Stem Ginger scones

Stem Ginger scones

Having been asked if we needed anything, and saying a firm no while at the garage earlier on, I found

Pasta Surprise!

When we were children, my Mum used to make us a favourite dinner called Spaghetti Surprise. We absolutely loved it,

Warm Tropical Fruit Salad Bruleé

  I’d completely forgotten about this delicious warm fruit salad, but I’m forever grateful to whatever synapse fired and reminded

SMOKY BUFFALO CHICKEN DINNER

Buffalo Chicken (4)

I’ve been following Tieghan Gerard – The Half-baked Harvest – for a while now, but hadn’t actually tried any of

Michel Roux’s Fresh Tomato soup

Tomato soup (9)

I just love tomato soup, but not the tinned variety so fondly recalled by Mr Saturday Night, with his memories

My Mum’s Raspberry and Cinnamon Cake

Mum and our daughter on the beach at Skerries..

My Mum used to turn out this cake on a regular basis when we visited herself and Dad in their

Speedy Butter Chicken!

  Warming and delicious – this Butter Chicken is quick enough for a weekday dinner, if you get  just slightly

Strawberry Compote..

Strawberry Comport (8)

A lucky trip to the supermarket resulted in me getting 2 boxes of expensive ‘Taste the Difference’ Strawberries at the

Homemade Coconut and Mango Granola

Granola (3)

Some of you may have seen that really annoying post on Instagram on Monday just past, where I popped up

STICKY SPICY CHICKEN with EGG FRIED RICE

Spicy chicken stirfry (17)

This is a really easy recipe, but requires you to have 2 frying pans on the go at more or

Chicken with roasted Cabbage..

Chicken with Cabbage (17)

I saw this recipe on Deb Perelman’s site recently and, as she in her turn had borrowed it from someone

The Coffee-Lover’s Coffee Cake

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As a child I remember my aunt taking me to a teashop in Dublin, and me choosing a Coffee Choux

My Mexican-style Flatbread Pizzas!

Flatbread pizza (13)

Monday night dinner was supposed to be baked Enchiladas – a perennial Mr Sat. Night favourite – until I discovered that I

Traditional Beef Hot Pot

Beef Hotpot (17)

I’m not actually sure where I got this recipe. But with the usual ‘almost-out-of-date’ steak pieces lurking in my subconscious,

Off-the-Cuff Beef Curry..

Beef curry (7)

We’ve all been there – a packet of something with its best-before date shouting at you from the fridge. It

A Grown-up Tomato Soup!

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When I met him first, Mr Saturday Night used to regale me with tales of coming home from Games on

Summer Blueberry Trifle

Blueberry Trifle (8)

Some of us – looking at no one in particular, Gillian 😉 – have fully embraced the Cheat’s Christmas Trifle,

Roasted Chicken in a Thai Green Curry Sauce

Roast Chicken in Green Curry sauce (11)

My world is full of recipes that I’ve pulled from various magazines and newspapers over the years. I always say

Homemade Candied Peel

Candied Peel (6)

The elderly oranges in the fruit bowl had to be moved on to allow the new ones to take up

APPLE PANCAKES

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Another Smitten Kitchen recipe for you today – this one dates from 2008, so a genuine antique! It’s so old

Easy Monday Kebabs with Fried Rice and a Yoghurt/Cucumber side

Chicken Kebabs and Fried Rice (13)

Monday, as many of you are aware, is my ‘bottom-of-the-fridge’ day – the day I check all the shelves and

BLUEBERRY COMPOTE

How to use up those soft and soggy blueberries.. EQUIPMENT: A small/medium saucepan A sterilised jampot INGREDIENTS: all your inedible

Black Olive and Sundried tomato Tapenade

Tapanade and crostini (1)

This great classic dip is not just a dip by the way, it’s delicious and so easy to make. The

Make your own Hummus!

Houmous.. (15)

Who doesn’t like Hummus? No seriously, who doesn’t like it? I sometimes think that I could live on a a

Mary Berry’s Family Fruit cake gets the Eating for Ireland treatment!

Mary Berry's cake (6)

It all started with a visit to some of our oldest and dearest friends. Five of us sitting around, drinking

Asian Sweet Potato Satay

Asian Stew (23)

  It often occurs to me that I am completely relentless in the pursuit of a new recipe.. This one

Blueberry Cake – Two ways!

  It’s time for another moan about the state of the Blueberries we buy at this time – and many

Sticky Toffee and Pear pudding

Ah those old cook books – I read them sitting up in bed! My present one is  a great find

Paprika Chicken, a quick and delicious dinner..

Paprika Chicken (10)

  I found an old copy of Robert Carrier’s ‘Entertaining’ Cook book at home the other day – my Mum

Traditional Potato Bread

Potato bread and SAt Patrick (7)

  If you mention homemade Potato Bread to someone who was born here and whose Mother made her own, you

Easy Home-made Soda Farls

Soda Farls (11)

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that Northern Ireland Soda bread is one of the great joys in life. Sweet or

Maple-Glazed Carrots

Glazed Carrots (1)

As a child, I actively disliked carrots. My Mother, who was a fan of correctly-cooked vegetables, was not to blame.

Chocolate and – Rum – soaked Cake!

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My new obsession with old Cookery books continues, and here’s yet another interesting recipe from an old Charity Cookbook.  I

My Easy Chocolate Fudge Icing recipe..

chocolate cake 3

This is the icing that I have always used on my All-in One Chocolate cake, and it’s worth putting it

Sweet Potato, Tomato, and Coconut Curry – a vegetarian Dinner

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This recipe came in the November 2021 edition of Sainsbury’s magazine. It was one of a series of recipes designed

The all-in-one Madeira Cake..

