Author: Nashua Gallagher

Chunky Triple Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

~ Nashua Gallagher ~ Leave a comment

This is my ultimate bake. Simple, satisfying and has at times functioned in place of an emotional support animal. Get right down to the recipe below + a mobile friendly version, and keep scrolling for tips and more.

All you really need to know is that my love for the humble chocolate chip cookie is a borderline obsession. If that’s enough to convince you to make this recipe – here you go:

…..Or save this quick reference image on your phone.

This recipe began its life fifteen years ago (!) as the Best, Big, Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe on allrecipies.com. I’ve spent the last decade and a half tweaking it to taste. A note on some of the ingredients:

CHEWINESS There are several components to this recipe to maximise on chewiness. Using two kinds of sugar, an additional egg yolk and softer butter all help with this. Using white sugar as well as brown sugar keeps it crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside. Win/Win.

BUTTER You may notice that I’ve specified a weird half-melted state for the butter. This is because I live in the tropics and melting the butter completely leads to a greasier cookie and doesn’t hold shape as well as I’d like, even after refrigeration. I have a 700watt microwave, so a quick 15-20 second blast helps achieve the below. It’s definitely liquid in places, but has a thicker consistency than completely melted butter.

SUGARS Any packed (fine-grain) brown sugar works. I’ve used Light Brown, Dark Brown or Muscovado with success. The darker the sugar the deeper the flavour, so if you don’t want a deep molasses after-tase, opt for a lighter brown sugar.

CHOCOLATE I’m not a fan of ready-made chocolate chips as they vary greatly in flavour and quality. Chocolate is the star of this cookie so you want to use something that will help it shine. My go-to is Lindt 100g bars of milk, dark and white.

REFRIGERATION Do not skip this step! Once you’ve beaten the everlasting life out of your softened butter, you’ve got to help it solidify in order to hold all the ingredients together when it goes into a hot oven. Don’t risk a goopy sad cookie after all that effort. Refrigerating cookie dough helps control spread. Keeping it in the fridge for at least an hour ensures that you won’t end up with a thin, inconsistent batch. This is especially true for this recipe as it calls for the butter to have such a soft consistency. I also keep my ‘dough snake’ it in the fridge between batches for consistency.

I’ve even made the batter a day or two in advance and baked cookies fresh as needed! (But I stopped doing this because we quickly found out that ‘as needed’ was all the time in this household…)

VANILLA is also sort of optional. I cannot believe I’m saying this, because I put vanilla essence in every bake, whether or not it’s called for, but a recent shortage at the shops has led to this discovery. I still recommend it because of the nostalgic pull of the scent and flavour but yes – not actually essential for this recipe if you’ve run out!

WALNUTS are optional, but texturally required in my opinion to add some crunch to an otherwise heavenly-soft cookie. You could also try any other kind of nut, or oats.

BAKE TIME varies based on your oven, cookie size and chewiness preference. A longer bake yields a crispier cookie. Play around and see what works for you. For my oven, 9-10 minutes is the sweet spot. For years, I used a smaller table-top oven, with an optimal bake time of 7 minutes. I know the cookies are done when they look like they are about to get crisp edges. They don’t look wet, but are still a little puffy.

When they first come out of the oven they will be pale and fragile so it’s important to leave it untouched on the tray to harden before transferring to a wire rack.

This cookie is a family staple and has doled out the yum for friends, family and neighbours over the years. If you make it, I’d love to know how it turned out for you.

an ELEPHANT sized dash of Nash…

~ Nashua Gallagher ~ Leave a comment

Keeping Asian elephants wild

*New* section to the site featuring fundraising and advocacy efforts for the Asian elephant. Check it out here!

  • Read about the plight of the Asian elephant
  • Help keep Sri Lanka’s wild elephants wild by purchasing an elephant figurine
  • Links, resources and trusted organisations – will keep adding to this!

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Hong Kong Book Fair 2018

~ Nashua Gallagher ~ Leave a comment

The videos for the seminars I was a part of for the Hong Kong Book Fair this year are now up on YouTube.

Rebellious Daughters, Sisters and Wives: Non-Conforming Women As Archetypes in Indian Diaspora Fiction Writing

Romance Along The Silver Way: Baroque Love Poetry And Prose From The Spanish-speaking World

 

Coming of Age in Hong Kong

~ Nashua Gallagher ~ Leave a comment

Coming of AgeAn Asian Cha reading series event.

