Aine Carlin's Blog, page 11
January 6, 2015
‘New Year, New You’ Cannellini Bean & Spring Green Stew
It’s a new year folks and I for one am ready to wipe the slate clean and start anew. Sayonara 2014, I’ve seen enough of your sorry ass and I’m more than ready to move on. In honour of this fresh beginning we have laid out before us (please be kind 2015!) I’ve decided to strip things right back to basics. Nothing fancy. No unpronounceable ingredients or long-winded instructions. Simply a straightforward stew. Comforting. Familiar. Seasonal. And super easy to make. I (and I hope you) approve.
I talked of resolutions in my last post and I’m pleased to inform you that one in particular has been something of revelation. The whole ‘no internet before bed’ thing is having a staggering effect on my sleep. Not forcing stimulation on my already tired, social-media sensitized brain is like a magic cure for overactive minds that tend to worry into the wee hours of the night. It’s quite literally like turning off the light in my head. If you haven’t made such a resolution yourself, I seriously urge you to give it a go – especially if you’re in need of a good nights kip like myself.
Back to the stew then. Straight-up comfort food is what I’m after during these dark months – not least in January when my morale is at an all time low. Just when I think I have a handle on things, boom, something else sidles out of the woodwork just to add an extra level of stress to my day. Hence the ultra pared down images with minimal accessories, which kinda reflect my current need to focus on the job at hand without any major distractions. Chance would be a fine thing.
I realise this probably all sounds like I’m talking in code but suffice to say the second book is underway meaning the next few months are going to be cra-zy. Not least because the current book is yet to be released in the US (it’s launching in Feb, by the way) so it’s all systems go. I’ll be blogging as much as I can during this hectic period – I actually find a lot of solace here and it’s also a great way for me to flesh out ideas. For now though, a soothing bowl of spring green stew it is.
what you’ll need
1 tbsp olive oil
2 brown onions
2 large carrots
3 celery sticks
1 sprig rosemary
several sprigs of thyme
a few sage leaves
4 cloves garlic
5 salad potatoes
1 vegetable stock cube
380g drained cannellini beans
two large handful spring greens
salt and pepper
30g flat leaf parsley
what you’ll do
heat the olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan. roughly chop the onion, carrot and celery and add to pan. season, cover and sweat for several minutes until they begin to soften.
finely chop the rosemary, thyme and sage. add to pan and stir to coat. sweat for several more minutes. finely slice the garlic and add to pan. cover and let the garlic infuse for a few minutes.
roughly chop the salad potatoes and add to pan. stir to combine before covering with water and adding the stock cube. bring to gently simmer and cook for around 10-15minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through.
add the spring greens followed by the drained and rinsed cannellini beans, season and cover. let the greens wilt into the stew before stirring to combine, then simmer gently for around 10minutes. check seasoning and serve with a generous scattering of freshly chopped flat leaf parsley. a hunk of crusty bread would be perfect to mop up any juices too.
December 31, 2014
2014… the year that was
Well folks, that’s a wrap. For 2014 anyway. It’s been a mix of the very good (I released my first cookbook and signed a deal for the second) and the very bad (my Dad was diagnosed with Brain Cancer) – I think that’s called irony or perhaps it’s just ‘life’. Thankfully we have rallied together at this traumatic time and even though we’ve been essentially knocked for six, we enter the New Year positive and full of hope. Heck, what’s the other option?
I thought it would be an appropriate time then to take a look through the blog and pluck out a few of my highlights. As ever, I’m always looking to improve my content and I’m still refining my style (whether it be food or fashion) and the yearly blog review is a great way of tracking my tastes and how they continue to evolve. Being self-critical is par for the course in this game (as my fellow bloggers will verify) and whilst I’ll be the first to point out my failings, I find it nigh impossible to take a compliment graciously. So, even though I’m not one for resolutions I’m hoping to take it a little easier on myself in 2015… well, I’ll certainly try.
Other ‘resolutions’ (such as they are) include (1.) Eating our evening meal at the table (2.) Not using our phones before bedtime and (3.) Spending more time in the sea. In between I’ll be squirreling away on my new book (whilst still trying to promote this one – the US launch is in Feb!), getting back to Derry as much as I feasibly can to see my Dad and living my beautiful Cornish life. From me to you then I wish you all a peaceful, happy and successful New Year – see you on the flip side!
from the top…
2. Vegan Beetroot Chocolate Cake
5. Pomegranate & Thyme Mocktail
6. Vegan Wholemeal ‘Buttermilk’ Scones
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