This chicken noodle broth recipe is one I've previously shared in my Irish Country Living Column. It's a real favourite of mine, as it merges deliciously fresh ingredients into something tasty and wholesome. It can be prepared and made with little effort and time and it is packed with lots of lovely nutrients. 

Chicken Noodle Broth

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 red chilli, finely sliced

Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

900ml chicken stock

1tbsp soy sauce

2 chicken breasts, very finely sliced

100g fine egg noodles

150g sweetheart cabbage, finely sliced

Handful coriander leaves, roughly chopped

To Serve

A handful of raw cashew nuts

1 red chilli, thinly sliced

2 scallions, thinly sliced

Coriander leaves

Method

1.    Heat the oil in a large saucepan, over a medium heat. Add the onion. Turn down the heat and cook for a few minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and red chilli, and stir through for about a minute. Season with a little sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper.

2.    Pour in the hot stock and soy sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

3.    While the broth is cooking, place a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add the cashews, and dry-fry them for about five minutes until lightly toasted. Toss occasionally to avoid burning. Transfer to a plate and roughly chop. 

4.    Add the chicken to the saucepan, and bring the broth back to a simmer. Place the lid on top and simmer gently for about 5 minutes.

5.    Add the noodles. Stir well to combine and continue to simmer for 5 minutes, before adding the cabbage and simmering for another minute or two.

6.    Just before you're ready to serve, add a handful of roughly chopped coriander. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.

7.    Serve straight away. Ladle into four bowls and top each with a few slices of fresh red chilli and scallion, plus a scattering of cashew nuts and a few coriander leaves. Enjoy.

Even though this Halloween was like no other, as a family, we still managed to have a lovely fun-filled evening. Sweet treats and scary movies were obligatory, and we even managed to squeeze in a few old-fashioned party games. My mind is already meandering towards Christmas recipes, but I've one last Halloween bake to whip up. I shared the recipe for these delicious pumpkin muffins last year, or possibly the year before, in my Irish Country Living column, and I thought I must share it here, in case somebody is searching for something scrumptious to make with their Halloween pumpkins. You may even be lucky enough to have a few left growing in the garden. If so, I'd urge you to give these muffins a go.

Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

These muffins are deliciously moist, due to the addition of the pumpkin puree. They are also incredibly effortless to make, simply adding the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, making these muffins the perfect treat to make with young cooks.

Ingredients

125g plain flour

125g wholemeal flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp ground nutmeg

250g light muscovado sugar

4 free-range eggs

200ml sunflower oil

250g pumpkin puree, see below

1 tsp vanilla extract

For Icing

100g cream cheese

50g butter, softened

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

300g icing sugar, sieved

To Decorate

50g pecans     

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/Gas 5.

2. Sieve the flours, baking powder, spices and sugar into a large bowl. Tip into the bowl whatever remains in the sieve from the wholemeal flour.

3. In another bowl, add the eggs and lightly beat with a hand whisk. Add the sunflower oil, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract, and combine.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir well until all the ingredients are combined together.

5. Divide the mixture between 16-18 muffin cases.

6. Bake the muffins, in the preheated oven, for 25 minutes and they are risen and golden.

7. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire tray.

8. To prepare the pecans, add them to a baking tray and place them in the oven for 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and once cooled finely chop.

9. While the muffins and pecans are cooling make the creamy topping by combining the cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract and icing sugar in a bowl. Beat together until smooth and creamy. Scoop into a piping bag ready for decorating the muffins.

10. When the muffins have completely cooled, pipe some of the cream cheese topping on each and add a generous sprinkling of chopped pecans.

Pumpkin Purée

Tinned pumpkin purée is hugely popular in the US, but I've found it rather difficult to source in my part of the country. There are however any amount of fresh pumpkins to buy in the shops, and turning one into a purée easily achievable in a few handy steps. A small pumpkin, approximately 2kg in weight, when roasted and pureed will provide enough puree to make at least three batches of these delicious muffins. Just be sure to use a nice fresh pumpkin. 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/Gas 6. 

2. Cut one small pumpkin into half and then each piece into four. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and pulp from each piece. 

3. Place the pumpkin pieces on a large baking tray and place in the hot oven for about 40 minutes, the pumpkin will be tender and it will be slightly browned. 

