Saturday, 31 January 2015

Courgette noodles ||

Courgette noodles for dinner today. I got prawns in K O Connells in the English Market which were meaty and fresh. Sometimes carbohydrates can make me too full so simple noodles work for me! 

Ingredients:
~ 1 courgette
~Cherry tomatoes
~Onion
~Spinach
~Garlic
~Mushrooms
~Prawns
~Cayenne pepper
~Half a lemon
~Sun dried tomatoe pesto

Step 1.So first, I roasted all the vegetables in the oven with oil, salt and pepper except the courgette noodles!
Step 2.While they are roasting, julienne peeled the courgette then placed the heart of the courgette into the oven to roast as well.

Step 3.Heat up a pan until very hot and put the prawns in with salt and pepper. Put in some Cayenne to add a bit of spicyness.Add the spinach until it has sweated.
Step 4.Add the courgette noodles and then the roasted vegetables.
Toss in a garlic clove and sun dried tomatoe pesto.
Check for seasoning and serve up

Enjoy :-) 
Holly x 

Friday, 23 January 2015

BBQ baby back ribs


  1. Ribs are my favourite food in the whole world so I had to do a blog post on how I do mine! There is a few methods on how to cook them but this is the easiest and fastest. I'm always trying new BBQ sauces every time I cook a new batch, I'm yet to make my own but when I do I'll be sure to share it with ye guys :-) After being to America, it will always be hard to live up to those Tony Romas Juicy ribs but I think I'm getting closer each time! 



Ingredients: 
~Baby back ribs ( depends on how much you want to serve up)
~BBQ sauce
~ Veg and spices for the stock pot

Step 1.Prep the ribs. Trim any fat and take the skin on the underside off. 
Step 2.Get a pot of water boiling, add whatever you think will give the ribs flavour! I add spices, herbs, garlic, worchester sauce, onions, stock, celery and carrots. 
Step 3.Boil the ribs for an hour ( this gets them really soft and falling off the bone) 
Step 4.Line up on a tray and brush on the BBQ sauce. Put into the oven at 180 degrees until the sauce dries in a bit then apply another layer. Repeat this step 3 times until the ribs are fully coated and glazed. Do not forget to brush BBQ sauce on the underneath of the ribs!

Take out and serve up! Enjoy! :-) 



Courgetti || Healthy Eating

So since I am trying to be healthy and get as much energy I can from my five a day , I decided to try a new way to get in all my veggies! The latest craze Courgetti?? Coodles? Zucchini Fettuncini? Yep it literally is what it says. Now don't worry you don't need to invest in the fancy Spiraliser machine just yet. I used my trusty Julienne peeler which does the job just great. I bought this in my local cookery shop Brennan's. This recipe is simple and actually quite tasty. It is low in carbohydrates but rich in nutrients.

Ingredients:
~1 courgette or 2 if you are very
Hungry! 
~Tbsp of sun dried tomatoe pesto
~1 garlic clove
~Drop of oil
~Cherry tomatoes
~Spinach
~Kale

Method:
Step 1.Put the cherry tomatoes into the oven, seasoned with s + p
Step 2.In the meantime, use the julienne peeler to peel the courgette. I did not use the middle of the courgette but of course it can be added to the mix!
Step 3.Heat up a small drop of oil in a pan, sweat and season the spinach.
put the courgetti into the hot pan and toss in sun dried tomatoe pesto.
Step 4. Put one clove of garlic in and toss for a minute 
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve up with the roast tomatoes and Kale. 
(Recipe for Crisy Kale Chips : http://thepetitechefblog.blogspot.ie/2015/01/crispy-kale.html?m=0 ) 


Crispy Kale ||

Crispy Kale chips are something you must eat right now! If you love veggies you will love the taste of these. They are simple to make and can be used as an alternative to the bag of crisps that are usually their tempting us in the cupboard. Kale can be eaten raw as well or used in smoothies.

Ingredients:
~Kale
~Sea salt
~cayenne pepper
-Olive oil 

Step 1.Preheat oven at 180 degrees.
Step 2.Line your baking pan with parchment paper.Break the kale off its stem into small pieces and place it on the paper.
Step 3.Put some cayenne and sea salt on top. Drizzle wih oil.
Step 4.Put into the oven for 10-15 minutes until crispy.
Enjoy! :-) 

Thursday, 22 January 2015

Green Smoothie || Healthy Eating

Feel low on energy and need a boost? Feel you need
To detox and trying to get in your five a day? The green smoothie craze has rubbed on me and I'm willing to keep it up once I'm getting an energy boost from it! The pictures below show what I put into it and I got it all for less than €5.00 at Aldi Ireland though the coconut water is from Marks and Spencer.
To complete the green smoothie I took a trip to The Good Food Shop in the English Market and got some Goji berries and a Superfood mix. I got some Chia seeds from Quay Co-Op Café. The packets are big and will last for a good while.They tasted lovely with the smoothie and will give you an automatic lift.These smoothies are perfect if you are constantly on the go like myself! 

