Summer Strawberry Cupcakes

To me, these cupcakes are the essence of Summer. They are best made with perfectly ripe, freshly picked strawberries and are always a crowd favourite.

The Recipe

Prep Time: 20 Minutes + Cooling          Cook Time: 15 Minutes          Makes: 12 Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 250g Small strawberries
• 225g Self-Raising Flour
• 100g Caster Sugar
• 125ml Milk
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 100g Butter, melted and cooled

Frosting

• 125b Butter, at room temperature
• 230g Icing Sugar Mixture
• 1 Tbsp Milk

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan forced and line a 12-whole muffin pan with paper liners. Reserve 6 strawberries and cut the rest into small pieces.
2. Combine the flour and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk the milk, eggs and vanilla in a jug until combined. Add this mixture along with the butter to the dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Fold in the chopped strawberries. Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool completely.
3. Use and electric mixer to beat butter in a bowl until light a creamy. Gradually add in the icing sugar and milk until combined.
4. Finely chop the reserved strawberries. Frost the cupcakes as desired and top with chopped strawberries.

Red Lentil Soup

This hearty red lentil soup is sure to warm you in the cooler months.

The Recipe

Prep Time: 10 Mins      Cook Time: 1 Hour 45 Mins         Serves: 6

• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Onions, chopped
• 2 Cloves Garlic, crushed
• 3/4 Cup Red Lentils
• 2 x 400g Cans Crushed Tomatoes
• 2 Litres Water
• 2 Stock Cubes of your choice - chicken, vegetable, beef would be fine
• 1/3 Cup Parsley, chopped
• 1/3 Cup Coriander, chopped
• 2 tsp Turmeric
• 1 Tsp Paprika
• 1 Tsp Black Pepper

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and cook until they are soft.
2. Stir in the lentils, tomatoes, water, stock cubes, herbs and spices. Bring to the boil and simmer uncovered until the lentils are soft. This should take around 1 1/2 Hours.
3. Ladle into bowls and enjoy!

Lemon Syllabub with Meringue

I am not usually a big dessert person, but when it comes to citrus I have absolutely no self control. This recipe is the perfect combination of tart lemons with lovely cold cream and crunchy meringues. It is so amazing simple but tastes as though you have spent days preparing it, making it perfect for dinner parties - or just for someone special. The recipe is adapted from a similar dish by the wonderful Donna Hay. Enjoy!

The Recipe

Prep time: 5 Mins + 5 Mins Chilling Time          Cook Time: 10 Mins             Serves:   4 

• 1 tbsp Finely Grated Lemon Rind
• 250ml Lemon Juice, from 4-5 Lemons
• 165g Caster Sugar
• 60ml Water
• 500ml Single Cream, whipped 
• 100g Store-Bought Meringues

1. Place the lemon rind, juice, sugar and water in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil and cook for five minutes or until thickened. Place in the freezer for five minutes or until slightly chilled.
2. Crush the meringues into four serving glasses and top with half of the lemon syrup. Top with the whipped cream and finish with the remaining syrup.

Midweek Meals - Garlic Crumb Spaghetti

This is perfect for a midweek meal - it's quick, easy and delicious! The beauty of this recipe is that it is incredibly versatile and it is a great way to use up any leftover or stale bread that you may have.

The Recipe

Prep Time: 10 Minutes            Cook time: 10 Minutes             Serves: 4

• 500g Spaghetti
• 1/3 Cup Olive Oil
• 1 x Brown onion, chopped
• 2 x Carrots, chopped
• 2 x Cloves Garlic, crushed
• Pinch of Dried Chilli Flakes
• 6 x Slices Leftover Bread, processed in food processor
• 1 x Cup Frozen Peas
• 1/4 Cup Flat-Leaf Parsley, chopped

1. Bring a large pot of water of salted water to the boil, add spaghetti and cook as per packet instructions, draining when cooked.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrot and cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and chilli to pan and cook for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
3. Add bread crumbs to vegetable mix and stir to combine well. Cook and stir the crumbs until crunchy. Add the peas to the pan and cook just until defrosted (this should only take a minute.
4. Add the drained pasta to the mix along with the parsley and toss to combine. 

