Donal Skehan's simple weeknight pasta suppers - seafood linguine, risotto and Italian mash-up

My joy for pasta, in every form, never falters. It’s a long-term love affair that began humbly with my mum’s Irish-style spaghetti bolognese in the 1990s and was cemented at the kitchen tables of Italian nonnas while I filmed a TV series years ago in Italy.

Donal Skehan’s simple summer seafood — versatile squid, a hearty risotto with mussels, and barbecued mackerel escabeche

Seafood is ideal for light summer eating. There’s plenty of options when it comes to a visit to the fishmonger, and it is a trip which is well worth the effort of making this time of year.

Donal Skehan’s reliable Italian comfort food — foccacia-style pizza, Tagliata T-bone steak and baked cheesecake

There’s always a particular point during the summer when I reach peak laziness when it comes to what I cook. I find myself turning to three-ingredient pastas, something grilled on the bbq, or tomatoes on griddled sourdough. When I do make an effort, or we end up entertaining, I prefer recipes I can prepare in advance, and it is worth coming back to the classics.

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Donal Skehan’s iconic summer sandwiches — the perfect BLT, a pan bagnat, or prosciutto and cheese

This week, I am writing to you from the west coast of Sweden. We have visited almost every summer for the past 16 years. For my wife, Sofie, it’s a way to reconnect with her motherland, and, for me, well, I still find novelty in the food, customs and oddities that make Sweden so unique .

Donal Skehan's scrumptious brunch recipes — eggs Benedict, filled croissants and fruity crêpes

Throughout the week, I rarely make time for a breakfast that lasts longer than 15 minutes. Sourdough toast slathered with salty butter and strong, black, Italian coffee in the mocha pot, or a green smoothie with spinach if I’m in healthy-eating mode. Time only allows this brief interlude before fixing eggs for the boys and getting them ready for the day. Weekends hit differently though.

Donal Skehan’s three slow and saucy weekend ragus - with chicken, duck and beef

There is nothing quite like the slow blip of a meaty ragu sauce cooking away in a heavy-based pot and steaming up the kitchen windows on a cold autumn day to make you feel instantly at home.

Donal Skehan's grandmother’s best-loved recipe - fall-off-the-bone roast lamb

The pandemic has seen many of us reclaim our kitchens. In 2020, baking aisles were decimated and comfort food classics reigned supreme, but once all the banana bread was baked and the flour dust had settled, it seemed there was a real resurgence of people using their kitchens. For our family, we’ve been attempting to keep up little routines that shape our week.

Donal Skehan’s family friendly one-pot dinners: Honey & garlic chicken, Italian bean stew, Thai red fish curry

Cabin fever has well and truly set in in our house. We’re in short-order cook mode with snacks for the kids, porridge and scrambled eggs... This perpetual flow of food that is demanded as we are all holed up together with a toddler and threenager is actually what’s getting us through at the moment. I asked recently on Instagram what dishes most people were looking for during this wintry lockdown and the resounding answer was one-pot family dinners, so here are some of my favourites. These recipes tick those boxes and are ideal to prepare in advance and reheat when dinner time rolls around.

Donal Skehan’s one-pot comfort dishes - spiced Indian roast, chicken and mushroom pie and boeuf bourguignon

We’ve just moved house again, our third move within the last 18 months. Yes, we have just about lost our minds . Bad luck with two rental leases cut short have meant we are now a dab hand at the whole moving process .

Donal Skehan's midweek family dinners - One-pan pizza, Pasta Al Limone, Chicken Parmigiana

Family dinner classics are important to me. Growing up, my mom had hers, the meals that guarantee empty plates, the recipes that are fool-proof and can be churned out even in the most busy of weeks. Now with my own family, I find myself turning to my own repertoire of classics for comfort. That being said, I'm always on the lookout for something new to add to my ever-growing list of favourites and this week I want to introduce you to some serious contenders. The remit is simple: easy methods, few ingredients and ridiculously desirable results.

