I know this recipe might sound like a strange concept. I, too, was skeptical about trying this one out but to my delight it was extremely tasty. I got the idea from EatingWell.com as I was doing some research about pumpkins. Pumpkins are those things we tend to hack up and carve vs. eating (unless we’re talking pie, where the pumpkin found fame).  I haven’t worked a whole lot with pumpkin so I decided to try my hand at trying and creating recipes because if you’re like my house, you’ll have some un-carved pumpkins left over from Halloween.

Though I followed most of the recipe from the website I did make some modifications noted via asterisk below. That’s the beauty about cooking, you can always make a recipe your own.

RECIPE:

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 med. onion, chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped red or green bell pepper * I used red
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn * I used frozen
2 cloves garlic, minced * I used one
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
Fresh Tomato Salsa (recipe to follow)
1/2 cup canned unseasoned pumpkin puree * I used FRESH pumpkin puree (see recipe on previous post) and I also added 1/4 cup extra at the end to moisten up the mixture
1/2 cup shredded Jack or Cheddar cheese * I didn’t use any cheese (it was great without it)
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ * I used raw as that’s the only kind I had in the kitchen
1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs * I used the Italian breadcrumbs
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
8-inch flour tortillas * I used whole wheat
shredded lettuce
* I also added some canned black beans, drained – maybe a 1/4 cup and some minced jalapeno for kick

DIRECTIONS:

Heat 1 tbsp oil in large non-stick skillet over med-high heat. Read the rest of this entry »

I bet most of you already have your pumpkins for Halloween. Some of you have already chopped them up with faces, but if you’re house is like mine, they’re plain, untouched, hanging out on the front porch for decoration. And that got me thinking, why not grab an extra one and actually cook it? Bring something new to the dinner table, after all pumpkins have great health benefits: low in fat & calories, rich in potassium, antioxidants & beta-carotene (disease fighters), Magnesium, vitamins C & E and are an excellent source of fiber. Pumpkin seeds are also very good for you and they make a great snack. They’re high in essential amino acids and zinc and other vital nutrients such as iron, protein and fiber. Who knew?

A lot of pumpkin recipes call for canned pumpkin but I prefer to roast my own which takes more time but the effort is worth it.

Preheat oven to 375. Scrub & wash the pumpkin before cutting in half, scooping out the seeds and stringy flesh, then cutting again into large chunks (no need to peel). Drizzle extra virgin olive oil onto the flesh side and season with S&P. On roasting tray drizzled with olive oil, add a selection fresh herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary) onto tray. Place seasoned pumpkin flesh side down on tray and roast ’til fork tender, approx. 60 -75 mins. Once cooked, remove flesh to a food processor and puree in batches.

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.

When we did the Irish film festival a couple of weeks ago we made a carrot courgette salad which turned out great. We, however, over-estimated the amount of carrots needed and had bucket loads leftover. So decision time. Do I suddenly go all Californian and go on a carrot juice detox diet and end up looking like an oompaloompa OR make a carrot soup? I don’t look good in orange!

Recipe:
8 large carrots – peeled and roughly chopped
1 medium piece fresh ginger – peeled and chopped
2 large white onions – sliced
6 cups vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
S&P to taste

In a pre-heated soup pot add olive oil and saute onions on low-medium heat for 3-4 mins. You don’t want any color on the onions as this will darken the finished soup. Once soft add carrots and ginger and saute for additional 3-4 mins. Add stock, bay leaves and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce heat to simmer and cook until carrots are fork tender. Blitz in a blender to puree.
NOTE: When pureeing hot liquids be very careful not to over fill the blender as hot liquid expands when blended. I typically use a kitchen towel to hold the lid down to not burn the living daylights out of myself.
Once pureed return to pot. Season to taste.

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.

A customer beams during selection of bananas at an organic food market in Tokyo.

