Dad's Cuisine

Baked sweet potato stuffed with spinach and omelette Loaded with protein and fibre, this low-fat baked sweet potato stuffed with spinach omelette is an all-in-one meal that will keep you going for hours!  When I was a student, I can't say that cooking was my strong point. Away from Mum's healthy, varied diet, I survived on burgers, fries and pizza. When I did 'cook', I wasn't very adventurous: it was pasta or baked potatoes on rotation  I'd bake them in the microwave, load them with cheese and far too much butter, scoff them up in minutes and run out the door. Ah, those halcyon days when exercise consisted of dancing in clubs and running to lectures (or the pub), and I laughed in the face of carbs. I ate so many baked potatoes that I didn't go near them for years after I left University. So I decided to revisit this kitchen classic from my student days with this baked sweet potato stuffed with spinach omelette . It's a little more exci

Caramelized onions and Camembert tart with hazelnut pastry This sweet and savoury tart with caramelized onions and melted Camembert is just the ticket when you want to indulge yourself on a cold winter evening. While preparing this recipe for caramelized onions and Camembert tart , I was transported back to my Mum's kitchen. I would often wander in to find her leaning over the kitchen counter, crying her eyes out and brandishing a sharp knife - no, she wasn't about to carry out a crime de passion ; she was merely chopping onions. And although I did shed a few tears making this, I think I may have found the best way to chop onions without crying - or at least to stem the flow of tears as much as possible.  I really love to make dishes with caramelized onions: they add a delicious sweetness to any savoury dish. I was inspired to make this recipe after my uncle visited my father recently. We hadn't seen him for about ten years, and Dad was thrilled to be able to s

A BIT ABOUT ONIONS Onions are used so often in cooking that their benefits are often overlooked, yet there's so much more to them than meets the (teary) eye! Onions are highly versatile root vegetables that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals, low in calories, and bursting with flavour. What's not to love? As well as Vitamin C, Vitamin B-6 and sulphur, onions contain fibre and add flavour to dishes like curries, lasagne, soups, stews and everything in between.  Let's take a closer look at that most humble of kitchen staples: the onion. Cooking onions Onions come in a variety of colours, shapes and sizes. The most common are yellow, white and red. Red onions are great for adding a touch of color to your dishes, and their mild flavour makes them an ideal addition to salads and dips. Chives, shallots and leeks are also part of the onion family, while spring onions have a lovely mild and sweet flavour. A great many people enjoy eating raw onions