Boo! Swine flu sucks hot death. Between this blog and other bits of journalism, I’m self-employed, so lying in bed for a week isn’t really an option. At least it’s put an end to my unsustainable eating out splurge. Yesterday, I made a hearty and nutritious soup to make me feel a little better. This [...]

For the next three months Lisa Murphy, a nutritional therapist with Positive Nutrition, will be taking over Heather’s column. Heather’s just had a new baby – congratulations! By Lisa Murphy Its summer time and the weather is holding up a lot better than previous years so hopefully we’ll continue to get plenty of opportunities to [...]

These two minty salad recipes came from the June edition of the Observer’s Food Magazine. I made them a few weeks ago and they’re both excellent: light and summery and a good alternative to the usual mix of coleslaw, potato salad, and leaves (not that this particular combo doesn’t have a time and place). The [...]

That smoked mackerel from McConnell’s served me well. I used one of the fillets – which cost just €1.50 – to make a big chunk of Smoked Mackerel Pate. Taking all of about three minutes, this pate is great for sandwiches, as a light meal, or with dips for a starter or snack. There’s enough [...]

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If you make this Indian Chicken dinner, be sure to extract the maximum value from the meat. Make a broth for a hearty and nourishing Chicken Noodle soup. This can be substantial enough for a light dinner or a lovely lunch. Make a stock by covering the carcass with water, adding in a whole chilli [...]

Minestrone soup is a really simple recipe, but I still don’t know any restaurants where I can get a really good version of it.  Very often the vegetables are overcooked and the pasta a little soggy.  It’s not something I bothered with very often until I came across a recipe for healthy Minestrone in a [...]

Nettles are more than a pile of pain you fell into. Before electricity soared through the countryside and back when banshees were worn out announcing deaths, they were a vital, free source of food. Nettles thrive around old ruins, piles of rubble, ditches, hedgerows, woods, and fens. From at least early Christian times until about [...]

Over the past few months, I’ve built up a big freezer full of soups, stews, and casseroles. Last week, I decided to use the food up and didn’t do any shopping. But I still had a miserable fridge with about half an aubergine and some feta cheese. I didn’t want them to go to waste [...]

Don’t throw away the liquid from your boiled chicken! It can be used to make a lovely broth. Simply cover the base of a pot with olive oil or butter and heat. Add in a finely chopped onion, a chopped leek, a few celery sticks, a few chopped carrots, and a pinch of salt. Cover [...]