A visit from my sister....calls for some baking! Basic Swiss roll recipe.

My sister came to visit for a few days.  We had a lovely relaxing time with some cooking and baking and maybe the odd glass of red wine!

Having visitors is a great excuse to dress up the table with fancy plates and tasty cuisine. 

I cooked my favourite dishes for dinner…..turkey fajitas and lasagna.

(Both recipes on my blog.)

Shepherd's pie

 Hope you all had a good weekend. 

We had some birthday parties to go to.  Therefore we weren’t home much so I didn’t get much cooking done.  However, I did make dinner Friday evening.  Shepherd’s pie was on the menu.  It’s topped with yummy buttery mash and a real comfort dinner.  It’s a recipe I always follow.  I go by Tana Ramsay’s recipe which I got from her book “kitchen secrets”.  My sister gave it to me for my birthday one year.  It’s great because it’s quite a healthy family cook book.  Her shepherd’s pie is a hearty yummy version and here’s how to make it:

New baby chicks

So, some time ago i posted on Facebook that we had a clocking (broody!!) hen.  We left eggs under her and were hoping we would have some baby chicks out of it soon.  It was our first time experiencing it so we didn't know what to expect.
Saturday, 2 baby chicks hatched!  We left them with Mama for 24 hours and then brought them inside.  They are snuggled and warm and we are watching them eat and drink.  They are learning fast and are getting stronger by the minute.  They are adorable.

Chocolate Muesli nut bars

• Toast 1 cup rolled oats in a large frying pan over a low heat until lightly browned.  Remove and set aside.
• Heat ¾ cup of butter, 120ml honey and 45g brown sugar, until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.
• In a large bowl combine the oats with handfuls of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chopped hazelnuts, chopped cashew nuts, chopped walnuts, sliced almonds, sultanas and ¾ cup of chopped dates.
• Melt about 100g of chocolate and have it ready next.
• Pour the butter mix and the melted chocolate over the nut mix and combine very well.
• Pour into a greased lined roasting tin (depending on what way you want your bars to turn out – I used a flat brownie tray)
• Press the mix down and let it cool and set
• Then slice into bars and enjoy!

POTATO ACCOMPANIMENTS & SIDES:

I found it difficult coming up with ideas for meat accompaniments and tended to just make mash potato and boiled veg.  Easy.  But not adventurous.

I started exploring and trying to come up with fun dishes and alternatives. 

A good nutritious meat dinner does not have to be the typical meat and 2 veg. 

Have a flick through some cook books for ideas or I will have some ideas on my blog.  Don’t be afraid to veer away from the usual meat dinner and try new flavours and techniques. 

Here are some ideas for you….hopeful you will find them helpful.

More tasty truffle bites

Happy Monday easy peasers !

Hope it was a good weekend. 

Here are some more delicious truffles bites I made over the weekend (see recipe). I dipped some of them in melted chocolate and rolled some in different toppings....almond, walnut & coconut. 

Very delicious!

My little Italian Bruschetta

Brie Bruschetta:

Here’s a scrumptious idea for a lunch or tea time snack.  It’s got yummy juicy Italian flavours…… I love it!

Mexican night!

Mexican night!

So, theme nights are a great way for you to get adventurous and experimental with cooking and flavours.

I did a Mexican night for two…..well….my version! 

I made my fajita mix with turkey and served it with homemade wedges and guacamole. 

My cupboard store essentials

My cupboard stores.

Every week, I pick up what I call essential cupboard stores.  When I say cupboard stores, I mean things like pasta, stock, spices, nuts and seeds, honey, oils, etc.

When you have a well stocked pantry, you can concoct anything at all, at any time. 

I like to bake and cook regularly and experiment with recipes.  I love to read different cook books and watch different cooking programmes to get great ideas and tips.  I like to be adventurous with flavours and like to experiment with them to see what works together.

No meat? No problem!

No meat?  No problem!

So, you may find sometimes that you’re meat that you’ve stocked up in the freezer has run out.  I tend to have myself stocked up most of the time but sometimes I run out without checking and have to stock up again. 

Sometimes, it may be just that you don’t feel like meat for dinner.

Not to worry though, if you find yourself in that predicament, here are a few veggie ideas for dinner with ingredients that you may have lying around the cupboard and fridge.

Ready roll dough

These "jus-rol" ready to roll dough are great!

Now, i am all for fresh baking and cooking from scratch.  But just sometimes, in a busy household, things like this are a life saver!! Great to have in the fridge for a quick recipe anytime.
I picked up this pizza base dough during the week.  It comes with 2 pizza bases and a jar of tomato sauce.
The kids love making their own pizzas and picking their own toppings.  The pizza bases are big enough for 2 so this pack would cater for 4 people.

                         

Breakfast/brunch ideas

Breakfast / Brunch ideas?  Here’s a few of our favourites……

MOIST MOCHA CAKE:

Yum Yum……perfect for afternoon tea/coffee

Easy peasy rice cripsy buns !

How easy to through together some rice crispie buns for a treat.....

