Traditional Irish Guinness and Beef Stew Pie

Chunks of beef, potatoes and carrots stewed together in Guinness for a rich and comforting stew then topped with a puff pastry top. Divine!

Hi everyone!

I am proud to report that I am a qualified gym instructor now. I am so happy! I never thought I would have done this until I actually went out to do it. Now I am all the happier for it. So, the point I am trying to make is this – if you too are thinking of doing something, just believe in yourself and go for it. Don’t suffer by paralysis from analysis.

Moving on from the inspiration of the day, here is a recipe I tried over the weekend.

Greek Pastitsio

A Greek version of lasagne, the addition of cloves and cinnamon make a nice difference to the recipe.

  

Last weekend my husband and I decided to make a Greek Pastitsio. The best way to describe it is that it is a Greek version of lasagne.

It is constituted of pasta, meat sauce and white béchamel sauce. The method for assembling the Pastitsio is exactly the same as assembling a lasagne. Layer the pasta first, followed by the meat sauce. Repeat. Make sure to finish with a final layer of pasta before spreading the béchamel sauce over. Sprinkle on some cheese and bake!

We got inspired to make this dish after watching Rick Stein cook it on his Mediterranean Escapes series. I have included a link to the video here so you can watch it as well.

Rick Stein cooking Pastitsio – Mediterranean Escapes

Personally I like the meat sauce in the Pastitsio because you add in cloves and a cinnamon stick. It really adds a nice, warming aniseed flavour and smell to the sauce.

Do note that the original recipe calls for Greek kefalotiri cheese but I just used Mozzarella to substitute.

I really am looking forward to making this again. I hope you give it a try too. Enjoy!

Italian Baked Chicken

You won’t have any leftovers with this delicious baked chicken with a crunchy herbed breadcrumbs coating. 

Let’s talk about chicken today.

It’s cold out and I bet you want something hot for dinner tonight. Something hot that is still easy to make on a weeknight and easy on the pocket.

Hey, Christmas is coming and we all have to save some money right?

Some months back, I came across this heavenly Italian Baked Chicken recipe from Samantha over at Five Heart Home. She has a lovely blog and you should definitely check it out if you haven’t already.

This recipe is absolutely amazing. Truly. You have to trust me here.

As with the recipe I shared previously for Baked Salmon with Spicy Coriander Sauce, once again, your blender and oven will do most of the work for you! I used chicken thighs as they are extremely cheap and I happen to love them. I also baked them with the skin on for a bit of sinful indulgence. You can always remove the skin if you prefer.

For the breadcrumbs, I had made them previously and had a batch frozen in the freezer. It was as easy as defrosting some for this dish. I have included the recipe for the herbed breadcrumbs here but to be honest, I used approximates and I just used a mixture of fresh herbs that I had on hand. Feel free to add or subtract as you choose. I recommend making a big batch and freezing up the leftovers as I guarantee you will be making this dish again.

Mushroom Salad

For days when you do not want to spend too much time cooking but still don’t want to eat a cold salad, try this wonderful warm mushroom salad with crisp bacon bits. A great salad for summer or even the colder months.

A big hello to you!

Today I want to share a recipe for a gorgeous warm mushroom salad. Yes, it has bacon in it. Hurray!

I don’t know about you, but there are days when I just don’t want to spend too much time cooking yet at the same time, don’t want to eat an entirely cold salad.

It is for exactly those kinds of days when you could use a salad like this. The only cooking involve is sautéing the mushrooms and cooking the bacon. I cook the bacon in a pan, without any oil, just to get it done and slightly crisp.

All you have to do next is open a bag of pre-packed mixed salad leaves – or chop up your salad leaves of choice and layer the mushrooms and bacon on top. I also added some cut sundried tomatoes and topped it off with some chopped parsley – just to get some more colour in for a pretty looking and great tasting salad.

Sausage and Bacon Pasta

Utterly delicious sausage and bacon pasta for those days when only pasta will do.

Hello hello!

How’s the weather like where you are? It is a rainy day over here in Newcastle. The good thing about that is that I don’t have to water my plants, so I shall not complain.

With the rain and all, I really feel like it has to be a pasta day. Warm and filling, just the thing I need. I used some leftover sausages I had from making hot dogs over the weekend. Add some bacon into the mix and there we have it, scrumptious sausage and bacon pasta!

For the sauce, I used passata and just added seasoning and herbs. I also used a little bit of brandy just to give the sauce some body.

I don’t know if you can tell from the photos but I used some scallion flavoured tagliatelle. It has a slight green hue to it. I was unsure of whether it would go with this pasta but it did. In fact, it added some vege flavour to the otherwise meaty dish. Obviously, you can just use whichever pasta you have.

I am also quite pleased that my basil plant is surviving this year. I bought one of the Basil pots from Asda 2 weeks ago and it has not died or wilted on me just yet. Apparently there is a difference between watering from the bottom of the pot and from the top. The instructions always say “water from the bottom” of course I never listened until now. So, that might be why. You live you learn!

Noodles with Meat Sauce

Absolutely delicious noodles with a hearty meat sauce. Serve with some healthy kale or other veggies for a complete meal.

Hello folks.