 
As I was cruising the internet yesterday I came across this article on Time.com which caught my attention. Bananas it seems reign supreme in the Japanese diet world nowadays due to the newest diet fad called The Morning Banana Diet. The diet’s regime, designed by Sumiko Watanabe, is simple: A banana (or as many as you want) and room temperature water for breakfast; eat anything you like for lunch and dinner (by 8 p.m.). A three o’clock snack is okay, but no desserts after meals, and you have to go to bed before midnight. According to the article, with the help of celebrities’ use of the diet and even books written about the Morning Banana Diet (I can only imagine what that consists of), bananas are flying off the store shelves. “Large stores don’t have any bananas from noon, and even Ito Yokado (a major supermarket chain) runs out of them after 3 p.m.,” says Tomoyuki Horiuchi, sales representative of Tokyo Seika Boeki Co., Ltd., fruit and vegetables wholesale company. Hiromi Ohtaki of Dole Japan, a leading banana importer, sees the boom in sales as largely due to Morning Banana Diet — bananas don’t normally sell well during summer, and this year’s summer has been especially hot. Still, over the past 4 months, demand has driven Dole Japan to increase its banana imports by upward of 25%, and even then supplies could not keep pace with demand. “In a way this is an emergency,” explains Ohtaki. “We’ve been importing bananas from the Philippines for the past 40 years, but this is the first time something like this happened to us, and we find it very difficult to cope.”

 
An emergency ? ? Over bananas? Gimme a break. Now we all know bananas are good for us. They are not only a good source of B vitamins they also contain vitamin C, A and high levels of potassium as well as a good source of fiber. They’re a great after workout snack and even good for hangovers, I believe! I even found that there is indeed a relationship between bananas and losing weight. As cited on weightlossforall.com, “Bananas may be one of the best fruits to eat when attempting to lose weight. They are full of nutrients for increased energy and vitality. Bananas are also low in calories and fat, plus they have a high water content and potassium levels. A diet high in potassium foods and lower in sodium-loaded processed foods can help reduce water weight.” The key words there are “water weight.” In my opinion eating a few bananas in the morning then eating whatever you want up until 8pm isn’t the ticket. Do I dare state my true feelings on this so-called diet? In a word: Bollox. I’m wondering however if this is a direct result of a piece on CNN last June that we featured about the Japanese workforce becoming over-weight, a finding linked to the arrival of fast food and soft drinks. I’m sure you can see the obvious choice here but I guess there’s always going to be some fad diet out there. Maybe Dole had extra bananas to sell! Makes you wonder how these all begin.

Braised meats to me are like comfort foods that you would have on cold Autumn/Winter evening. I can remember Mum making braised veal or lamb chops with mash potatoes and gravy on a typical dark wet summer’s winter’s evening. The house would be warm and cozy from the oven being on for so long and the aromas that filled the kitchen were brilliant.

Recipe:

1 1/2 lbs. veal chops
1/2 red onion – thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic – minced
8 ozs button mushrooms – sliced
11/2 cups red wine
1 bouquet garni – thyme, oregano, bay leaf
3 tbsp. olive oil
S&P

In hot saute pan, season and sear the veal chops ’til golden brown in 1 tbsp. olive oil. Set aside. In same pan reduce heat to medium, add another tbsp. olive oil and saute onion for 2 mins. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook for additional 3-4 mins until soft. Remove to casserole dish. De-glaze saute pan with red wine and scrape all the good bits from the bottom, add to mushroom onion mix. Place seared chops, bouquet garni and broth in dish. Bring to a boil and once boiling reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 2/1/2 – 3 hours or until the meat begins to fall off the bone.

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.

Sometimes it’s the little things in life that make all the difference.
As I headed home from work the last day I got to the house and was greeted by the most amazing smells wafting from the kitchen. Since I started working for my family herself the elf has been on dinner duty much to her dismay since I’m supposed to be the cook of the family. I’m actually ok with it, funnily enough. She decided to prepare a special dinner in honor of the new site launch, a task that had taken a lot out of us. She surprised me with a great Irish classic, Shepherd’s Pie, although this was a vegetarian version. Made with tempeh, an alternative protein made with soybeans combined with a variety of grains, seeds, and nuts, it’s a great substitution for the original and I couldn’t wait to tuck in. Here’s the recipe she used, compliments of The Whole Foods Market Cookbook:

1 pound tempeh
1/8 canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves,
minced or 1/4 tsp. dried
1 pound potatoes, peeled and
diced 1/2″ thick
3 cups veg stock
3 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels,
thawed
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water or stock
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh sage
or 1/2 tsp dried
4 cups mash potatoes or
mashed yams

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. You can make your mash ahead of time or during the chopping session of your routine. For healthier results on mash omit butter and opt for stock or even skim milk and low-fat yogurt for creamier textures. Yams also make a great healthy choice. In either case be sure to season with S&P.
Meanwhile, crumble the tempeh into pieces that resemble cooked ground beef. Heat the canola oil over med-high heat in a large saute pan. Add tempeh, onions, & carrots; cook until onions are translucent, 3-5 mins. Add the thyme, potatoes, stock and tamari. Simmer this mixture until the potatoes are cooked but still firm, 15-20 mins approx. Stir in peas, corn, salt & pepper. Bring to a simmer. Combine the cornstarch in a small bowl with the water until smooth. Add mixture to the simmering veg, stirring constantly. Stir in the sage.
Place the filling in a 9-inch pie plate or ovenproof casserole dish. Top with 4 cups of mash potatoes.Bake the pie for 25-30 minutes, until the mash is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. The business!

