September Kitchen Reset- Back to routines...

Hi there,

It’s time for a well overdue catch up. Like many things in life, I started this Substack newsletter with the best will in the world, hoping to reignite my weekly newsletter and of course life took over. This is a pattern that repeats for me since having children and perhaps I should have known better than starting a new routine smack bang in the middle of the summer months.

Now that our boys are back in school, the focus has turned back to weekly routines and getting back on track. I have just finished three weeks filming a new TV show which was all absorbing and as a result I am relishing the freedom to cook at home for our family without having to keep to recipes and allowing the needs of our family life to take over again.

The summer was busy, we moved house, we took a break with the boys to France, Sofie took them to Sweden while I worked and with many little things still to fix in our new home, things have felt fairly unsettled. I’ve learned over the years and certainly in the past 3 years of moving, that I am a creature of habit when it comes to my daily routine. I thrive when my kitchen is well stocked, when the everything has its place and is in its place.

With all this in mind, September brings with it a time to reconfigure, to re-evaluate and to reset. This month I’m focusing on getting our kitchen ready for the darker months ahead, stocking the kitchen with key pantry ingredients, ensuring my kitchen kit is all in place and still attempting to embracing the warmer weather we are experiencing here in Ireland.

I hope this weeks letter inspires you to tackle those little kitchen tasks you may have been putting off and arms you with recipes to have in your back pocket for busy midweek dinner times.

Happy cooking,

Donal x

Last of the summers al fresco feasts!

Midweek Saviours!

I found myself making pumpkin soup over the weekend which felt quite out of season while we are experiencing an “Indian Summer” here in Ireland. Though I know the colder days are ahead, September cooking requires flexibility. Our boys are already eating bowls of porridge with apple and cinnamon on these dewy mornings, while the sunny afternoons require simplicity to allow them to eat quick before getting their wiggles out in the garden. One pot meatball stew, a simple afterschool vegetable soup, bougie grilled cheese and light teriyaki chicken bowl form the back bone of our september meal plans. Here’s the recipes:

Swedish Meatball & Potato Casserole

My Swedish in-laws may raise a few eyebrows over this recipe but it is so simple that even my wife approves of this bastardisation of the classic. Serve it with a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream and plenty of dill, perhaps some lingonberry jam if you can get your hands on it (IKEA typically stocks it).

Get the recipe.

Teriyaki Chicken Bowls

Tender chicken in a umami laden sauce with whatever vegetables you have to hand, served with rice. Simple comfort food for dark evenings!

Get the recipe.

Grilled Prosciutto Cheese Sandwiches

The key here is using the combination of mozzarella and scamorza from Southern Italy. Melted together they produce an Instagram worthy stretchy cheese pull that is rather irresistible with salty prosciutto and a schmear of pesto. Delicious on its own, but dipped in a spicy marinara sauce its next level as a little lunchtime treat.

Get the recipe.

Irish Farmhouse Vegetable Soup with Rosemary Croutons

This is a real bowl of comfort, particularly if you choose to add the seriously good rosemary croutons – they keep well in an airtight container and are also lovely added to a salad for flavour and crunch. This soup is perfect for freezing: Allow to cool completely before transferring to a sturdy freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 6 months.

Get the recipe.

Last of the summer swims…

Having given our new home a cosmetic makeover the past couple of months we are now dreaming of how the house & garden may evolve over the next few years and we have lots of ideas, mostly inspired by a whole host of youtube channels that showcase inspirational home tours. Here are some of my favourites:

As we get settled into new routines, my aim this Autumn is to try and boost our immune systems with small changes where possible. Last year I introduced cold showers through the winter months and whether it was the water or the placebo I needed to ward off any ills, it seemed to do the trick in reducing the amount of times I came down with a cold. However a medical professional, I am not but I was recently cooking on This Morning and Dr. Michael Mosley was on before me speaking about how small things to improve our health and wellbeing. I would highly recommend his BBC podcast, “Just One Thing” which has plenty of ideas on small changes you can make daily.