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I'll be cooking up a tasty pasta dish using some fantastic Irish cheese.  The lovely Elizabeth Ryan from Sheridan's Cheesemongers will be joining us to chat about a selection of different cheese available.

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Zesty Brocolli and Goats Cheese Orecchiette

This makes the perfect midweek supper, which can be easily thrown together with a few simple ingredients.   Serves 4 300g of orecchiette or other small pasta pieces 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets Zest of 1 lemon 1-2 teaspoons of dried chilli flakes 3 cloves of garlic, finely sliced 1 tablespoon of olive oil 150g of goats cheese A good glug of extra virgin olive oil to serve Sea salt and ground black pepper   Bring a large pot of water to the boil and drop the broccoli florets in. Allow to cook for 3-4 minutes until just tender, then remove from the pot and refresh in a bowl filled with ice cold water.   Bring the pot of water back to the boil, add in the orecchiette and cook according to the instructions on the pack or for about 12-15 minutes, until al dente.   While the pasta is cooking, add a good drop of olive oil to a frying pan over a medium high heat and fry the chilli flakes and garlic for 3-4 minutes. Drain the broccoli and then add it the pan, tossing to combine.   When the pasta is cooked, drain it and place it back in the pot. Toss through the broccoli, chilli and garlic and season with sea salt and ground black pepper. Then add the lemon zest and crumble in the goats cheese.   Gently fold the goats cheese in so that it doesn't break up and melt completely.   Serve the pasta straight away with a final generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.  

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Cheesy Cauliflower and Broccoli Bake

This is pure, unashamed, comfort-food indulgence! Don’t be scared of making the  sauce — it takes minutes. Serves 4 1 large head cauliflower, broken into florets head broccoli, broken into florets 50g/2oz butter 50g/2oz plain flour 500ml/18fl oz of warm milk 150g/5oz of cheddar cheese 1 tsp Dijon mustard Sea salt and ground black pepper Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5. Bring a pot of water to the boil, then add the cauliflower and broccoli florets and cook for no longer than two to three minutes — they should still have a good bite to them, as they will finish cooking in the oven. Drain them under cold water and set aside.   In a saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the flour quickly so you have a smooth paste. Gradually whisk in the warm milk and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a steady simmer for two minutes until the sauce becomes thick.   Remove from the heat and add in the cheese, Dijon mustard and season with sea salt and ground black pepper. Place the cauliflower and broccoli in a high-sided baking dish and pour over the cheese sauce. Top with a little extra grated Cheddar and another sprinkle of ground black pepper.   Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until the top is nice and golden. Serve in big hefty spoonfuls!

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Creamy Broccoli Pasta

I am huge fan of simple pasta dishes which are easy to throw together in a matter of minutes and this one definitely hit’s the spot. There is a wealth of in season vegetables at the moment and you can easily replace broccoli with asparagus or cauliflower and maybe some broad beans thrown in for good measure. If you can’t your hands on parpadelle pasta, tagliatelle will do just fine.

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Sesame Honey Duck with Broccoli

With just a few simple ingredients this is an easy dish to create and is really tasty.

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Broccoli Feta and Cherry Tomato Salad

I have been living on this salad over the last few weeks, so I thought I would stick it up here! It's really delicious and full of healthy ingredients, plus it's so easy to make!

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