I had the immense pleasure of interviewing Sheila Kiely for The Food Hour show and we talked bout her busy life as a mother of 6, running her husband’s business and writing two cookbooks on top of that. I met Sheila a few years ago just after
she published her first book ‘Gimme the Recipe’ and have to admit, she hasn’t aged at all. Her cookbook on the other hand has grown up. While ‘Gimme the Recipe’ was all about easy recipes that fit into a busy lifestyle and was all about her children. Enjoy! is the grown up version and this time, it’s all about taking time to enjoy not only the result but the preparation and cooking process. What makes Enjoy! stand out is that all ingredients are easily obtainable without anyone having to travel to some tribe in the depth of the jungle to gather some unknown berries that would make all the difference to the dish.
As with ‘Gimme the Recipe’, the book is divided into chapters of breakfast, Simple Suppers, Veggie, Meat etc. Sheila has written the book in the way, she reads cookbooks herself. The team behind the book is a Who’s Who in the food world. Marta Miklinska (photographer), Jette Verdi (Stylist), Kristen Jensen (editor) and Sarah O’Flaherty (graphic designer) have brought to life Sheila’s vision of Enjoy! and you can see it in every page, photo and wording. The photos invite you into the kitchen and I challenge you not to get hungry and planning your next supper in your head while reading through the book.
My personal favourites are Golden Granola (page 18), Mediterranean Chicken & Vegetables with Homemade Ketchup (page 52), Cheat’s Wellington with Jameson Jus (page 77) and White Christmas Biscuit Cake (page172). Sheila also gives some great ideas for baked potatoes and a delicious antipasti board.
This book is not a coffee table accessory but a book that belongs in the kitchen and should have stains on it pretty soon. The recipes are easy to read and follow and novices will be able to re-create these dishes and increase their skills along the way.
The book is available from Waterstones and Eason’s as well as the publisher website of Mercier Press and you can listen to the interview here.
Disclaimer: I have not been paid to write this review but was given the book as a gift by Sheila. My review was not affected by the gift.
But don’t just limit yourself to the books – Sheila’s blog Gimme the Recipe is a treasure chest of recipes – I took the liberty of sharing the Black Pudding Cannelloni which I am definitely going to try.
Black Pudding & Feta Cannelloni.
Serves 4. 
You will need:
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
Black pudding – 280g approx
100g spinach leaves
100g frozen peas
50g pinenuts
Block of feta cheese – 200g approx
Box dry Cannelloni tubes (16) – 200g
Creme fraiche – 250g
Milk – 200ml
1 tsp English Mustard
Cheddar – 50g
Method:
Pre-heat a fan oven to 180C.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan. Slice the black pudding into rounds and fry for 3 minutes on both sides then place in a large bowl.
Add the spinach to the empty pan used for the pudding and add a little splash of water, cover with a lid for 1 minute to wilt the spinach. Remove the spinach to some kitchen paper and squeeze away excess moisture. Chop the wilted spinach and add to the pudding. Use a fork to crumble the pudding and combine with the spinach.
Wipe out the pan and dry-fry the pine nuts until turning golden – watch carefully as they will burn easily.
Meanwhile place the frozen peas in a jug of boiling water.
Once the pine nuts have toasted mix in with the pudding and spinach.
Crumble in the feta block and combine the mixture with a fork.
Finally drain the peas and add into the pudding mixture and mix well.
Use a whisk to combine the creme fraiche, milk and mustard in a jug/bowl and set aside.
Fill the cannelloni tubes either using a piping bag or a teaspoon, packing the mixture right in.
Place the stuffed tubes in a baking dish, pour over the creme fraiche sauce and grate over the cheddar.
Bake in the hot oven at 180 for 20 minutes and then turn down to 160 for a further 20 minutes.
Great served with a simple green leaf salad.