All in one Madeira (7)

During my daughter’s Junior school years, we were asked to contribute a recipe for a fund-raising Cookbook – I’m sure

Salty Caramel ‘Christmas’ Crackers!

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  The moment I read this recipe on Deb Perlman’s site (@smittenkitchen) I knew I was going to be making

Mulled Wine Jam

Mulled wine jam (5)

Mr Saturday Night bounced in and said in excited tones: ”Someone on the Bake Off made Mulled Wine Jam!” ‘Hmmmf,’

Chicken Jalfrezi

Chicken Jalfrezi (3)

I’d almost forgotten about this recipe – I used to make it often in the days when I raced in

Pamela’s Bacon and Pepper Creamy Sprouts

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Sprouts – you either love them or hate them, right? Many believe the hype, and think that they’re supposed to

Muriel’s Perfect Stuffing!

Muriels stuffing (7)

              As a child, full of the excitement of Christmas, I was only interested

CHICKEN BALTI – a quick and easy family dinner

Chicken Balti (21)

This easy, straightforward recipe came together quickly and with no drama for our Saturday evening dinner this week. I do

Loaded Chilli Fries..

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This is one of those recipes that isn’t really a recipe at all, but is an amalgamation of several recipes,

Doireann’s Crispy Chicken and Vegetables in a sweet and sticky sauce.

Sticky Chicken (18)

Over the years I haven’t really had much luck with internet recipes – said the woman with recipes on the

Double coconut muffins

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  Do you remember Hawaiian Tropic  Suntan oil? And HUGE Pina Coladas that cost 2 Drachmas in Greece, back in

Quick and Easy lemon Curd Muffins..

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I added a Lemon Curd Muffin recipe to Eating for Ireland a couple of weeks ago, and a very good

French one pan Chicken-and-Shallots, with Wine

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That half bottle of decent white wine sitting in the fridge since Easter Sunday needed to feel useful again! And

Shaved Asparagus and Goat’s Cheese Frittata

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I spotted some locally-grown Asparagus in a local fruit shop, and it reminded me about this great recipe – I

Emergency Banana Muffins!

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My thanks to Muriel in Perth, Western Australia for both the recipe and the title of this recipe – Muriel

One Pan Chicken Tikka, Potato and Cauliflower Dinner

Chicken tikka traybake (10)

I’m a big fan of Deb Perlman of The Smitten Kitchen. If I may make so bold, I fancy that

Muriel’s Famous Lime Pie

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              Here’s another lovely recipe from Australia, where Muriel has her own lime tree!

Muriel’s favourite Salad

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  This refreshing salad recipe came from Muriel who lives far away in Perth, Western Australia. Muriel insists on crediting

Chloe’s Shortbread, flavoured with Rosemary ..

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This recipe came from Australia, from my sister-in-law’s niece Chloe. My thanks to her Mum Muriel for sharing it with

My Fruity Malt Loaf..

Malt Loaf (3)

Ah Soreen Malt Loaf – or, if you’re my age and lived in Dublin in your youth – Maltana. Who

French Pear (and Cranberry) Cake

Pear and Cranberry cake (10)

Hmmm.. a Monday morning in mid-December and like everyone else I had masses of things I should have been doing. But

Pear, Cranberry and Ginger biscuit Crumble

Cranberry, Pear and Ginger Crumble (13)

While I was checking the recipe for making my Cranberry Compote today, I noticed that I’d put the bones of

Jammie Dodgers!

Jammie Dodgers (19)

Hand up now – who here doesn’t like Jammie Dodgers? I don’t think I’d ever had one until our daughter

The Summer Galette

Fruit Galette (6)

It sounds posh and well, a bit French, so it must be difficult, right? Wrong! This is the easiest pie

Beetroot, Lentil and Goat’s Cheese Salad with Balsamic Vinegar..

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‘Just bring a salad’ – words guaranteed to strike fear into the heart of even the most  organised cook. I

Shrikhand

Shrikhand (13)

I’ve become a real Instagram fan in recent times. So many people out there are doing really interesting things –

Perfect Fruit Scones!

Fruit Scones (9)

                I’m seriously fond of my own ‘simple scones’ – they are so

The Raspberry and Cinnamon Banana Cake

Banana and Raspberry Cake (15)

Whatever it is that you’re doing – stop now, and make this fabulous cake! You will be so glad that

Fried Onion Rings..

Onion Rings (1)

This is probably the one and only recipe on eating for Ireland that involves deep-frying.  I’m not a fan of

Crispy Spicy Lamb with Lentils in Lettuce cups..

Crispy Lamb Lettuce cups (7)

              I’ve started doing my weekly shop on a Tuesday, which means that Monday

Strawberry Jam

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I find it almost impossible to walk past a punnet of local strawberries without putting them straight into my trolley..

Strawberry and Rhubarb crispy Bars..

Strawberry and Rhubarb Bars (4)

I need to start this recipe with a warning – these bars smell so heavenly while they’re baking that you’re

Homemade Barbeque Sauce

This is the barbeque sauce that I’ve used for years. It started when my daughter was little, to cheer up

Orange Extract

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Here is a recipe for homemade Orange extract. Of course you could make Lemon – or Lime – extract if

Homemade Vanilla Extract,

Vanilla Extract 21st May (1)

Little does Mr Saturday Night know, as I tap gently on my laptop, that I’ve been spending a small fortune

Pea and Ham Quiche

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Time was – if you’re even approaching my age – that every house had at least one china/pottery Quiche dish

Blackened Spicy Chicken

Blackened Spicy Chicken (7)

As you can see from these pictures, it was just me and him this evening, but don’t worry, these quantities

Easy Baked Tomato and Chicken Risotto

Tomato Risotto (7)

Those who know me well will agree that I have a limited tolerance for ‘fiddly’ stuff.  I found this recipe

The Quick and Easy Banana Cake!

