Lamb Stew

Healthy Nourishing Recipes to Try at Home

Going into the New Year we believe it is important to maintain a positive outlook now more than ever. Our Restart & Reset 2021 initiative aims to reinforce this positive policy by encouraging our customers to remain active, eat well and start that year as we mean to continue. In helping our customer’s kick-start 2021 we will continue to offer our customers healthy nourishing food made with the best seasonal Irish produce. At the centre of our Restart & Reset Campaign is the arrival of our new Nourish Pack, a collection of healthy nourishing meal options to kick-start the year. This along with all of our Fresh Food Hampers can delivered to your door nationwide.

In line with this here are a couple of healthy and nourishing recipes for a cold snowy January recommended by award winning head Chefs. We suggests these healthy recipes for you to try and enjoy in the coming months!

 

Irish Lamb Stew

 

Ingredients:

1 kg diced Irish lamb (neck)

245g diced white onion

4g crushed garlic

4 g thyme and rosemary (from your garden if possible)

32g lrish salted butter

32g plain flour

160g good white wine

700g good chicken stock

245g diced carrots 20 x 20 mm

200g diced celeriac 20 x 20 mm

245g diced potatoes 40 x 40 mm

16g flat leaf parsley

 

Method:

  1. Fry lamb in hot pot until sealed and golden on the outside
  2. Remove and let fat strain off
  3. Add onions, garlic, thyme and rosemary and fry on a low heat until soft.
  4. Add butter and allow melting, adding flour and making a roux.
  5. Add white wine and reduce by half.
  6. Add chicken stock and bring to the boil.
  7. Add lamb, carrots, celeriac and potatoes.
  8. Simmer for 1 hour or until the lamb is tender and cooked
  9. Add parsley and serve in large bowls with Butler’s Pantry white crusty bread.

 

Smoked Veg Chilli

 

Ingredients:

280g cracked bulgur wheat

140g diced white onion

7g crushed garlic

7g cumin seed crushed

6g smoked paprika

7g dried marjoram

200g kidney beans (tinned)

170g small-diced mixed peppers 10 x 10mm

100g small-diced red onions

170g small-diced courgettes 10 x 10 mm

10g smoked chipotles chillies

450g good veg stock

800g tomato pulp

10g Dijon mustard

 

Method:

 

  1. Gentle fry white onions, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, dried marjoram and smoked chipotles.
  2. Add bulgur wheat and gentle stir; allow absorbing of all the spices.
  3. Add white wine, reduce by half.
  4. Add veg stock and tomato pulp, cook out until bulger is cooked, 20mins.
  5. In separate frying pan, quick fry on high heat, peppers, red onions and courgettes, colour on all sides.
  6. Add veg, kidney beans and Dijon mustard to bulgur wheat.
  7. Serve in large bowls with Butler’s Pantry white crusty bread.

 

 

Our Staff’s Top Walks for January

“At the Butler’s Pantry we believe the key to good eating in 2021 should be free of past restrictions and involve eating healthy nourishing food cooked from scratch using fresh whole ingredients”

The past year has been tough for all of us so now we invite our customers to join our Reset 2021 Initiative. Our positive policy aims to kick-start a New Year of eating well and getting outdoors by focusing on fresh, wholesome, nourishing ingredients. All our meals are made, using the best seasonal Irish produce available, with no additives or preservatives.

Our Reset 2021 Initiative will make it easy for all our customers to eat well and enjoy a delicious and healthy start to the New Year.

With this in mind we include a list of our staff’s favourite walks in and around some of our stores. Grab yourself and coffee and check out some of the beautiful walks in your area that Dublin has to offer.

 

1. Sandymount – Sandymount Strand

Less than a 10 minute walk from our Sandymount Store, Sandymount Strand offers a relaxing walk that includes pleasant views of the Poolbeg, Irishtown Nature Park and Dun Laoghaire.  The walk is roughly a 1km long and for those seeking further adventure can be extended out to the Poolbeg Lighthouse for a stunning sea view.

 

2. Castleknock – Farmleigh Park

Roughly a 10 minute walk from Castleknock Village, close to Phoenix Park, you’ll discover Farmleigh. Perfect for a relaxing weekend stroll, this small park has a wide variety of large mature trees and a beautiful artificial lake. Here Farmleigh House is the main attraction and boasts beautiful gardens, well worth a look.

 

3. Donnybrook – Herbert Park

5 minutes’ walk from our Donnybrook store this is a lovely green inner-city space. Dog friendly and filled with grassy areas including a wide variety of colourful trees. The park includes a playground with Croquet, Tennis and bowling fields. So grab yourself a coffee and take a stroll morning or afternoon or enjoy a spot of the lunch on one of the parks many benches.

 

4. Clontarf/Raheny – Saint Anne’s Park

A short hop will take you to Saint Anne’s park with it’s magnificent prize winning rose gardens, impressive water features and interesting historical background. For a casual stroll or a strenuous workout, the park is suited for all ages young and old. Ideal for dog walkers and parents of small children

 

5. Harcourt – St Stephens Green

Situated a few minutes from our beautiful new store at the bottom of Harcourt Street, Stephens Green is an inner city gem. With over 3km of pathways, a choice of benches and grassy areas, this park has been enjoyed by Dubliners for 2 centuries. The parks large lush greenery and historic monuments offer a relaxing distraction from rush hour traffic and an ideal place to enjoy a coffee and pastry.

So next time you visit these stores be sure to treat yourself to a relaxing walk in the above as recommended by our staff!

Think Pink for October

Think Pink for October

Our Mission

The Butler’s Pantry is proud to announce a 2 year ‘Charity of the Year’ partnership with the Irish Cancer Society, to raise much needed funds, through fundraising initiatives with our staff and customers. As part of our partnership, we are running the ‘Cupcakes Against Breast Cancer’ Pink Campaign for Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October.

