recipes Archives - Page 2 of 3 - The Tasty Spoonful

Low Carbs

Cheat’s Szechuan chicken….

By Brooke Murphy October 8, 2023

Why is this a Szechuan chicken for cheats I hear you ask? Well, because this recipe was born when I was in the kitchen and trying to capture more content than is humanly advisable in one day (plus taking care of a child) and so it seemed insurmountable, on my second trip to the supermarket, that I should also cross the road – some 50m away – to secure myself more Szechuan pepper berries at the gourmet food shop. Hence this Szechuan pepperless Szechuan chicken was born… now try saying that 10 times fast.

This dish is a super savoury and utterly delicious stir fry centred around the peppery addition of the Prickly Ash berries, otherwise known as Szechuan pepper. They are astringent and also leave a tingly feeling on the tongue and are very unique in both flavour and sensation. I have tried my best to recreate this using everyday spices, because even when we can be bothered, they just aren’t always that easy to come across anyhow! I guarantee this recipe is just as tasty and with the same incredible sensations as the original.

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Main Dishes

Brilliant Butter Chicken

By Brooke Murphy September 23, 2023

If there’s one thing I’m sure about, it’s that life is better with butter, and by association… butter chicken. It’s a staple in every Indian takeaway joint this side of the equator and a true favourite in our household, without a doubt. Thankfully in Australia, we tend to have incredibly high-quality Indian takeaway’s, but in Ireland, we didn’t find ourselves so lucky, and boy do I wish that I’d had this recipe on hand whilst eating my way through 1.5 years on lockdown…

I’ve based this on the Cheat’s butter chicken by the fabulous Adam Liaw… the major difference being that, due to my previously mentioned love of butter, I have doubled the dose, and also made a few little cheeky amendments to the spice mix too. Most of the ingredients should be readily available in your local supermarket – however, you may have to use your best super sleuthing powers to find the fenugreek in the spice section. If you have any lactating friends however, you may find they already have it on hand given it’s traditionally used to encourage breast milk production, but that’s a topic for another day…

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Gluten Free

Spicy sweet potato and pumpkin pureé

By Brooke Murphy August 10, 2023

The inspiration for this recipe came from two thoughts. The first was that I genuinely needed to make more puree pots for my 9-month-old son (yes, I’m still crazy enough to be making them from scratch)… and the second was about a friend of mine whose 4-year-old was already quite the foodie because` to quote her mum – “she was eating butter chicken before she could walk”… So I was inspired to spice it up and make sure that MY son, wouldn’t suddenly decide that cinnamon tasted unpleasant or that he wasn’t able to cope with a little bit of basil in his omelet… because that’s a reality I’m just not willing to face. Though, I’m not foolish enough to believe it might not still happen, but for now I’m happily living in my delusional little spice bubble.

Now, I can’t say this masterpiece was intentional.. it was more of a hurried boiling and puree-ing frenzy in between naps and hanging out seemingly infinite loads of laundry. But whatever genius cooking magic took over, it ended up with spectacular results.

It genuinely tasted so good I ran over, spoonful in hand to my partner who was trying to work away from home (as he does) and excitedly asked him to try it. I got the reaction I always get, which was “it’s good” and a shrug.. but he’s French, and a stoic Frenchie at that, so that’s a reaction on the spectrum of positive from what I can work out.

So, from baby food to foodie food, this was now going on the menu. Our first port of call was to pair it with posh sausages from the butcher across the road, (but it pairs equally well with a steak, lamb chops, lamb shanks, a kangaroo steak, hell throw in a pigeon breast or two there too if you really want to get fancy!) – It’s brilliant if you’re just up for something more interesting than mashed potato, but it’s also a really intriguing way to elevate a regular week day meal to dinner party worthy status… AND on top of all, it makes brilliant baby food too! My Son can’t get enough of it, and he’s by far my worst critic!