Quick banana bread (7)

I popped this recipe onto the eating for Ireland Facebook one Friday evening – and it took off! One of

Upside down Rhubarb, Spice and Orange Cake.

Rhubarb and Orange upsidedown cake (14)

One day recently, my lovely neighbour from down the road left some of her own hen’s eggs on my gate

Easy Banana, Chocolate and Bailey’s Ice Cream

Banana and baileys ice cream (3)

I’ve read many times that if you have over-ripe Bananas then you should freeze them for another day. I’ve never

Orange and Yoghurt Cake with a Honey Glaze

The Orange Yoghurt Cake with a simple orange-flavoured icing

    This cake evolved from a perfectly written French version, but naturally I started off without checking that I

Old Fashioned Apple Batter

Apple Batter (16)

I see January as an excuse to use up stuff left over from the excesses of December, and today’s recipe

Baked Rice Pudding..

Rice Pudding (5)

That milk in the fridge is teetering on the brink of its BB date.. There’s no way on earth that

Chocolate Covered Orange Peel..

Chocolate orange strips (1)

I first had this delicious chocolate-covered delight in Australia –  my sister-in-law Dorothy made it when we visited one Christmas.

Oven-roasted Squash and peppers

Roasted Squash (10)

Two of our great friends grow their own fruit, vegetables, potatoes, you-name-it.. This means that we get gifts of amazing,

Roasted Duck breast with St Clement’s sauce

Duck with Orange and Lemon Sauce (14)

This dish is perfect as an Autumnal – or virtually any other time – dinner.  I cannot begin to tell

Christmas Chocolate Tiffin Traybake

Christmas Tiffen (6)

This delicious traybake has all the flavours of Christmas and as it’s really rich, a little goes a long way.

An Irish Tea Brack

Irish Tea Brack (19)

I mentioned the delicious Soda bread that we got at The White Cottages on a recent trip to Skerries Co.

The White Cottages Soda Bread

  We had a delicious breakfast at The White Cottages recently when we stayed on an unexpected trip to Skerries

Limoncello Cocktail

Lemons (2)

My Sicilian friends brought me a bottle of home-made Limoncello last year – made to a secret recipe by one

Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan

Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan (1)

I’ve been a fan of Cauliflower ever since I was a kid and realised that you could happily eat it

Roasted Kale..

Roasted Kale (14)

Eating for Ireland has finally succumbed to the lure of the almighty Kale! I resisted for as long as I

Easy Chicken Supremes with Onion, Garlic and Wine

Chicken Supreme with thyme and wine (1)

Every time we’ve been out to eat recently, Chicken Supremes have been on the menu, no matter where we go.

Warm Chickpea, Courgette and Yoghurt Salad!

Chickpea, Courgette and yoghurt veg. dish (6)

I was fed-up with Chickpeas.. Me? That woman who likes everything? I could hardly believe it myself.. It just seemed

French Apple and Rum Cake

French_Apple_Cake__(1) (1)

There’s already a tried and tested Apple and Sultana cake on Eating for Ireland, https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/apple-and-sultana-cake/  but when I saw this unusual

Sweet Beef and Coconut Curry

Sweet Beef and Coconut Curry (3)

I recently published my Beef Kofta Curry,https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/beef-kofta-curry/  and because I liked it so much I’ve adapted it for beef pieces

Gooseberry Fool..

Gooseberry Fool (9)

This is a wonderful Summer dessert. There’s just something so delicious about the slightly tart (that’s the way I like

Gillian’s Chicken, with Sumac, Cumin and Roasted Vegetable Bulgar

My former Right Hand Woman at work has become an enthusiastic cook in my absence, and regularly sends me news

Summer Mint Syrup

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I’d never thought very much about Mint syrup until I saw a picture of a Menthe a l’Eau on Facebook

Chicken Katsu Curry

Katsu Curry (20)

I looked up the word ‘Katsu’ when I was writing this recipe, and of course it turns out I’ve been

Mrs Brown’s Soda Bread Bannock

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As you get on a bit, you treasure the friends you’ve gathered up over the years, but rarely think about

Beef Kofta Curry

Beef Koftas (6)

Over the past year I’ve seen the word ‘Kofta’ everywhere! It mostly had ‘lamb’ in front of it, and a

How to make your own Panko breadcrumbs..

Panko_breadcrumbs_(3) (1)

Panko breadcrumbs are usually available in a box in the ‘ethnic’ aisle in the supermarket, but as we eat a

Giant Puffball Parmigiana

Giant Puffball Parmigiana (14)

My recent Blog post explains how I got introduced to this amazing fungus. https://eatingforireland.com/2019/06/08/thats-one-big-mushroom/ I’ve always been a mushroom fan,

Lemon Drizzle Cake..

Lemon Drizzle cake (19)

  As we were expecting Little Miss Eating-for-Ireland home for the weekend, I made the amateur error of texting her

My Best Oven Chips!

Oven chips (9)

It should really come as no surprise to discover that there are so many potato recipes available here on Eating

Little Lemon Cupcakes, or Wee Buns..

Buns (5)

When we were kids these weren’t called cupcakes at all, but were simply known as ‘Buns’ or – if you

Mary Berry’s Tiramisu Cake

Tiramisu Cake (7)

              It was a real blast-from-the-past when I first read this recipe in Mary

My Quick Beef Stroganoff..

