AT MY TABLE is our brand new series with Kerrygold. We’re stepping inside the kitchens of home cooks and bakers around the country, hearing about the dishes they love sharing with family and friends.
First up, Lisa Murrin, who lives in Dublin with her husband Dave and their four sons: twins Dylan and Noah (4), Luca (2) and nine-month-old Lennon.
Food never lasts long in the Murrin household.
“With four boys, we have a lot of hungry mouths to feed,” says Lisa, a keen home cook whose Instagram feed (@the_health_balance) is full of vibrant, colourful meals.
“Yes, the kids have their awful days when they suddenly decide they don’t like anything on the plate, but in general, they’re great eaters.”
Growing up with parents in the hospitality industry, food has always been a passion for Lisa. She and her husband love trying new restaurants together – and at home, sharing meals is an important part of the family’s routine.
“Whenever possible, we’ll sit down at the table and eat together. Once I’m home from work I’ll get started on dinner and aim to have it ready for the kids by about 5pm. Dave and I will often have ours then too, so that we can all be at the table.”
Lisa and Dave make a point of giving their kids, particularly the older ones, a say in what they eat each day:
At the start of the week we’ll chat to the twins about the meals they’d like to try this week – maybe it’s meatballs because a character on on Peppa Pig was eating them, for example. Planning out meals with the kids means there’s a lot less pushback when it comes to actually eating them.
So what are some of the dishes Lisa loves to share with her family? She picked out a few favourites from the Mullin household…
Easy Weekend Pancakes
Saturday morning crepes are a staple in the family’s weekly schedule. They’re a breakfast food everyone in the house enjoys – and one everyone can get involved in making, too. “As soon as I come downstairs, I’ll throw the coffee machine on and pop all the pancake ingredients into a bowl,” says Lisa.
Sieving and whisking are the kids’ jobs, tasks they take very seriously, for a reason: “The main reason they’re so keen to help is because they can sneak a lick of the batter!”
Lisa usually cooks up enough crepes to see the family through two days, and serves them up with a range of toppings so that everyone can help themselves. “There’s caramelised banana, blueberries, nut butter, chocolate spread, maybe some bacon, plus a big pan of eggs. We’ll sit around the table all morning, and the boys can come and go. We love it and the kids do too.”
Check out a tasty recipe for crepes with orange butter from Kerrygold here.
Make-Your-Own Cheesy Nachos
Nachos are another meal that both the older and younger members of the Murrin house get on board with. First, Lisa fries off some turkey mince with smoked paprika, a stock cube and salt and pepper. That goes on top of nachos, which are layered with grated cheese and heated in the oven until the cheese melts.
For the adults, Lisa adds avocado, sour cream and tomatoes on top, but she’ll usually give the kids some extra creative control over their own meal:
I always do a separate bowl of nachos with just cheese, and the toppings on the side, so that they can build their own. This is one of those meals that suits everyone, and the boys can eat it round the table or in front of the TV, depending on the day.
Lisa and Dave’s Steak Tagliata
“This one is a really simple meal that Dave and I would have around once a week.” says Lisa.
To make steak tagliata, Lisa cooks some “good quality steak” on a pan and cuts it into strips. She serves it over rocket, cherry tomatoes, parmesan cheese and some balsamic vinegar, along with some homemade chips.
It takes around 40 minutes and apart from the steak, I’ll usually have all the ingredients in the kitchen already. It’s a great evening meal and one that we both really like.
Meet the Kerrygold Insiders: a secret ingredient for every kitchen moment. Whether you’re baking up a storm, cooking a dinner for friends and family or prepping a quick and tasty lunch, there’s a Kerrygold butter for you. See the full Kerrygold range here.
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