Goji Berries are from a native Chinese shrub and are full of nutrients including amino acids and vitamins. It is thought they have benefits in mental well being and athletic performance. 
Chia seeds help hunger while making sure you are getting the right nutrients in your diet. They are high in OMEGA 3, fibre, antioxidants, and protein.
The Superfood Mix that I got in The Good Food shop contains cacao, macs, kelp, hemp,spirulina, cholorella, barley grass and Lucuma. This is 8 nutrients in one serving which are full of iron protein and OMega 3. One tablespoon of this can be consumer with a smoothie, coconut water or juice. 
Definitely try out out this green juice diet even for a while to see if it makes a difference. Breakfast time is the best time to have this to give you a good start to the day. Happy Juicing!!! :-) 

Wednesday, 21 January 2015

Dashi Deli Sushi and Noodle Bar | Cook Street, Cork City

Dashi Deli - Sushi & Noodle Bar is a wonderful sushi and noodle bar found on Cook Street. It's been a long time I have been here but it hasn't lost its touch. I used to always go here after I finished up a day of College, that never ending walk from UCC to Cook street was well worth it when I got some food in the end! 
So recently, I got the crab and smoked salmon sushi to begin with, which was tasty, also served with wasabi and ginger. I also ordered their most popular curry, ( I was told by the server ) Massaman curry w/ prawn. So much flavour and a lovely trip to Dashi. Loved it before and love it still. I will be back :-) 
Check out more on their Facebook or Website

Friday, 16 January 2015

Coffee Central | The English Market | Cork

Lovely Cannoli's at Coffee Central in The English Market. Coffee Central is a small and vibrant coffee shop found on a little corner towards the heart of the market. Definitely worth checking out if you want something tasty and sweet with barista style coffee to top it off! You even have the option of ordering an iced drink and to go if you don't have time to hang around. Check it out :-)

Sunday, 11 January 2015

Murphys Ice Cream | Dingle, Kerry


Brown Bread & Cookies Ice Cream 


So any of you guys that may be visiting the Dingle area in Kerry any time soon, I would highly 
recommend visiting Murphys Ice cream shop. They are well known for their sea salt ice cream!I opted to go with the Brown bread and Cookies ice cream! I loved them both but the Brown Bread ice cream was something I always wanted to try and completely lived up to my expectations and more. You can choose between different size tubs or a cone. These ice creams are handmade in Kerry and are definitely made with love. If I had my way I would have brought a tub home but it would have melted! The staff here are super nice and and encourage you to taste the ice creams before picking one out. I will be back.  Defo worth checking out :-) 
Find out more about Murphys ice cream on their Facebook Page and website

Friday, 9 January 2015

The Sandwich Stall | The English Market

Channa Malsala~ Chickpea and Veg curry served with mango chutney, fresh coriander and tzatziki w/ basmati rice
€5.50 
I have become murder for trying to find tasty curries around Cork city and this definitely one that needs to be tried. I was passing through the English Market and had to try The Sandwich Stall's vegetarian curry. I usually would have to have meat with every meal but this curry won me over completey. It is only recently I have become fond of vegetarian food and the reason I think why is because I have been looking in the wrong places! The curry itself was slightly spicy with the Tzatziki to add a bit of coolness to the dish. The Mango chutney was a delight making it sweet and fruity. 



The Sandwich Stall offers fresh daily specials for lunch where you can sit down on a bench whilst taking in the foodie atmosphere of The English Market.

Fresh handmade sandwiches and various flavoured beverages including my favourite Elderflower presse! 
The Sandwich stall is definitely a hot spot for lunch and by 3 o clock is usually sold out. The early bird catches the worm! 


Salad bar~ chickpea/carrot salad & Houmous
If you are looking for something light, you can always choose your own salad which also cater to those with a Gluten Free, Dairy free, Vegetarian and Vegan diet. 

Drop by The Sandwich Stall for a look and you will be sure to be tempted once seeing the food. The best thing about it is if you are in a hurry or want to keep it for dinner later on, you can always get it to go! Nothing could beat the freshness and flavours of the food here. 
Find out more about The Sandwich Stall here