Beef Strog quick (11)

There’s another Beef Stroganoff on this website – it’s called the Cheat’s Beef Stroganoff, simply because I use stewing beef,

My Sweet Crumble Recipe..

Rhubarb Crumble (6)

There are so many things that can receive the ‘crumble’ treatment! My personal favourite is Rhubarb and Strawberry; while my

French-style Chicken thighs..

French style chicken thighs (1)

I’d bought some lovely corn-fed chicken thighs during the week, and had no idea what to do with them until

Apricot, Oat and Seed Bars

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We’d gone our separate ways on that sunny morning, pre-Storm Gareth, but rendezvoused (is that a word?) back at the

Banana Pancakes

Banana Pancakes (4)

I was trawling through my recipes on Eating for Ireland this fine and sunny Friday morning – when I realised

Ottolenghi’s Chicken all-in-one traybake, according to me!

Chicken, Coriander and orange bake (3)

If you haven’t tried my Mediterranean Chicken Pilaf, you’re missing out on a great dinner-time favourite – for both friends

Peruvian Chicken soup

Peruvian Chicken soup (9)

I spotted this recipe for a Peruvian Chicken Soup on line, and with snow forecast, I decided that today was the

Lentil and Vegetable Soup

veg and Red Lentil soup (1)

This is my favourite, go-to soup when the weather demands it, Winter or Summer. It’s been carefully retro-engineered from a

Suet pastry

Steak and Kidney pie (1)

This recipe is attached to the Steak and Kidney recipe on this site, but I thought it worth posting separately.

Goat’s Cheese and Red Onion Marmalade Roll-ups

Goats cheese and red onion marmalade roll-ups

I always used to make my Goats Cheese and Red Onion Marmalade tarts in little pastry cases, or on squares

Lorna’s Shortbread Biscuits..

Christmas shortbread (1)

  I’m pretty sure if I’ve mentioned it before, but at work we had a serious habit of throwing a Bun Party at the

Cranberry and Orange Curd

Cranberry Curd scones (3)

Around this time every year, I get tired of the shops – I’ve seen enough of them – so I decide that

Christmas gravy – the get-ahead recipe

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  The last thing anyone wants on Christmas Day is the stress of trying to make a lump-free gravy whilst

Bailey’s Truffles..

Truffles (4)

I spotted this little recipe in a magazine one Christmas, and it’s become one of my standard holiday must-do’s. This

Salmon with Parma Ham and French beans..

Salmon with Parma ham (8)

I had to check that I hadn’t published this recipe already – it’s been part of my repertoire (Pretentious? moi??) for years,

Pumpkin Scones..

Pumpkin Scones!

Halloween – a tradition with strong Irish roots – is a big deal in Ireland. In fact, there’s a widely-held belief

French Onion Soup

French onion soup.. (7)

When we were teenagers, there was a restaurant  on Grafton Street called Thunderbirds that did an amazing French Onion soup. The ‘crouton’ on

Pumpkin, Polenta and Rum cake

Pumpkin and rum cake (13)

The pumpkin puree required for this cake used up about half of the big pumpkin I bought that rainy Saturday.

Home Cured Bacon..

bacon home cured (4)

Truthfully, I’d never even considered curing my own bacon – there are many fine producers out there – but I

Roasted Pumpkin seeds..

Pumpkin seeds (2)

It only occurred to me today that you can use virtually every part of a Pumpkin. The only bits I

Brussel Sprouts, made modern!

Sprouts

Sprouts. It’s like a rude word, isn’t it? It’s that bit of Christmas that most of us love to hate!

Microwave popcorn, with sweet or savoury flavouring

popcorn (11)

I’d mentioned in a blog post that Sunday morning https://eatingforireland.com/2018/10/07/sunday-morning-the-song-of-the-early-riser/ that an occasion such as the new Doctor Who starting on the telly in required popcorn

The EATING FOR IRELAND get-ahead list

The Eating for Ireland get-ahead list Tomorrow is the 1st December – that means it’s now officially ok to: Put

Chicken Tartiflette

Chicken Tarteflette (3)

This is probably only a very far-out relation of a traditional French Tartiflette but  it’s the ultimate comfort-food dinner. It’s

Whole Lemon (and a litttle Lime) Bars

Whole Lemon Cake (16)

  Me writing up this recipe came about due to one of those ‘small world isn’t it’ moments which only seem to happen in

One Pot Chilli Beef and Rice Enchilada..

Beef enchilada one pot (8)

This little recipe turned up in a recent Good Housekeeping magazine – My Mum bought me a subscription for my

Mozzarella, tomato and Basil bites

Cheeseboard (5)

These cute little mouthfuls are perfect for adding to your Cheese board, or as an appetiser before dinner – those lovely Italian

How to set up a Cheese Board..

I’d never actually set up a cheese-board for a large group until very recently. Like most people, I’ve served crackers

Sunny Fruit kebabs, with a Mascarpone Vanilla dipping sauce..

Fruit plate (6)

At a family event recently, we wanted to offer something light, both savoury and sweet, to our 30 or so guests. My daughter made these

Blackberry Liqueur….

Blackberry Liqueur (10)

Well, it was only a matter of time, wasn’t it? After several blogs on the topic of Blackberries, I went

My Chicken and Sweetcorn Chowder

Chowder (5)

When the woman with her own food website runs out of basics – I’m not going to embarrass myself by

Mincemeat Crumble Squares..

