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1 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 stick of cinnamon
good shake of Tabasco sauce
1 × 400g/14oz tin of red kidney beans, drained
1 large bunch of fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
lime wedges, to serve
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan and fry the onion and garlic until softened. Increase the heat and add the minced lamb or soya mince, red pepper and mushrooms, cooking quickly until browned and breaking down any chunks of soya with a wooden spoon. Pour in the red wine and boil for 2-3 minutes. While waiting, pour a glass for yourself!
2 Stir in the tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, fresh chilli and chilli flakes, cumin, ground coriander, cinnamon and Tabasco sauce. Season well with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook over a gentle heat for 50-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is rich and thickened.
3 Add the kidney beans and fresh coriander. Cook for a further 10 minutes, uncovered. Remove from the heat, add extra seasoning if necessary and serve with lots of lime wedges.
Traditional Risotto
Risotto is a warming family favourite—nutritious and very filling. Use good-quality chicken stock to give the dish real depth and flavour. It’s such a versatile meal, be sure to try the delicious variations below.
Serves 4
25g/1oz/
/
stick butter
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
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tsp chopped fresh thyme,
3 garlic cloves, peeled and very finely chopped
350g/12oz/generous 2
/
cups arborio rice
50ml/2fl oz/
/
cup dry white wine
1 litre/1
/
pints/4 cups boiling chicken stock
100ml/3
/
fl oz/scant
/
cup double cream (optional)
75g/3oz/
/
cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 On a low heat, slowly melt the butter in a wide saucepan with a thick base. Add the shallots, thyme and garlic and cook very gently until completely softened. Add the rice and mix in well to ensure that it does not stick to the base of the pan at this crucial time. Allow the rice to become glazed and cook without any liquid for 3-4 minutes while continuing to stir. Add the white wine and once again continue to stir the rice, as the wine will evaporate quite quickly.
2 Do not change the heat. Add the stock little by little into the rice mixture—don’t add the next ladle until the previous one has evaporated. It is vitally important not to rush this process, but continue to add all the liquid until the rice is plump and tender.
3 Season this mixture and if you wish to obtain a nice creamy risotto you can add both the cream and Parmesan cheese. Adding just Parmesan will also make a great risotto.
4 Serve immediately with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.
Tip:
It is important that the chicken stock is hot before being added to the dish; otherwise it will cool the risotto down during cooking and make it very stodgy.
Variations:
All of the following are great added to your basic risotto mixture:
Roasted asparagus tips with Parmesan
Pan-fried wild mushrooms
Roasted pumpkin with chunks of goat’s cheese
Cooked chicken breast and chorizo
Hot and Sour Prawn Broth
With its fragrant aroma of lemongrass and chilli, this is a lovely dish to serve as a starter at a dinner party or as a light lunch. Dublin Bay prawns (langoustines) are perfect in the spicy broth, which is also wonderful served chilled.
Serves 4
2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
olive oil, for frying
2 lemongrass stalks, chopped into small pieces
850ml/1
/
pints/3
/
cups light chicken stock, boiling
75g/3oz onoiki mushrooms
1 red chilli, very finely chopped
450g/1lb uncooked prawns, peeled
juice of 2 limes
2 tbsp dark soy sauce 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Sauté the shallots in a large pan with the garlic and olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped lemongrass and cook for a couple of minutes.
2 Add the chicken stock and bring the mixture to the boil. Add in the mushrooms, the red chilli and the prawns. Continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the prawns are lightly cooked.
3 Finally, add the lime juice, soy sauce and the chopped coriander. Correct the seasoning and serve.
Kevin’s Irish Paella
This is great midweek supper, ideal if you’ve got guests popping in for a bite to eat. Although paella is a traditional Spanish dish, I have added a couple of quintessentially Irish ingredients to this version.
Serves 4
/
onion, peeled and sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
50g/2oz chorizo, chopped
6 rashers of smoked bacon, chopped
350g/12oz/1
/
cups paella rice (or basmati, if you are stuck)
90ml/3fl oz/
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cup white wine
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tsp saffron strands
1.2 litres/2 pints/5 cups mild fish stock
450g/1lb selection of raw fish such as pollock or haddock, cubed
12 large whole Dublin Bay prawns (langoustines)
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
50g/2oz spinach
110g/4oz curly kale (optional)
lemon wedges or juice of 1 lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Place the onion, garlic, chorizo and bacon in a large wok or wide-based saucepan and fry together over a gentle heat.
2 Add the rice and stir until completely combined with the onion mixture. Pour in the white wine and leave to reduce for a few minutes. Infuse the saffron strands in 100ml/3
/
fl oz/scant
