Author: Maggie

Cheese-y Tuna Burgers Three Ways: Mustard, Pesto, and Sweet Chili Sauce

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“Is this chicken, what I have, or is this fish? I know it’s tuna, but it says ‘Chicken of the Sea.’” – Jessica Simpson Does  anyone else remember the hilariously bad things Jessica Simpson used to say in the early 2000s? Every time I think of tuna that quote comes into my head and I get a little giggle. And I think of tuna a lot as it’s my favourite fish along with mackerel. I love adding tuna to salads, sandwiches, and finding new and exciting ways of using it. So, I’m a wee bit ashamed to say that Jessica Simpson tends to pop into my head a lot more often than I’d really like! Growing up in my family, Friday’s were always meat-free days, so my parents would get out the big heavy chip pan and make homemade chips (french fries) on the hob. Dad’s chips were always of a thicker cut, golden and fluffy. Mam’s chips were always a bit thinner, darker and, if you were lucky, crispy the whole way through. We’d slather butter on …

Traditional Irish Dish with a Twist: Shepherd’s Pie

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“Some foods are so comforting, so nourishing of body and soul, that to eat them is to be home again after a long journey. To eat such a meal is to remember that, though the world is full of knives and storms, the body is built for kindness. The angels, who know no hunger, have never been as satisfied.” – Eli Brown With St Patrick’s Day, also known as Paddy’s Day, (the Irish word for Patrick is Padraig which is shortened to Paddy) but never Patty’s Day (Patty is short for Patricia), around the corner, here is my twist on an Irish/British Classic: Shepherd’s Pie. Shepherd’s pie is one of my all time favourite comfort foods along with the Creamy Tomato Chicken Pasta Bake I shared a while back. It’s filling, tasty and a nice make ahead meal. I always loved when I’d come home from school or work and realise that the amazing smell that was wafting all through the house was Shepherd’s Pie. However, I firmly believe my Mam NEVER made enough as I …

Vacation

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Hi all, I was on vacation from the 16th Feb until today. However, I managed to get food poisoning and develop a hyperactive gut whilst in Laos. At the moment, I am on a restricted diet of relatively bland food. To that end, I won’t be posting a new recipe for a week or so until I get my appetite back and my stomach has calmed down considerably. However, I will be sharing a guest post at some point in the next week. Until then, have a good one and happy cooking. Maggie @Spoon in a Saucepan.

Roasted Vegetables with Pesto Couscous and Fried Eggs

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“This is every cook’s opinion – no savory dish without an onion, but lest your kissing should be spoiled your onions must be fully boiled.” Jonathan Swift First off…thank you so much to everyone who follows this blog or likes any of the posts. On Wednesday I reached 51 follows! So, thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart! Also, a huge shout out to the 178 followers on FB – ye rock, too!  Now, on to this week’s recipe:   Generally, the week before I go on vacation I don’t really eat at home. Instead, I will get fried chicken, gimbap, or a sandwich from Paris Baguette. I always figured it made life easier. Well, I go on vacation on Monday for around 10 days and I decided that I would challenge myself to not be lazy and to try to eat in for most of the time during this week. The weekend is a mix of birthdays and farewells so I knew getting time to eat in would be tricky and I …

Fusion Tuna Gimbap (참치김밥)

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“A picnic is more than eating a meal, it is a pleasurable sate of mind.” -DeeDee Stovel When I moved to Korea back in May 2012, one of the first foods my brother introduced me to was gimbap. It’s basically a seaweed roll (gim = seaweed, bap = rice) stuffed with tasty ingredients: egg, ham, crab stick, carrot, perilla leaf or spinach, danmuji (yellow pickled radish), and cucumber. Additionally, tuna, bulgogi, or kimchi can be included. You nearly always get a side of danmuji to eat with it. However, danmuji is one of those foods that I hate with a passion, outside of gimbap and bibimbap, so having it as side dish to my gimbap never happens. However, it works really, really well in gimbap, giving texture and bite to the seaweed roll. My favourite kind is the chamchi or tuna gimbap and I’ve been known to eat two chamchi (tuna) sangak gimbap (triangle gimbap) at a go! These gimbap are in the shape of small triangles and usually are filled only with rice and tuna …