Red, Amber, Yellow…all sorts of weather alerts have been coming our way this past few days. If there was ever a time for the comfort food vibe, this is it.
I did a semi-serious shop the other day, and we have enough milk to see us through, so all’s well. I wasn’t one of those people clearing the bread shelves though – forced confinement indoors is a perfect excuse to try making some of my own – I’m starting myself off easily with some traditional Irish Wheaten bread – https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/jonnys-nannys-wheaten-bread/
Yum! Goes perfectly with stew!
Cold weather is also a good opportunity to see what you have in your freezer, and start clearing yourself some space. I have a couple of good old standbys lurking in there – basic Bolognaise sauce – suitable for my pasta bake https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/family-favourite-pasta-bake/
My Chilli chicken ( just needs pasta and Mascarpone) https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/my-chilli-and-mascarpone-chicken-pasta/ and of course some meatballs https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/italian-meatballs-with-mozarella/, from my last meatball-making session. I may not have the Mozzarella to hand, but they taste just as good without it.
As usual I have the standard packet-of-four- chicken breasts in the fridge, so given the wind-chill factor, my Big Red Chicken Stew is probably my dinner of choice this evening: Big, because we’ll need lots of it; Red -to go with the weather alert 😉 Chicken: ‘cos it’s there, and Stew, because it’s definitely stew weather! The addition of a little chilli, for when it gets chilly, and some warming spicy Chorizo will keep us cosy.
So, keep warm; look after the oldies on their own, and spend a happy half hour checking out the recipes on Eating for Ireland – they were mostly written for this very weather!
I started writing down recipes in an old copybook when I was about 16. With 6 children at home, my Mother was always glad of a hand in the kitchen, and really allowed us to experiment - as long as we washed up afterwards, and left the kitchen immaculate! Having a tidy kitchen has followed me through my life, as has the habit of writing down my favourite recipes; except that these days I write them for my website, and add photographs when I can. The website really started when it occurred to me that my daughter might like to have these recipes when I've forgotten them. In my early days of cooking for family and friends, I used to phone my Mum all the time to ask her for the recipe for some of our favourite family dinners. She rarely had a recipe to hand - I think, like me, she made a lot of it up as she went along.. So welcome to Eating for Ireland - these are the recipes that my friends and family having been eating these past 40 years.. yes, I truly am ancient! They are tried and tested, and have worked for me for all that time - I have updated them as new ingredients became available - I really hope you'll find something that you can make into a family favourite of your own. You don't have to tell anyone where you found these great new dishes that you're serving up - it can be our little secret, but I'd really love it if you could give me a sneaky 'follow' on Facebook and Instagram.. So off you go - have a good rummage around, you're bound to find something new! My sincere thanks to all of you who have found a recipe that you liked and dropped me a line to tell me - I really do love to hear from you! Happy Cooking! Becks xx