“Concoction” was Dad’s most famous recipe. His three kids vividly recall excitement when Concoction was cooking in the kitchen. We still speak about it in hushed tones. But what was it? Nobody quite remembers. My sisters say it includ…
Is that the sun I see in the sky? Great. And it’s going to be there forever? Even better. And picnic season has begun? This is the greatest day in the history of Ireland. Picnics spark mixed reactions. For some, they bring to mind soggy, sand-enc…
I’m always bleating on about food waste, and I’ve written before about rescuing food from skips. Waste not, want not. One Norfolk man, a producer with the BBC, has taken this philosophy to its logical conclusion. He’s picking up, butc…
The slight bitterness of broccoli, the earthiness of potatoes, the spiciness of ginger, and the sweetness of cardamom add up to a really gorgeous soup. It’s perfect for these wet days. I adjusted the recipe for a friend on the Weight Watchers die…
Here’s a simple recipe for trout that doesn’t require much fussing or measuring. Trout’s reasonably cheap too, and often on special at Superquinn. This serves two, alter as required. Ingredients 2 trout fillets 1 lemongrass stalk, fin…
December 30th, 2010 brought a new and wonderful thing into my life – a little niece. The brand new beautiful Anna Mae is the daughter of my brother Steve and his wife Aoife, and in the grand tradition of tiny babies everywhere, she is so far spen…
I’ve been at a couple of Christmas events in pubs recently where party food was served. You’ll all be familiar with what we got: large platters of food all the colours of the beige rainbow. Sausages, wedges, onion bhajis, chicken goujons, c…
So incredibly simple, wonderfully cheap, enormously comforting, and bursting with curative powers, this soup is the perfect antidote to both the snowy weather and any lurking colds or flus. No sweating, no reducing - this is a Chinese style soup so j…
Some current specials at SuperValu include: Mix and match any three selected fruit and veg for €4 (€2 each) Half price poinsettias (€3.49) Fox’s Fabulously Special Selection Tin (720g) Offers are valid until November 20. Click here for deta…
My beautiful new goddaughter Abbie is, unsurprisingly, a time-consuming little critter. I hit the shops to buy the kiddo a little present, but then I remembered some wise words from Jean: new parents don’t get time to eat. These tiny people, cute…
My friend Asad once prepared a delicious chicken biryani for a group of us using left over chicken and a hodgepodge of ingredients. We were on holidays in a rented house and only had what we’d brought, but it was one of the nicest biryanis I…
Fish pie is one the most delicious dishes ever and the ultimate comfort food. You can make it as heavy and as light as you like and add a variety of fish although properly smoked fish works a treat.
If you are not much of a cook and have never made one…
By Mitchell O’Brien
At just €1 per meal, these three menus are designed to be prepared together and frozen for ease of use for busy families on a budget. The whole family can get involved in the cooking process – so you don’t have to spen…
I was in The Port House on South William Street over the weekend which is one of my favourite tapas places in the city.
They do a delicious dish of Deep fried cubed potatoes served with a selection of sauces for €3.95 each.
My favourite is the Patata…
By Mitchell O’Brien
A tasty, healthy and filling tribute to “Arthur’s Day”, for less than the price of a can of Guinness per person.
Total cost (excluding electricity) € 11.84
Serves: 6
Cost per person: € 1.97
Ingredients
Ingred…
I love the East End range of Indian spices which you can pick up from any Asian store. One of my favourites is the Tandoori Masala that has the most pungent aroma.
I made this recipe up as I went along and rustled together these Tandoori chicken kebabs…
I love the East End range of Indian spices which you can pick up from any Asian store. One of my favourites is the Tandoori Masala that has the most pungent aroma.
I made this recipe up as I went along and rustled together these Tandoori chicken kebabs…
Until recently the only Japanese food I tried was sushi and it turned me off the cuisine completely.
My friend, who can’t and won’t cook, asked me around for dinner and produced a range of off the shelf sushi.
It was a harrowing experience;…
I fancied some classic fish ‘n’ chips but my beloved Burdocks (man they give huge chip portions) was miles away in the big smoke.
Stuck up a mountain and with no option but my local chipper which serves up manky muck, I had to rustle up som…
I fancied some classic fish ‘n’ chips but my beloved Burdocks (man they give huge chip portions) was miles away in the big smoke.
Stuck up a mountain and with no option but my local chipper which serves up manky muck, I had to rustle up som…
By Mitchell O’Brien
This €1-2 meal comes in at €1.57 per person and is both fun and substantial. This is a very old recipe and has been forgotten from the average household’s meal repertoire: it will fill bellies without emptying pocket…
The blackberries are out and it’s your chance to get free food. You can use them to make jam, cakes, ice cream, compote, crème brulée, coulis and even tea.
You can also use blackberries in savoury sauces. Venison goes well with autumnal purple-…
I’m really loving Anissa Helou’s fantastic mezze recipes, as well as the stories on her wonderful blog. She currently has a lovely tale to tell about chocolates made from camel milk. Here’s two more mezze recipes from her excellent bo…
By Mitchell O’Brien
We’ve been doing this one at home for ages. The kids love it, but it works for a dinner party just as easy. Have a go!
Sweet and sour pork chops with buttery mashed potatoes
Total cost: (excluding electricity) € 8.80
S…
I’ve been watching Jamie Oliver’s New European Series – so far I’ve seen him in Morocco, Spain and, most recently, Greece. This episode was all about simple ingredients simply put together. He went spear fishing, met up with some bee keep…