Mince crumble slices (3)

It was several years ago now that I first made these delicious Mincemeat Crumble Slices. We’d got caught in the rain on

Homemade Cranberry Compote

cranberry confit

When we were young, the only cranberry we knew was the sickly-sweet sticky jam that was available in the supermarkets

Strawberry Coulis..

Strawberry Couli (2)

‘Those strawberries are almost over-ripe’ pronounced Mr Saturday Night. ‘Right’ says I, ‘no bother’. And just like that, there was

OLD FASHIONED PINEAPPLE DELIGHTS

Pineapple Delights (5)

These are Mr Saturday Night’s favourite traybakes, ever since a lady in his sister’s Florist shop brought them to work many moons

HOMEMADE ELDERFLOWER CORDIAL

Eldeflower cordial (3)

  Being born only a few miles from Stephen’s Green meant that any sort of ‘country lore’, for want of

Cocktail Hugo!

Robert and Pia 18.5.2018 (19) - Copy

  Here’s another recipe trophy from our recent trip to sunny Sicily.. When we arrived at the Wedding venue, we

La Lasagna Siciliana!

Lasagna Siciliana (1)

In May we had a wonderful week in Sicily. Our primary reason for going was to attend the wedding of the son

Red Onion Marmalade with Wine and Port

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Another of my favourite Christmas flavours is this Red Onion Marmalade  – it’s actually perfect for any time of year as

Lucy’s Victoria Sponge..

Victoria sponge Summer version (1)

One of the great joys of sharing recipes is having people react to them. My recipes are simple ones; written for

The Non-alcoholic Summery lunchtime drink!

Summery drink (3)

My friend Miranda, who took time out from her busy Mother-of-the-Bride duties to have lunch with us recently, was amused when I

My Cheat’s Beef Stroganoff!

Beef Strog quick (13)

I love Beef Stroganoff – that smoky, creamy sauce with beef, mushrooms and onions. But truly, I’ve always found it a

Salted Butterscotch Sauce..

This little recipe has been in my old hand-written notebook for ages – it’s one of those things that’s so

Easiest-ever Chocolate and Orange Cake!

Chocolate and orange cake (2)

  There’s a running gag at work about me and Terry’s Chocolate Orange – don’t even go there..  Over the years I’ve been inundated with pictures

Cream of Mushroom soup..

Mushroom soup (8)

Mushroom soup – since I was a child, it’s always been my favourite, but I’ve never made it to my

Toad in the Hole..

Toad in the hole 4

Today, I’m using  my simple Yorkshire Pudding recipe to make that family favourite, Toad-in-the-Hole. For some reason, children find the words ‘Toad-in-the-Hole’ absolutely

Lemon Self-Saucing pudding..

Lemon self saucing pudding (7)

This is an amazing dessert – one of my favourites in fact. As if by magic, the ingredients sort themselves

Cream of Celery Soup

Celery soup (2)

Successful soup-making is one of those useful things that has eluded me all my life. All my life, that is,

Lamb Tagine

Lamb Tagine (3)

The original recipe for this tasty Lamb dish came from our long-time neighbour Theresa. It was served at one of her

Irish Beef Stew, as his Mother used to make it..

There’s nothing nicer than a good beef stew – beef is so robust that you can add all sorts of delicious

Irish Lamb Stew, as my Mother used to make it..

Irish Stew (5)

  There’s something so lovely about the memories of your Mother’s stew – it was the warming bowl made with

Rhubarb and Orange Slump

Rhubarb slump 2 (2)

Funny word that – Slump…it makes me feel kind of sleepy..   Apparently ‘Slump’ is a New England word, and

Marmalade and Caraway seed cake.

Marmalade and caraway cake (12)

              When we were young, our Mum used to make what she (and now

The Saturday Tortilla..

Saturday Tortilla (12)

Home for lunch one Saturday morning, after the usual shenanigans at St George’s Market.. But what to make? A quick look

My Easy Green salad

Saturday Tortilla (11)

It’s so handy to be able to throw a salad together at short notice – I try to keep some

Creamy Truffle Pasta..

Pasta al Tartuffo 2018 (10)

Someone – I’ve narrowed it down to one of two pals – (Liz? Therese?) gave me some lovely Salame al Tartufo Estivo

Traditional Seville Orange Marmalade..

            So here’s a question for you –  Why is jam made from oranges called Marmalade?

Christine’s recommended Pineapple and Ginger natural Cough mixture..

Pineapple and ginger cough remedy (2)

The great thing about having a Facebook page is that you can have a moan – in this case about

The Honey and Lemon Cold cure..

Lemon and Honey cure (4)

Ok, so we all know that nothing can actually ‘cure’ the common cold, and its leftovers, but this little recipe

Spicy Mexican Gammon

Mexican gammon (9)

This is a seriously old recipe that my sister-in law gave me back in the 80’s. It popped into my

Christmas list: the final countdown..

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The truth is that I’ve written this list as much for myself as for Eating for Ireland.. I write lists to remind

Venison Terrine..

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I only make this strongly-flavoured terrine at Christmas. It’s perfect winter eating, and is one of Mr Sat. Night’s favourites. As

The Cheat’s Chocolate Trifle..

trifle (2)

In most parts of Ireland, there’s a tradition that there’s always trifle for tea on Christmas Day.  This ‘tea’ of course can actually

Mulled Cider..

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  Mulled Cider is light, relatively low-alcohol, and with the addition of spices and some Apple Juice, is a delicious element of

My Spicy Plum Sauce

This sauce is amazing! Chilled in the fridge,it works as an accompaniment to cold meats or pies, but equally if

Ginger Nut biscuits..

