My New Cookbook is OUT TODAY!
Plus, low-effort, high-comfort recipes for the nights when cooking feels impossible.
Oh well hello there!
Today’s is the day, my 13th cookbook Real Time Recipes is out today. (holy mary how is it 13!). I’ve been doing interviews all this week so I have the elevator pitch on repeat in my head and the question I keep getting asked is why this book and why now? The answer is easy, we are in one the busiest seasons of life, two young kids, 4 hungry mouths at 5pm. The pace of life has fine tuned my cooking to become speed savvy and is why many of my recipes nowadays are geared towards doable, reliable mid-week meals.
The challenge in this book was to streamline the recipes and use only what you have on the kitchen counter top to get results in 30 minutes or less. Having spent many hours filming recipes I know the pinch points that hold up busy home cooks. If you are looking for dinner to the table in less than 30, there is no time for marinading in the fridge, waiting to preheat an oven for a slow roast, or long braising in a casserole. All the recipes in the book keep you moving, so while the pasta cooks you’re making a sauce, or while the chicken cooks in the air-fryer you’re using that time to cook through some quick fried greens. Straight through- counter top cooking!
I had the pleasure of photographing every recipe in the book alongside my brill Kitchen Crew Charlotte & Susan so I can’t wait to see you put it into action! If you’d like a copy it’s out today and you can order here. I’ll also be signing books this weekend in Dubray on Grafton St. come along and get a signed copy!
Plenty of recipes to keep you going below!
Happy cooking!
D x
This week it’s all about low-effort, high-comfort recipes for the nights when cooking feels impossible. We’ve all been there, the kitchen is in bits, it’s been a long week and there are days when even the idea of chopping an onion feels like too much. This is food for those nights- recipes that ask very little of you but deliver on flavour, comfort and a bit of relief along the way. Three back pocket recipes worth saving for when you need them most.
One Pan Tomato Pasta Soup is our family go to- soup meets pasta meets pantry magic. It's built from staples you likely already have: tinned tomatoes, chickpeas, pasta, and a few grabs from the spice drawer. The parmesan rind is optional but transformative if you happen to have one knocking around- I pop mine in freezer bags for instant flavour- they add that deep, savoury note that makes the whole thing taste like it’s been simmering for hours. Toss the orecchiette straight in the pot, stir through spinach at the end, and finish with your very best extra virgin olive oil and plenty of pepper or red chilli flakes. No extra washing up, and it reheats beautifully.
Chorizo & Sun Blushed Tomato Bolognese is your classic comfort food which breaks all the rules but just that bit more interesting. The chorizo does a lot of heavy lifting here, giving the sauce smoky depth without needing much else- don’t tell the Italians. Sun blushed tomatoes give you sweet-tart intensity without the faff of roasting anything. You could make a batch and freeze it, or just let it bubble away while you boil pappardelle and get the plates ready.
Lastly some vegetable forward comfort- Sweet Potato Wedges with Yoghurt, Dukkah & Hot Sauce is the kind of side that can carry a meal or become one if you bulk it up. The wedges roast hands-off in the oven, and while they do, you blitz up a toasted nut and seed mix for dukkah for crunch and spice. Spread yoghurt on a plate, pile up the hot wedges, add hot sauce and dukkah, and finish with herbs. Minimal effort, maximum satisfaction, plus done right it looks quite fancy!
One Pan Tomato Pasta Soup
Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 x 400g tins san marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
Leftover parmesan rinds
1 litre organic beef stock
250g orecchiette
400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
100g baby spinach leaves
Sea salt and ground black pepper
To serve:
Extra virgin olive oil
Parmesan cheese, shavings
Parsley, roughly chopped
1. Heat a medium sized casserole over a medium high heat and add oil. Fry onions, garlic, carrots and celery until tender for 6-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add chilli flakes and fry for a further minute before adding the crushed tomatoes and stirring through along with the parmesan rinds.
3. Pour in the beef stock and bring to a steady boil before adding the orecchiette and cooking for 10 minutes or so until the pasta is al dente.
4. Stir through the spinach and chickpeas and cook until the spinach is wilted. Season to taste and serve hot garnished with freshly chopped parsley, a generous grating of parmesan and a drizzle of your best extra virgin olive oil.
Chorizo & Sun Blushed Tomato Bolognese
Time: 1 hour
Serves: 4
For the bolognese:
2 tbsp. olive oil
500g beef mince
1 onion, finely diced
1 large carrot, finely diced
2 sticks celery, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 stems rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
150g chorizo, finely chopped
220ml red wine
3 tbsp tomato purée
100g sun blushed cherry tomatoes
700ml beef stock
Pinch of brown sugar
To serve:
400g pappardelle
Parmesan cheese
Small handful basil leaves
Freshly grated parmesan
1. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan over a medium high heat. Add the mince and fry for 5-6 minutes over a high heat, try to brown the mince, remove from the pan and set to one side, add the onions, carrot, celery, garlic, rosemary and chorizo and cook for 6-7 minutes before returning the mince into the pan. Pour in the red wine and reduce by half.
2. Add the purée, sun blushed tomatoes and stock then stir to combine. Bring up to a simmer then cover and cook over a low heat for 1 hour, season with salt, pepper and sugar to taste. If you like a thicker sauce, remove the lid and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes.
3. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, salt generously then add the pappardelle and cook according to packet instructions. Return to the saucepan.
4. Stir through the warm bolognese and serve, with sun blushed tomatoes, torn basil and freshly grated Parmesan.
Sweet Potato Wedges with Yogurt, Dukkah & Hot Sauce
Time: 1 hour
Serves: 4, as a side
4 sweet potatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cornflour
200g Greek yoghurt
A few tbsp of your favourite hot sauce - Mexican cholula works well here, or opt for a harissa for a middle easter kick
Handful of coriander, roughly chopped
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
For the dukkah:
50g blanched hazelnuts
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp sesame seeds
Heat oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Combine all the ingredients for the dukkah in a bowl, then spread the mixture evenly over a baking tray.
Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until the dukkah is lightly toasted and fragrant then remove from the oven, transfer to a food processor, and pulse a few times to roughly chop the nuts. Be careful not to blend it into a paste; the texture should remain coarse. Set the dukkah aside until needed.
Now, turn the oven up to 210°C/190°C fan/410°F/Gas Mark 7
In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, cornflour and some salt and pepper. Toss the sweet potato wedges into the bowl and toss to coat in the mixture.
Spread the wedges out in a single layer over a large baking tray - you may need to use two trays. Try not to overcrowd them or they’ll steam instead of crisp.
Cook for 30 - 35 minutes until the wedges are golden and tender.
Whilst the wedges cook, season the Greek yoghurt with a little salt and smear onto the base of a large serving platter.
When the wedges are cooked, arrange over the top of the yoghurt then drizzle over the hot sauce and sprinkle over a few tablespoons of the dukkah. Finish by tearing over a good handful of coriander leaves and serve to the table straight away.
Photography Credit: Donal Skehan & Tara Fisher
Food Styling Credit: Charlotte O’Connell