Join me and David McKirdy as we discuss poetry, writing, growing up in Hong Kong, and the ever elusive idea of ‘Home.’ Discussion will be moderated by Cha’s illustrious co-editor, Tammy Ho Lai-Ming.

I will be previewing excerpts from my debut collection of poetry; ‘All the Words a Stage’ (Chameleon Press) out in May.

More info on the Asian Cha event page.

Hope to see you there!

 

Banana Blueberry Bread 

~ Nashua Gallagher ~ 1 Comment


A not-too-sweet recipe which makes the fruit the star of this fluffy and moreish tea-time loaf.

Ingredients

  • 185g plain flour
  • 2.5 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt
  • 60g butter, melted
  • 50g packed brown sugar
  • 50g coconut sugar
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 mashed bananas
  • A couple of handfuls of fresh blueberries
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees celcius
  2. Grease and flour a loaf tin.
  3. Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large mixing bowl.
  4. Stir in the melted butter and sugars until combined.
  5. Add the milk, egg, vanilla and fruit and mix until just combined.
  6. Finish with a quick stir-in of the maple syrup
  7. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.*

*Cooking time varies. I have a small oven which generally means quicker bake time. My loaf cooks in about 35-40 minutes with some tin foil introduced half way to ensure the top doesn’t burn. I would estimate a cook time closer to an hour for conventional sized ovens.

Leftover Hack: Grainless Cauliflower Fried Rice Turns into Soup

~ Nashua Gallagher ~ 1 Comment


Today’s grain-free yum fest paired with a roast chicken dinner is tomorrow’s lazy lunch time soup.

Upcycling leftovers allows you to maximize your time in the kitchen and motivates you to actually eat that same (same, but different) meal the next day. This recipe  does just that – turning cauliflower fried rice into a soup base or salad mix for later.

Ingredients

  • 1 head of cauliflower, grated or diced into a fine grain in a food processor
  • Onion, diced
  • Courgette, cubed
  • Carrot, cubed
  • Pumpkin, cubed
  • Spring onion, chopped
  • a knob of butter
  • Seasoning: salt & pepper, paprika

Quantities are to taste / number of people getting fed. Athough butter is considered a good fat again (hallelujiah) I used it in moderation,  a little at a time during the cooking process.

The below fed 4 adults and 2 children, plus some extra for tomorrow’s soup. (1 cauliflower, 1 onion, 2 courgette, 2 carrots, half a small pumpkin, and a small bulb of spring onion.

 Method

Melt butter in a wok, add the onion and cook until it starts to soften. Add the carrot and pumpkin and paprika and cover for 2-3 minutes. Uncover, add the courgette and keep uncovered as you don’t want liquid to gather.  Once the mixture softens, add the cauliflower rice and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Season once more to taste, and add the spring onion at the very end.

Variants

Use olive oil or coconut oil instead of butter for a vegan version, and if eating on it’s own add beans or pulses. I would also suggest red pepper in leiu of courgette for a dryer texture but courgette / pumpkin / carrot do play so nicely together..

Leftovers

Blend the cauliflower fried rice using a food processor  to make soup. If eating on its own consider adding black beans or lentils to bulk it up and add some protein.

Fancy a salad? It has the same texture of a cous cous salad  – add green leaves, cherry tomatoes and cucumber and you’re well on your way. Dress with lemon / olive oil.

Healthy food that tastes good enough to be bad for you

~ Nashua Gallagher ~ 1 Comment

A dash of nom courtesty of the Gallagher test kitchen. These recipes are deceptively good for you and will knock back a range of cravings whether  you’re gunning after something sweet, clean or a family meal.

