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Beef cheek and mushroom Ragù (with pappardelle)

19 May, 2020

This is a very easy dish even if it takes quite a bit of cooking time. The end result is a dish that is so tasty and tender….. and you will know all the ingredients, so nothing weird at all! Beef Cheeks are the cheek muscle of cows and they are a very tough cut of meat that needs to be cooked long and slow to make it tender. It absorbs the flavours of braising liquid well and when you cut into it, it is stringy,...

Anglo Indian cottage pie

11 May, 2020

This is a real favourite - eat for dinner and then eat the leftovers cold or warm! The flavours, which are really varied, come together beautifully as the dish is cooked. I haven't met anyone who hasn't really enjoyed this - it is a very old recipe originally given to me by my grandmother which I have slightly tweaked over time. If you have a favourite mango or any fruit chutney, it would likely go well with this dish. This...

Hungarian Goulash

02 May, 2020

A traditional Hungarian Goulash is a soup or stew that is usually filled with tender beef and onions spiced with paprika. Traditional Hungarian goulash is a prime example of how a few simple ingredients, cooked properly, can yield an incredible flavour. Though many variations of Hungarian goulash exist, and every cook makes it just a bit differently, this is my easy version of a very traditional dish from the heart of Hungary. This recipe is...

Roasted vegetables with feta and baby spinach

02 May, 2020

So simple, healthy and tasty - the smell of the vegetables roasting together will fill your kitchen and adjoining space teasing your taste buds in anticipation!! The onions, as they roast, caramelise the other vegetables beautifully We sometimes eat this dish as per the recipe and on other times, add some quickly cooked pancetta or bacon at the end, tossing it with the feat and baby spinach. We also often add either...

Autumnal Potato and Pumpkin Soup

22 Apr, 2020

With some days now getting a bit cooler and most of us cooking at home again and trying to use what we have in our pantries and fridges as much as possible, here is a very easy and “quick to make” soup with very few ingredients The blend of potato, pumpkin, sage and chicken stock creates a thick consistency which holds a fragrant mix of tastes and flavours. If you don’t have sage in your garden or can’t get it at...

Our family Chilli Con Carne

07 Apr, 2020

This is one of our son’s favourite dishes. There are so many recipes for Chilli Con Carne – this is one that I have used for decades, in fact since we used to cook the dish in my lunchtime restaurant in Parnell way back in the early 1980’s!! You can’t go wrong with this recipe and the only variable is how hot you want it to be. The key ingredient here is the cayenne pepper, so if you want the Chilli to be a...

Spaghetti with leeks, peas and pesto

27 Mar, 2020

Another simple and “light” pasta dish. If you have any basil still flourishing in your garden, suggest that you make some of your own pesto and try this tasty dish – our family loved it In case, like me, you have never made pesto, below is the recipe that I used, courtesy of Nadia Lim – I’m not into too much garlic in pesto, so this recipe was perfect for me…and you can of course adjust the ingredients...

Vietnamese Grilled Chicken with Salad

19 Mar, 2020

Fresh, tasty, light and very easy to cook- served with a Vietnamese inspired salad and rice, this dish is so tasty with wonderful cooking aromas as the chicken is being cooked. Big favourite both in our family and also when cooking for guests. You can cook this for large gatherings as well, so a very versatile dish The salad is simple and tasty with lots of coriander, mint and Nuoc Cham dressing which is very simple to make in 3 minutes!...

Martha’s Salade Niçoise

27 Feb, 2020

This is a huge favourite in our family and really is one of those dishes that you can enjoy all year round. Martha makes a superb version, so tasty but so quick to prepare and have ready to eat. Other ingredients can be added but we think that there is more than enough flavour using the ingredients below. You be the judge! Not much cooking, just small waxy potatoes, green beans and boiled eggs. Half our family love anchovies, the other...

Seniors@work Chicken Salad du Chef

08 Feb, 2020

I actually feel embarrassed to categorise this as a recipe as it is a “cheat!” recipe as there is absolutely no cooking to be done – it’s simply some very simple ingredients that make a very simple lunch or summer dinner. If it makes you feel better you could cook the chicken but for me, it’s so convenient to go and buy a whole chicken from your favourite supermarket This dish also is ideal to...

My summer/autumn Ratatouille

24 Jan, 2020

Lots of people cook a ratatouille and there are many different recipes. Unfortunately, to me, many end up being overcooked and "mushy" and some can be a tad bland. To me the secret is to find a way to cook the beautiful vegetables and herbs so that they don't stew yet allow the flavours to get along with each other and maximise the flavours. These vegetables are relatively inexpensive from mid-summer through to autumn and this...

Spaghetti with courgettes, chilli and parmesan

06 Jan, 2020

This is another simple and tasty light summer pasta with very few ingredients which come together for a lovely dish which is perfect for the warmer months- spaghetti, courgettes, onion, chilli, olive oil and parmesan So quick, easy and tasty -enjoy! Ingredients 125 gms spaghetti pasta – about quarter of a 500 gm packet, but don’t be too fussy! 3 courgettes, not too large – slice into ribbons 1 large onion...

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