January is the time when a lot of chefs take their ‘summer’ holiday and I have just been in the USA with the family. We had a great time and ate well but I could not help thinking about the outstanding quality of our Irish food at home. So much of it is produced naturally; animals are grass fed and we get all of the taste benefits. Plus our food is great value.

So, in this week’s recipes I have lots of good Irish produce in some healthy easy-to-make snacks. The roast beef wrap is a good one for Mondays if you have leftovers from the weekend. You could also use roast chicken or lamb.

This tabbouleh salad is a classic Middle Eastern dish made with cracked wheat, also known as bulghar or burghul wheat. It is a good staple to keep in the cupboard but it does taste a bit bland so you need to get some flavour in. In the restaurant we often serve it with grilled fish. These filled pitta breads only take five minutes to create and are ideal for school. You could also use a wholemeal pitta and have your own cheat’s pizza.

Roasted Red Pepper, Goat’s Cheese and Spinach

1 Spread a wholemeal wrap with a layer of soft goat’s cheese and season with salt and pepper.

2 Sprinkle over a layer of baby spinach leaves and then arrange drained roasted red peppers from a can or jar on top.

3 Roll up and wrap tightly in tin foil.

Ham and Egg Salad

1 Smear a little low-fat mayonnaise down a wholemeal wrap or into the bottom of a split wholemeal pitta bread and arrange a sliced tomato and a few cucumber slices on top.

2 Add a couple of wafer-thin slices of cooked ham and a sliced hard-boiled egg. Finish with some shredded crisp lettuce and roll up and wrap in tin foil.

Roast Beef with Dijon & Watercress

1 Smear a little Dijon mustard mixed with crème fraiche down the middle of a wholemeal wrap and scatter fresh watercress on top and cover with thin slices of roast beef. Season with salt and pepper and add a couple of small spoonfuls of hot or sweet pepper jelly. Roll up and wrap tightly in tin foil.

Prawn, Tomato and Rocket

Mix 10 cooked and peeled prawns with a couple of small diced tomatoes and tear in a couple of fresh basil leaves. Dress with a squeeze of lemon juice and a splash of extra-virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and pack into a wholemeal pitta with rocket leaves. Wrap in tin foil until needed.

Ham, Cheese and Pickle

Spread a tablespoon of farmhouse pickle or chutney into the bottom of a split wholemeal pitta. Top with 25g (1oz) of grated mature cheddar and a couple of slices of wafer-thin cooked ham. Add a sliced tomato and two thinly sliced dill gherkins. Finish with some fresh watercress and then wrap in tin foil until needed.

Piquant Tuna Salad

Mix four tablespoons of fat-free Greek yoghurt with a teaspoon of Dijon mustard and one tablespoon of wholegrain mustard. Season with salt and pepper and add a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Fold in a very finely diced celery stick, one finely chopped spring onion and a drained 200g can of light tuna chunks in water. Put a handful of leafy greens in the bottom of a split wholemeal pitta and then fill with the tuna mixture. Wrap in tin foil until needed.

Tabbouleh Salad with Pomegranate & Goat’s Cheese

Serves four

100g (4oz) bulgar wheat

juice of 1 lemon

2 garlic cloves, crushed

Pinch of ground cinnamon

Good pinch of ground allspice

4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

4 ripe tomatoes, halved, seeded and diced

Large bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, stripped and roughly chopped

Good handful fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped

1 small pomegranate, halved and seeds taken out (all skin discarded)

100g (4oz) goat’s cheese, finely diced

2 small cos lettuces, trimmed and separated into individual leaves

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Place the bulgar wheat in a bowl and pour over enough boiling water to cover. Set aside for five minutes and then tip into a sieve and rinse well under cold running water. Drain well and tip into a bowl.

2 Meanwhile, make the dressing for the tabbouleh. Place the lemon juice in a screw-topped jar with the garlic, cinnamon and allspice. Season to taste and shake until the salt has dissolved. Add the olive oil and shake again until well combined.

3 Add the tomatoes and the drained bulgar wheat with the parsley, mint and spring onions. Stir until well combined and then toss through the bulgar mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside at room temperature to allow the flavours to develop. Give the tabbouleh salad a good stir before serving and scatter over the goat’s cheese. Serve with a separate platter of the cos lettuce leaves and allow everyone to help themselves. CL

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