4. Take from the oven and once it has cooled a little, peel away all the skin, and any bits that may have charred, and pop the pumpkin pieces in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool before using in the muffin recipe. 

5. The pumpkin purée will keep well for 3 days when covered in the fridge. Alternatively, it can be frozen in small batches.

This nutritious and filling spicy tomato mixture is so versatile. It can be made a day ahead, and used for topping baked sweet potatoes or simply served alongside brown rice or pasta. A good grating of parmesan cheese also makes for a delcious topping.  

Spiced Tomato Topped Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

2tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

1 leek, peeled and finely diced

1 stick celery, finely diced

1 red pepper, finely diced

2 carrots, finely diced

Sea salt and black pepper

2tbsp Thai red curry paste

2 x 400g tin of tomatoes

1tbsp sugar

4 medium-sized sweet potatoes

1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Handful kale, tough stalk removed, roughly chopped

200g plain natural yogurt

To Serve

Fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/ fan 200°C/gas mark 7.
2. Add one tablespoon of the olive oil to a large saucepan, and place over a low heat. Add the onion and leek and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
3. Add the celery, red pepper, and carrot. Season with a little salt and pepper. Stir to combine and sauté for a further 3 minutes.
4. Stir through the curry paste and add the tomatoes and sugar.
5. Bring to a simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes, but regularly stir to avoid the mixture sticking to the bottom of the pan.
6. To prepare the sweet potatoes, scrub them well, and cut them in half, diagonally. Drizzle the cut side with a little olive oil, and place, cut side down, on a baking tray. Place in the hot oven for 35-40 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. When cooked, they will be caramelised on the edges and if you were to squeeze them, cautiously, they’d have a little give.  
7. To the saucepan, add the chickpeas and kale. Stir to combine and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
8. Before serving, stir through 150g of the natural yogurt.
9. Once cooked through, take the sweet potatoes from the oven. Place two halves on each plate and top generously with the spiced tomato mixture. Sprinkle over some of the chopped parsley and add a dollop of natural yogurt.

A daily nutritious shake can provide much-needed vitamins and minerals, while also helping to keep us well hydrated. Frozen ripe bananas make a great addition to shakes as they add a delicious creaminess and lots of sweetness. Freezing bananas is also a great way to store them especially when you have a surplus of ripe ones. Simply peel, chop, and place in a freezeproof container.

Orange & Carrot Smoothie

Ingredients

1 ripe banana, peeled, cut into chunks and frozen overnight

1 orange, peeled and cut into chunks

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

Pinch cinnamon

Method

1.     Place all the ingredients into a high-powered blender and blitz until smooth.

2.     Enjoy straight away.

At the turn of the century, Dr. Bircher-Benner developed the recipe for bircher muesli, as an alternative breakfast for his patients who had difficulty eating. The Swiss doctor was one of the earliest promotors of the raw-food diet, and his revolutionary recipe was simply based on grated raw apple and oats. Worldwide, many recipes have derived from the original. It's loved by many, but I find its mild flavors make it particularly enticing to anyone with a queasy tummy. It can be prepared in minutes and left overnight in the fridge to enjoy as a tasty and nutritious breakfast.

Bircher Muesli

Ingredients

Serves 2

50g oats

1 large, red apple, cored but not peeled, coarsely grated

200ml apple juice
1 tbsp honey, plus extra to serve

50g live natural yogurt, plus extra to serve

50g blueberries, or fruit of choice

A sprinkling of sunflower seeds or granola

Method

1. Place the oats, grated apple, and apple juice into a medium-sized bowl. Stir to combine. Cover tightly with cling film or a lid, and place in the refrigerator overnight.
2. The next morning, before serving, thoroughly stir through the honey and yogurt. Spoon into a bowl and add an extra dollop of yogurt, a few blueberries, a sprinkling of sunflower seeds or granola and a drizzle of honey.

It's nearing my father's anniversary, and in the next few days, just as in the days preceding my mother's, I retrace my steps of how I spent the last few days with him on this earth. What we did together, what I said, and most importantly what he said to me. Recently, I wrote about my experience of grief for one of my Home Nurse columns, in Irish Country Living, so I'd like to share that with you today.
................

