What to Eat.ie

I adore breakfast, well to be totally honest I adore all meals but breakfast on Sunday is one of my favs. You can literally cook anything you want, work is on hold, family can wait, this is just about you! These are my favourite non traditional breakfast, sweet & spicy fritters.  The fritters should be eaten piping hot from the pan but the mix will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge, so brunch on Sunday and super lazy super on Monday.

1 tin/ 340g sweetcorn -the no added sugar or salt one, drained

100g organic white flour or doves gluten free flour

1 big tsp each of dried cumin and dried coriander

1 red chilli, finely chopped

1 bunch (10-12) scallions chopped 1.5cm wide on the diagonal

100ml organic milk or soya milk

2 free range eggs

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

couple of handfuls of rocket

some sweet chilli sauce

organic sour cream

This is shockingly simple, combine everything except one of the egg whites together in a big bowl. Whisk the egg white to a soft peak and fold it gently into the main mix. And you’re done!

When you’re ready to eat put a big non stick pan onto a medium heat, swirl over some olive oil and dollop a big tablespoonful of fritter mix onto the pan. Smooth it out until it’s around 1cm thick, this isn’t an exact science! Dollop a few more fritters onto the pan, making sure they don’t touch as you want the crispy edges. Cook for 2 minutes on the first side until light golden brown, then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

I reckon on 3 fritters per person, pile them on top of each other, top with a handful of rocket leaves, a spoon of sour cream and a drizzle of sweet chilli sauce and bring to your other half while they’re still in bed!

Our very dear friends recently spent a year in Tuscany (I know, we hate them too) and upon their return the thing Dan said they missed the most was the beans! Seriously. Beans? Not the cheese? Not the pizza? Not the wine? Nope, the beans. It made us think about how we put Italian food into a cliche of pizza & pasta, both insanely problematic for those of us who are a wee bit sensitive, and never think of any of the other amazing things Italy has to offer.

100g puy lentils

2 onions, peeled and finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

2 tbsp olive oil

3 big portobello mushrooms, halved and then cut into 1cm wide pizza slices

50g chorizo, it’s not terribly important what size it’s cut into, I normally do 1/2cm slices cut into 4

1 tin cannellini beans, drained

680g tomato passata or tinned tomatoes liquidised

60ml organic cream or soya cream

1 tsp each dried rosemary & dried oregano

Pop the lentils onto bubble in 500ml of water for 20 minutes.

Saute the onion & garlic in the olive oil on a medium heat after the onion has been cooking for  15 minutes, throw in the mushroom and chorizo, pop the lid back on and cook for another 5 minutes. Lastly it’s in with the beans, passata, cream and herbs, the smell should be getting good at this stage as you’re very close! Just pop the lid on again and give it one last bubble for 15 minutes. I always make our Wee Fennel Flat Breads to go with this, as at this stage of cooking I’m far too hungry to sit down and just wait!

Serve with a rocket salad and some crunchy bread.

When one of your dearest friends is a super healthy, super fit prenatal yoga queen you’d expect all they would cook ismiso soup and rice cakes, not so. My lovely friend Lydia is one such. I needed (medically since you ask) to go to Ikea recently, so L offered to be my partner in crime. I was due over at hers on a Saturday morning to stage our raid when I received a text saying ‘fancy not horrible Shepard’s Pie?’ I hate Shepard’s Pie. HATE. Horrible bland muck. But seeing as we’d made plans I couldn’t avoid Lyd’s house without seeming suspicious. Of course the pie was actually amazing, yummy bolognese filled with sweet peppers and olives, two of my absolute favourite foods and topped with crunchy sweet potato. Perfect and very virtuous gluten & dairy free pie. This is my version of her very funny tweet of the recipe. Thanks Lyds!

Sweet potatoes (as the name somewhat implies) behave almost exactly as normal, but have a lower glycemic index rating meaning they don’t get converted into sugar in your body nearly as fast as normal potatoes, have double the amount of vitamin C and are lower in carbs for any of you watching your weight. But mainly they taste yummy which is they make the perfect topping for this pie.

Serves 6 people -If you’re making pie, always make more than you need, you’ll thank yourself tomorrow

1.4kg sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered

2 onions, finely chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

3 peppers, deseeded and sliced into 1cm strips

380g mince

1 tar/ 680g tomato passata or tinned cherry tomatoes

60g black olives, roughly chopped. I throw in 100g but I can eat olives for breakfast!

1/2 tsp each dried oregano & thyme

1 tsp dried chilli flakes

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Grab a saucepan, throw in the sweet potatoes and cover with boiling water. Put the lid on and leave on the bubble for 30 minutes while you make the filling.

