EACH WEEK, WE ask a home cook about the dishes they’ve been whipping up of late – from simple suppers to lavish lunches.
This week, Portlaoise mum-of-two Yvonne Kinahan filled us in on her favourite dishes. A keen powerlifter, Yvonne didn’t have much interest in cooking until her son was diagnosed with autism.
“Cooking from scratch and as healthily as possible then became part of the routine,” she told TheJournal.ie. “It also helps with my workouts as I know I am fueling them correctly.”
Yvonne shares her day-to-day cooking on her Instagram, @yvonneskitchenfamily.
1. A ‘hug’ in a dish: For me, shepherd’s pie is one of the most comforting and moreish dinners there is. It’s like a warm hug for your tummy. I leave the skins on the potatoes when boiling and mashing them to add more fibre to the dish. This also offers a crisp crust without the added cheese topping that a lot of people like to add.
2. Chocolate chip banana bread: This is one of my all-time favourite desserts to make. Any time I see some bananas getting spotty, this is on top of the list of things to make. It’s a firm favourite with anyone who tries it, and my kids love it. I use dark chocolate chips to make it dairy free as we don’t do dairy in the house due to allergies and intolerances.
3. Unbeatable beef stew: Another warm hug in a bowl and an easy dinner to throw together and forget about. If I’m in the house, I’ll cook it in the oven. Otherwise I’ll throw all of the ingredients in the slow cooker and let it do the rest of the work. Our plates are always mopped clean with this dinner.
4. A classic roast chicken: Who doesn’t love a roast chicken? We have one every week in our house. Massage it with olive oil and your favourite seasoning and it’s just heaven. Roast at 180c (fan oven) for an hour and you have a super tasty lunch and dinner option, although we never seem to have one on a Sunday.
5. Home-made ‘Ferrero Rocher’: Another real treat and found on the regular in our freezer. Very more-ish and super similar to the Ferrero Rocher you buy in the shops, but without the dairy. Just remember though, just because they are healthy doesn’t mean they’re low calorie. These pack a punch in flavour and on the waistline.
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