My mother passed away in 2007, and a few years later I lost my father. Both times, my upset was inconsolable. In my experience, grief emulates a terrible illness. Even though I had my abilities; I wasn’t bed-bound due to any physical condition, yet in those early weeks of grieving I was incapable of much more than washing and dressing myself. I was feeling physically sick, physically weak, and the intensity of the pain in the pit of my stomach was very real. In the weeks after losing a loved one grief is all-consuming, but months or even years after it can raise its head and hit like a bolt into the stomach.

We often grieve as a community, especially if the death is unexpected. When words fail to comfort our support is often shown through actions. Since the beginning of time, there has always been a place for the community to nurture and feed the bereaved. It seems to be a practice that is standard in most communities and religions worldwide. In the early days of grieving this generosity and kindness can somewhat sustain us and fuel us to be physically able to face the day. After my mother passed away, I was so nauseated with sadness even nibbles of toast and bites of sandwiches were a struggle to consume. However, a kind neighbour arrived at my mother's wake with a large tray filled with a creamy chicken bake. As much as I fought the urge to fulfill the basic human need of eating, I accepted a plateful of this chicken dish and I remember vividly how it warmed my empty stomach and quenched the hunger pains I hadn't even acknowledged were there. At times of sadness, most of us have little or no interest in food, yet it is never more important that we eat well, as a means to keep up our physical strength. A nourishing bowl of food won’t ease the heartache of grief, but it will give a much-needed energy boost to the body. Warm and comforting stews, soups and puddings have that ability.

As the weeks and months pass after losing a loved one, we need to listen to our bodies, which are trying hard to get us to slow down. I remember being overcome with severe tiredness in the month's proceeding both of my parent's deaths. This was hugely influenced by the broken sleep and the sheer anxiety of losing someone I loved so dear. On reflection, I feel in many ways, that over-whelming tiredness was my body urging me to stop, to allow the pressures of day-to-day life to be brushed to one side and simply to be still. Rest and sleep are vital while we grieve. Fuelling our body with nourishing, comforting foods can help. Keeping well hydrated is always vital. While talking and reminiscing about our loved one is ever so important. Writing down memories, which may be a painful exercise, can turn into a rewarding process, and most of all accepting the support of loved ones around us helps to provide a little bit of light and love into the darkness of our grief.


Comforting Chicken Stew with Herbed Dumplings

I have fond memories of devouring big bowlfuls of stew as a young girl. My mother would always have the addition of mini dumplings, and I loved diving in with my spoon to see how many I could retrieve. The dumplings in this dish are more substantial, allowing for two or three per serving. Their soft and fluffy texture merge wonderfully with the flavoursome, rich sauce. This stew is both comforting and nourishing.

Ingredients
1tbsp olive oil
180g streaky bacon, roughly chopped
3 carrots, finely diced
2 onions, finely diced
2 celery sticks, finely diced
200g mushrooms, cut into quarters
Freshly ground pepper
2 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
1.2 ltr hot chicken stock
2tbsp tomato purée
4-5 chicken fillets, cut in half

Dumplings
250g self-raising flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp chives, finely chopped
125g butter, cold-straight from the fridge
1 tbsp cold water

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C /Gas mark 6.
2. Add the oil to a large, oven-proof saucepan or casserole dish. Place over a high heat. Add the streaky bacon and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
3. Turn down the heat and add the carrot, celery, onion, and mushroom. Season with a little black pepper. Cook for five mins until slightly golden then add the herbs, chicken stock, and tomato purée.
4. Bring to a simmer and add the chicken. Cover with a lid and place in the oven for 45 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, make the dumplings by placing the flour in a mixing bowl. Season with a little salt and pepper, and add the herbs. Finely chop or grate in the cold butter. Gently rub in the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add a tbsp of cold water and bring the dough together to form a ball. If it's not sticking together, add a little more cold water. Divide the dough into 12-15 pieces and roll each one into a ball. 
6. Take the stew from the oven and nestle the dumplings on top of the cooked stew, pushing each one down into the stew so that it is halfway submerged. Place the lid back on the dish/saucepan and return to the oven for an additional 30 mins. At this time, take off the lid and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.
7. When ready to serve, lift the dumplings out and place in serving bowls. Stir the stew and then ladle it over the dumplings. Serve with mashed potatoes and peas.


This is an extract from my Irish Country Living Column, August 2019.