Ginger and chocolate biscuits

When we were kids, we used to get biscuits and milk after dinner. Our favourite pastime, once Mum’s back was

Crispy Tortellini, Chicken and Lemon Pasta Bake..with a Vegetarian alternative..

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I have a weird relationship with Tortellini (and filled pasta in general)  – I know I should like them, because I

Nadiya’s Blackberry Orange Mousse Cake..

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November 2017: We’re big Nadiya (and Bake-off in general) fans in this house, so when I spotted this recipe in one

Mrs Halpin’s Tea Brack

Mrs Halpin's Tea Brack (2)

Mrs Halpin’s Tea Brack is made with fruit that has been soaked over-night in freshly-made sweet tea, and then has eggs,

Pumpkin pie!

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            You hear a lot about Pumpkin pie, but hardly anyone in Ireland has ever made

My easy short-crust pastry..

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    Oh Pastry! This can be a cook’s downfall – we’ve all heard the experts rabbit on  about soggy bottoms and other

Perfect Caramel Squares..

caramel squares

Caramel Shortbread? Toffee square? Millionaire’s Shortbread? I call them Caramel Squares, just to confuse things! They all mean one thing – a

Coconut and Lime scones

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I put a picture of my everyday scones up on Instagram recently and it was liked by someone called ‘The

Apple and Sultana Cake

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Most of that huge bag of Bramley apples that cost me all of £2 at the weekend were still sitting

Easy Blueberry Panna Cotta..

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Several times a year, Mr Sat Night meets up for a leisurely lunch with his former colleagues who take one look at a

CRUSHED HOT POTATOES..

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I’m always looking for new ways of serving the humble potato, so when I was faced with a bag of baby

Plum Jam

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The ‘Lady from Armagh’ had her own plums on the stall in St George’s, and I got two decent-sized cartons for

CAPPUCCINO MOUSSE CAKE

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My Mother bought me a subscription to Good House-Keeping for my 30th birthday. I guess she thought I was a

LITTLE THAI-STYLE TURKEY CAKES

I spotted this little recipe in a magazine recently and thought I’d give it a go. The recipe recommended using turkey

MY EASY HOME-MADE BARBEQUE SAUCE

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  This sauce has been a part of my repertoire for almost as long as I can remember. It’s perfect

DELIA’S CUCUMBER DIPPING SAUCE ( from her Summer Collection book)

This a great little sweet/sour dipping sauce. Delia paired it with some Thai-style fish cakes, but it’s good for almost anything you

My home-made crispy oven chips..

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These are the only chips we eat at home. These are what we make to accompany fish, burgers, fried chicken and

Homemade BURGERS – or, Build your own Burger!

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Once I’d got this simple recipe straight in my head, I never bothered buying ready-made burgers again. I hope that

The Sticky Orange Upside Down Cake – with my amendments!

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This easy recipe came in a free newspaper from the supermarket a couple of years ago. I liked the sound

My Family’s Favourite Pasta Bake..

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I love lasagne, but I only make it once in a blue moon – I find all that layering tiresome,

Dressed Pimm’s

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I’m almost embarrassed to put this down as a recipe, but as usual, not embarrassed enough 😉 I’d never heard

Warm Rum and Pineapple dessert..

I’m always looking for special summertime desserts – the sort of thing I can rustle up really quickly, with minimum

Cherie’s Lebanese-flavoured Cauliflower Salad

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  I only joined Instagram relatively recently, and I think it’s one of the kindest of the social media. The

Home-made Pizza – a little effort, but well worth it.

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My husband and daughter have always been huge fans of Eurovision. Me, not so much –  perhaps due to too

EASY BAKED POTATOES

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There are times in life when only a baked potato will do the job. You can do all sorts of

My Spanish-style omelette/tortilla

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Sometimes dinnertime creeps up on me, and I suddenly realise that I have *no clue* what I’m going to be

MY FLUFFY, AMERICAN-STYLE PANCAKES

Pancake Platter (2)

I love pancakes – flapjacks, crepes, call them what you like. I love them all. There are two other pancake

SPECIAL OCCASION DUCK WITH MADEIRA AND CHERRIES

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This recipe is one of Gordon Ramsey’s, and was wafted under my nose by Mr Saturday Night, who had seen

My Favourite Cupcakes..

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I got this recipe from the Sainsbury’s magazine years ago, when cupcakes were at their most popular. I’ve used it

My CHILLI con CARNE..

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The pound of minced beef sitting in the bottom of the fridge was insistently calling my name, so I finally paid

MY QUICK AND EASY FRIED RICE

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I’ve always found it difficult to gauge exactly how much rice I need for a dish, and have a history

MINCED BEEF PIE – as good as his Mother’s !

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  On rare occasions something comes over me, and I find myself in a giving, caring, generous kind of mood,

HOT CROSS BUNS (a little effort, but well worth it!)

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I found this recipe lurking deep in the bowels of  my recipe note-book. It looks like I’d found it in

HOT CROSS SCONES

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I spotted this recipe (or one very like it – naturally I can’t leave well alone) on the internet a couple

SLOW ROASTED DUCK LEG WITH PUY LENTILS

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This is a great get-ahead dinner party standby – it looks sophisticated, but it’s really easy. You can get your

MY FAVOURITE ROASTED CAULIFLOWER..