Mango Blueberry Maple Vanilla Overnight Oats

This breakfast is a simple luxury. Satisfying and powers up your morning. We can’t get enough of this flavour combination. No specified quantities in the recipe because this is down to personal preference but if it’s your first time making overnight oats I’d guesstimate: 1 cup of oats, 1/4 cup chia seeds, 3/4 cup of milk, and  between 1/3 – 1/4 cup yoghurt as a base. When I first started making these I’d fuss with a funnel and follow the proportions in recipes online to a T. Now, I just chuck it all in and top up with a bit more milk when I eat it if required. The whole point of this breakfast is to keep it painless to prepare, a joy to eat, and that it packs a nutritional punch. IMG_9327

Ingredients

  • Rolled oats
  • Chia seeds
  • Greek yoghurt
  • Milk
  • Mango, cubed
  • Handful of blueberries
  • a Sprinkle of nuts and seeds (almonds, pecans, sunflower seeds, pine nuts etc.)
  • a Drop or two of pure vanilla essence
  • a Drizzle of good quality maple syrup

Method

Place the dry ingredients in a jar (between 8oz-10oz) topped up with the wet ones. Stir, place the lid back on and shake. Leave it in the fridge overnight. Good for up to three days in the fridge. Out of all the recipes I’ve toyed with this one the most. Whether it was adjusting the consistency or being baffled by the fact that slow-digesting oats had little effect on me and I was still hungry by lunch. Thanks to the brilliant suggestion of adding nuts  by Louise from Loula Natural this recipe is now complete. Check out her website for a treasure trove of clean eating and healthy living recipes and articles.

Protein Party Salad

Filling and scrumptious – perfect for a post workout dinner.

Processed with Moldiv

Ingredients

  • Indian lettuce (crunchier than many other varieties, packed with iron and tastes very pleasant)
  • Spring onion
  • Edamame
  • Avocado
  • Half a soft boiled egg
  • Chunks of roast chicken breast
  • Sunflower seeds

Dressed with Salt, extra virgin olive oil, and a spritz of balsamic vinegar. The edamame and roast chicken were pre-cooked and sitting pretty in the fridge. To make our salads and sandwiches during the week, we typically roast and store some fish or meat, and always have legumes on hand – edamame, black beans, chick peas etc.

Lemon Parsley Yoghurt Chicken with 1/2 and 1/2 cous cous cauliflower rice

This is hearty, satisfying and makes a great family meal in colder weather. It’s low-carb as the cous cous is mixed with grated cauliflower and relatively low-fat depending on how much yoghurt you use. Processed with Moldiv

Ingredients for the Chicken

  • Chicken legs and thigh (6 pieces)
  • 1/2  to  3/4 cup greek yoghurt
  • 1 tbs tomato paste
  • Juice of 1 lemon, plus grated rind
  • 1 bunch of fresh parsley
  • Sea salt and cracked pepper for seasoning
  • 1 tbs Olive oil, for cooking

for the 1/2 and 1/2 grains

  • 1 head of cauliflower blitzed in the food processor into a fine grain
  • 1/2 a box of cous cous (150g or so)
  • 1 tbs. Coconut oil
  • Shallot, finely sliced
  • 1 tsp Turmeric
  • Red pepper, diced
  • A sprig of fresh coriander, chopped
  • Sea salt and cracked pepper for seasoning

Method

Combine the chicken, yoghurt, lemon, and tomato paste in a glass bowl. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate for half an hour. Heat up the olive oil in a pan, add the chicken with it’s marinade, including the lemon peel for flavour, and cook until the chicken has browned. Remove peel, add the lemon rind and parsley and cover until fully cooked. Whilst the chicken is cooking, prepare the cous cous by following instructions on the box (usually pour boiling water over the grains and leave it to stand for five minutes). Once done, fluff, and set aside. In a skillet  heat the coconut oil, add the shallot and turmeric and cook for 30 seconds. Add the red pepper and cook for a minute before adding the cauliflower cooking until it begins to soften. Add the cous cous and season with salt and pepper. In the final 5-8 minutes of cooking, incorporate the coriander. Serve hot, as is or with a side of steamed veg. I sometimes add almonds to the grain too.

Almond ‘nom’ balls

Inspired by a faux coco-roon recipe from Pinterest. These health(ier) snacks hit the sweet spot and are super quick and easy to make. Processed with Moldiv

When I say easy, I mean throw into a bowl, mix until it sticks and shape into little balls easy. Play with the flavours, using as little or as lot as you like and enjoy!

Ingredients

  • Almond flour
  • Peanut butter
  • Maple syrup ( a dash, let’s not go nuts – these are meant to be a healthier alternative to my usual snacking vices)
  • Cacao nibs
  • Coconut flakes
  • Sea salt

Almond balls Recipe

There you have it. Four recipes that have become  fast favourites in our household. If you make any of them, let me know how you go in the comments below.