Donal Skehan’s fresh, flavoursome speedy meals: green pasta, stew, and turkey meatballs

Before the pandemic, I had high hopes to reintroduce exercise into my life after a rocky three years of slowly succumbing to a “dad bod” as my wife and I cruised through pregnancies, sleepless nights and all the other elements of parenthood that suck up your energy. Like most other 2020 plans, my Mr Motivator spandex aspirations were put on hold. Now, in lockdown number three, I’m making no excuses. I’ve managed to keep up a month of regular exercise and lighter eating. It would be rude not to indulge in steak and chips every now and then, but in general, veg-forward meals have been the order of the day.

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Donal Skehan’s grill-tastic barbecue recipes: Kogi-style kimchi hot dogs, soy ginger steak and shellfish with nam jim dressing

Barbecue season is well and truly upon us and I have three recipes this week to help you side-step the blackened sausages and the half-eaten hamburgers with recipes aimed at taking your grill skills to the next level. My own outdoor cooking has been stepped up in recent years. Between living in the perma-sunshine of Los Angeles, where grilling was a weekly activity, and a lockdown obsession of lighting fires to keep my mind occupied, I feel confident sharing some recipes that are truly worth lighting the coals!

Donal Skehan’s zesty summer pastas — salami and asparagus, chilli tomato and crab, and confit garlic veggies

This week, I’m writing to you from the South of France. We’ve spent the past couple of days in a beautiful little spot just outside Cannes. Our mornings are filled with coffee and pastries from the bakery, pool time, plenty of sunshine, and the odd toddler meltdown.

Donal Skehan’s simple summer desserts — baked Alaska, strawberry cheesecake and fruit tartlets

The thought of cranking up the oven in the height of summer may not be on everyone’s to-do list. However, there are a few recipes I will make an exception for. These are the months that you could easily get away with serving platters of sliced stone fruits and dreamy mountains of the most fresh berries, but should your entertaining requirements go beyond this, I have three simple desserts this week to make the most of these long, summer days.

Donal Skehan’s favourite summer salads — fennel with lemon chicken, halloumi and chorizo, and bougie bacon and egg frisée

I don’t know about you, but I am in full-on summer mode at the moment, and my kitchen and cooking certainly reflects that. Salads, in some shape or form, are ever present on the dinner table, outdoors and indoors. Leaves simply dressed with a good glug of extra-virgin olive oil and a spritz of lemon or apple cider vinegar, seasoned well and mixed with whatever soft herbs I can pick from the garden — it’s the beginning of every good summer meal.

Try Donal Skehan’s twists on the classic burger — pork and fennel, hoisin duck and halloumi

We Irish people have upped our burger game of late. Gone are the days when a smush of supermarket minced beef with Dijon mustard, ketchup, chopped onions and garlic, complete with a sesame-seed bun, was our best effort.

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Donal Skehan’s taste of summer: Tomato, ricotta and thyme tartlets, honey pan-fried chicken and raspberry chocolate muffins

The BBQ has had its official sunny day outing, there’s been a little trip down the country and I’ve cracked out the shorts, yes, I’m calling it, it’s officially summer! It really is my favourite time of the year to cook, there’s something about the possibility of eating outdoors that always inspires my dishes this time of year. This weekend it’s all about recipes that provide a taste of summer. Fresh flavours, simple methods and ideal easy summer eats.

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Donal Skehan’s one-pan summer suppers: Chicken saltimbocca, roasted white fish with confit cherry tomatoes, and roasted ratatouille with pasta

Simple summer suppers are key to savouring the most of the season. Whether it’s a quick chicken dish , a speedy baked fish dinner or a tumble of vegetables roasted until tender with freshly cooked pasta tossed through, one-pan cooking was made for the summer months.

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Donal Skehan’s summer salad suppers: Baked feta, za’atar crusted steak and buttermilk chicken

As spring moves swiftly towards summer, it’s high time for some fresh recipes to mix up our weeknight suppers. Cooking and eating in these brighter evenings is something I cherish at this time of year, and it does affect what I choose to make.