Grab another saucepan, saute the onion in the olive oil on a medium heat until it’s soft, around 10 minutes. Throw in the garlic and peppers, pop the lid back on and simmer away for another 10 minutes. Then in with the mince, stir it up, it’s ready for the passata when the mince loses it’s pink. Throw in your olives, herbs and chilli flakes.

Stir the whole thing together, season and let bubble on a medium heat for 10 minutes while you mash the spuds. Turn the oven to 180′C fan/ 200′C. Grab a big ovenproof dish, I always use something pretty as on nights I cook this the dish inevitably ends up on the table! Spread the sauce out and then cover evenly with the mash, if you fancy a wee bit of indulgence you can grate over 100g of a hard cheese. Pop into the oven for 30 minutes.

This is everything in one, meat, veg & potato so the only thing I’d add is some dark green leaves like rocket & spinach with a really simple dressing. Oh and possibly more cheese on top.

x Chupi

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PS Sorry for the dreadful image, I literally grabbed it before B wolfed his supper..

When you’re on a super healthy diet bread is a thorny issue, the supermarket stuff is mainly inedible, the healthfood stuff is unpalatable and the fancier stuff is unaffordable. Make your own! I swear it’s insanely easy, start with these bad boys. They are impossible to get wrong and so the perfect starter bread. Oh and trust me on the fennel seeds, if you just can’t trust me leave them out.

These are ideal to mop up sauce with a yummy stew or maybe with soup, they are also totally perfect for holding a deadly sandwich.

450g organic white flour or white spelt flour

1 tsp bread soda

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp fennel seeds

1 tbsp honey

200ml organic yoghurt or soya yoghurt

175ml water

Turn the oven to 200′C. Grab a frying pan and put on a hot heat, throw on the fennel seeds and dry toast for 2-3 minutes. Mix all the dry ingredients in a big bowl and all the wet in a jug, lash the wet ingredients into the dry using a normal knife to combine them, don’t over mix the dough, as soon as it comes together turf it out onto a board and cut into 8 equal pieces. roll out each piece into a rough rectangle 1.5cm thick. It doesn’t matter if the shape isn’t perfect, these are rough and ready!

Pop the breads onto a lightly floured tray and then into the oven for 15 minutes. They taste fantastic straight out of the oven!

x Chupi

http://www.facebook.com/WhatToEatCookbook

If you’re on a wheat free diet then use Spelt flour, it still contains gluten but is wheat free and tastes exactly like wheat flour.

You’re going to have to forgive me this recipe, it’s pure dirty.

This is a disaster proof cake, you know the way with most cakes your fear is the middle will sink? Well wth a brownie cake the middle is meant to sink! You want that lovely chocolately gooey centre. For some reason I repeatedly find my slef in situation where an emergency cake is required: birthdays, parties my-boyfriend’s-awful-days (not my boyfriend I hasten to add) and other such crises. I’ve made it as easy as possible with 100g of pretty much everything so I can remember the ingredient list! Enjoy!

100g organic dark chocolate

100g organic chocolate

100g  caster sugar

100g brown sugar

100g organic butter

1 tbsp honey

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

100g organic white flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp cocoa powder

Turn the oven to 160′C Fan/180′c normal. Grease and line a 8 inch/20cm springform round tin (you know the one where the base pops out).

Melt the chocs, sugars, butter and honey together in a saucepan over a low heat, I know this seems wrong but trust me! Once the mix is all lovely and smooth, take it off the heat. Whisk the eggs until light and frothy, sieve the flour, cocoa powder & baking powder into the choc mix then gently (you don’t want to let all the lovely air you’ve whisked in out) fold in the eggs.

Tip the lot into the cake tin, pop onto the middle shelf of your lovely hot oven for 25-30 mins. It’s a brownie cake so the middle will sag, take it out when the time is up and just trust me. Worst case scenario it’s going to be extra gooey and sticky. Serve with vanilla ice-cream.

4 red onions, finely chopped

5 cloves of garlic, peeled & chopped

2 inch piece of ginger, peeled & chopped

2 tbsp sunflower oil

1 tbsp fennel seeds

1 tbsp curry leaves

2 tsp black mustard seed

2 big tbsp hot curry powder

2 big tbsp ground coriander

1 big tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp turmeric

4 free range chicken fillets

1 can coconut milk

Blitz the onion, garlic and ginger to a smoothish paste. Grab a big pot and heat the sunflower oil on a medium heat, chuck in the all the whole spices and let them cook for 5 minutes until the mustard seeds start popping -watch out, they can be ballistic!

Then in with the rest of the spices and the blitzed onion/ garlic/ ginger. Put a lid on and let it saute on a low-medium heat for 10 minutes, throw in the chicken and cook for another 15 minutes. Add 300ml water, pop the lid back on and simmer for 10 minutes.

Throw in the can of coconut milk, bring the curry up to the bubble then turn down and allow to cook for 5 minutes.

Serve with basmatti rice and a pile of chapati.

