…discovering new Irish made Chocolate.

Not just chocolate, this ‘bean to bar’, beautifully packaged luxury chocolate can be ordered via ‘Wilkie’s Organic Chocolate’
In order to stretch this luxurious experience further I came up with a Chocolate Fruit & Nut Clusters Recipe if you’d like to check that out too.

…getting organised with stylish storage.

Well we are well into Spring now so it is time to clear out the presses, decant overflowing packages into jars and generally get a little bit more organised and de-cluttered.  I love the Kilner jars for storing all kinds of ingredients from flour to nuts and dried fruit and the smaller ones can stack up neatly on a shelf.  I particularly like the coloured jar pictured here.  Now what shall I put in that?  Think dark chocolate buttons would look fantastic however they wouldn’t last very long!

…discovering new packaging.

I’ve always loved Boilíe Goat’s Cheese Pearls With Herbs and Garlic Infused Oil and I picked them up in this simple yet beautiful packaging lately.

…experimenting with lazy bread-making.

Not really great on the old kneading, resting, rising, knocking-back mullarkey - so many things to do – so little time! I’ve always loved the simplicity of a soda bread.  Here I’ve revisited my Granny’s recipe and vamped it up with Caramelised Red Onions.  Amazing.

…adapting super-quick side dishes.

This bulgar wheat salad can be taken in many directions and you could get quite fanciful with some pomegranate molasses if you pleased, here however I’ve gone after the greenery of a taboulleh with lush fragrant parsley and added that classic combination of mint and peas.  I hope you get time to try it out for yourself.

Talk to you in May! Enjoy, x  Sheila

However, you may wish to stretch your enjoyment a little further by making some of these Chocolate Fruit & Nut Clusters or indeed you may even share them as the perfect accompaniment to an after dinner coffee.

Marie Claire Digby of the Irish Times gave Shana Wilkie the producer of Wikie’s Chocolate this wonderful write-up recently.  As Shana explains in the article “I am one of less than 10 chocolate makers worldwide who use only cocoa beans, cocoa butter and sugar to make their chocolate,” so obviously this will be no ordinary chocolate experience.

I’ve tried the chocolate several times now and what I love most is the sheer indulgence of it.  What you’re getting here is a chocolate experience to remember and a world-class luxury product that has you tasting the best in the world without having to pay luxury prices.  I ordered a selection of three bars which arrived promptly and beautifully packaged.  If there’s a chocolate lover in your life these bars would make an excellent gift and you can visit http://www.wilkieschocolate.ie/ to discover more or indeed to try for yourself.

Chocolate Fruit & Nut Clusters:
You will need:
65g bar of excellent chocolate
50g dried fruit
50g nuts ( I used almonds)
Method:
Simply melt the chocolate (I break the bar up into a bowl and melt it in the microwave for a minute or 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between blasts until melted)
Add the dried fruit and nuts into the melted chocolate and stir until they are covered
Spoon small mounds onto non-stick baking paper on a baking tray
Cool in the fridge for at least 30 minutes until hardened.
Enjoy.
‘Til next time, Sheila.

Caramelise Red Onion Soda Bread 
You will need:
400g plain flour and some extra for dusting and shaping
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
325ml buttermilk.
Caramelised Red Onions (see recipe above)
1 egg and splash milk for egg wash.
Method:
Pre-heat the fan oven to 200C/Gas Mark 7.
Place baking tray to heat in the oven.
Sift the flour into a bowl and sift in the bicarbonate of soda.
Mix well with a fork to distribute the bicarbonate of soda evenly.
Make a well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk and add the caramelised red onions.
Mix together with a wooden spoon to form a gloopy dough making sure the onions are well distributed.
Lightly dust the worktop with some flour and pour out the dough.
Sprinkle a dusting of flour on the dough and with some on your hands shape the bread into a round.  It will be sticky so don’t attempt to knead it.
Remove the heated baking tray from the oven and dust a little flour on the tray.
Place the dough on the tray and score a cross on the top with a knife. (-so that fairies don’t jinx bread!)
Brush the top and sides with a mixture of beaten egg and milk.
Bake in the hot oven for 20 minutes.  Then reduce the heat to fan oven 170C/Gas Mark 5 and bake for a further 10 minutes.
(The base of the bread should sound hollow when tapped).
Allow to cool on a rack before slicing.
Though it is lovely served still warm with a good thick layer of creamy cheese.
Enjoy!
Til next time, Sheila.

—being spoiled rotten.
The best kind of surprises for me are the ones that I plan myself.  On recent discussion of the potluck of leaving present choosing up to ones other half I remain firmly in the don’t leave it to chance camp.  I’ve long been a proponent of heavy, heavy hinting if not blatant purchasing and wrapping of presents to be given to me.   Why leave room for disappointment with that lesson well learned on being presented with a fairisle jumper circa 1990.  He might not remember but I will never forget.  With that in mind and the fact that we were long overdue a night out I planned an amazing getaway to our capital city Dublin.  With it being for one night only we chose to stay in The Merrion Hotel and splurge on a dining extravaganza in the adjacent Restaurant Patrick Guildbaud.  And when I say ‘we chose’ you know I really mean “I.”

