Dancing Spoon

Ginger Orange Short Ribs

Irishman The Healthy

by Chef Gavan Murphy
Braised Ginger Orange Short Ribs
You can’t go wrong with braising meat and if you’ve followed my recipes you know I’m a big fan. Why? Because braising intensifies the flavor than just plain boiling and doesn’t dry out or over-cook food the way roasting might. All of this means juicy succulent meat loaded with flavour.

Asian influenced with hoisin and ginger, these flavors marry brilliantly with the orange tantalizing your palate while also filling your kitchen with an amazing aroma.  

Pistachio Pesto Lamb

Irishman The Healthy

by Chef Gavan Murphy
Pistachio Pesto Roasted Rack of Lamb
What would Easter dinner be without a delicious meal with lamb? The typical preparation for this special meal is to serve lamb with a mint sauce. Since I am not your typical Irishman I’ve decided to spice it up a bit by using a pistachio pesto.

Super nutrient dense and naturally cholesterol free, pistachios offer plenty of antioxidants and good fat or unsaturated fat, which can lower blood cholesterol along with heart disease. Not only are pistachios nutritious, they’re delicious. The smell in the kitchen when I made this dish had everyone smiling.

I paired my beautiful lamb with a healthy gratin and baby carrots. The colorful dish was a perfect reminder that spring is upon us. Creating food for your senses is a wonderful way to cook. 

Spring Veg Frittata

Irishman The Healthy

by Chef Gavan Murphy
Spring Veg Frittata
If you’re fortunate enough to live where the sun is shining, where the wind is warm and where the flowers are in bloom, you know you’ve just hit the jackpot with spring’s arrival. As a foodie I love the transition of using winter root vegetables into using vibrant spring produce.

Following spring’s arrival is Easter, no stranger to the brunch crowd. Frittatas are a brilliant idea to do for a brunch buffet as they can be made ahead of time and served at room temperature. This version has a lovely sweet flavor from the red peppers and is chock full of veg.

Roast Chicken & Barley Soup

Irishman The Healthy

by Chef Gavan Murphy
Roast Chicken & Barley Soup
Looking to find new ways to incorporate whole grains into your diet? Although technically barley is not considered a whole grain, the high fiber content enables it to be counted toward your whole grain servings. It comes in two forms, either ‘pearled’ or ‘quick cooking,’ the latter of which is perfect for soups especially for those of you still wearing your winter woolies.

Crab & Prawn Salad

Irishman The Healthy

by Chef Gavan Murphy
Crab & Prawn Salad with Mary Rose Sauce
Though my intention was to get this off in time for St Paddy’s Day, I figured it would also be a good cleansing meal for the big after-drink session. Maybe not the day after, but say after the head is fixed, when you’re back to grind, back to reality.  Perhaps you’ll pair this recipe with some brown soda bread—now we’re talking! 

You’ll notice we call shrimp “prawns,” no matter what the size. Stateside we’re able to get beautiful colossal shrimp, which are considered prawns, but in Ireland prawns usually refer to bay shrimp, as they don’t get too much larger than that locally depending on where you live. Seeing as I grew up in Kerry, this was the case so I recreated this dish just as I’ve had it many times before back home. The only difference is that I made my own mayo, cutting out fat, cholesterol and calories — do you think The Healthy Irishman would do otherwise?

Lamb & Fig Stew

Irishman The Healthy

by Chef Gavan Murphy
Lamb & Fig Stew
Remember my post a couple weeks (Roast Chicken with Apricot and Rosemary Glaze) back when I mentioned certain foods go hand in hand, like mint and lamb, apple and pork, apricots and chicken? Here’s another great combo—figs and lamb.  Not quite your grandmother’s Irish stew but the sweet and savory tastes are just brilliant together.

The beauty about figs is that they add sweetness without adding any fat. They are fat-free, sodium-free and, like other plant foods, cholesterol-free. Figs provide more fiber than any other common fruit or vegetable and are a good source of potassium, a mineral that helps to control blood pressure. 


I thought the flavor of the figs blended really well not only with the lamb but with the tomatoes as well. This dish has tons of flavor so I think you’ll definitely enjoy it.

Steamed Mussels and Clams

Irishman The Healthy

by Chef Gavan Murphy
Steamed Mussels and Clams with Fresh Tomatoes and Thyme
I love March for many reasons. It’s the beginning of Spring, I’ll be turning 27 again and the ultimate reason—St. Paddy’s Day arrives!  Most people will be drinking their meals that day but just in case you get peckish I’ve got you covered.

One of the advantages to growing up on the west coast of Ireland was having the access to fresh seafood and I’m talking just plucked from the ocean, fresh. Of course then they’d smother it in some sort of butter sauce as the Irish do, but you always knew it was fresh. Ah, the good ol’ days. 


When we were back home for a holiday last September, we visited a little fishing town called Dingle, in County Kerry. Known for the fresh seafood we even spotted the fishermen bringing bags of mussels up to a restaurant. Guess where we ate that night? 

Here’s my interpretation of that brilliant meal.

Apricot Glazed Roast Chicken

Irishman The Healthy

by Chef Gavan Murphy
Roast Chicken with Apricot and Rosemary Glaze
Though I grew up eating root veg and I thoroughly enjoy winter crops, I must be ready for spring because I found myself craving some spring/summer fruit at the farmers market the other day. This got me thinking about how I could satisfy my craving without having the in-season fruit at hand. Like mint and lamb, apple and pork, I love the combination of apricots and roast chicken.

True, you should be able to find Chilean imported apricots in most major stores from January until early August, there’s something special in buying locally farmed produce. California apricots are available from May through July while Washington apricots are on the market from June through early August. Being that it’s late February I decided to improvise using sugar free preserves to see if I could create the taste I was hoping for. 

Isn’t cooking grand?

Salmon Cakes

Irishman The Healthy

by Chef Gavan Murphy
Salmon Cakes
Continuing our February Foodie month we are now headed towards Oscar night, oh the glamour and excitement of it all. Let’s take a moment to think about those poor celebs who are afraid to eat because they have to fit into their glam gear. Lucky for most of us we get to watch them in the comfort of our homes, noshing on whatever we feel like. But wouldn’t it be cool to serve up some of the glamour without all the guilty calories?

Being that it’s still American Heart Month this recipe is doing double duty without you even thinking about it. Eating salmon boosts your intake of Omega-3’s, fish oils containing anti-inflammatory properties, which studies show decrease the risk of coronary heart disease and certain cancers. 

And the Academy Award goes to…..

Valentine's Beet Soup

Irishman The Healthy

by Chef Gavan Murphy
Valentine's Beet Soup
February has turned into a quite a month for foodies. So far we’ve conquered the Super Bowl and now it’s time for the oh-so-romantic Valentine’s Day. Did you also know February is American Heart Month?

I bet oats are the first thing that comes to mind when you think of heart-healthy foods but the cornucopia of foods that are good for your heart are broader than you might realize. Take beets for instance. These colorful root vegetables contain powerful nutrient compounds that help protect against heart disease, birth defects and certain cancers, especially colon cancer. Beet juice can help lower blood pressure and since Roman times, beetroot juice has been considered an aphrodisiac.

Perfect for Valentine’s Day wouldn’t you say?