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Tom Ka Gai is a Thai soup which is traditionally made of coconut milk, galanghal, lemongrass and ginger.  This is my twist on it using turkey instead of chicken.

You can make these spring rolls with either turkey or ham or both.  If you have a lot of brussel sprouts leftover, you can finely chop them and add them in instead of the Chinese cabbage.

This tart is not only delicious but also makes the most of leftover ham and cheese.  The true highlight of dish however is the caramelised red onions.

These make a very elegant Christmas starter and are quite easy to prepare.  You can make these ahead of time and they will puff up again when you place them back in the oven.

Cardamom is a widely used spice in Sweden and is used quite a lot particularly in baking.  Roast vegetables and cardamom are a wonderful combination and with a little drizzle of honey these are the perfect accompaniment to any Christmas dinner.

Halloween is trundling towards us at a fairly alarming speed. I for one can’t wait, it’s always been one of the highlights of my year. Ireland has plenty of Halloween traditions and even my own family has lots of it’s own. When we were growing up we had a French visitor who showed us the light and convinced us to save those yucky seeds from the centre of our pumpkin, which, when cleaned and toasted with a little butter and salt, make the perfect little autumn snack. Barmbrack always appeared in our lunch boxes around... 

Prawns can be a little daunting if you haven't cooked them before but to be honest they literally take minutes under the grill and this really simple recipe transforms them into the perfect sweet and spicy party food!  They can be tricky if you can't get your hands on the prawns prepared, but don't be put off if you can't. Simply spend a few minutes removing the heads and peeling the outer shells, and they are ready to rock.

These are a truly elegant addition to any party spread.  Oysters are always a talking point that can split any group of party goers, it's like marmite you either love them or hate them.  I'm a huge fan of the salty fresh flavors and would normally eat them with just a little Tabasco sauce, but I find to entice first time oyster eaters, this delicious Vietnamese dressing does the trick!

This super tasty soup has become a classic in our house, it was always requested on sick days home from school. I always find sweetcorn lends a warm and comforting taste to soups and its bright colour puts a smile on my face. Try not to skimp on ingredients for this one, it tastes best when you use the best ingredients – homemade stock and fresh ginger are a must!

This method reduces pungent red onion to a sticky delicious delight which goes wonderfully with meat, mashed potato or even as a tasty addition to a quick starter.  I love having that extra little touch that takes a meal to another level, with very little effort!  You could use red wine vinegar here if you don't have balsamic vinegar to hand.

Mussels have a reputation for being difficult to cook, but this is just not true. The hardest part in reality is the washing. Place them in cold water (they should close, if they don't you should throw them away). Scrub any dirt off the surface of the mussels and remove the beard with a small knife. If you can get this down you will have no trouble and they take minutes to cook, so they're the perfect little starter.  I love serving the pot straight to the table from the stove and clunking large spoonfuls of the cooked steaming mussels onto guest's plates. Make sure to serve with some chunky bread to mop up the juices!

Mushrooms can have the marmite effect on some people, you either love them or hate them. In my case I love them and while you can pick them up quite easily in most supermarkets, nothing is more satisfying than picking them yourself. If you are lucky enough to come across a bumper load of them in the forest, in my opinion you have to enjoy them straight away cooked as simply as this.

Even my just about overripe Avocado, is one of the true underrated super foods-  It's packed with essential fatty acids, Vitamin K and antioxidants- it also makes a lovely face mask! (But you didn't hear that from me...) Radish's are often linked to aiding digestive problems and are beneficial for the teeth and gum's- So overall this salad is packed with nutrition and is a perfect Good Mood Food recipe!

Gravadlax is truly a thing of beauty, and although quite different in taste, is what I like to think of as Sweden‘s answer to our delicious smoked salmon! It sounds quite complicated but I’m here to tell you that isn’t the case and you can produce this seriously impressive dish with a minimal amount of hassle! The man I bought the fish from actually suggested using honey instead of sugar as he said it produces a slightly different taste, but it's up to you!

This is a super simple little supper which can be thrown together in the time it takes to cook the pasta. To be honest, if you can't get peas straight from the garden it's almost better to use frozen here, as peas begin to loose their natural sugars as soon as they're picked, so even fresh ones in the supermarket probably won't be as good as you will get frozen. This recipe is easily adapted with most leftovers you might have in the fridge. I love a little bit of chorizo added here or maybe some freshly chopped basil with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.

Lamb is in season right now and if you are looking for something a little different try this spicy rub.  Today's recipe is a bit of change up for the traditional lamb chop.  While I love the simple and delicious flavours of lamb sometimes it's nice to mix things up and try something a little different, which is why I love this spicy rub.  The spice rub also works well on other meats too so give it a go!