We don’t use a lot of meat substitute products. Having been vegetarian all my cooking life, I’ve never cooked meat-based meals anyway so have evolved as a cook of vegetables, pulses and grains. However, my step-mother introduced these Quorn Swedish style balls one day so I thought I’d create this chunky pasta dish, which makes…
Macaroni cheese
This is an all-time favourite of both my children, my husband and any visitors we have – young and old. When people trying to eat less meat ask me for fail-safe meals, this is definitely the first one that springs to mind. A good strong Cheddar is important here, but I think the ‘secret’ ingredient…
Roast pepper ratatouille
This is one of our all-time favourite recipes. If you imagine watery vegetables in a limp pile on your plate as a desultory vegetarian ‘offering’ when you hear the word ‘ratatouille’, please think again! This recipe, from a very old Rose Elliot book, is a far cry from the insipid ones of the 1980s. The…
Kale with garlic and chilli
My favourite food shop, Stoke Fruit Farm Shop, sells the most wonderful kale throughout the winter. The flavour of their kale far surpasses that that supermarkets sell in plastic. If you get the chance to, please buy fresh kale instead. (Tonight’s offering had the added bonus of huge juicy cloves of garlic from the Isle…
Leek and carrot cobbler
We had so many people visiting on different days over Christmas that, although I didn’t host Christmas Day itself, I did a huge amount of cooking and of all my favourite things. I therefore have loads of posts for this blog lined up. However, I found this on a scrap of paper at the back…
Brussel sprouts with ginger, chilli and garlic
Because sprouts aren’t just for Christmas… We’re big fans of brassicas, but I know not everyone is, especially of these knobbly bullets. However, I’ve managed to convert several sprout-haters, including both my step brothers in law, with this particular recipe from Denis Cotter at Paradiso. It’s another recipe for which you can savour all the…
Puy lentil and spinach soup
One of the things I love is food that is so much more than the sum of its parts. Pesto is one of the best examples of this (coming soon on this blog). But I also love it when you can taste the individual components of the whole. This soup (based heavily on a Hugh…
‘Godmother soup’
Otherwise known as harira, this was introduced to us by my daughter’s wonderful godmother Sarah. I’m sure there are millions of versions of harira, and I believe it’s a stable for breaking the daily Ramadan fast. I have only ever tasted this version and the children love it! It’s super-nutritious as well. Ingredients (serves 6 – and some!) 2 tbsp…
Aubergine, spinach and Gouda wraps
I’m not sure what possessed me to try something seemingly fiddly on a school night. (I think it was this blog!) Ages ago, a friend bought me a copy of Denis Cotter’s ‘Paradiso Seasons’. I hadn’t heard of the restaurant or the chef. The restaurant – Cafe Paradiso – is in Cork City. I’ve always…
Winter vegetable soup
There’s nothing quite as comforting in its simplicity and nourishment as a vegetable soup. I wanted to find a combination of vegetables that weren’t too sweet (husband doesn’t like the sweetness of some cooked veg). Knowing I had some rather elderly carrots and a couple of potatoes languishing in the fridge and larder respectively, I…
The Veg Isle 