I’m a huge comfort food fan, I love that a gorgeous meal on a horrible day can pull everything together and make the world better. The import line is comfort food, not comfort eating. It’s much better to eat a delicious meal then a bar of chocolate!

This pasta dish is perfect, it’s creamy and cheesey and carby, it covers all the important comfort food groups! And it tastes amazing, and it takes almost no effort. What more could you ask for?

2 free range chicken fillets, cut into skinny strips (1/2 inchx2 inches)

400g tagliatelle pasta, for gluten free get Bunalun spaghetti

Turn the oven to 180′C fan/200′C normal. Grab an ovenproof dish with a tight fitting lid, throw in everything except the mascarpone & pasta. Add a good grind of pepper and a pinch of salt, mix it all together and pop into the oven. Set your oven timer for 45 minutes and do something fun for twenty minutes, then yank the dish out of the oven and give it a good stir. Pop back into the oven for another 25 minutes. 10 minutes before your timer is going to go off cook the pasta according to the packet.

Take the chicken and peppers out of the oven and mash the roast garlic. Drain the pasta, throw in the mascarpone and pesto, stir it up, then mix everything together and serve straight away with some yummy cheese and a green salad.

x Chupi

http://www.facebook.com/WhatToEatCookbook

However you define a diet; be it low fat or carb free Potato Gratin blows all the rules out of the water, it’s the antithesis of dieting. It’s basically thinly sliced potatoes cooked in cream and covered in cheese, it’s also one of my all time favourite comfort foods. When I was on a super strict diet I made it with soya cream and feta cheese, now I’m allowed everything I use organic cream and dirty Dubliner cheese. Oh and I almost forgot, if you’re coeliac or no wheat and about to keel over from the lack of substance in your diet, Gratin is ideal. See? I knew it was healthy!

1kg potatoes, peeled and as thinly sliced as you can

300ml organic milk, soy milk is good too

300ml organic cream, as above you can use soy cream

6 cloves of garlic, peeled & finely chopped

2 tsp dried thyme

150g cheddar cheese, grated

Turn the oven to 140′C fan/160′C not fan. This couldn’t be easier, if you have a big 10-12″ heavy saucepan you can put in the oven that would be perfect if not a normal one will do. Throw in everything except the cheese, bring it to a vigorous bubble on a medium heat, mix it up then turn it right down and let it bubble away for 10 minutes. If your saucepan is ovenproof slot it straight into the oven with the lid on, if not grab a 12″ dish and transfer the gratin to it, cover with tinfoil, then into the oven.

Set the timer for 35 minutes. When the timer beeps take the Gratin out and taste one of the potatoes to check it’s soft enough, then cover the top with cheese and pop back into the oven for 10 minutes.

I love Gratin with a yummy steak and red wine gravy (I know!) or with sweet roast red peppers, either way you definitely need a rocket salad to contrast with the creaminess.

x Chupi

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I could write an ode to onions, but it would basically read: Onions are amazing. They form the base of so many yummy things and even really sensitive people can eat them. Yay onions.

Poetry has never been my strong point.

I was super delighted when I came across a foodie article (when I’m too tired to cook I obsess over what everyone one else in the wide web is eating, food porn!) dedicated to how to chop and cook onions, of course everyone can chop an onion but I always want to know exactly how to do something. Check it out here.

x Chupi

Being hippy kids brought up on the side of a mountain in Wicklow, Dal was an integral part of our childhood. So of course as soon as I was old enough to choose, I decided I hated Dal! And then one day Mum cooked Dal for me and I was in love again, it’s the perfect ultra healthy comfort food, warm and spicy and literally good for everyone. You’re never going to make this to rock your friends’ socks off but as a mid week supper it’s the business.

I like Dal with all the trimmings: Chapati (I’ll put up a recipe later), Spicy Mustard Greens of Baby Leaf Spinach, Ginger & Garlic, fresh fluffy basmatti and organic yoghurt but it’s still amazing with just rice.

2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced

2 tbsp sunflower oil

4 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated

4 cloves garlic, peeled and grated

1 red chilli, finely chopped, deseed if you want it super mild

5 tsp curry powder, preferably something from an asian market

3 tsp dried cumin powder

1 tsp dried coriander powder

250g puy (dark green) lentils

1 organic stock cube

300ml tomato passata

750ml water

Basmatti rice

Grab a big saucepan with a lid, pop the onions & sunflower oil into cook for 20 minutes. Keep an eye on the onions so they don’t burn. Throw in the ginger, garlic, chilli and spices. Cook for a minute or so then in with everything else except the rice. Bring the Dal to the bubble on a high heat, then turn it down, pop the lid on and cook on a low bubble for 35 minutes. Cook the basmatti according to instructions and serve your bowl of Dal with rice, a dollop of yoghurt and some chapati.