the mixture in batches and returned to the heat to further heat through and melt the flavours together. And that's it!! So healthy and so delicious.


For the croutons:
I heated some garlic in a pan of olive oil, and tossed in two pieces of hardened toast (made in the morning and not munched - this texture is best for croutons) and mixed the lot continuously, making sure the garlic oil covers the toast, when almost complete, I sprinkle in some mixed herbs, Herb de Provence is best! These are best topped on the soup once served. These croutons are so tasty I would even eat them just on their own as a snack! Great garlic wholesomeness (and a fun way to use up discarded toast)

Bon appétit! 

Stuffed baby bell peppers

This cute little peppers are perfect to stuff and add a little fun to a meal. I stuffed these with a mixture of grated cheese, fresh basil, a dollop of mayonnaise and some seasoning.
 Once all the peppers are stuffed full of the mix I popped them under the grill for about 15 - 20 minutes, until the skins are blistered and the cheese mix is melted and pouring out of the peppers. Perfect to accompany fish!

Grilled Teriyaki Salmon with ginger and lemon infused rice

This dish is fast becoming a favourite of mine - after recently reintroducing fish into my diet.
I loved to cook when I lived in Singapore and Hong Kong and a few cooking tips I picked up along the way have stayed with me. Whenever I miss Asia, I try to reinvent the dishes I loved out there.

Marinating the salmon fillets in teriyaki sauce (see Teriyaki Salmon) for approximately 2 hours allows the salmon to absorb the flavours and spices.

First get the rice prepared - cooking fluffy basmati rice is easy - 1 cup rice to 2 cups water and just leave it - as stirring will cause the rice to become starchy and spoiled. For this dish I added the rough off cuts of the ginger stem and the skin of of a lemon. This will infuse into the rice, adding flavour.

When ready, transfer the salmon to a heated grill to sear for 6-8 minutes. Top the salmon with chopped ginger, spring onions and coriander and a squeeze of lemon for a fuller flavour sensation!

Spiced Carrot and Parsnip soup

Following with my recent love of making soups (I blame this cold weather!) I made this classic winter vegetable soup - combining root vegetables carrots and parsnips and cooking them down with garlic, yellow onion, and spiced with paprika, dried chilli flakes, turmeric and cumin seeds.

Once cooked down, simmering for about 40 minutes, I blended the mix into a puree'd soup ready to devour, topped with greek yoghurt and a sprinkle of chilli flakes.

Curried Cauliflower soup

This is so delicious and simple to make and healthy! It's vegan too!

Chop two cloves of garlic with a yellow onion and soften in a pan, add two to three teaspoons of curry powder once softened.
Add one whole head of cauliflower and three 1/2 cups of unsweetened almond milk - allow the mix to simmer for about 40 minutes, until the batch is softened.
Transfer the mixture to the blender and puree the mix into a creamy curried soup mix, so delicious!

For a topping, mix two tablespoons of almond milk with a teaspoon of curry powder and pour over a bunch of walnuts, place this under the grill for 10 mins to create a crunchy curried topping for the soup.

Vegetarian Bangers and Chickpea mash

I love making this dish when it gets cold. I invented the chickpea and broccoli mash when I was living in Singapore - I had a blender and a need for healthy living, so I started to create dishes that would be nutritious but also tasty.

Chickpea and Broccoli mash:
Saute some chopped garlic in a small saucepan and add roughly chopped broccoli florets, 1 head of broccoli should be enough.
When the broccoli has cooked down and is softened, add a tin of cooked chickpeas and allow to simmer lightly in shallow boiling water.

Once the mixture is cooked down, take to the blender and blitz the lot, making sure the level of water is enough to create a smooth, mashed potato-like consistency.

This can be used as a base to serve grilled fish, or any main protein you like, but what I love to do is recreate the classic Bangers and Mash, serving the chickpea mash with Linda McCartney vegetarian sausages.

Enjoy!

Tomato and Kidney bean Chilli soup

I created this soup out of the contents of my fridge one winter evening recently, combining some key ingredients to create a spicy hot soup to warm me on the cold night.

I started with a basic tomato sauce base - sautéing garlic and chopped onions until golden, adding diced tomatoes and allowing to simmer until cooked through. I added a dollop of tomato paste to add flavour, and a teaspoon of sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes. I then threw in some paprika and chilli flakes, giving the mix a spicy punch.

I then added in a tin of kidney beans and allowed the mixture to simmer, the flavours all creating a spicy melody in the pan.

I then blended the lot, creating a smooth texture. I served the soup with a dollop of greek yogurt and a sprinkle of chilli flakes.

This is a winner!

Roasted Kale

This is a great snack if you are wanting to have something healthy and you're staying away from the crisps - Kale is known as a "superfood" and is packed with nutrients and goodness - and when roasted, has a great crunchy texture.

I washed and prepared about two handfuls of kale, placing them on a foil covered oven tray, and splashed them with crushed garlic, balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of salt.
Place the kale under the grill for about 20 minutes, until you can see the edges curling and turning golden.

Avoid the centre stalks as these can be quite tough, but the rest is delicious!