Kale...Queen among greens

"If the vegetable kingdom had supermodels, the girl of the moment would be Kale ". I am pleased to see this amazing green finally getting some recognition as I have always loved Kale. It is good for you and it's delicious, in fact it is trending as Thee Super food of the moment, from Kale Chips to detoxifying Kale juices, hence it came as no surprise that this super green is rapidly gaining in popularity and is being recognised for it's exceptional health benefits and flavour.

Belonging to the Brassica family( cabbage, broccoli,Brussels sprouts) with plain or curly leaves, ranging in colour from green,dark green to purplish red( Leaf & Spear, Curly kale, Cavolo Nero,Rape kale). It is rich in antioxidant, vitamins A,C &K as well as Calcium and is known to lower cholesterol.

In Ireland, we are mostly familiar with kale when mixed with mashed potatoes to make the traditional Colcannon. In Italy, Cavolo Nero is used in the Tuscan soup Ribollita,In China commonly used in stir-fry with beef or poultry,found in Portugal in Caldo Verde Soup and a firm favourite at Christmas with the festive ham in Scandinavia.

Kale is extremely versatile and makes a tasty addition to Soups, Casseroles or simply sautéed and even raw in a salad.

Look for firm, deeply coloured leaves and hardy stems. Smaller leaves will be more tender and milder in flavour hence ideals for raw salads. It is delicious when braised with smoked sausage or bacon.Very thinly sliced in a salad with pomegranate seeds, pear, avocado & nuts. Sautéed with olive oil, lemon and sumac, baked into a flan with nutmeg or herbs or blitz into a sauce to coat Farfalle or Conchiglie pasta.

 Remove limp, damaged leaves and thick coarse ribs and store kale unwashed,in a plastic bag in the fridge but it also freezes really well.

Here are a few easy ways in working this super green into your diet

Carpaccio of Beetroot with soft goat's cheese and walnuts

I don't know about you but I just love beetroot and cannot resist when I see the heirloom variety at the market.I love their sweetness,the jewel colours and they look very stylish on a plate. With a minimum effort, you are sure to impress any guests and they will taste good too.
Beetroot is well known for boosting stamina and make muscles work harder as it contains a variety of goodness among others potassium, magnesium, iron, folic acid and vitamins A, B6, and C.
What's more, just 3 small beetroots equal one of your recommended five portions of fruit & veg a day. Steamed, boiled or baked , they can be eaten cold, diced or sliced into a salad; mixed with horseradish or pickled as a condiment, shredded raw into a salad,cooked with butter and dill or boiled into a rich borscht.
The leafy green portion of the plant is also edible and steamed, it has a similar texture and taste to spinach and the young shoots can be eaten raw into a salad.
Here is one of my favourite way to eat them.

Sea-bass en papillotte with lemongrass & star anise

Cooking fish couldn't be simpler and doesn't get any better than this recipe. There is no call to go tarting up good fresh fish. The best way is to keep it simple and with simple flavours. People are forever saying that it is tricky to cook fish but take it from me that it's dead easy to cook fish. The trick is not to overcook it ,Once it's starts to turn from opaque to white, it's cooked and slightly undercooked is a hell of a lot better than overcooked to cotton wool consistency.
Here I am using some delicate Thai flavours which makes this dish very very tasty.
Cooking " en papillotte " is literally cooking in a sealed parcel made out of parchment paper and if you're in an Al Fresco mood, wrap in tin foil and cook over the BBQ.

Pan fried Scallops with Savoy cabbage & fennel. Food in a flash

Isn't it strange how we have amazing seafood in this island and yet we don't eat a lot of fish. Furthermore good fishmongers selling fresh fish are a rare breed and rather hard to find. Gone are the days when you could pop into Molloy's off Grafton street or Sawyer's on Baggot street and pick up some fresh catch. Recently on a trip to Howth , I purchased some mighty and very fresh Scallops and couldn't wait to get home and cook them. Scallops are highly regarded and expensive and should be eaten as soon as possible after buying. If they are still in their shells, open them by separating the shells with a knife or by putting in a hot oven. The edible part is the round white muscle and the orange roe, called coral.The frilly gills and mantle should be removed and can be used for soups and stock.
The best way to cook Scallops is on the pan, but they can also be steamed, grilled, poached or eaten raw in a Ceviche. Here I seared them  in a hot pan but cooking should always be brief so the Scallops stay sweet and juicy.
This delicious dish will be on the table in 15 mins and better still, it's all prepared in one pan, so there's hardly any washing up. And if you are not watching your intake of calories,this dish tastes delicious served with warm crusty bread.