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Gluten Free

Beetroot, Whipped Feta, Kefir & Rose Salad

By Brooke Murphy July 14, 2023

The inspiration for this recipe came from a wonderful cookbook called Gather by Gill Meler. At the time I tried it, we were on lockdown and I was fermenting A LOT of my own food and drinks including milk kefir, which, just like a good sourdough starter is forever giving, and I was genuinely running out of ways to use it up! So this recipe was a welcome and unexpected surprise.

This dish is a beautifully sweet, tart and light salad that works on many occasions, a simple plate on a summers night, an unexpected side at a BBQ and a fresh addition to a Mediterranean feast. Personally I love beetroot, but I do find it hard to figure out ways to use and celebrate it in my cooking. This is one of those welcome beetroot first recipes I love to whip out when the season hits.

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Breakfast

Tofu, Ginger, Miso Ramen & Peanut Rayu

By Brooke Murphy July 12, 2023

There’s nothing more nourishing than a warm bowlful of noodles, packed full of spicy ginger and bursting with Asian flavours. But what’s the difference between a good ramen and an exceptional one? It’s the broth of course, and this recipe does not disappoint. This tofu ginger, miso ramen is totally customisable to your personal taste, but one thing you won’t want to skimp on is the miso… the deep rich umami flavour is what truly carries the dish, go hard or go home!

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Main Dishes

Succulent Pork, with Sage, Apples & Cauliflower Purée

By Brooke Murphy July 12, 2023

Whether it’s a pork roast with applesauce, pork chops with sautéed apples, or a hearty pork and apple stew, the combination of pork and apples is a match as tried and tested as rhubarb and custard or apples and caramel. This simple but delicious creation is the distillation of all of those dishes in one everyday meal-ready recipe, easy and quick to make with abundantly flavourful results.

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Cakes

Apricot and lavender cake

By Brooke Murphy July 12, 2023

Apricot and lavender cake is a beautiful bake that combines the sweet and tangy flavor of apricots with the floral aroma of lavender. Perfect for any occasion, from a casual afternoon tea to a lighter cake-based dessert at a formal dinner party.

Best made with fresh ripe apricots and a touch of homemade lavender extract, it’s a celebration of summer in a sweet treat, and it’s the creamy lavender-infused icing that really “takes the cake” to the next level.

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Desserts

Basic Burnt Basque Cheesecake

By Brooke Murphy June 30, 2023

The burnt Basque cheesecake is a unique and delicious dessert that is sure to impress guests at any gathering. The burnt exterior and creamy interior creates a perfect balance of flavors and textures, just the right amount of smokey and tart. And, it’s an incredibly simple dessert to make, with just a few easy-to-hand ingredients and minimal prep time. It can also be easily customized to suit your taste preferences, in some recipes this cheesecake has very little sugar and takes on an almost savoury quality, but it can also be given a personal touch with any number of toppings or sides.

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Main Dishes

Walnut & Nettle Pesto

By Brooke Murphy June 22, 2023

Nettle pesto is an interesting and seasonally abundant alternative to traditional basil pesto. Nettles have a unique flavor profile that’s earthy, slightly sweet, and slightly bitter and they lend themselves well to a pairing with walnuts. I wouldn’t serve this pesto as a dip at a party or as a main ingredient holding a dish together, but I would and do use this to enhance other recipes, the filling of a ravioli, as part of a stuffing for a roulade, spread on toast with fried mushrooms, really anywhere that you would use pesto but where an earthier flavour would contribute to the overall.

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Main Dishes

Hoisin Duck Dumplings

By Brooke Murphy January 11, 2020

Hoisin duck dumplings are the dumpling you eat in the variety box that make you go “oh yeah, that’s the one, can I have another 6 of those please?”

The pairing of sweet and sour hoisin sauce with tender pieces of aromatic duck and bursts of spring onion make it an irresistible combination of flavours.

I highly recommend making the dumpling wrapper yourself, because just like pasta, fresh always gives the best and most rewarding experience. But, even if you don’t, the delicious filling is sure to give you every reason to come back for serving after serving.

This is also a really fun thing to make with the kids with incredibly flavourful results, and an easy way to sneak a few vegetables into them too if you get creative with the filling.

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