IN NEED OF some mealtime inspiration? Each week, we’ll be asking a home cook about the dishes they’ve been eating of late, from simple suppers to dinner party delights.
This week we checked in with Ciara Noonan, a 29-year-old who recently moved back to Ireland after a stint in Vancouver. While she waits for her new place in Dublin to be ready, she’s living with relatives in Kildare. Ciara’s an avid home cook, taught by the best: her mother. Follow her food updates on @theirishhealthdiaries.
“I’ve always liked putting my own spin on basic dishes like chilli, bolognese and curry,” says Ciara, adding that she uses Instagram to explore how other chefs work. We asked Ciara to pick five of her kitchen highlights from the last few months…
“Lately home cooking has been impossible because I’m starting a new job and moving apartment. To make things easier, myself and my boyfriend will cook for each other every second night, so someone always has a ‘night off’ so to speak. I’ve been experimenting a bit with Middle Eastern flavours, which inspired these spiced meatballs.”
“I don’t have much experience with classic Irish dishes but this is something I’m getting more into as I get older. I love spending Friday nights trying out new dishes, while enjoying a glass of wine. This beef and Guinness stew still wasn’t as tasty as my uncle Eamon’s. But I’ll get there… eventually.”
“I’m a Chrissy Teigen fanatic and follow her on any medium I can. Online only, swear! One of my favourite dishes from her first book, Cravings, was the chipotle-honey chicken which I made during the hot British Colombia summer. It’s sweet, spicy and the recipe has about 20 cloves of garlic in it. Just enough, my fellow garlic lovers will agree.
“Over the years, I’ve been perfecting this dish and I finally think I’ve cracked it. I make my own spice mix before I start cooking with spices like cumin, cayenne, cocoa, smoked paprika, cinnamon, coffee, brown sugar and coriander.”
“This is another midweek go-to. I love how you can fit a ton of veggies into a frittata and even by adding something as simple as some grated sweet potato it becomes a full, well-rounded meal.”
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