Parsnip , A jewel among Vegetables

Parsnip, a creamy coloured, long and tapering in shape root vegetable is closely related to the carrot and while they can be used in similar ways, Parsnip has a much sweeter & earthy flavour, especially when cooked.It is a native of Eurasia and was widely cultivated by the Romans. It had pride of place then as it was widely used as a sweetener before the arrival of sugar cane in Europe.
Parsnips are very versatile, cheap and easy to prepare. It is usually served cooked but can also be eaten raw, try it grated into a salad or shredded into a slaw, it is extremely good boiled or steamed & puréed into a silky mash, alternatively try roasting it with herbs and Cumin, roasting will intensify the sugars in the vegetable, giving it a caramelised note or blitz it into a soup with a dash of Curry powder, baked into a cake or added to a soda bread, And, wait for it,  Yes , even blitzed into a creamy Hummus.
Winter is the perfect time to use parsnips as the cold temperature encourages the starch in the root to turn into sugars and are usually in season between September and late Spring. It is high in vitamins and minerals especially potassium, vitamin C & fibre. Like the Potato, Parsnip will turn dark when exposed to air, so store it in water with a drop of lemon juice.
Nowadays, Parsnips features on many Michelin* Restaurant menu , either as Purée or as garnishes in the form of crisps,crackers and powders but they are also extensively used in  mirepoix for braised meats and stocks.
Herbs that are complimentary to parsnips are Basil, Dill, Parsley, Rosemary,Thyme & Tarragon and so are Curry, Cumin,Coriander, Paprika, fennel, Caraway, Honey, Mustard, Madeira, Yoghurt and sour cream.
Apart from all the usual jazzed-up parsnip mash, chips or simply roasted with honey and herbs, here are a few of my favourite ways in serving this great vegetable.

Orange,Pistachio & Polenta Cake # Gluten free

This must be one of my all time favourite cake. The basic recipe was given to me by a Greek lady who used to work in my studio many moons ago and I recently came across it among the pages of an old cook book while on the look out for another recipe altogether. The Greeks particularly enjoy their sweet treats and their cakes always feature seasonal produce such as fruits and nuts, and many are topped with a honey or citrus fruit syrup that creates an irresistibly soft and moist texture. I have tweaked this recipe many times over the years, using various combination of fruits & spices. So use this as a basic recipe and change the flavours to go with moods and fashions and it's gluten free too ....
With value in mind , I have sourced all ingredients from LIDL.

" A Gluten free Chocolate & Chestnut Log" , Dreaming of a dark chocolate Christmas

A flour less Chocolate & Chestnut log,this dark handsome secret of the festive season will definitely get your friends talking as it possesses a wow factor that attracts many , the way it looks is another .
If, like me , you adore chocolate, then you'll love this wicked treat, which is very easy and quick to make .Made without flour, this dessert is deliciously light and moist.

Decorating your Gluten free Christmas cake ..." All dressed up " ( Part 2 )

Christmas is the perfect occasion for indulging yourself in dressing up and your fashion fantasies,so with a bit of drama in shape, form &colour, go for an overload of luxury .She may be Gluten free , but she is no ugly Duckling. Think outside the box for this girl, we are talking, perfectly manicured nails, giant cocktail rings, designer dresses and vertiginous heels. Do you get the picture ?????
Here this gluten free, rich fruit cake, steeped in alcohol, covered in golden almond paste,stylishly dressed in gold lamé and bronzed to the hilt, will make a stunning centrepiece on your table this Christmas.

A Gluten Free Christmas Cake & the regular kind too...." A complete new classic " (Part1)

Christmas is always a special time , but for those doing the festive preparations, it can also be extremely stressful. Yet, it needn't be like that this year. Starting with Day one, keep abreast, with some of my tips,to pre-empt the panic and bring the wow factor to your table and take the hassle out of entertaining.From Christmas cake, Edible gifts, Canapé &Cocktails and many more......
Christmas wouldn't truly be Christmas without a cake and here is a Gluten Free Christmas Cake .
Gluten free baking needn't be a daunting or terrifying affair , but with the right ingredients , it can be  extremely satisfying . I actually prefer this Gluten free Christmas cake to the more conventional one and I can assure you that most people will find it difficult to tell the difference between this one and the regular one.
Gluten is ordinarily a major factor in baking, as it holds the gases that are produced when the cakes rises and also provides an appealing texture.Hence ,this is where Xanthan Gum comes into play, it will bind,improve the texture,reduce crumbling by acting as a gluten replacement. The other ingredients are Polenta , a gluten free grain , made from dried corn kernels. It has a slight sweet flavour which makes it perfect for cakes.Rice flour, made from a blend of brown & white rice,milled together to produce a creamy flour and finally Ground almonds for flavour and texture.
The other beauty of this cake is , it doesn't require the lengthy baking time. This one is done in 1 hr 10 mins. This is why , it is one of my favourite .
Today , is all about Baking and Tomorrow will be about Cake Decorating and bringing that extra sparkle to your Christmas cake. A complete makeover.... She may be Gluten free but She's no Uglyduckling....

