Stews

I am not a trained cook; I grew up in a family of us all having to help in order for the day to be a success between school runs, swimming, sports and music commitments, and home-work. My brothers are skilled cooks also; there was no separation of tasks between boy and girl; everything was equal rights!

So we all learnt to cook in the traditional old-fashioned Protestant way. “Real food” in other words and no fear of fats; until in later years when this was wrongfully drilled into our parents and Flora and Stork margarine then appeared on the scene.

Foods back in the 80’s were more basic, food budgets tighter and the choice of vegetables and fruits more limited. We didn’t suffer for this; it just was what it was, more basic. We enjoyed meat, fish and poultry with vegetables and potatoes, stir-fries were a Saturday night bonding between my dad and I, mum made a spaghetti Bolognese to die for, pasta was rare, and we enjoyed some Irish curries 🙂 loaded with vegetables on rice on occasion.

My vegetarian stint was most likely a major inconvenience to my mother but she rose to the food challenge and we probably all benefitted from new food ideas and a bit more variety.

I now live in a busy house of two self-employed long-working hours persons. My boyfriend and I both train 6 to 7 days a week. We love food, we love home-cooking and we value and appreciate our bodies. You must nourish and fuel well to stay healthy, fit, and strong. It takes a continued and persistent effort to locate, buy and prepare good food and to not get caught out on busy days. As much as we love food, we don’t have time for fancy cooking and recipe book reviews so what gets prepped in this kitchen comes from the heart.

Why stews?

Our busy lives mean that we often enjoy a slow cooked stew; they bring warmth, comfort, nourishment, and multiple health benefits. They also pack up well for lunch and freeze well for a busy day’s meal. Stews are also a light and easily digestible meal and a super choice for weight management.

I am going to detail a few of the recent recipes in our house to hopefully inspire you to see that making a nice stew is quite easy and can be a very economical option.

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