Steak (grass-fed) on the griddle, such a quick and easy dinner.  Plus I get a higher ratio of Omega 3 fatty acids, to support my heart and brain.

Ingredients

• Steak
• Seasoning

Instructions
Depending on the thickness of your steak, here is a rough guide:
Rare to Medium-Rare Steak: two to three minutes per side over medium-high heat. Medium-Rare to Medium Steak: three to four minutes per side. Medium to Well-Done: four to five minutes per side

1. Heat your griddle pan
2. Season steak
3. Place of griddle, fat side first
4. The steak is then cooked in the rendered beef fat
5. Cooking time to taste, from guide above
6. Turn and enjoy

Floury spuds, with butter and steamed broccoli, plus home-made tandoori spice mix to sprinkle on my steak.  Enjoy!

Geraldine Fitzpatrick

Who does not love ice cream? In the hot weather there is a draw towards the cooler foods that reminds us of Summer days. I will put it out there…a raw milk ice cream would be divine. I went through a regular phase of making ice cream having been inspired by the Murphys in Kerry and their cookbook a few years ago. Over the years I tweaked the recipe to just be eggs, raw cream and honey.
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Whisking eggs and honey until thick and creamy. Adding raw cream and then into the icecream maker with vanilla pod seeds. 20 minutes and voila. To say there is no comparison is an understatement. Being nourished by such decadent goodness is really a revelation. No fussy eaters here!!

But this year I cannot find the attachment needed to make the ice cream and we have resorted to shop bought blocks and wafers when the need arises. How far into the Ultra Processed category has this food gone..my taste buds object as the addictive sweetness seduces..!!

I pledge to rip apart the house to find this attachment before its too late… a slippery slope of complacency is too easy to join. Wish me luck and throw in a prayer to St Anthony for me.. 

Anne Maher

The Great Plant-Based Con by Jayne Buxton

Delia Smith calls this the most incredible book. Sunday Times suggests it is persuasive, entertaining and well researched.

This is on my to read list for July but for a change am listening to it on audible as a taster. I  recently attended a conference where a very measured panel discussion on this topic was held and this is where I first heard about this book. My interest was peaked. It had to be dived into!
 Here is what Amazon have said.

Plant-based is best for health, go vegan to help save the planet, eat less meat... Almost every day we are bombarded with the seemingly incontrovertible message that we must reduce our consumption of meat and dairy - or eliminate them from our diets altogether.

But what if the pervasive message that the plant-based diet will improve our health and save the planet is misleading - or even false? What if removing animal foods from our diet is a serious threat to human health, and a red herring in the fight against climate change.

In THE GREAT PLANT-BASED CON, Jayne Buxton demonstrates that each of these 'what-ifs' is, in fact, a reality. Drawing on the work of numerous health experts and researchers, she uncovers how the separate efforts of a constellation of individuals, companies and organisations are leading us down a dietary road that will have severe repercussions for our health and wellbeing, and for the future of the planet.

THE GREAT PLANT-BASED CON is neither anti-plant nor anti-vegan - it is a call for us to take an honest look at the facts about human diets and their effect on the environment. Shocking and eye-opening, this book outlines everything you need to know to make more informed decisions about the food you choose to eat.

Dietary trends have come and gone over the past few decades (often with disastrous consequences)  and we need to be able to talk about the seemingly blanket solutions that are provided as the answer to all environmental problems.

It is time to pull back the reins on the eager policy makers who fail to question the narratives amid the censorship and agendas…

​Anne Maher

Summer, salad and sunny dressing!  We love the Wildwood Elderflower & Lemon dressing, it's one of the best dressing we have ever tasted.  The non-salad lovers in the house are now salad devotees!!! Reveiw by Cara
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Let us know which of our products are your favourites and why
Email Geraldine bookings@theurbanco-op.ie

Recent agricultural headlines were rather stark with the news of 200,000 cattle to be culled as part of the strategy to reduce emissions in Ireland. Headlines don’t refuse ink of course and while there is no definitive decision yet at policy level to follow through the topic generated considerable conversation worldwide. Elon Musk even contributed to the conversation with his “killing some cows doesn’t matter for climate change”.  Culling herds to meet targets of value does stir up a passion though of sorts and I am pondering it a lot. Reducing our access to real food directly and indirectly is the threat that hangs in the ether. Ah sure can’t we get used to the fake stuff…didn’t we buy in to the margarine story easily… all we need is a 3D printer for the artificial meat version. There are shadows of the “let them eat cake” scenario I fear… and we all know how that turned out. 

Anne Maher

Salad leaves and lettuce are one of the most wasted foods.  No one wants limp lettuce!

Here are two tips on how to keep your salad leaves and lettuce free for longer.

The first tip is from zerowasteweek.co.uk
Seperate the salad leaves and lettuce, put them in a container of water, and place in the fridge 

The second tip is from Neven Maguire
Wash salad leaves and lettuce, put them in a glass bowl, cover with wet kitchen roll and place in the fridge

I have been using Neven's tip for a few years and love that I have fresh lettuce daily.  I am off to try the first tip and see how that work's out.

Please send me your upcycling or zero waste ideas.
bookings@theurbanco-op.ie   Geraldine

After recently getting a very high cholesterol blood result (of the bad type), I decided to relook at my lifestyle.

Oats are great to help reduce cholesterol, however, I'm not at my best in the morning, I don't like the smell of porridge cooking!!! What was I to do?

Overnight oats - why not give it a try? Well, I am well and truly hooked. It is also ideal for the amazing sunny days we are having/.

Ingredients

• 50g oats
• 50g milk (I use half milk and half coconut water)
• Fruit of your choice about a handful
  I use frozen berries , and have been known to throw in a portion of frozen wheatgrass or tumeric
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon (or to taste) - you can also use honey, agave, chickory root etc
• A dollop of yogurt or peanut butter

Recipe

• Put oats in jar
• Pour in milk
• Add cinnamon
• Add frozen berries (or your preferred fruit choice)
• Cover and leave overnight
• The following morning you may wish to add more milk if it is too thick, I use frozen berries and don't need to add extra liquid
• In the morning add a dollop of yogurt or peanut butter for added protein

Geraldine Fitzpatrick

Vegan cake? what about the eggs?
 
As the story goes … a company making packaged cake mix were finding it hard to sell their product. The instructions said - just add water or milk. It was just too easy; it did not sell. Someone came up with the idea to add an egg or two, this way one felt that they were cooking from scratch … break the eggs, etc… and the mix flew off the shelf.
 
I make cake for every birthday in the house and for the last 15 years I have been vegan! No eggs, no dairy milk …
 
Easy Sponge Cake with a little pear
 
INGREDIENTS
Dry ingredient:

• 1 ½ cup of plain flour (or self-raising flour)
• ½ cup of granulated sugar (or a little more if like it really sweet)
• 1 tsp of baking powder (if using self-raising flour, leave this out)

 
Wet ingredient:

• 1 cup of soya / oat milk, even water
• ¼ cup oil
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 small pear, peeled, cored and chopped small, then cooked in a drop of water until soft.

 
METHOD

1. Mix dry ingredients together.
2. Mix the wet ingredients together, then include the pear (without any water)
3. Mix it all together.
4. Pour into a 20 cm greased spring form lined with parchment paper
5. Place into a hot oven at 180C / 360F for 40 minutes. Check with a knife or cake tester to see that it is cooked inside, it should come out dry.
6. Sprinkle with a little icing sugar before you serve.

 
Bon appétit !
 
Jacques
 HungrySoulVegan