And here we are....
I haven't 'blogged' in an age but I went back to work outside of the business and home and there just never seemed to be time. It wasn't time I suppose. It was more head space. But not sure if head space is something I have lots of now - anxiety has gone through the roof and I don't know about you but I swing from profound gratitude to falling into the dark hole. But here we are....
So you may have noticed the family deal - 5 dinners deal - for €30
- 1lb of round steak mince
- 1 large chicken
- 1 packet of sausages, 300g pack of rashers and 1 packet of pudding
- 1 kg of back bacon joint
- 4 large chicken fillets
Phone in your order and they lads will pop it into your car or deliver it to your home. I decided to try out some new recipes - this is a quick and easy one using the chicken fillets from this deal. I've included my substituted ingredients because I just didn't have it all at hand.
Try it - a big hit here!
Quick Chicken Basil and Coconut Curry
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions, finely sliced
- 3 leeks, trimmed and finely sliced
- 2 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional if cooking for kids)
- 4 skinless chicken breast fillets, cubed
- 1 tbsp fish sauce/naam pla or substitute with a shake of salt if no fish sauce at home
- 1 tsp agave syrup/honey
- a handful of basil leaves, torn (a teasp of dried)
- 400ml coconut milk
- brown or basmati rice, to serve
Method:
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat.
- Add the onions, leeks and chilli and cook for about 10 minutes.
- If the pan gets too dry, add a dash of water.
- Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the fish sauce, honey, basil and coconut milk to the chicken in the
pan. Stir well and cook for 2–3 minutes. - Serve piping hot in warmed serving bowls along with some brown or basmati rice.
I hope you get to try this - I attached a picture of the baby and the dogs on the Back strand at sunrise before lock down! We(not the teenagers obv's) got up with himself every morning and tried to get to the back strand before anyone else. It was amazing - nourishment for the soul. I miss it but it will still be there when we have done as we're asked and stayed at home. I have beautiful country walks around me so I'm lucky. I hope you can get out and move.
We've only one chance to get this right!
Stay safe and thank you for your continued custom. xx
Autumnal Cooking
Well, we are thrilled in store with the reaction to our reusable containers initiative. Lots of you brought in your own containers. This is great - but I feel it’s necessary to not be too holier than thou with this. Let me explain.... I try to reduce the use of plastic here at home - my son was on the green school committee last year and absolutely shamed us into noticing our dependence on single use plastic - a lot when you look at it. So we quit the cling film and they now have a little boxes with their lunch stuff in it. They refuse straws and bring their water in refill bottles. But plastic is still in our home.... we are just trying to be more conscious of our over dependence and the general wastefulness of it all. The environmental impact of it all is also a concern.
I'm a proud Laois woman. The only inland county surrounded by inland counties (remember that for the table quiz?) As a child, a trip to the seaside was a real treat. I always loved being by the sea, even though, as an in lander I'm a rubbish swimmer. So I really appreciate the sea on our doorstep and walk the back strand with the dogs as much as possible. It's most definitely my happy place. It's where I go to destress, to escape, to cry, to think. It's where I go to take a big deep breath and recalibrate. When we've been in the house and everyone is killing each other, I pile us all into the car - sometimes very reluctantly, but never ever regrettably, out to the back strand with the dogs. I think it is simply, a really, really special place. So then, when I see rubbish left behind on the beach I am actually in shock. Why? I do think though its mindlessness and if we stopped and thought for one minute we would become more conscious about how our actions impact the world around us. This house is trying - Change is slow but I love that the children are conscious and maybe if we only achieve a better level of consciousness for our children we'll have done something good.
5% off all shopping purchased in reusable containers – WE ARE GIVING YOU BACK THE PRICE OF THE PACKAGING!!
Baked Pork Chops with apples Onions and thyme.
INGREDIENTS
• 6 small boneless pork chops
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 medium Gala or Honey Crisp apples, cored and sliced
• 2 small red onions, sliced.
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 cups apple cider
• 1 tablespoon honey
PREPARATION
1. Preheat oven to 200°c.
2. Mix together salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and rub on pork chops. Heat olive oil in large skillet at medium-high. Brown pork chops in skillet for 2 minutes on each side.
3. Place pork chops in baking dish along with apples, onions and thyme.
4. Add apple cider and honey to skillet, and bring to a simmer at medium heat. Reduce by half, stirring often and scraping up browned bits to combine with sauce.
5. Pour apple cider sauce over pork, apples, and onions. Add thyme sprigs. Cover.
6. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until apples and onions are tender and meat is cooked through. Serve garnished with sprigs of thyme and rosemary
Let’s Nutrify! - Jemma Kehoe’s tip.
- This recipe is amazingly simple and delicious! Thyme is a wonderful herb to include here in preparation for the cold and flu season that may lie ahead. It has antibacterial action and works very well against coughs as well as certain skin conditions such as acne. The onions and apples are also a source of a super antioxidant called quercetin to support the immune system and gentle, soluble fibre to aid the digestion of the meat. The pork meat is a super source of brain enhancing nutrients including iron and B vitamins so perfect for a mid-week back to school dinner.
Shane Dineen Fitness
“This meal is a perfect low intensity/ steady state cardio pre workout fuel, As this food is rich in fats it is sure to keep your energy levels high throughout a workout and also avoid that sugar high and crash leaving you fatigued before your workout is complete.
Very good and simple but most important healthy and very effective for the type of workout mentioned above”
Butchers wife tip.
Do not over bake or the meat becomes tough. I did use fresh herbs this time but remember my tip on dried herbs – reduce quantity to a third. This is seriously tasty. Very autumnal. Ideal for the time of year. I served it with mash potatoes and carrots.
Enjoy this one, its a goody!!
The Butchers Wife xx