All posts tagged: pasta

Asparagus, Courgette and Sausage Pasta

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Let there be seasons so that our tongues will be rich in asparagus and limes.  – Anne Sexton JUMP TO RECIPE Happy Summer to you all. I have actually gone away on holidays – and it wasn’t for a wedding! That’s a miracle in and of itself as in last 6 years nearly every holiday I had taken was connected to a wedding of a dear friend or relative. In fact, when I went away last September, it was for my sister’s wedding. This time though, it wasn’t a trip abroad but a trip about an hour’s drive outside of Dublin to a town called Kells. It’s near a lot of important Irish cultural and religious sites including The Hills of Tara and Slane. We went to Tara, the Spire of Lloyd and a lake in nearby Cavan. We were about 5 minutes from a Holy Well which I think I went to about 3 times in the one week! The children liked to go and climb the hill and drink the waters. We stayed …

Fiesta Friday Healthy Recipe Challenge: Chicken, Almond, Pineapple and Spinach Pasta Salad.

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What do you get if you cross an apple with a Christmas tree? A pineapple! ~ Christmas Cracker Joke. The following recipe evokes memories of summer picnics on the hill in the park under a blazing sun. All nine of us sitting on a picnic blanket munching at the different bowls of salads and treats we hauled up (ok, it wasn’t as far as the “haul” makes it seem – maximum a 10-15 minute walk  from our house) and running around playing chasing (tag) or stuck in the mud (a game where if you are caught you are “stuck” and have to stand with your legs wide so your rescuer can crawl under your legs to free you). I always loved this salad – the crunch of almonds, celery and cucumber complemented the softness of the peas, pasta and tomato,  The sweetness of the pineapple contrasted with the lightly fragrant chicken and other more savoury vegetables. Now, even in other recipes when I make chicken pasta salad I always want to add pineapple – they are married together …

Warm Pesto Pasta Salad with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Brie

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“Cheese is milk’s leap toward immortality.” – Clifton Fadiman Happy 2016, everyone! May it be better than 2015 for us all and hopefully (in my case) without as much sadness. While Christmas may be my absolute favourite eating season, as well my favourite season in general due to Thanksgiving, Christmas and my birthday all happening in it, I will be the first to admit I went overboard in the eating department. We had turkey, spiced beef and ham sandwiches for days afterwards – I like mine with mayonnaise, cranberry sauce and stuffing. Incredibly delicious but a bit heavy! Add on to that all the desserts and biscuits that make the rounds (seriously, there are still 5 giant boxes of biscuits in our house – and we ate at least 3 boxes over the holiday!) and it’s amazing I’m not just a ball of food. Up until Monday, we were still in a Christmas zone as part of my sister’s present to us was a trip to the zoo and a lunch at Mary Ann’s favourite bar, …

Pesto, Tuna and Pea Pasta

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I’d much rather eat pasta and drink wine than be a size 0. – Sophia Bush Do you ever have really lazy days? Sometimes when I come home all I want to do is wallow in front of the TV or Netflix eating ice-cream and a packet of crisps. However, as I’ve already mentioned, I’ve found out I have a bit of a cholesterol problem; so being so self-serving is getting to be less and less of an attractive option. I’ve had to make some tough changes over the last 8-9 months. I no longer eat school lunches in one of my schools and I am gearing up to stop in the other so that I can bring healthier choices.Though they aren’t all the healthiest meals, I’ve eaten a lot less white rice in the last 4 months than I had been up to that point. I’m eating a lot more vegetables and I am generally eating smaller portions, or at least am getting full more quickly. Since coming back to Korea after my summer holidays, I’ve been …