Yesterday I was writing here about eating al fresco in Ireland and what a rare treat it is, and today we have been blessed with yet another beautiful day! 
And here is my promised easy peasy lunch recipe.  
Enjoy the sunshine, good food outside, cocktail or two and don't forget to stay safe in the sun! 


Chickpea Hummus 

Ingredients

2 x 400 cans chickpeas, drained 
pinch sea salt
pinch black cracked pepper 
Juice of 1 lemon
5-6 tablespoons good quality virgin olive oil and a little extra for serving
1 tablespoon Tahini paste
bunch of chopped fresh dill

Directions

Put all the ingredients into the food processor and blend until smooth, add a dash of water if needed, to help the process. Transfer to the bowl make a little well in the middle and fill it with olive oil.
Chill in a refrigerator before serving. 


Butter Bean Spread

Ingredients 

2 x 400 cans butter beans, 
drained 
pinch sea salt
pinch black cracked pepper 
Juice of 1 lemon
5-6 tablespoons good quality virgin olive oil 
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
bunch of fresh chopped coriander
5-6 gherkins finely chopped    

Directions
 
Put all the ingredients into the food processor and blend until smooth, add a dash of water if needed, to help the process. Transfer to the bowl.
Chill in a refrigerator before serving. 


Avocado Guacamole
 

Ingredients 

2 big ripe avocados
1 small onion finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves crushed 
juice of half a lemon 
bunch of fresh chopped coriander 
5-6 tablespoons good quality virgin olive oil
pinch sea salt
pinch black cracked pepper
pinch smoked paprika 
spring onion finely diced to garnish


Directions 
Put all the ingredients, but the spring onion  into the food processor and blend until smooth, add a dash of water if needed, to help the process. Transfer to the bowl add diced spring onion.
Chill in a refrigerator before serving. 

 
To Serve 
Spread on a toasted  bread of your choice and use different toppings. We used fried mushrooms, wilted spinach, spring onions, gherkins, radish. But feel free to use your imagination! 


Pour yourself a chilled drink! Enjoy! 
 
 
Brunch al fresco and Ireland is not something you put in to one sentence generally. But yes, on the rare occasion even The Emerald Isle gets a ray of sunshine. Rare being operative word. 
So I hope you will excuse my short post today while I am taking in my annual sun rations. So here are some pictures to prove that we are enjoying the sunshine!!
Tune in tomorrow for few more pictures and our brunch recipes.
 
 
These India inspired earrings are my latest addition to MEDUSA JEWELLERY line. What do you think?
 
 
I have been Etsy window shopping for Ramen bowls for a while now and after seeing this beautiful pottery from Bove Pottery by Jason R Bove I think I could have soup everyday. This USA based artist makes beautiful and functional art for the kitchen. You can see more of his work here.
So seeing that an empty bowl is good to no one, I have a little recipe below for you that we have adapted from this book. It is a simple and delicious recipe that takes minutes to prepare. Bon Appetit.    

Photos: Bove Pottery
Mushroom Ramen 
{adapted from 200 veggie feasts by Louise Pickford}
Serves 4
Preparation time 10 min
Cooking time      20 min

Ingredients
1/2 cup of quinoa. Cooked with 625 ml of water for 20min in a seperate pot.
1.5 litres vegetable stock
75 ml dark soy sauce
4 tablespoons mirin
6-7 dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked in water over night) and sliced 
chestnut mushrooms (fresh) sliced
spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced 
300 g silken tofu (firm), drained and diced
2 tablespoons pure sesame oil 

Cook quinoa with 625ml of water for 20 min, when cooked set aside. Drain and dice tofu into small  cubes and fry on each side with the pure sesame oil. Set aside.
Combine the stock, soy sauce and mirin in a saucepan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Add sliced mushrooms and simmer gently for a further 5 min. Add cooked quinoa, fried tofu and spring onions and serve. Et Voila!
 
 
Last weekend I spent some quality time in the kitchen and caught up with my fading culinary skills. I dusted my utensils off and rustled up some new recipes. With the summer stuck somewhere far away from where we are, I still find myself craving comfort foods and to be honest, comfort drinks too. So here is my favourite new drink in time for the weekend.
Enjoy this drink cold or warm, with or without rum. I had mine hot with a dash of  Cuban rum that was given to us by a lovely couple (aka brother & girlfriend) after visiting Cuba. Thanks guys. And the verdict - delish!  


Spiced Apple & Plum Drink with or without Rum

Ingredients:
  • 4-5 apples (I used Pink Lady)
  • 4-5 ripe plums 
  • hand-full of golden raisins 
  • 2-3 cm piece of fresh ginger 
  • 2 star anise 
  • 5 whole cloves 
  • 2 sticks of cinnamon 
  • cold water
  • 1/2 cup of sugar or less, depending on your fruit.
Directions:
Wash your fruit. Peal, core and chop your apples. Remove stones from plums and chop. Place all into the saucepan (mine holds 3 litres of water) and cover full with cold water to stop apples from browning. Place it on medium heat, cover and bring to the boil. Add all remaining ingredients and reduce the heat, simmer until all the fruit is soft - about 40 min or so. Top-up with water if too sweet. I like to leave mine over night to get the best flavour from all the fruit and spices. When ready to drink - sieve and enjoy cold with some ice. Or do as I did: hot with a dash of rum. Enjoy!  
And if you have a drink recipe you would like to share, just let me know. I will try it out and post it here.   
 
 
 
IMG_0066
IMG_0045
Brooches by MEDUSA JEWELLERY
Photos: MEDUSA JEWELLERY  
 
 
These cocktail stirrers made from recycled silver by the New York based jeweller Barbara Michelle Jacobs are my Etsy ♥ this week. Functional art made to be admired. Cocktails never looked so good...


To view beautiful jewellery by the artist go here.
 

In Bloom

07/05/2012

0 Comments

 
I recently visited a nearby garden centre and was taken back by all the beautiful flowers on offer. Although it is still too cold to plant anything here, it was very nice to do some window shopping. I wish summer would hurry up already.
Blue Daisy
Iris
Blue Iris
White Daisies
Orange Bloom
Flower
Purple Blooms
Lilac Blooms
Purple blooms
Photos: MEDUSA JEWELLERY
 
 
EARTH  PROVIDES ENOUGH TO SATISFY EVERY MAN'S NEED,
 BUT NOT EVERY MAN'S GREED
~Mahatma Gandhi~
Photo: original source unknown, via atyourservice.blogs.xerox.com
Celebrate today by making an extra effort, but don't forget everyday day is Earth Day! We only have one Earth.
You can find more about Earth Day here.
 
 
 
Since all the cool kids are doing it, I have decided it's time I join Pinterest. So here we go:


Follow Me on Pinterest
Please come by and join me, or else I'll look rather lonely/sad with no one to follow me there:)
Oh and keep on pinning!!