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I know it’s a little weird, but here’s something so compelling about cauliflowers – I spot them sitting in the

EARLY RHUBARB and VANILLA GIN

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The trouble with being a foodie is that you’re always looking out for new ideas – I found this one

Elin’s Roasted Cauliflower

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A couple of years ago I went to my 40th year School reunion, and there was Janet, whom I hadn’t seen since we’d

CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES

Chocolate dipped strawberries (1)

Once again, I’m nearly (but not quite) embarrassed to call this little treat a recipe – my brass neck needs no polishing, obviously 😉 This

DUCK RAGU

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  I was determined to use up the forgotten goodies lurking at the bottom of my freezer, but then a couple of juicy

Old-Fashioned Apple Betty..

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  This is such an old and almost forgotten recipe (like the ingredients, in my case), but I’m delighted to feature

LIZZIE’S DREAMY CREAMY CHICKEN

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There I was one evening, gazing dolefully at a pack of four chicken breasts and wondering what on earth I was

Choy Sum with Oyster sauce, garlic and peanuts

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This Asian-style side dish is courtesy of my friend Caroline –  fellow foodie; coffee buddy, and all round ‘obstinate, headstrong girl’. She’s one

ATHOLL BROSE, OR CRANACHAN…

Cranachan 2019 (2)

An impulsive trip to Sainsbury’s on my way home from work reminded me that Burns’ Night is 25th January. That’s

Christmas Dinner in a Pie!

Christmas dinner in a Pie (1)

A couple of years ago, on New Year’s Day, we headed for a stroll to the welcoming arms of the National

Nigella’s Chocolate Christmas Cake, with my variations..

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We’ve been making Nigella’s Chocolate Christmas Cake since 2012, and it’s be come a bit of a Christmas tradition. Nigella’s

Steak and Kidney pie

Steak and Kidney pie (1)

  Steak and kidney pie is one of those things that you either love or hate. We are huge fans

Mr Saturday Night’s Christmas Pudding..

Christmas pudding 5

I’ve often thought that we were weird children – from an early age, we all just loved Christmas pudding, Brandy

Cheat’s Mince and Cranberry rollups..

Goats cheese and red onion marmalade rollups (3)

It’s important to remember, especially at Christmastime, that there is no rule that says you have to make everything yourself.

Lamb Shanks Rogan Josh

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I probably say this about a lot of my recipes, but this has got to be one of my favourite

Chicken stir-fry, with noodles

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I spotted a nice looking pack of stir-fry vegetables in the supermarket the other day, and with a few chicken fillets

Home-made Christmas Mincemeat

I like to make my mincemeat early – there’s a great feeling of satisfaction as you line up the filled jars

Individual Raspberry and Honey cheesecakes

I found this recipe recently in a copy of the Sainsbury’s magazine, and discovering a tub of ricotta that needed to

Robby’s pasta with a crunchy breadcrumb topping

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We all adore our wonderful Robby, and have to thank our childhood friend Trays for bringing him into our lives. They live

BANANA BREAD

Banana Bread 2020 (2)

  It was only when my daughter phoned complaining about a Banana bread recipe from the internet that didn’t work for her, that I realised

CHICKEN AND LEEK PIE

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I discovered a roll of ready-made puff pastry in the fridge this afternoon. The addition of a couple of organic leeks, and

Nanny Bell’s Wheaten bread…

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    Sadly, I cannot actually number Jonny or his Nanny amongst my acquaintance (Jane Austen mode slipping in here…) I am however, very

BAKED FIGS WITH GREEK YOGURT AND HONEY

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  Come September, as we bewail the lack of a ‘proper’ Summer, the autumnal fruits creep almost unnoticed into the

HOME-MADE LEMON CURD

scones (2)

I can remember my Mum making this delicious curd jam when I was a kid. It wasn’t that she was a

APPLE AND RASPBERRY CRUMBLE, with seasonal variations

Rhubarb Crumble (6)

Unseasonable summer weather ( rain, wind, falling leaves, more rain) always results in a wish for comfort food. While I’m not quite ready to move

Freezing Basil..

My husband returned from a visit to his sister with the biggest pot of Basil I’ve ever seen, bringing to 3

SUMMERY PEACHES GRATIN WITH MASCARPONE

Ready for to go under the grill..

I’ve been making this summer dessert for years and, as far as I can remember, it all came  together under my usual set

Summer Bread and Butter Pudding..

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A relentlessly wet Saturday in July  prompted the need for something comforting as dessert. The coincidental purchase of a Brioche loaf at

Malaysian Beef Curry

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This delicious recipe from my old school friend Cathy – from her pre-vegetarian days! – is just the thing for

Warm Salad of Spicy Chicken and Mango

Chicken tikka salad (3)

This is one of my favourite summer salads, and is a variation of one I saw Jamie Oliver make on

The Cambridge, or My Melon and Crème Fraiche Summer Salad!

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My Melon and Crème Fraiche Summer salad.. we first had this delicious salad in a lovely river-side restaurant in Cambridge.

Betty’s Celebration Chicken Salad

This salad has been compared to Coronation Chicken, as it’s got that creamy, spicy vibe going; however I think the addition

Chilli and Mascarpone Chicken Pasta..

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This is one of my favourite  dishes for batch-cooking and freezing; it has saved my bacon on numerous occasions when unexpected guests dropped

Spanish-style Chicken in a spicy tomato sauce

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I spotted this recipe on line today, and thought it sounded like a good idea for a relaxed Saturday evening

DOROTHY’S ICED COFFEE

Iced Coffee (6)

In Australia, they sell this yummy stuff in cartons in the supermarket. It is the most wonderfully cool and refreshing

Crepes

PROPER CREPES  When we were children at home, the rituals of Lent were closely observed. The best parts of Lent

GARETH’S PANCAKES

My husband’s nephew Gareth lives in Western Australia, and when we visited Perth many years ago, he would stand and make stacks of

TORTILLA ROLL-UPS

My friend Anne gave me this recipe which she got from an American Mom whose children were at the same

PAULINE’S SYMPHONY (Mandlekucken)

mandlekucken

  The proper name for this, and the name we always called it was Mandlekuchen, which simply means ‘almond cake’.

