Course: Family Dinners

Serves: 6

Monica's Apple Caramel Sponge

My mom has been making this recipe for as long as I can remember. First, you bake the appley, cinnamony sponge, then you pour the steaming, rich caramel sauce over and allow it to sink in. Heaven with cream or custard. There are 140 varieties of apples that are native to Ireland with wonderful names like 'Cavan Rose' and 'Irish Molly'. Any eating or cooking apple will work, so have fun experimenting with different types, not the same old same old!

Makes: 6

Seafood Chowder Pies

Recipe by Rozanne Stevens

Ireland is very fortunate to have such an abundance of fresh seafood - so important as part of a varied and healthy diet. I love to experiment with new recipes, but I still come back to old favourites like fish chowder. I fell in love with seafood chowder on a wet October weekend in Doolin when I moved to Ireland many years ago. I use this basic mixture in several different ways - delish over a baked potato too!

Serves: 8

Beef and Guinness Tagine

Recipe by Rozanne Stevens

Nothing is more Irish than a beef and Guinness casserole, but in the spirit of ish I had to change it up a bit. Guinness is quite bitter, so to balance that I took a cue from Moroccan cuisine and added dried prunes to the recipe. They break down and add to the rich, darkly delicious sauce. Every tagine needs a bit of spice, so I chose the allspice berry for another layer of warm flavour. You can add more root vegetables like parsnips and turnips for extra veggie power.

Minestrone pasta bake - This recipe originates from one of my all-time favourite cooks - Donal Skehan's minestrone soup. One of the many times I made this soup I accidentally put too much pasta in and as a result I was left with no actual soup.....just pasta. After debating whether to throw it out or keep it I decided to keep it and make use of it so I just tweaked the recipe a small bit and gave it my best!

Serves: 8

Total Time: 75

Minestrone pasta bake

This recipe originates from one of my all-time favourite cooks - Donal Skehan's minestrone soup. One of the many times I made this soup I accidentally put too much pasta in and as a result I was left with no actual soup.....just pasta. After debating whether to throw it out or keep it I decided to keep it and make use of it so I just tweaked the recipe a small bit and gave it my best!

Tagliatelle with Smoked Salmon - This is a recipe from an old Italian cookbook that we have here at home. It's so simple and needs very little salmon per person. It looks and tastes a lot posher than it really is - perfect for supper with friends so! Use a mix of both green and white tagliatelle for added colour.

Serves: 4

Total Time: 135

Tagliatelle with Smoked Salmon

This is a recipe from an old Italian cookbook that we have here at home. It's so simple and needs very little salmon per person. It looks and tastes a lot posher than it really is - perfect for supper with friends so! Use a mix of both green and white tagliatelle for added colour.