Tag: cheflife

Saintly Rocky Road

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I am back in San Francisco (for a little while) after living in Ireland for the good part of just about three years! I hummed and hah-ed about moving home, but now that I’m here I am so happy I packed up and moved back! I’m excited to try all the cafes and restaurants I’ve been craving as well as reading about-pretty spoiled for choice here in SF. I am also just so happy to spend time with family and friends.

Rocky Road is a pretty popular treat in Ireland. I had the duty of making about four slabs daily at a bakery I worked in– up to triple that amount during the holiday season! When it’s made with dark chocolate, it’s really dreamy.

Below I am sharing a cleaner alternative to the traditional Rocky Road: it’s sugar free and vegan friendly. There’s also no baking/ melting chocolate involved with this recipe, all you need is a trusty food processor or blender.

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Carmel’s Saintly Rocky Road

Ingredients

14 dates

Small handful of almonds

Half a cup of your choice of nut butter

Teaspoon of vanilla extract

A couple of drops of water

2 heaped tablespoons cacao powder

Method

Soak the dates and almonds in a bowl of warm water for about a half hour. Then blitz all ingredients together, but NOT until it’s completely smooth. The dates act as the marshmallows, and the almonds act as the hard m&m candies or malt balls typical used. Line a bread tin with parchment paper and press mixture into it. Before pressing it into the bread tin, or casserole dish, you can fold in dried fruits or even more nuts if you fancy. Freeze for about two hours, or even better, overnight.

Keep in the freezer for a more firm texture! If left in the fridge it gets more soft fudge, which would actually be a great sauce for ice cream when warmed up!

Keeps for about a week in Tupperware.

Easy and guilt free treat!

 

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AVAILABLE NOW, my EBook!

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I’m so excited! My recipe EBook is available now!!

It’s full of my most popular recipes from my blog, as well as two exclusive recipes just for the EBook. All the recipes are more from my ‘Saintly’ category.

It was challenging at times, but I love a challenge. It also made me tweak current recipes, tasting and testing my skills even more.

This will be the first of several!

Purchase here:

https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Easy-Cookin-Carmel-Recipes-ebook/dp/B01KG4VN6O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1471868893&sr=8-1&keywords=Quick+and+Easy+Cookin%27+with+Carmel

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First look at my recipe eBook!

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Here’s a peak at my FIRST recipe eBook! A handful of my blog’s most popular recipes, as well as two exclusive recipes just for the eBook, and some of my favorite pantry essentials!

I wanted to keep the cover clean looking and keep it fairly short. So the theme is quick and easy, and for the most part, it showcases more ‘Saintly’ than ‘Sinful’.

I’m just tweaking the layout and it’ll be ready for purchase!

It’ll be available August 21–keep your eyes out for more updates/news!

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COOKING DEMO NEXT WEEK

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In West Cork next week?! I am giving a cooking demonstration on Bere Island! It’ll be at 5pm in the Community Center.

There’s a lot of fun activities on Bere Island happening over the next week, check out the line-up:

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My #RecipeoftheDay is my KptnCook Feature!

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Did you all notice my blog’s makeover?! It’s a little bit sleeker, don’t ya think?

I am hooked on zoodles this summer! You can really do anything to them! Pad Thai is one of my favorite comfort dishes.

My Pad Thai Courgetti/Zoodles is my #RecipeoftheDay, featured by KptnCook! I always love the way the Kptns capture recipes! Thanks again! Go check it out! They also recently featured my Courgetti with Sundried Tomatoes and Tumeric Chicken.

You guys will love both zoodle recipes, so easy but full of flavor!unnamed-1

Here it is-my FIRST WEDDING CAKE!

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This is my proudest culinary moment And most special. This past spring I made my brother’s wedding cake. It was my first wedding cake, and I am pretty happy with the result!

The silver and white pearls are edible, the second tier has a marbled effect to it, and the flowers were picked that morning.

The wedding was an absolutely fantastic time-couldn’t be happier for you two!

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Hello Dublin!

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Last week I was in London, where the food scene is UHMAZING! I made it to Deliciously Ella’s Mae Deli, Cutter and Squidge, and Crumbs and Doilies…I’ve been dying to try each of these for ages now! And I’ll have a few recipes inspired by that ‘London Look’ in the next couple of weeks. It really is a place to visit, foodie or no foodie.

SO, BIG MOVE TO DUBLIN TOMORROW!!

I will be working in a top cookery school in Dublin from here on out. I’ll be the digital content manager, so I’ll be doing the school’s blogging, snapping, Facebook, Tweeting, and Instagram. A dream job really!

I’m so excited for this next chapter. I can’t wait to meet other food bloggers, chefs, social media influencers, and others in the industry. I’m so ready to live in a fast-paced city again, and Dublin is such a cool place for food. Moving and starting a new job can be a little bit daunting, but I’ve a great support system up in Dublin, and it’s nice having a sis in the same time zone!

Switching gears to another fast-paced city, actually in my home state of CALIFORNIA(knows how to party). I’m taking you to Los Angeles for a minute. L.A. Lady Magazine is pulled up on my phone and laptop a lot as of lately. And who doesn’t have screenshots of inspirational quotes saved on their phone? Well L.A. Lady Magazine interviews the most badass women in L.A. at the moment. They really do strive to provide inspiration and content about strong women. Their stories are motivating and remind me why I started/ have far I’ve come. So if you’re feeling a little weary(I will definitely be referring to the Mag when I start the new job Monday!), definitely take a look. One of my food heroes, Brandi Milloy is among the ladies interviewed! I share a couple of my favorite snippets below.I faced a major obstacle breaking my ankle, and having the scare of having a second operation. It was terrifying, the possibility of a second operation. But I remain positive, and in some way it was a blessing, being told to quit a professional kitchen, it has lead me to a job that is a combo of everything I love.

Here’s to a new start! Don’t worry, I won’t stop creating my own recipes and projects! I’m feeling so motivated. And by the way, there is a HUGE number of subscribers, so thank you!! You can also follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for more drooling.

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Courgetti with Wild Garlic Avo Cream

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Growing your own vegetables is one of the most satisfying hobbies you could take up. We grew our own corn at Ballymaloe, and there was such a a sense of being a champion seeing those stalks full grown! Courgette is something I use a lot of, and maybe one day I’ll find a little patch and grow some! This is a quick supper or lunch idea, and all beneficial. This is going to be my favorite summer dish!

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To make the courgetti (or zoodles):

Typically a courgette per person.

The easiest way is to use a spiralizer. If you don’t own one, just peel the courgette, as you would a carrot, with a peeler. Then slice as thin as you can with a sharp knife.

 

Set to the side and make the avocado cream.

 

AVOCADO WILD GARLIC CREAM

This sauce combines two of my favorite ingredients: avocado and wild garlic. It’s a light alternative to traditional pasta. I also like to use this sauce on toast in the morning, for a breakfast of champions! So easy, and perfect for those summer nights just around the corner!

 

Ingredients:

1 avocado and half of another

3-4 stalks of wild garlic, chopped finely

Tablespoon of lemon juice

Chili flakes

Salt and pepper

 

Slice open the avocado. Scrape it into a mixing bowl. Without a potato masher, mash until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients, and mix through. Add your zoodles to the bowl, and give a good stir. Great as a main, or side to salmon or chicken!