Spaghetti with Pesto, Bacon & Broccoli – Quick, Simple & Cheap

Posted on August 24, 2018 by sheila kiely

Spaghetti with Pesto, Bacon and Broccoli

What do you want to eat? Maybe the question should be what do you want to cook? At this time of year with the seasons changing and a chill sometimes seeping in through any gap it can find, you may be looking for comfort in a bowl. This particular bowl of comfort also has the added benefits of being quick, simple and cheap. The latter of course depending on how in-season broccoli is for you, whether your pesto and parmesan are gourmet or own-brand and yes the humble rasher of bacon too could veer towards expensive if you are wont to artisanal produce. Well each to their own on that front, only a food snob would judge you by your choice of ingredients and boy do they exist. Regardless of provenance I guarantee that the end result will be delicious.
(Perfect for any students of any age in your life.)

Spaghetti with Pesto, Bacon and Broccoli

You will need: (serves 4–5)
400g broccoli (1 small head)
2 garlic cloves
300g cherry tomatoes
400g dried spaghetti
10 rashers (approximately 300g)
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp basil pesto (see next page for home-made recipe)
Grated Parmesan cheese to garnish
Method:
Fill up a large saucepan with boiling water and bring it back to the boil.
Prepare the broccoli by giving it a quick rinse and breaking it up into florets and set aside.
Peel and crush the garlic and set aside.
Rinse and slice the cherry tomatoes in half and set aside.
Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water for 6* minutes, while gently frying the rashers in a frying pan in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
Occasionally stir the spaghetti so that it does not stick together.
After 6* minutes, add the broccoli florets to the spaghetti and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the other tablespoon of olive oil to the rashers and add in the crushed garlic and halved cherry tomatoes.
After a total cooking time of 8* minutes drain the spaghetti and broccoli, retaining about a half a cup of the cooking water.
Roughly chop the rashers in the pan and then stir the rashers, garlic and cherry tomato mix into the spaghetti and broccoli.
Stir in the pesto and enough of the reserved cooking water to moisten.
Serve hot with some extra pesto and grated Parmesan.
*you may need to adjust the cooking time depending on cooking time of your spaghetti so check the pack
Enjoy! Sheila.

Crispy Lardon & Mozzarella topped baked potatoes for a Simple Supper

Posted on July 25, 2018July 25, 2018 by sheila kiely

Tasty, Easy and Very Affordable here’s a simple supper idea. Here’s another dinner idea told mostly in pictures.

Crispy Lardon & Mozzarella topped baked potatoes for a Simple Supper

You will need:
Potatoes for baking
Bacon lardons
Onions
Some oil
Dried basil
Mozzarella ball
Iceberg lettuce
Plum tomatoes
Mini mozzarella balls
Salt, Pepper, Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar

Method:
STEP 1 – Put potatoes on to bake in hot oven (takes 40mins to 1 hour depending on size)
10 minutes before the potatoes are fully cooked do the following :

Fry up the lardons – 5 mins approx.

add diced onion and a little oil to the pan of lardons – cook 5 mins more

Remove almost cooked potatoes from oven

Cut the potatoes in half

top with the bacon and onion mixture

Tear apart a ball of mozzarella

Hot Oven for 5 more mins to melt mozzarella

plus some mini mozzarella balls halved, dress with oil & balsamic and bring to table!!

Simple Food is the best kind of food

Enjoy! Sheila

Stuff the pita with some rocket, coleslaw, cucumber slices and that chicken

Recipes, What's for Dinner Mom?

Sweet Chilli & Sriracha Chicken – Simple Supper

Posted on July 24, 2018 by sheila kiely

Simple Supper – Everyday Food.

Let’s see how this goes down then. These days I’m capturing my everyday cooking on Instagram and as I simply don’t have time to pull out my proper camera to capture images, then edit them and upload them I’m going to transfer those images directly to my blog and see how that goes. I’m loving Instagram stories for behind the scenes and sharing a snapshot (still selective!) of real life behind the pictures.
Today’s supper needed to be quick and tasty and it’s captured in the images below.

Sweet Chilli & Sriracha

You will need:
Chicken Mini Fillets
Sweet Chilli Sauce
Sriracha Sauce
Rapeseed or any cooking oil
Wholemeal pitas
Mayonnaisse
Rocket or any leaves you fancy
Cucumber sliced
Coleslaw
Method : In pics & captions below :

Preheat the grill to high. Toss the chicken mini fillets in oil, sweet chilli sauce and a little sriracha (it's HOT!) — Preheat the grill to high. Toss the chicken mini fillets in oil, sweet chilli sauce and a little sriracha (it’s HOT!)