The Irish Cancer Society’s vision is a cancer-free future. To achieve that goal, they provide vital services and support to those affected by cancer. Money raised by the charity is spent on cancer research, education and prevention.

Night Nursing Service

We specifically chose the Irish Cancer Society Night Nursing Services, which provides end-of-life homecare for cancer patients and their families. These nurses will sit with your loved ones through the night, working to provide the highest standard of nursing care. This service is heavily reliant on public contributions and is entirely funded by generous donations.

On average, one night of care costs €350. This service is provided free of charge and is available to families for up to 10 nights. This vital support and expert care offers comfort to those when needed most in an anxious and troubling time.

Although most common in women over the age of 50, breast cancer can develop in people of all ages. Breast Cancer Awareness Month is all about encouraging people to inform themselves and others about this disease, while raising much-needed funds to provide treatment and comfort for the patients and their families.

Your Role

This October, we are encouraging our customers to Think Pink and get involved in Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Throughout the month, we will be selling our very own Pink cupcakes, with €2.50 from each going directly to the charity. These delicious treats will be handmade in our kitchens with weekly changes in flavour. Our creations will feature delicious fresh ingredients such as raspberry, strawberry confit and rose. We will also have The Irish Cancer Society Pink Pins available for purchase at our tills. We will remind our wonderful customers to Think Pink for the month of October!

 

For further information and contributions visit www.cancer.ie

vegetarian

Healthy Vegetarian Choices

vegetarian

 

Being a vegetarian for the past 20 something years, I often find it difficult to find tasty wholesome meals, especially when on the run. Like so many of us, I lead a very busy lifestyle. I sometimes feel that it can be hard not to reach for the quick, unhealthy fast food choices that are readily available. It always seems like these are easier to come by than healthy and wholesome food to go.

At the Butler’s Pantry where I work as a Retail Manager there are plenty of choices when it comes to healthy, nutritious vegetarian and vegan options. Our chefs are always adding to the range. They love to showcase fresh and seasonal produce. In the shops, we are seeing a growing interest for more veggie options. A lot of customers are trying out ‘Meatless Monday’ or simply incorporating more vegetarian options into their diet. It’s a lovely, light way to eat.

I have had tried many of these meals after work and really love the fact they are easily heated in the microwave taking only a few minutes. Perfect when you are tired after a long day. The best part is they are totally guilt free as they are made with the finest ingredients, from scratch in our kitchens, just as you would cook at home!

As well as main meals we also have a range of wholesome soups such a Roasted Root Veg with Thyme and Honey. Delicious accompanied by some rustic baguette! Our salads and sandwiches are great options too. Try our Ardsallagh Goats Cheese and Beetroot Salad or our Falafel Wrap for a lovely lunch or light supper option.

My favourite dish is the Greek Stew with Roasted Root Vegetables, Feta Cheese and Olives. It’s packed full of nutritious goodness and full of flavour. If you close your eyes you can almost imagine you are on holidays in the Mediterranean!

Our new Spring/Summer Menu introduces even more choices such as the Aubergine Parmigiana or Thai Vegetarian Curry, absolutely delightful!

Lisa

Retail Manager,

Monkstown

Buckwheat

Buckwheat the Wonder Seed

Here at The Butler’s Pantry, our chefs are always monitoring trends and experimenting with innovation in food. One such innovation that we have introduced is the use of buckwheat in the tart base of our lemon meringue tart.

While the name might suggest that buckwheat is a cereal grain, it is actually a fruit seed that’s related to the rhubarb and sorrel plants. The flowers from the buckwheat plant are extremely fragrant and are attractive to bees who product a special, dark honey from them. The edible part of buckwheat are the seeds.

 

What are the Health Benefits?

Buckwheat flour is undoubtedly healthier that regular flour. This nutrient packed, gluten-free seed is considered by many to be a superfood. It is rich in protein, insoluble fibre and important minerals such as zinc, manganese and copper. It’s packed with antioxidants like tannins, catechin and rutin. It has a high polyphenol content, a micronutrient that is only gotten through some plant based foods.

Buckwheat 2

Buckwheat is also known to have blood sugar and cholesterol lowering effects and the ability to improve digestion. It offers a high amount of total carbohydrates yet it scores low on the glycaemic index (GI). This is the measure of how quick your body absorbs carbohydrates. If the food has a low GI score, your blood sugars will rise slowly and won’t spike. This makes it a great food for someone with diabetes as it keeps the blood sugar regulated.

As buckwheat is a fruit seed as opposed to a cereal grain, it’s a wonderful substitute for grains for those who are sensitive to wheat, gluten or any other grains. So full of nutrients, zero gluten and no fat, what’s not to love!

 

How can it be used?

Buckwheat is becoming more and more popular as consumers become more aware of its health benefits. It’s a great breakfast option when used in cereals, porridge and pancakes. It’s also a wonderful addition to salads, makes a delicious crust for a creamy chicken pie or eaten as buckwheat noodles or pasta which are readily available on the market. At The Butler’s Pantry, we are now using buckwheat flour for the base of our lemon meringue tart. The buckwheat flour is 100% organic and it makes a delicious sweet dough for our pie. It adds a nutty and roasted flavour which compliments the sharpness of the lemon curd and the sweetness of the Italian meringue. The buckwheat adds a lovely ‘snap’ to the base which is a delicious texture. It also means that our lemon meringue tart is now flourless so is a great option for those with gluten intolerance.

Why not visit one of our shops and treat yourself to our new and improved lemon meringue pie? We’d love to hear what you think of our addition of buckwheat!