The Verdict

Simple, yet delicious. Carrots and peas are something I always have on hand and they work so well in this dish. You could easily use any vegetables that you have; zucchini would work wonderfully. Or, you could omit the vegetables for a more traditional garlic crumb spaghetti - a real pantry staple dish. Either way, definitely one for your midweek repertoire. 

Honey & Rosemary Roast Plums

The only thing that seems to be growing in abundance in my herb garden at the moment is Rosemary. I was looking for a different way to use this versatile herb and came across this recipe in a vegetarian cookbook and I just had to give it a go. I have modified the sweetness to suit my tastes. If you prefer it sweeter, you can add more honey.

The Recipe

Total Preparation Time: 15 Mins + Cooling       Total Cooking Time: 25 - 35 Mins       Serves: 4

• 350g Ripe Plums, halved and stoned
• 3-4 Fresh Rosemary Sprigs
• 3 Tbsp Clear Honey
• Juice of 1 Orange
• 100ml Double Cream
• Crunchy Granola - to serve

1. Preaheat the oven to 190° / 170° fan forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Arrange the plums cut side up in the tray, making sure that they are in a single layer. Arrange the rosemary sprigs among the fruit.
2. Mix together the honey and orange juice, then pour over the top of the plums. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 - 30 minutes, or until the plums are tender. The exact time will depend on the size of your fruit. Leave to cool for 15 minutes, then remove the rosemary.
3. Divide the plums and their juices among four bowls. Top with double cream and a sprinkling of granola.

The Verdict

This is a dish that is definitely more than the sum of its parts. The rosemary perfumes through the juices without overpowering them. If double cream is too heavy for you in the morning, you can always substitute it with Greek yogurt - why not try a combination of the two? If you are unable to find plums, nectarines, peaches and apricots would work very will in their place. 

Irish Farm Broth

Today's recipe takes inspiration from a fabulous little cookbook called "Favourite Irish Recipes". It is a wonderfully hearty lamb and vegetable broth that is easy to prepare, and makes for perfect winter eating.

The Recipe

Total Preparation Time: 20 Mins + Overnight Soaking       Total Cooking Time: 1 Hour 35 Mins

• 400g Neck of Lamb (around 4 pieces) - you could also use lamb forequarter chops
• 2 Tbsp Dried Split Peas, soaked overnight
• 2 L Water
• 2 Tbsp Pearl Barley
• 1 Brown Onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 Carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3 Medium Potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 Sticks Celery
• 1 Small Turnip
• 1 Tbsp Parley, chopped
• 1 Cup Frozen Peas
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

1. Arrange the meat, split peas and water in a large soup pot. Bring this mixture to the boil, making sure to skim off any fat and scum that floats to the surface. Cover the pot, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for ½ an hour.
2. Add the pearl barley, onion, root vegetables, salt and pepper to taste and simmer for a further ½ and hour.
3. Remove the cooked lamb to a chopping board and remove the meat from the bones. Return the meat to the pot along with the parsley and peas, and cook for a further 5 minutes or until peas are cooked through.
4. Adjust seasoning as necessary and serve into soup bowls

The Verdict

Both my partner and I thoroughly enjoyed this soup. It was both hearty and light at the same time, I thorough recommend adding the parsley and frozen peas - they really bring this soup to life. The dish could be made with any combination of root vegetables that you like, parsnip and swede would work wonderfully. If you do not have any pearl barley on hand, long grain rice could be substituted in it's place.

 If I were to make this dish again, I would fry the lamb at the beginning of the recipe before adding in the water to impart even more flavour into the dish. That being said, it was incredibly delicious and well worth a try in your household.