Are you enjoying the World Cup? I know I have! Even if you are not into football, you look out for the World Cup advertisements. Some are so hilarious, while others resemble a mini movie. Definitely worth looking out for.

With summer and all the football, I need to make meals even easier and faster. So on these warm summer days, I have been cooking quite a fair bit of these noodles with meat sauce.

It’s already a quick and easy to make meal as it is. However, I like to cook up a bigger portion of the meat sauce and refrigerate the leftovers. That way, all you have to do for another (even quicker) meal is boil up some noodles and heat up the sauce. You will be able to serve dinner in less than 10 minutes. It really is all about the prep.

Here, I added some blanched kale and layered it on top of the noodles, followed by the meat sauce. Let me tell you, it’s a great way to eat your kale!

You can use any noodles you like, but I used fine egg noodles here. It also goes well with some vermicelli. I hope you try it! 

Quick Bolognese Pasta

Quick Bolognese pasta that does not compromise on flavour, utterly satisfying!

Hello!

How has your week been? If you are looking for mid-week dinner inspiration, my quick Bolognese recipe may be just the thing for you.

Like most people, I love Bolognese. I can eat it during warm or cold weather. It’s one of those meals that you constantly crave for. However, sometimes I want Bolognese but I don’t want to stand peeling carrots and simmering the sauce for 2 hours. I want it done in less than 30 minutes. If you can identify with me then let me share my go-to quick Bolognese sauce recipe with you.

It’s amazingly simple and most importantly does not skimp on flavour. The result is a stomach warming, utterly satisfying pasta dish.

I use lean beef mince here, but in the past, I have also used lean turkey mince in this recipe and it works a treat too. You have to season the meat, I find that makes a huge difference so don’t skip that step. You can make some extra sauce if you like, so handy for when you need it to feed a family fast. This sauce also goes well ladled on top of a piping hot and fluffy jacket potato.

Soba Noodles with Pork and Vegetables

A healthy dish of soba noodles with stir fried pork and plenty of colourful vegetables. Healthy carbs, protein and vegetables all in one dish, this is a well-balanced meal that you and your family are sure to enjoy.

Hello everybody and happy Tuesday! It feels like I have been away from my blog for so long. I am actually away from home and will be for the next 10 days. As such, I was busy cooking up a storm to ensure that I have enough material to post until I am back home in my kitchen again. The free Wi-Fi access I have now is much slower than what I am used to. So it is a pain to load images and videos. Yes – this means using Pinterest gets very frustrating!

Maple Roasted Sweet Potato Fries with Bacon

Oven roasted sweet potato fries seasoned with rosemary and thyme then glazed with maple syrup. Crispy grilled bacon is mixed in to make this the ultimate side dish.

Hello and happy hump day! I love Wednesdays because it’s as if you can almost smell the weekend. I can’t wait!

Since I bought my bottle of maple syrup last week, I have been happily using it. First it was to make Maple Almond Granola and this time, I used it to slather over some oven roasted sweet potato fries.

Lionhead Meatballs

Hello everyone!

How has your week been? I have been besieged with car problems. Well, it was actually a flat car battery. It may seem like a simple enough problem to solve. However, when you add to the mix that the battery is only two months old, was unable to be jump started with the help of many friends and that I do not have an auto recovery/assist service, it quickly gets problematic. After signing up with an auto recovery service provider I had to wait twenty-four hours for the service to be activated before I could request a call out. The problem didn’t end there however, an argument and two visits to the garage later the car battery has finally been replaced at no additional cost. Enough nattering about my car problems, I am glad it is all solved now.

Spicy Aubergine and Minced Pork

Hello friends!

Today I cooked this spicy aubergine and minced pork dish and I am so excited to share the recipe with you. This dish is also known as spicy Szechuan eggplant. It is a very simple and delicious dish that is very common in Chinese households. For me, I find that it is a real comfort food and I hope you will too.

Herbed Turkey Meatballs using Oats

These herbed turkey meatballs are made with oats and are great as an appetiser, a light meal or with pasta in a tomato based sauce

Hello and I hope you are having an awesome weekend!

The recipe for today is herbed turkey meatballs. These meatballs use oats instead of breadcrumbs. I was intrigued by the idea of substituting breadcrumbs with oats in a recipe for meatballs, however, now that I have tried it, I am not going back to breadcrumbs. Why? I guess because it is better for you since it has more fibre and taste wise, it does not pale in comparison with meatballs that use breadcrumbs.

Braised Steak au Poivre Delia Style

Dinner is served - Braised Steak au Poivre with Sweet Potato Chips and Broccoli

Hello and a very Happy Friday!

I am very excited about my trip to Malaysia now, only 3 sleeps away. I haven't seen my family and friends there for 14 months now so I am really looking forward to being reunited. 

Understandably I had to get some chores done before my departure. Dear husband will be travelling on business quite a fair bit so I wanted to make sure that the refrigerator is as empty as it can be. I do not want any unwanted surprises lurking in there when I get back in 6 weeks.

I had some leftover braising steaks in the freezer and decided to use one of Delia's recipes for it. Essentially slow braised steak in peppercorns. I love it because it was super tasty and so easy to prepare. All you have to do is leave it to braise for at least an hour and you can get round to all your other chores. I knew Delia wouldn't let me down!