RASPBERRY TIRAMISU

raspberry tiramisu

I usually make this in the summertime when we  have loads of soft fruit; although I often think that the

MRS HANLY’S PORTER CAKE

Mrs Hanly's Porter Cake (14)

  This is a recipe from my sister Mary, who inherited it from her Mother in law, Norah. They are

UP-SIDE-DOWN PLUM CAKE

Plum Cake all (2)

  My much-missed neighbour Corrine had a wonderful Victoria plum tree in her back garden which produced copious amounts of

THE ALL-IN-ONE CHOCOLATE CAKE ( with my chocolate fudge icing)

Hilary, one of our secretaries at work gave me this recipe. She used to bring lots of her delicious baking into work

HOMEMADE CROUTONS

I spent years buying croutons for Caesar salad and to throw into soup, until one day I had 1/2 a

MELBA TOAST

To save time when you’re under pressure, spend 15 minutes now, and sail through the starter with no worries about

MY MOTHER’S POTATO CAKES

Potato cakes (1)

  These  crisp-on-the-outside/soft-on-the-inside Potato Cakes are perfect for using up left-over mashed potato. In fact, we often cook too many

RED ONION GRAVY

Christmas Gravy (5)

 I love this gravy with venison sausages, but it’s perfect if you just fancy gravy with your chops or steak.

NICOLE’S SMOKED SALMON AND POTATO BAKE

I found this recipe which I had forgotten about, in my recipe copy-book, with my on-call Rota from 1997 scribbled

Creamy scalloped potato gratin with garlic and rosemary

The only problem with this way of serving potatoes is that everyone wants second helpings. This really is the High-King

CORINNE’S CAULIFLOWER CHEESE

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  This recipe isn’t originally one of mine, but when Mr Sat Night was putting the original Eating for Ireland together (as

BOLOGNAISE SAUCE

Spaghetti Bolonaise

Follow this recipe and you’ll never to have to buy a jar of pasta sauce again! I often spend a

THE LAST TOMATO SAUCE (you’ll ever need)

  Once you have thrown this together, you will never be able to face one of those ready-made tomato sauces

CHICKEN JAMBALAYA

Jambalaya (2)

Another one of my ‘let’s use up all that stuff at the bottom of the fridge’ creations.. This is a

POSH COTTAGE PIE

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  Years ago, I had several ‘plain eaters’ who used to come for dinner, and I was always in a

STUFFED CHICKEN AND BACON PARCELS

Muriel's stuffing (1)

This is another one of those ‘necessity-as mother-of-invention’ recipes, which all came together when I had chicken breasts, some streaky

INDIAN STYLE CHICKEN CURRY

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  Another family favourite here – it’s great for getting onto the table really quickly when you’ve rushed in from

My Chicken Liver Pate

Chicken liver parfait and crostini (1)

A personal favourite of mine, and one that never quite goes out of fashion. Here’s my simple (no brains required)

MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN PILAF

Mediterranean Chicken Pilaf (2)

This is one of my all-time success stories, and a firm favourite with family and friends. It is a terrific

Italian Meatballs with Mozarella

Meatballs (1)

This is one of my favourite pasta dishes, and yes,  I do realise that I probably say that about all

Spaghetti Carbonara

We first ate this  in Rome, many years ago, on our first holiday away together. We were so broke and it was

Pasta Surprise

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This was one of our favorite dinners as children, and I remember asking Mum for the recipe after I’d left home,

Spicy Chicken Kebabs with a Peanut Sauce

This was one of my favorite starters before our house became a nut-free zone. I often used it as a

Pasta with Avocado

Avocado pasta (1)

This is one of the first recipes I ever copied down when I started writing recipes into a notebook – which means that

Thai-style Pumpkin Soup

One Halloween we were having a discussion in work about how we all threw out the insides of the pumpkin when

Red Onion and Goat’s Cheese tarts

red onion tartlets (1)

This has got to be one of my favorite starters, and as it is made up of separate parts, it

Homemade Crostini

Tapanade and crostini (1)

These homemade Crostini are unbelievably easy to make. Make them several days in advance and keep in an air-tight container

BLACK OLIVE AND SUN-DRIED TOMATO TAPANADE

  This little tapenade is so easy that you’ll never bother buying it again. In fact, so much of the

Crunchy Chocolate Easter nests (for kids of all ages)

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When we were kids we always made these in the run-up to Easter;  I made them with our daughter too,

My easy-peasy Potato Gratin!

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Ah, potato gratin: the pinacle of all that a potato can be… frankly though, I find it a bit tricky

Irish Potato Cakes

 To me, this is the easiest and tastiest way to use up some left-over mashed potato. These potato cakes are

PRESERVED GINGER CAKE WITH LEMON ICING

Ginger cake Summer coat (3)

  PRESERVED GINGER CAKE WITH LEMON ICING  This old Delia recipe was one of my Mum’s favourites. She added 1oz

The Big Red Chicken Stew!

red chicken stew

Perfect for cold weather eating, the Big Red Chicken Stew was born of another of my ‘clearing out the bottom

Sloe Gin…all you need to know…

Sloe Gin 2020 (9)

Our friends Julie and John had a bumper crop of sloe berries this year – I’ve never seen them as big

Everyday Home-made scones

scones (3)

My friends and family  love these scones, and appear to be so impressed by them (or else they are all

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