Get Grilling that chicken, turning every so often until beautifully coloured and cooked through

Toast your pita breads in the toaster and slit them open as in the pic.... — Toast your pita breads in the toaster and slit them open as in the pic….

spread a little mayo and sweet chilli sauce inside the pita

Enjoy! Sheila.
P.S. I usually put up some video clips other images etc. in my Insta Story every day – If you haven’t found me yet I’m at https://www.instagram.com/gimmetherecipe/ {& if you’re new to instagram if you want to see my story (changes every 24 hours) click on my profile picture at the top when you get there…!}

Dinner Party, Recipes, What's for Dinner Mom?

Chicken Casserole

Posted on April 18, 2018 by sheila kiely

Chicken Casserole, but this is no ordinary chicken casserole. You might call it ‘Chicken Thighs Braised in Cider with Sweet Potatoes’ because that’s what it’s actually named by the chef Neven Maguire!

I ran with my friend Deirdre this morning and we were blown to bits by the wind and came home absolutely saturated from the rain. I am well and truly demented with this weather. – forgive me, I’m Irish and it’s an obsession. It’s mid April but it may as well be mid November and thus this type of comforting food is called for. My kids and their cousin Kate all devoured this dish and have demanded that I make this again. Neven is a chef and owner of a renowned restaurant however his recipes are always accessible. Granted I did not have redcurrant jelly (I could have easily bought some) but chose to use cranberry sauce instead as a half jar of it langours in the fridge waiting to be used up.
The recipe is one that Neven Maguire has contributed to ‘The Mixing Bowl – Second Helpings’ cookbook produced by ‘Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services.’ More than just a cookbook, each recipe gives a lovely snapshot or anecdote relating to the people who contributed recipes. All these people are connected in one way or another by the services of ‘Our Lady’s Hospice’ and it is a beautifully varied collection.

From Seafood Chowder, Buckwheat Galettes, Chinese Sweet Pork Chops to Kebabs Robana Bhorat, Fig Pudding and Granny’s Oat Cakes you can tell that this is not fixed into any one style or trend of cooking. I’ve just flicked onto a page with a recipe called ’21st Century Bread and Butter Pudding’, replacing the bread with hot cross buns, panettone or brioche, this is a clever recipe to have on standby after Christmas or Easter when those baked goods are about to go past their best.
Perhaps if we get to bask in a few of the rays that have been promised by the Met Eireann weather service over the weekend I might have a go at the Parsley Lemonade Liquor for when I’m parched with the thirst but for now I’ll be turning the heat up and looking forward to ‘second helpings’ of Neven’s ‘Chicken Thighs Braised in Cider with Sweet Potatoes‘ (click the link for the recipe) or if you can please think about buying the book. It would make a wonderful gift for someone and in a tremendously good cause. (again please click this link for details – The Mixing Bowl – Second Helpings Cookbook).
‘Til next time, Sheila.

Dinner Party, Recipes, What's for Dinner Mom?

Quinoa with beetroot & feta

Posted on March 3, 2018 by sheila kiely

Quinoa with Beetroot & Feta.

Triple Quinoa is a mixture of white, red and black seeds that fluff up when cooked. This salad can be served hot or cold and would be perfect with some chicken or lamb for a substantial meal. I cook the quinoa with some halved garlic cloves for flavour and never one to throw things away these get added to the salad too as a lurking surprise for the lucky recipient.
Quinoa with Beetroot & Feta.
You will need:
150g quinoa
500ml chicken stock
2 fat cloves garlic
Fistful pinenuts
1 lemon (juice of)
Rocket leaves
Block of feta
Cooked beetroot (i usually buy this vacuum packed)
Method:
Rinse the quinoa under cold water in a sieve and then place in a saucepan with 500ml chicken stock and two fat garlic cloves peeled and cut in half. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer for 20 mins. Keep an eye on the liquid level and top up as needed.
Once cooked drain off excess liquid and set aside.
Dry fry the pinenuts until golden brown.
Cube or crumble the feta and cut beetroot into bitesize cubes.
Place the quinoa into a serving bowl and stir through the juice of a lemon then roughly chopped rocket leaves followed by the cubed beetroot and feta. Scatter the toasted pinenuts on top and serve.
Enjoy!
’til next time, Sheila.