Irish Chef and Author, Clodagh McKenna shares some of her favouite recipes from her new book, Happy Cooking, that we think you’re going to love.

SHAKSHUKA with greens, lentils & feta

I love anything that I call ‘one-and-done’, by which I mean it uses just one pan to cook and serve. The base of this shakshuka is lentils, which bring such substance to the dish. You can add any greens; I’ve suggested chard, but spinach, cavolo nero or kale are great, too. It’s a fantastic sharing dish for when you’ve got a full house: just pop it in the centre of the table with a pile of toast and it keeps everyone going for the day. The perfect brunch.

SERVES 4

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, finely sliced

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon harissa paste

10 chard stems, leaves and stalks roughly chopped

2 small courgettes, coarsely grated

400g (14oz) can of green or brown lentils, drained and rinsed

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

500ml (18fl oz) hot vegetable stock

4 large eggs

100g (3½oz) feta cheese, crumbled

1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley leaves

Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

Sourdough toast, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (400°F), Gas Mark 6.

2. Set a shallow flameproof casserole or large frying pan over a medium heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil has warmed, stir in the onion and garlic. Reduce the heat to low and allow to cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the paprika, cumin and harissa paste and cook for a further minute.

3. Add the chard and courgettes, stir, then cook for 5 minutes to wilt the greens. Next, stir in the lentils, lemon zest and hot stock. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally and seasoning with salt and pepper.

4. Make 4 wells in the pot with the back of a spoon and crack an egg into each. Cook until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, about 8 minutes.

5. Scatter the crumbled feta and parsley on top, then serve, with toasted sourdough, if you like.

INSTANT BENTO NOODLES

This is so fun! For all of us who lead busy lives and need a lunch on the go, here is a recipe that will be so useful. All you need to cook it at work is a kettle. I switch out the vegetables for whatever I have, as it’s great for using up leftover greens, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, green beans and so on. I’ve specified using brown rice noodles here. That’s because I’ve recently been moving more towards eating nutritious whole grains, such as brown rice and wholewheat couscous, rather than their refined equivalents, as well as using more wholemeal and less white flour in my baking. You can, of course, use any noodles you prefer, or that you have in the house.

SERVES 1 BUSY PERSON

50g (1¾oz) nest of noodles, ideally brown rice noodles

½ carrot, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks

1 spring onion, sliced

4 spears of purple-sprouting broccoli, halved lengthways

50g (1¾oz) greens – spinach, chard or kale – coarse stems removed, leaves finely sliced

Pinch of chilli flakes

2.5cm (1-inch) piece of root ginger, peeled and grated

1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley leaves, or coriander leaves

1 tablespoon miso paste

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

METHOD

1. Place the brown rice noodles, slightly broken, in an airtight lunch box or glass jar, or whatever you have. The only important thing is that you want it to be leak-proof for this.

2. Add the prepared vegetables, chilli flakes, ginger, herbs, miso paste and sesame oil. Close the box or jar.

3. When you are ready to eat the bento noodles, pour in enough boiling water to just cover the veg and noodles. Place the lid back on and leave to steam for 5 minutes, giving it a good shake every minute, then dig in!

BEETROOT-CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH COCONUT ICING

MAKES 12

If you’ve never tried a beetroot-chocolate cake, then you are in for such a treat! The beetroot brings a delicious moist texture and the cakes are majestically rich and deep in flavour, while remaining very light in texture. Topped with the exotic coconut icing, these are complete heaven!

300g (10½oz) cooked beetroot, peeled and cut into chunks

230g (8oz) pitted dates, chopped

115g (4oz) unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon tamari

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

85g (3oz) cacao powder

4 eggs

FOR THE ICING

165g (5¾oz) full-fat cream cheese

50g (1¾oz) coconut cream

2 tablespoons maple syrup

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C fan (375°F), Gas Mark 5.

2. Blend the beetroot in a food processor with the dates, melted butter, tamari and vanilla extract until smooth.

3. Add the cacao, then the eggs (adding them at the end helps stop the cacao travelling up the sides of the machine). Blend until smooth and creamy.

4. Line a 12-hole muffin tray with paper muffin cases and transfer the mixture into the cupcake cases. These don’t rise and puff up, so fill them almost to the top.

5. Bake for 17–19 minutes. The cakes are ready when still slightly soft in the middle and will firm up as they cool. Cool on a wire rack, then transfer to the refrigerator.

6. To make the icing, whisk all the ingredients together and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to thicken up.

7. Now spoon the icing on the cupcakes and eat. Pure bliss!

VEGGIE-VIBES POWER BOWL

SERVES 2

When I am feeling overworked and not taking the best care of myself, I make this salad in a big batch, to keep me going (it lasts three days in the refrigerator). When I fuel my body with fresh vegetables and proteins, I feel the difference after a few days, both physically and mentally.

2 beetroot, cooked, peeled and grated or julienned

2 carrots, peeled and grated or julienned

6 large chard leaves (or use kale, spinach or cavolo nero) finely chopped, all leaves chopped

10 broccoli florets, or spears of purple-sprouting broccoli, either slim or halved lengthways

400g (14oz) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon roughly chopped flat leaf parsley leaves

1 tablespoon torn or whole mint leaves

FOR THE LEMONY DRESSING

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon, plus lemon wedges to serve

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

100ml (3½fl oz) extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

1. Place all the ingredients for the lemony dressing in a large mixing bowl and whisk together, seasoning well.

2. Tip the prepared beetroot, carrots, chard or other greens, broccoli, chickpeas and herbs into the mixing bowl with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper and toss well, then serve, with lemon wedges on the side.