Transforming traditional Irish soda bread to give it a Mediterranean twist!

Savoury Tomato and Basil Bread

This basic soda bread recipe can be transformed to make a variety of herb and nutty breads. Here, I’ve added sundried tomatoes, olive oil and basil to give it a Mediterranean savour and aroma.

Minimising Food Wastage at Home- Top Ten Tips

 From both an ethical and financial perspective, it’s important to minimise food wastage at home

1. Keep the fridge clean and clutter free so you know what’s in it
2. Plan meals ahead- utilize  food items you have
3. Less than perfect food is still 100% OK to use- ingredient left overs in your fridge can be used in omelettes, stir fries, smoothies, juices, soups and stews
4. Avoid buying too much just because there’s a 3 for 2 offer- don’t buy what you will end up throwing out!
5. Watch BB dates on all perishable items when buying then and know the BB dates of what’s in your fridge
6. Plate smaller portions and take seconds if needed
7. Be careful while trying "risky" recipes- if it goes wrong, you may need to discard the entire dish
8. Reuse left over meals for lunch the next day; NB- only ever re-heat leftover food once (Food Safety Warning)
9. Compost as much as possible- it is tragic that peels, leftover food end up in a landfill instead of returning to the soil as fertilizer by way of composting
10. Be a good role model- wasting food is morally wrong

 

World Environment Day- Thursday, 5th of June 2014- get involved!

Today, Thursday 5th of June is World Environment Day. Let's all stop and think about our impact on the environment. Can you adopt at least one new initiative to reduce your environmental footprint, for the benefit of the planet, our communities and businesses?

Here's some simple things that you can do and encourage your children to get involved too- reduce food waste (buy less & watch BBD on perishable foods), switch off all unnecessary lights/power switches, use public transport where possible instead of driving or car pool (I'm guilty here too!), spend a few minutes less in the shower, recycle everything to ensure nothing goes to landfill...
 

A therapeutic treat..My home baked fruit scones

Therapeutic to make and to eat!

Fresh and crunchy home baked fruit scones

It only takes a few minutes to throw this fruit scone mix together; they are delicious served warm with whatever takes your fancy; mine is homemade rhubarb or gooseberry jam! These scones freeze very well and can be defrosted in seconds; so you always have something homemade to offer if family or friends drop in! This batch makes 10-12 medium size scones.

Traditional brown bread.. in the oven within 5 minutes-how easy is that!

My Traditional Brown Bread Recipe...

Served with Ballymaloe
Rhubarb & Ginger Jam!

Those who don’t bake, tend to think baking is difficult; it’s anything but, especially with breads made without yeast! This bread only takes 5 minutes to prepare; how easy is that!

I’ve been baking brown bread for many years now and have tweaked my recipe over time. There are many variations to this wonderfully wholesome loaf; here’s one of mine!

Inspiration for my blog

It always amazes me when I chat to people who have little or no interest in cookery or cannot cook at all. I suppose nowadays, everything is readily available in super markets. But, nothing beats real home baking and cooking..the smell of a fresh loaf just out of the oven...

The really interesting thing is that these types all LOVE food so there’s a passion there but it seems to be hidden...

My Irish Kitchen Blog aims to help my readers to discover their hidden potential and get some inspiration from my easy to follow recipes… For this reason, I am going to post some very simple baking treats and savoury dishes. I will build my repertoire over time (so not to overwhelm you).

My very first food blog

Welcome to my World! If you love eating wholesome, hearty and tasty country food, then you have come to the right Irish food blog! I promise you that I will share my love and passion for traditional food that’s well cooked with simple to follow instructions. What you won’t find here are complicated, long winded recipes with ingredients that you don’t recognise and most likely cannot pronounce!