Irish cocktails for Paddy’s Day

Mar 14, 2014

Paddy’s Day celebrations are just around the corner so here are some tasty cocktail recipes for you to try this weekend!

1. Old Fashioned

50ml Irish whiskey
25ml Angostura bitters
1 sugar cube
Dash of water

2. Happy Paddy’s Day!

25ml Vodka
25ml Bailey’s
15ml crème de menth
10ml single cream
Mint leaf – to decorate

3. Irish Ginger Beer

50ml Irish whiskey
30ml ginger beer
30ml apple juice

4. Manhattan

50ml Irish whiskey
20ml red vermouth
15ml Angostura bitters
Maraschino cherry – to top

5. Bailey’s Coffee Dream

25ml Bailey’s
25ml Kahlua
15ml Chocolate liquer
Milk, to fill

The ‘love hormone’ may be able to help people with an eating disorder

Mar 14, 2014

by Amber Saunders

The love hormone oxytocin, which is released during kissing, sex and breastfeeding, may reduce sufferers’ obsession with losing weight.

The hormone was given to 31 patients through a nasal spray and it was found that people suffering from anorexia who took the hormone, changed their attitude towards food and body parts.

Lead author on the study Prof Youl-Ri Kim said: “Our research shows that oxytocin reduces patients’ unconscious tendencies to focus on food, body shape, and negative emotions such as disgust.”

At the moment, there are no drugs to treat the disorder and in extreme cases, counselling has little effect on a person with anorexia because their brain is too undernourished.

“By using oxytocin as a potential treatment for anorexia, we are focusing on some of these underlying problems we see in patients,” added Kim.

Although researchers are still in early stage of the study, we still think it’s a perfect excuse to get snogging!

Ever wonder what the world eats for breakfast?

Mar 13, 2014

by Amber Saunders

Breakfast is hands down the best meal of the day – and this just proves it!

If you’ve ever wondered what different countries eat for breakfast then look no further than this Buzzfeed video.

Which is your favourite? We love the idea of naan with butter and jam, yum!

Jamie Oliver is opening an enormous mountain…wait, what?

Mar 11, 2014

by Amber Saunders

Jamie Oliver is opening a Jamie’s Italian in Hong Kong and wanted to announce the news in Cantonese.

However, this proved a bit more difficult than he originally anticipated it would be.

Coming out with hilarious sentences about “an Italian restaurant submarine” and “something slippery”, Jamie’s Cantonese proves pretty lousy.

Poor Jamie, nice try!

Healthified rice pudding

Mar 10, 2014

by Amber Saunders

This rice pudding recipe has all of the comfort and taste of a regular rice pudding but none of the sugar.

To make it dairy-free swap regular milk for almond milk and to make it more beneficial, white rice for brown rice.

This is so healthy you could have it for a nice leisurely breakfast!

What you’ll need:

70g brown rice
600ml almond milk
1 tsp. grated nutmeg
4-5 almonds, chopped
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbslp. maple syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla bean paste

What you’ll need to do:

Bring the almond milk to the boil and then to a simmer.
Rinse the rice until the water runs clear and then add to the milk.
Cook as you would regular rice, until the rice expands and add more milk if you need it.
Before serving stir in all of the other ingredients.

Homemade garlic cheese chips

Mar 9, 2014

by Amber Saunders

We Irish love our garlic cheese chips!

Here is a homemade version of the take-away favourite. Yum!

What you’ll need:

2 large potatoes
5 cloves garlic
1 handful of chives (optional)
3-4 tbsp. mayonnaise
Juice of half a lemon
2 handfuls of grated full mature cheddar cheese
salt and pepper

What you’ll need to do:

The first thing to do is make the chips! Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Cut the potatoes into chip shapes and place in a pan of cold water.
Bring the water to the boil and then drain the chips out.
Drizzle with olive oil and season, spread out onto the baking tray. Bake for 20-30 mins or until golden brown and soft in the middle.
Grate the garlic cloves and stir into the mayonnaise with the parsley and lemon juice.
Top the chips with the mayo, sprinkle the cheese over the chips and enjoy!

Cheesy broccoli fritters

Mar 7, 2014

by Amber Saunders

These tasty fritters will give you that comfort food satisfaction while still being full of green goodness.

What you’ll need:

1 medium head of broccoli, chopped and steamed
1 clove garlic, grated
70g plain flour
1 large egg
40g Parmesan cheese, grated
Handful of basil
Salt and pepper

What you’ll need to do:

Beat the egg, flour, cheese and seasoning together.
Add the broccoli, basil and garlic, mixing well to combine. Season.
Shape the mixture into fritters one by one.
Heat up some rapeseed oil in a frying pan and when hot add the fritters.
Fry until golden on each side and place on some kitchen paper to drain any extra oil.
Serve with a green salad.