Choc + rice crispies + marshmallows = easy peasy yumminess!

My 0% Fat free vegetable soup

Soups are a great way to use up remaining vegetables, easy to whip up and the best is, you can make a

batch and freeze it. 

It’s great for all the family……the kids get their veg in and we get a fat free yummy soup!

Here is the easiest, quickest fat free soup! I make it regularly:

Balsamic vinegar...my new love!

Trying to be healthy and eat plenty of greens can prove very tough! I keep a bottle of balsamic vinegar in the press....its great to give a little flavour to those greens that we all find hard to eat! Drizzle over broccoli, asparagus, kale, salads etc. Just a drizzle will only contain the tiniest bit of sugar but no fats/sats/salt ! Have you tried it.....any other tips for it?

Italian hazelnut cake

Here’s Rachel Allen’s Italian Hazelnut cake that I made.  It was a hit!  Very tasty, nutty and light, perfect treat for afters

Bacon bits....a great fridge store!

Bacon bits…….

………….i always keep a packet or 2 of these in the fridge.  Great for

• Sprinkling over salads
• Pastas
• Pizzas
• Quiches

 And lots more!  Here they are in pasta I made for dinner.  Here’s what I did:

(made for 2) Bacon cream & white wine pasta:

Comfort homemade lasagne :-)

So, it’s a dreary Monday.  Nothing beats my very own Lasagne on days like this.  It’s comfort eating at its best and one of my favourite dinners. It certainly is my “signature dish”!

EGGS

As eggs were on the menu this morning (!) here’s some info about them.

We have our own hens so we have lovely free range eggs every morning !

Eggs are a great source of protein and are so versatile in both savoury and sweet dishes. 

Here’s a picture to show the different type egg:

Egg pots for breakfast!

Morning Easypeasers! 

Egg pots on our menu this morning! 

Pizza......for grown ups!

As requested following my previous Mini Pizza post.......
Pizza for grown ups ! (Red wine optional 

Chocolate mug cake (comes with health warning!)

WARNING WARNING…..NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED !

Friday indulgence ?  Oh go on……..we had a healthy day…until now !!

Combine all the following ingredients in a large mug

• 4 tblsp self raising flour
• 4 tblsp white sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 tblsp cocoa powder
• 3 tblsp choc spread
• 3 tblsp milk
• 3 tblsp vegetable oil

-Whisk with a fork until smooth

-TIP: I tested this and I would advise you to divide this mix between 2 mugs for 2   good size portions.  As it is quite indulgent, I would even divide again between little cute oven dishes.  You would get 4 nice little portions out of this mix.

-It will rise and puff up during heating

-Microwave on high for about 2 minutes

Top with whipped cream & chocolate syrup (optional)

EASY PEASY ? Definitely and pure indulgence ! xx

Easy Peasy Pizza bites !

Lunchtime treats & fun for kids!

Easy Peasy Pizza bites !

Healthy start to the day...banana pancakes

Breakfast !

Great healthy intentions in the mornings, full of energy!  Let’s see how the rest of the day goes Haha….

Today it’s Banana Pancakes & fruit …… And it really is EASY PEASY !

                                               

Choc & date coconut treat truffles

Choc & date coconut treat truffles (makes 16)

 

I found this great blog on Facebook called “Peanut butter girl” and it’s a young Irish girl who blogs about her exercise regime and posts tasty but healthy foods.  She is an inspiration and I admire what she is doing.  She is very determined and dedicated to what she loves doing. 

This recipe is a variation of her Protein bites.

Thursday night dinner for 2 !

Weekly shopping done today!  I had a bit of a health kick today and bought in lots of lovely greens and healthy foods.
So, tonight's dinner was Veggie stir fry with cod & prawns.  Here's what i did:

(Frying chicken)

THURSDAY TIP!

Ever had problems when frying chicken (strips/cubes/whole), that it sticks and burns to the pan? Well, may be obvious to some of you but ive certainly done it and learned the hard way!

Trick is.....let the chicken fry for about 1 minute on one side WITHOUT TOUCHING IT. Resist fiddling with it or turning it, trust me. The chicken forms a coating layer and after this minute of frying, it will just turn without sticking. And will fry without sticking to the pan and shredding !

The simple basic Madeira mix

My basic Madeira recipe is a must have.

Easy Peasy tasty pork chops

Pork chops are one of those things you can pick up and have in the fridge or freezer for a quick and easy dinner for the family.  They are so versatile that they can be fried or baked in a casserole or chopped up for a stir fry.  I have a tasty marinade for you to try !

Yummy fresh strawberries for breakfast!

A spoon of homemade granola (recipe to follow),
a spoon of natural yogurt,
a little honey,
and these wonderful fresh juicy strawberries. Delicious!

Handy herbal tea info! 

A trip to Ballymaloe !

Trip to Ballymaloe !

I recently went to Ballymaloe with a friend and did an afternoon "brunch" course with Darina Allen and a morning "blog" course, with the very talented Lucy Pearse.  It's quite something.