The Merrion was everything you could wish for from a decadent 5 star hotel.  Staff at every encounter were genuine, friendly, welcoming and super discreet.

Restaurant Patrick Guildbaud was superb.  2 Michelin stars sets high expectations of the food but what is also required is a beautiful ambience, somewhere that you can feel at home and unhurried.  Lingering for almost 3 hours I thoroughly enjoyed every second.  Being waited on by French staff, mouthful after mouthful was sublime, this was a whole other world experience. Not that you need me to tell you but I highly recommend.

…pesto three ways.

Using Sacla’s recently launched and gratuitously supplied squeezy bottles of pesto – now even more convenient with no spoons required – I got creative with 3 new pesto recipes this month.  First up a new way with cauliflower to serve as a tasty side dish.  Secondly an amazingly tasty salad made with substantial cannellini beans. This is moreish and super satisfying and makes a more than adequate lunch maybe served with some crusty bread.  And finally a robust roasted aubergine dip that is ultra easy to make and a very healthy alternative.  Great served with paprika spiced pita chips. [links to the three recipes].

…some insanely good cheating.

Yes I’ve been cheating this month with pots of ‘insanely GOOD‘ sauces.  Produced in West Cork they’ve been great for those ‘I really could not be bothered to cook nights.’  Quicker than the takeaway these are another good standby.

…looking forward to breakfast.

In the ongoing cold-snap we’ve been experiencing here in Ireland in March and spilling over into April a simple antidote is to wrap your hands around a nice hot mug of tea.  What better to go with a cup of tea than a delicious slice of brown bread topped with marmalade.  I picked up a jar of ‘Wexford Home Preserves – Brandy Marmalade’ because I thought it looked nice and I loved that it listed 4 simple to read ingredients : sugar, oranges, lemons & brandy.  This is a very tasty Irish marmalade, great spread onto thickly buttered brown bread, and if you’re not in the ‘I ALWAYS make my own bread’ camp (give us a break love) then I recommend McCambridge’s.

…loving my spuds.
My youngest boys were learning about the famine period of Irish history and came home from school to educate me about lumper potatoes  – I’d never heard of them.

As you can see they were rather lumpy looking yokes.  Glens of Antrim  has resurrected the variety and I picked up a couple of bags in Marks & Spencer’s, marked as ‘Our Latest Discovery’ – it’s only taken 170 odd years!

The lads were delighted to get to try some and they went down well with golden syrup baked ham, cabbage and a parsley & onion sauce.  We’ve kept a couple of spares with plans to grow our own but more of that in April.

Talk to you in April! Enjoy, x  Sheila.

Simple, simple, simple.   Plus healthy and tasty.  This dip is made with only two ingredients and great served with any dipping chips you can get your hands on or even some good crusty bread.

I often have left over pita breads that haven’t been used for school lunches and these home-made chips have a lovely crunch that make them a perfect accompaniment to the creamy dip.

You will need – for the Roast Aubergine Dip:
2 aubergines
1 tbsp tomato pesto
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 200C  / Gas Mark 7.
Place two whole aubergines straight onto an oven rack.
Leave to roast until the aubergines are charring on the outside and tender when poked through with a knife – approx. 20 mins
Remove the skins from the aubergine – they peel off very easily and squeeze out any excess moisture from the pulp.
Blitz the aubergines in a food processor along with 1 tbsp tomato pesto until smooth.
Serve with dipping chips or pita chips

You will need – for the Paprika Pita Chips:
Pita breads
Rapeseed oil
Paprika
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 200C/ Gas Mark 7.
Use a kitchen scissors to cut the pita breads into dip sized chips.
Scatter the chips on a baking tray, drizzle with rapeseed oil and sprinkle over with paprika.
Toast in the hot oven until nicely coloured and crispy – approx. 10 mins.
Chips best served hot and great with the aubergine dip.
Enjoy.
‘Til next time, Sheila.

This is what I’m all about, tasty food that’s easy to make and with ingredients that are easily obtainable from your supermarket because, let’s face it, that’s where most of us shop.

Tinned beans are a superb standby and I highly recommend stocking up on a few different varieties.  If these are in your store-cupboard and you’ve a handy jar or squeezy bottle of pesto in your fridge then you’re always within reach of a super tasty and nutritious lunch.  Here I’ve upped the flavour stakes with cherry tomatoes that are bursting out of their skins with goodness and griddled courgette ribbons that are quick and easy to prepare.
Handy hint: when you’re rooting around in the utensils drawer and cannot lay hands on the speed peeler a cheese slicer makes an excellent substitute.