You can make this dish gluten-free by replacing the plain flour with cooked quinoa.

Roast veg and feta salad

Mar 5, 2014

by Amber Saunders

This salad would make the perfect light dinner for those of us who prefer bigger meals for lunch.

The sweetness of the roasted veg goes perfectly with the saltiness of the feta cheese.

What you’ll need:

Serves 2

2 beetroot
1 small butternut squash
1 red onion
1 parsnip
1 carrot
2 handfuls of watercress or rocket
100g feta cheese

What you’ll need to do:

Preheat the oven to 180.
Chop all of the veg into bite-size pieces. Coat lightly in olive oil, pinch of salt and pepper.
Place the veg (squash, carrot, onion, parsnip and beetroot) into a roasting tin and put into the oven.
Roast the veg for about 30-35mins or until softened. Reserve any juices or oils that are left in the tin.
Arrange the leaves onto two plates and add the warm veg. Crumble the feta over the top.
In a small bowl, mix the reserved juices with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Pour over the salads and enjoy!

Masterchef Ireland is returning tonight!

Mar 4, 2014

by Amber Saunders

Masterchef Ireland is returning to our screens tonight.

With the high standards that have been shown in the last few years, we can’t wait to see what this year’s amateur chefs have in store.

During the launch of the TV programme, Dylan McGrath addressed why he enjoys doing the show and the growing awareness of food in Ireland: “We do the show because we have a ball making it and also because it is giving restaurants the boost they need. I think it is an incredible time for restaurants in Ireland … Ireland has become a real food nation.”

Dylan McGrath runs the famous Rustic Stone restaurant on George’s St as well as Fade St. Social on Fade St. in Dublin. He will be joined on Masterchef Ireland once again by Nick Munier, co-owner of Pichet restaurant in Trinty Lane, Dublin.

Masterchef Ireland will air Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 8.30pm on RTÉ One.

Leftovers frittata

Mar 3, 2014

by Amber Saunders

Frittatas are great for when you have eggs and a lot of veg that may go off soon.

You can put almost anything you want in your frittata. Got some leftover ham? Throw that in. Rice from lunch? That can go in too! The list is endless.

What you’ll need:

6 eggs
150-200 ml milk
1 onion
1 garlic clove
Range of vegetables: peas, broccoli, kale, spinach, leeks, green beans, mushrooms, peppers etc.
Meat: cooked ham, chicken, turkey, pastrami, salami etc. (optional)
Fresh herbs: parsley, basil, coriander etc.
Cheese: cheddar, feta, goat’s cheese etc.

What you’ll need to do:

In a bowl beat the eggs with the milk and season well.
Add the veg, meat and herbs you are using.
Heat some oil in a heavy base frying pan and add the onion and garlic until they soften.
Pour in the mixture and cook until the bottom has turned a golden brown and the egg on top has mostly set.
Place under the grill and when it is just about golden and bubbling, sprinke the cheese and place back under the grill until it is set.
Serve with some fresh green salad.

3 really easy ways to reduce the stress in your life

Feb 27, 2014

by Amber Saunders

It’s no secret that stress is not good for your; however, it doesn’t stop us from experiencing it. Stick with these three tips and you will be stress free in no time, or your money back (we don’t mean that literally…)

Make exercise a daily part of your life

The best way to reduce stress is to exercise if away. Workouts encourage your body to produce natural stress-relieving hormones that help to keep you healthy and stress-free. Try pilates, yoga or just go for a run.

Don’t bring work home

The office is probably one of the most stressful places for you and workload can often become overwhelming but bringing work home is a huge mistake. Remember, it can always wait until the morning.

Eat the right food

Your diet directly affects your behaviour so good eating habits can do wonders for your stress levels. Put away the coffee and the sugar and you will have more energy to get things done thus making your life more efficient and less stressful.

Have you ever found a human tooth or dirty fingernail in your dinner?

Feb 27, 2014

by Amber Saunders

Eek, this is scary! And also quite disgusting.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland have reported a 12.5% rise in the number of complaints to their advice line last year.

Some of the issues mentioned included a dirty fingernail found in baby food, meat in a chocolate yoghurt and a chicken head in a bag of frozen chicken wings.

Live insects were also reported in a packet of dates and a human tooth in a Chinese takeaway.

The Hepatitis A outbreak reportedly caused by imported frozen raspberries resulted in 267 calls while the horse meat scandal surprisingly only accumulated 33 calls.