Get a taste for summer with these dishes made from the Dunnes Stores Simply Better range, by Chef Neven Maguire
Summer is just around the corner and I am delighted to be returning to the Ideal Home Show again this week. Over the three days of the show, I will be demonstrating some really delicious recipes using some of my favourite ingredients from the Dunnes Stores Simply Better Collection and also products from my Cook with Neven Maguire range.
I will be cooking nine different dishes per day, all inspired by the warmer weather that is to come over the summer months. At this time of year our slow cookers are placed into hibernation and we want quick and easy solutions that allow us to make the most of the warm summer days and long bright evenings.
My summer salad recipes, steak salad with blue cheese dressing and grilled chicken salad with Italian pepper dressing, are perfect for alfresco dining and a real treat if you are hosting friends or family for lunch or dinner. My lemon meringue trifle can be served up as a show stopping centre piece dessert or served in individual glasses or bowls – either way it will really impress your guests.
My Italian dinner recipes are perfect for midweek meals. Pesto stuffed chicken with rustic mixed potatoes is an ideal one tray dinner that takes minutes to prepare and can be served straight to the table for all the family to enjoy. My recipe for Ravioli with Butternut Squash and Caramelised Pecans is a dinner party worthy recipe bursting with flavour and the classic Italian panna cotta recipe is given an Irish twist with organic Irish jersey milk and Irish strawberries from my friend, Pat Clarke.
We have some of the best seafood in the world and shouldn’t be afraid to cook it at home, my Organic Irish Salmon & Asparagus Wraps with Basil Pesto recipe is so versatile and can be cooked in the oven, on the hob or even on the barbecue. A holiday in Spain isn’t complete without a nice bowl of Spanish paella, my Prawn & Chorizo rice bake will deliver all those delicious flavours of summer and can be cooked and served in my skillet pan. Finally, my glazed apple tarts with sea salted toffee sauce are an ideal summer bake. Whether it’s for a picnic on a sunny day or the end to a delicious Sunday dinner, these apple tarts can be assembled in minutes and served warm with some Irish made ice cream and toffee sauce to satisfy any sweet tooth.
I hope you enjoy the show this week, make sure to pop by the Simply Better stand and meet some of the great Irish food and drink producers sampling their products and check out my cookware range on the Cook with Neven Maguire stand. And don’t be afraid to ask me a question if you’re sitting in the audience at one of my demos, I’m always happy to help!
Don’t miss out on Dunnes Stores Simply Better brand ambassador Neven Maguire’s cookery demos at the Dunnes Stores Simply Better Chef’s LIVE Theatre. Neven will be hosting cookery demos three times per day and there will be a raffle at each demo. There are 5 x €100 Dunnes Stores gift cards to be won at each demo and one lucky winner will get to bring a friend up on stage to sit at Neven’s Chef’s table and sample the delicious dishes Neven cooks.
Dunnes Stores Simply Better Chef’s Live Theatre Timetable
| Friday, 21st April | |
| 11.30am – 12.30pm | Alfresco Dining |
| 1.30pm – 2.30pm | Italian Dinners |
| 3.45pm – 4.45pm | Sensational Seafood |
| Saturday & Sunday 22nd – 23rd April | |
| 11.00am – 12.00pm | Alfresco Dining |
| 1.30pm – 2.30pm | Italian Dinners |
| 4.00pm – 5.00pm | Sensational Seafood |