You will need:
250g cherry tomatoes
Rapeseed oil
2 courgettes
400g tin cannellini beans
2 tbsp classic basil pesto
Salt
Method:
Heat the fan oven to 200C / Gas Mark 7.
Place the rinsed cherry tomatoes on a baking tray, drizzle with rapeseed oil and roast in the oven until beginning to burst their skins – 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile use a speed peeler or a cheese slicer to make courgette strips/ribbons.
Heat a splash of oil in a large griddle or frying pan on a medium/high heat and quickly fry the courgettes to lightly brown on each side.
Set aside to drain excess oil on kitchen towel.
Drain and rinse the cannellini beans under cold water then place in a bowl and gently mix through the 2 tbsp of basil pesto.  Stir through the cherry tomatoes and courgette ribbons & serve.
Enjoy!
Til next time, Sheila.

After a lovely get together with some fellow Irish food bloggers and the lovely ladies of Sacla UK I came away with my newly packaged squeezy bottles of basil & tomato pesto eager to have a go at being inventive.
Roast cauliflower was something that was on my mind.  Now I’m a huge veggie fan at the best of times and will easily pack away half a head of cauliflower at one sitting.

I like to keep it firm and bitey and usually serve it simply boiled but this time florets entered a hot oven simply drizzled with a garlic olive oil to roast until tender.  Still hot they were liberally covered in a tbsp. of the basil pesto and served with a dusting of grated parmesan and some toasted pine nuts for extra texture.
You will need:
1 head of cauliflower
Olive oil or rapeseed oil
1 tbsp basil pesto
Handful pine nuts
Parmesan for grating
Method:
Pre-heat the fan oven to 200C (Gas Mark 7)
Break the cauliflower head into florets and place on a baking tray.
Bake in the hot oven until tender – a knife can push through – approx. 15 – 20 minutes.
Once done place the hot cauliflower in a bowl and stir through the pesto.
Quickly dry-fry (no oil) the pine nuts until lightly toasted.
Scatter the pine nuts over the cauliflower and serve topped with finely grated parmesan.
Enjoy.
‘Til next time, Sheila.

….getting back out there and running again after all the glorious indulgences of the Christmas season that for me drags way into January with a seemingly endless supply of chocolates that just can’t be wasted or given away.  As my toes emerged through the front of  yet another pair of asics I’ve treated myself to a new pair as they never let me down.

….the perfect porridge.  Obviously from the picture above my oats of favour are Flahavan’s Organic Porridge Oats. My first-born (now 16) is a convert to this deliciously satisfying start to the day and I’m hoping that eventually the rest of the sprogs will follow suit.  I top mine with stewed apple, cinammon & honey.  For a step by step you can follow this link

….baking with my kids, especially my 11 year old twin boys.  One of our experiments together was an amazing pavlova but sometimes they like to try things all by themselves.  I returned home from the shops recently to find them with a buddy valiantly transferring the mixture of Hummingbird Bakery’s Brooklyn Blackout Cake into tins with removable bases that were starting to leak.  This was quickly rescued into a large tin and cooked altogether. They had adjusted the quantities and the cake base was amazingly moist.  I stepped in and followed the recipe for the Chocolate Custard topping to the letter and while it looks amazing it is quite sickly in texture and not one that I would recommend making! (base is very good though)

….experimenting with flapjacks and justifying the indulgence with the fact that being roughly 40% oats they must be good for me.  I’ve concocted this cranberry, macadamia & chocolate chip version but there’s lots of room to play around with them so I hope you get to experiment yourself soon.

….looking forward to March & so glad that January and February are almost over.  They’ve been long, bleak and cold months and it’s been very tempting  to roll over and hibernate through them.  Instead I’ve continued to push myself to bikram yoga classes which if you haven’t tried yet I highly recommend.

Talk to you in March! Enjoy, x Sheila

While strictly speaking chocolatey, sugary treats shouldn’t feature in a ‘healthy’ lunchbox I’ve been shoving these in and justifying their inclusion with the fruit, nut and oats content.  You will love them and your kids will too.  Feel free to experiment with any nuts, fruit  and seeds you may have in the cupboards and cut out the chocolate if you dare.
You will need:
125g butter
125g brown sugar ( I used light muscovado)
3 tbsp golden syrup
225g porridge oats
100g mix of macadamia nuts and cranberries
100g chocolate chips
100g bar of chocolate (72% +)
Method:
Pre-heat the fan oven to 180C
Line a baking dish or tray
Melt the butter, sugar and syrup together in a saucepan over a medium heat
Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the oats, fruit and nuts
When combined stir in the chocolate chips
Tip the mixture into the lined dish/tray and press down well with the back of a spoon so that it is very compacted together
Bake for 30 minutes
Remove and allow to cool in the dish/tray for ten minutes
Cut into squares while still in the tin and then pour over melted chocolate onto each square if using and leave to cool completely
Enjoy!
‘Til next time, Sheila