Author: Padraic Guilfoyle

Alcohol is a toxic, addictive drug that can be very damaging to health. Alcohol products, mainly beer, spirits and wine can be marketed without reference to alcohol in the advertising. Alcohol is consumed without restraint or regard for its health consequences.
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Catherine’s Citrus Apple Crumble – Odlums porridge oats

What you need:

  • 175g/6oz Odlums Porridge Oats
  • 125g/4oz Odlums Cream Plain Flour
  • 125g/4oz Shamrock Demerara Sugar
  • 125g/4oz Butter or Margarine
  • Pinch of Cinnamon (optional)
  • 450g/1lb Cooking Apples (peeled, cored and sliced)
  • 2-3 tablespoons Sugar, to sweeten
  • Rind & Juice 1 Lemon
  • Rind & Juice 1 Orange

How to:

  1. Preheat oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5.
  2. Put the oats, flour, sugar and cinnamon if used, into a bowl.
  3. Rub in the butter or margarine with the tips of your fingers to form a dough.
  4. Place the apples in an oven proof dish. Sprinkle over the sugar to taste.
  5. Pour over the lemon and orange juice and rinds. Sprinkle the crumble on top.
  6. Bake for approx 30 minutes. Serve hot with ice cream, cream or crème fraîche.

Citrus Apple Crumble

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Can eating really affect our sleep? @keelingsfruits. Try Banana with Nut Butter, Yogurt with chopped nuts or nut butter, Hot milk with cinnamon, kiwis and some dark chocolate

keelingsfruits

I don’t know about you but I love my bed! And I firmly believe that a good night’s sleep can make you feel so good! Breathing, eating and sleeping are three of the most basic and essential functions we do as humans. But can food affect our sleep or does our sleep affect our food? The reality is that it is probably a bit of both…On average we need between 7-9 hours’ sleep per night with some people managing on less and others may need more. Lack of sleep can lead to irritability, fatigue and difficulty concentrating. However chronic poor sleep has been linked to obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

In general, research has found that eating in line with the Mediterranean or DASH diet, both of which promote fruits and vegetables, fiber rich foods and healthy mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats tends to be associated with better quality sleep. Magnesium is a mineral that is reported to help with sleep regulation and is found in bananas, nuts, green vegetables, tofu and dairy. Melatonin is a micronutrient present in some foods but also a hormone that occurs naturally in the body and helps control sleep patterns. Melatonin, is found in tart cherry juice, eggs, nuts and dairy. Interestingly the tradition of hot milk before bed comes from Roman times… and milk contains both magnesium, melatonin and an amino acid called tryptophan which helps produce serotonin and melatonin.

Kiwifruit is another food that has been reported to have a positive impact on sleep duration and quality. In one four-week trial of adults with sleep problems, consumption of two kiwifruits per day one hour before bedtime significantly increased total sleep time and sleep efficiency. A potential reason for this is that they are a rich source of antioxidant and contain the hormone serotonin. Either way they are also great sources of vitamin C and great for keeping bowel movements regular.

Do you ever feel like you make poorer food choices when you’re tired? There may be good reason behind this. Sleep deprivation can cause a drop in Leptin levels (a hormone that signals fullness) and increases the hormone Ghrelin (hormone that stimulates appetite). This change in hormones can explain why you might eat more when missing sleep or why you tend to eat more without feeling full when you have had minimal sleep. US research from Cedar- Sinai Medical Centre also found that lack of sleep increased insulin resistance. So, we can see that regular good night sleep helps manage hormones, appetite and possible food choices.

Caffeine and alcohol can negatively affect falling asleep and sleep quality so best to keep within healthy limits if struggling with sleep. Maybe keep the caffeine to before midday!

Some sleepy bedtime snack ideas!

  1. Banana with Nut Butter
  2. Yogurt with chopped nuts or nut butter
  3. Hot milk with cinnamon
  4. 2 kiwis and some dark chocolate
  5. Cherry juice drink made with hot water
  6. Porridge topped with banana
  7. Oatcakes topped with cream cheese and berries
  8. Cherries
  9. Wholegrain cereal with milk
  10. Mixed nuts

•

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White Soda Bread recipe @Ballymaloe Co.Cork ❤️

INGREDIENTS

Preheat the oven to 250deg C

Makes 1 loaf

450g (1lb, 31/2 cups) plain flour
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
300-600ml (1/2 – 1 pint, 1 1/4 – 2 1/2 cups) sour milk or buttermilk

METHOD

Sieve the dry ingredients. Make a well in the centre.

Pour in all the milk at once. Using 1 hand, with your fingers stiff and outstretched like a claw, stir in a full circular movement from the centre to the outside of the bowl in ever increasing circles. The dough should be softish, not too wet and sticky. When it all comes together, turn it out onto a well-floured work surface. Wash and dry your hands. Tidy it up and flip over gently. Pat the dough into a round, about 4cm deep.

Cut a deep cross on the loaf and prick in the four corners.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes then turn down to 200deg C for 30 minutes until cooked. If you are in doubt, tap the bottom of the bread, when it is cooked it will sound hollow. Cool on a wire rack.

Tip! Soda breads are best eaten on the day they are made, but are still good the next day.

Spotted Dog

Follow the recipe above adding: 1 dessert spoon of sugar, 100g sultanas, 1 egg.

Add the sugar and the sultanas with the flour and drop the egg in with the milk before missing. Spotted dog is also called railway cake in some parts of Ireland.

Stripy Cat

Follow the spotted dog recipe replacing the sultanas with 75g of roughly chopped best quality chocolate.

Come to savour culinary delights at Ballymaloe House Hotel.BOOK YOUR STAY

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Rachel Allen’s Broccoli Soup with Dubliner Cheese Toasts @KerrygoldUSA #ballymaloe

video-broccoli

I adore this delicious and nutritious soup. It’s great either for family suppers or for a dinner party. The soup can be frozen and the Dubliner toasts prepared in advance, then grilled at the last moment. Ideal if you need a meal in an instant. Rachel Allen

Ingredients:
  • THE SOUP:
  • 2 tbsp Kerrygold Salted Butter
  • 2 potatoes, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 head of broccoli, with stalk
  • 3 1/2–4 1/4 cup hot vegetable (or chicken) stock
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • THE DUBLINER TOASTS:
  • 8 slices good-quality white bread
  • 3 oz Dubliner Cheese, finely grated
Directions:

Melt the butter in a medium to large saucepan, and add the potatoes and onion, salt and pepper. Cover with a piece of wax paper and sweat over a gentle heat for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the broccoli florets from the stalk. Using a small knife, remove the outer layer of skin from the stalk and discard, then chop the stalk into 1/2-inch pieces. Add to the onion and potato, cover and sweat for a further 5 minutes.  Add the hot stock to the potatoes, onion and broccoli stalk, bring up to a boil, then add the chopped broccoli florets. Boil without the lid over a high heat for 4–5 minutes until soft, then add the cream. Remove from the heat, puree in a blender and season to taste.To make the Dubliner toasts, toast the bread on both sides, sprinkle with grated Dubliner Cheese and pop under a hot grill or into a hot oven for 2 minutes or until the cheese melts. Cut the toast into fingers and serve on the side with the soup.

 http://kerrygoldusa.com/recipes/broccoli-soup-with-dubliner-toasts/