Persian Aubergine ....Nothing compares to Comfort Food, " Inexpensive & Low Calorie "

Everyone instinctively knows exactly what Comfort Food means, For me, it must be something fairly simple to make, satisfyingly tasty, maybe even wickedly indulgent . This Persian Aubergine dish is a take on the Vegetarian dish Imam Bayildi. It is warm, full of flavour & a substantial dish from the Eastern edge of the Mediterranean sea, where Europe meets Asia, not forgetting the influence of the Arab neighbours. These factors, all combined to give us a dish that offers the satisfaction which we all crave at some time, when we yearn for food that fills us with contentment. It cost nothing and taste like a million dollars.
With  "Value " in mind, I have sourced all ingredients from LIDL, and here is a Meal for Two,(or even four, depending how hungry you are !! ) all under €5.00 and under 300 calories per halves.

Cauliflower Rice with Singaporean Prawns , A take on Street Food , " Inexpensive and Low Calorie "

Cauliflower Rice  with Singaporean Prawns ,  A take on Street Food , suitable from light lunches to dinner . As well as being an excellent way to eat healthily and loose weight , this slightly sweet , hot and spicy dish is filling and delicious .
Chinese rice wine vinegar and fermented soya bean sauce  are used to enchance flavour and also imparts a very light earthy fragrance .
With Value in mind , all major ingredients are from LIDL , providing you with a meal for two , all under €5 and a bonus of under 300 Calories per serving .

Courgetti & Irish Haddock Fillets , A bistro - style Classic Revamped ....." Inexpensive and Low calorie "

COURGETTI  or better known as Courgette Linguine teamed here with BAKED IRISH HADDOCK, GINGER , SPRING ONION , LIME & SOY is an exciting and substantial dish , based on seasonally available produce and comparatively inexpensive ingredients .  This is everyday eating at it's best .
Value is always an overriding factor for many and sourcing of ingredients for Quality and Costs can be time consuming but it is an exercise that has to be done daily or weekly. So following this ethos , I took myself to LIDL .  And here is a meal for two  , all under €5 and to top it all under 300 calories per serving .

" A Japanese feast ... A Simple Art "

Discovering the essence of Japanese Cuisine doesn't rely only with it's emphasis on simplicity , a balance of textures, flavours & colours or artful presentation , But most importantly, it's in tune with the seasons, so as when seasonal vegetables and condiments change, so does the dishes throughout the year . It's learning to live and cooking with the seasons and with what is growing and available all around you .
The Cooking methods used are very simple and quick, to ensure that the food is never overcooked, but that the flavour is sealed in and that it remains as close to it's natural state as possible . In fact , raw food plays an important role in Japanese Cuisine .  From Slicing ( sashimi ) , Grilling ( yakitori ) , Simmering ( miso soup , ramen or dishes cooked in a broth ), Steaming ( delicate egg dishes , tofu , fish & vegetables placed on kelp leaves ) , Hand rolling ( sushi ) , Frying ( tempura ) to Pickling ( vinegared salads & pickles ).

BACK TO BASICS ...... Oven Baked Chicken & Ratatouille

"Mirror , Mirror on the Wall ... Little Black Dress .. I will soon be slipping into thee with ease"

As January is coming to an end , let's give the diet a final boost . Here is another delicious and enticing everyday recipe. Based on the classic  "Ratatouille ", a dish that can be made quickly and economically , using readily available fresh vegetables and served with an oven roasted breast of chicken, very low in fat .
This is by all means a " Back to Basics ". What with today's quest for innovation and new taste sensations, it's easy to forget just how delicious ,fulfilling and above all healthy a classic recipe can be .
The Ratatouille can be prepared at short notice or well in advance  and can be served as an accompaniment or as a complete well balanced meal . Use what you need and freeze the rest . The choice is yours .

LE DETOX ...... Bouillabaisse Style Fish Stew

A Helping hand to get you Back snugly fitted in your Little Black Dress .

Here is a  Fast,Simple yet Delicious Bouillabaisse Style Fish Stew Guaranteed to help, in shedding those extra pounds while clearing your inner temple of sluggishness and that bloated feeling.
 Now that all the Christmas and New Year's indulgences are well behind us, with only distant and languishing memories, when you've eaten like a Queen and probably worked your way through an extensive list of Fine Wines and Champagne , What better way to Boost Start the New Year with a New You and get toned up.
As with all recipes , what you put into it , is going to influence the final dish . So , While you can buy Fish stock cubes these days which although ok ( very high salt content ) , will not give you as good a result as making your own. Fortunately , Fish stock doesn't take long to make and doesn't need hours of brewing and simmering. If you can chat up your Fishmonger ( If he is the handsome rugged type , could be fun!!! , Might be a bit on the smelly side but nothing that a good hose down wouldn't sort out  ), plus ,  he 'll probably give you the Fish bones for free .