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Donal Skehan’s weekend bakes: Swedish kladdkaka, roasted sweet muffins, and peanut butter caramel bars

Slow Saturday mornings are perfect for baking — a little reprieve from the week’s twists and turns and a moment for self-care and solace in the kitchen. Despite our two clockwork children waking at 6am, weekends still hit differently. Without the rush and bustle of the weekday demands, there’s time to set in motion intentions for a food-filled weekend of joy — or so I hope!

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Donal Skehan’s recipes ideal for meal prep: slow cooker carnita tacos, rosemary and cauliflower ragu, and miso-glazed salmon

Preparing meals in advance is something that really helps myself and my wife cook for our family. A pot of pasta, cooked, drained and cooled, salad washed, veggies prepped, and dressing, sauce or marinade made up can take the burden out of cooking dinner every evening. From simple little steps to preparing a full meal in advance, I have three recipes that are ideal for a little meal prep to freshen up your cooking game.

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Donal Skehan’s brilliant biscuits: Chocolate Espresso Biscotti, Jam Crumble Shortbread and Toffee Cornflake Cookies

There’s always room in my books for a good cookie recipe to have up your sleeve for weekend baking. There’s few among us that can resist a perfect cookie in its many forms. Tea and a biscuit is a ritual everyone grew up with in Ireland . For most, it was a packet of digestives — milk chocolate if you were lucky, or perhaps something wildly exotic like the marshmallow and coconut Mikados if you were really fancy. Yes, there’s a biscuit for almost every occasion and personality type, and I’ve got three to whet your appetite this weekend.

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Donal Skehan’s spring bakes: a lemon curd roulade, a celebration carrot and cardamom cake and a blueberry breakfast loaf

Four years into parenthood, I have finally learned to manage my time effectively. Gone are the days stressing to make dinner with hungry, crying toddlers in tow. Instead, I have begun to follow the advice I’ve dished out for years — fail to prepare, prepare to fail.

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Try Donal Skehan’s easy three-course Easter Sunday feast

For Easter this year, I’m aiming for a slightly more simplified menu that removes the need for hours of preparation. The starter and main course are easy to cook, with fresh spring flavours, while the dessert takes a little more time but is a true slice of nostalgia.

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Cook clever with Donal Skehan’s easy-to-prepare dinners

This week, I have three clever kitchen recipes that are big on the pay-off when dinner time rolls around. Simple methods, clever flavours, and all very easy to prepare.

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How Donal Skehan gives his Sunday lunch the wow factor

The tradition of sitting down for Sunday lunch has always been something we hold dear in our house. Whatever unfolds during the week, I like to believe almost anything can be resolved and reset with good food around a table. Best intentions and all that.

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Looking for midweek dinner inspiration? Why not try one of these super easy family suppers from Donal Skehan

Having children has certainly changed the way I cook. The list of requests is long when it comes to dinner time with our two little ones, and I’m now adept at ensuring that chicken doesn’t touch pasta and fried eggs have the yolks cut out, while arranging foods into smiley faces is always a winner. Cooking for kids requires a level of advanced mind-reading that you may never get just right.

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Try Donal Skehan’s ultimate St Patrick’s Day sandwich

St Patrick’s Day is upon us and, although I don’t need much excuse to cook our traditional foods, it’s the ideal day to put them front and centre.

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Donal Skehan’s fuss-free weekend feast to share with friends

The return to socialising and inviting friends over for dinner has been slow and steady but not without panic. I’m still not convinced sharing pictures of negative antigen tests in a WhatsApp group is really the beginning of a wonderful, relaxed evening spent catching up. But that’s where we are on this rollercoaster of a pandemic, and as we grapple with the new norm, so too must we press on, go forth and cook! This week, it’s all about an inspirational yet fuss-free weekend feast that’s perfect for sharing.

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Try Donal Skehan’s flippin’ fantastic batters with a twist this Pancake Tuesday

Flipping pancakes on Pancake Tuesday is always serious business, and something our two boys have loved joining in on for the past couple of years. Everyone is given a go to flip a pancake as high as they can and then try to catch it. Shrieks and screams are guaranteed!