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients.

We’re back from 2 pint filled weeks home in Ireland and Presto!-in true LA style-I’ve given my blog a face lift (the tummy tuck is next after all the eating and drinking!) In between all the gorging we also did a little traveling throughout the country. I’m especially thrilled to show you my trip back to my cookery school at Ballymaloe. With good luck on our side Irish Organic Week coincided with our visit so we were able to partake in their garden walk, accessing Ballymaloe’s 100 acre farm, 48 acres being organic. Brilliant! I’ve been saving up the millions of photos (compliments of the missus) for my new look so get ready to see the Murphy’s on tour.

Dingle, Co. Kerry is where I finally got a taste of what being a chef entails. When I finished my cooking course in Ballymaloe I moved here for my first job, cheffing in the busiest restaurant in town, the Beginish. It was crazy busy but great craic. I touched on Dingle in my previous post, noting it’s primarily a fishing town with a huge tourism industry. This is where my love for cooking seafood began.
To give you an idea of the history of this historical Irish town, here are some tidbits (thanks to www.dingle-peninsula.ie): The fishing industry of Dingle began amidst the suffering and starvation of the Great Famine. Prior to this, Dingle as a fishery district did not exist, and is not noted as such in the earlier annual reports of the Fishery Commissioners until c.1830. The famine, acting as a catalyst, established Dingle as a deep-water trawler port unique on Ireland’s west coast and this trawler tradition perpetuated into the present century. The Dingle fleet at present constitutes an assortment of many vessel types and uses with an emphasis in recent decades on maritime tourism. This tourism has been supported by the development of a yachting marina and the Ocean World aquarium complex which opened at Easter 1996.

On our quick getaway to Dingle a few weeks ago, after our breakfast of fish n’ chips, we took a stroll down by the waterfront where we spotted a couple of fishing trawlers pulling into port. We walked down the pier to see what kind of fish they had caught. After speaking with the owner of the boats I found out the scoop which was very interesting. If you look through the pictures you’ll see story as we did.

These bad boys are albacore tuna, caught 70 miles off the coast. Between two trawlers they caught 30 tons of tuna in one week, which filled two 18-wheeler trucks. The way they do it, unlike the Spanish or French fishermen who use fishing lines, is by casting nets between each boat and basically scooping up the fish. Obviously this works well! On the boat they are packed in ice to keep fresh but not frozen. Interestingly though, none of this catch was for the Irish market, it was all going to be shipped to France and Spain. I found that bizarre. In fact, most of Ireland’s fish are exported. I guess we’re still a meat and potatoes nation.

Being born and bred in Ireland I grew up eating the foods that are still eaten there today. There are traditions that have been handed down from generation to generation that are not only found from home to home but also found in restaurants and pubs, which are commonly referred to as extensions of our homes. Homemade brown bread, for instance and homemade fish chowders are commonly found. As much as I love these foods, I also crave the diversity in foods that we sometimes take for granted in the States. And yes, I crave healthy food (i.e. foods without cream and butter and cheese…the Irish LOVE these ingredients!) With the Missus being a fishetarian, as she likes to call herself, eating out can be challenging in a land of lamb and beef. Thankfully fish and crab run also run a plenty.
Our first restaurant stop in Dublin was at a place walking distance from our hotel in BallsBridge called Real Gourmet Burger, where all burgers are handmade with 100% organic, naturally reared or free range Irish meat. All relishes & sauces are made fresh each day in their own kitchen. Bingo. Right up my alley. I ordered a chicken burger which was spot on and the Missus ordered a towering Portobello burger. It was a monster. Watching her eat that was pretty amusing! The chips (or fries) were perfectly cooked and were actually made of potatoes. Sprinkled with rosemary salt, they were the business. (I was on holiday after all!) Pretty good for our 1st stop.

Continuing in Dublin we hit up Davy O’Byrne’s pub along Grafton St. the next day for lunch where their fresh open faced crab sandwich and Heineken were spot on. That night was the family dinner celebrating my sister Sue’s birthday. First we hit up a very cool bar called Read the rest of this entry »

All posts dated before October 10, 2008 can be located here.