It wasn’t until Lou Robbie had her first child that she really realised how fortunate she was being able to cook.
Having learned basic cooking skills, she was more than capable of feeding the family real, affordable, wholesome homemade food.
She attended catering college and cooked as a professional chef for many years.
Many of her friends with very successful careers were struggling while she could easily whip up purées, finger foods and ‘weaning dinners’ from scratch.
Lou had an irresistible urge to help others to find the confidence to do the same.
She grew up in rural Ireland in the 80s, one of six children in a typical household.
The weekly menu was predictable, there was always fish on Fridays and a roast dinner on Sunday.
Her mum made brown bread, apple tarts, sponge cakes… treats like chocolate were rare enough, and school lunch was always a cheese or ham-and-cheese sandwich on white bread.
In her twenties she donned her backpack and headed off to see the world.
During her travels in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, she was exposed to a whole new world of exciting flavours.
When the pandemic hit, she, like so many others, found herself trapped at home, cooking just for her family.
She started to share tips and recipes online, the response was phenomenal.
In 2021, Little Lou Cooks was born to give online cooking classes to both adults and children.
It gathered momentum fast, thousands of parents wanted to swap shop-bought meals for healthier, homemade food that they could make in advance and perhaps freeze.
A video of batch baking homemade snacks suitable for freezing for her kids’ school lunches went viral, and now Lou has over 1 million followers across her social media platforms.
The feedback she gets from grateful parents is touching and inspired her to write Make & Freeze.
Here’s just one from Jennifer…
‘Hi there! I just wanted to say thanks for your school lunchbox recipes and the stew one too! We’re all well fed here today. The kids help bake over midterm, so we have lovely family time too. I was buying flapjacks and pancakes, but now we’re stocked for a few weeks of delicious homemade snacks and I know exactly what’s in them!’
There are lots more, which shows how this book has helped to change so many people’s lives.
Chapters include hearty energy-packed breakfasts, savoury and sweet lunchboxes, slow-cooked dinners, air fryer (as you know I’m not a fan, but many are).
Family pies, stews, weekday and weekend favourites, bread and sneaky sweet stuff…
All homely and delicious with lots of clever tips and riffs on favourite dishes. This may well be the book you wished you had years ago.
All recipes are from Make & Freeze by Lou Robbie published by Michael Joseph (Penguin Random House UK)
Lou Robbie’s Nut Free Energy Balls
There are some recipes in this book that were stepping-stones to get to where I am today!
Preparation Time
20 mins
Method
Put the dates into a bowl, cover with boiling water, leave to soften for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, blend the oats, seeds, coconut and cocoa powder in a processor – the texture should be coarse and not too fine.
Drain the dates and add them to the blender, then blend until it looks like a thick paste. If it looks dry and won’t clump, add a dash of boiled water and blend again.
Roll the mixture into balls, big or small – whichever you prefer.
To finish, pour the extra desiccated coconut into a wide bowl. Lightly wet your hands to help the coconut stick, then roll the balls again and toss them in the coconut. Put the balls into a container and pop them into the fridge to firm up.
Lou Robbie’s ‘Cowboy Supper’ Sausage & Bean Casserole
This a hearty, tasty and comforting dish, ideal for the cowboys and cowgirls in your life! Beans and sausages are the perfect pair for a tasty midweek supper, and it’s also a budget-friendly meal if you’re trying to keep food costs low.
Ingredients
1-2 tbsp cooking oil
6 sausages, cut into quarters (450g)
2 onions, finely chopped
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato purée
600ml hot beef stock
1 x 400g tin of cannellini beans, drained
chopped fresh parsley, to serve
Method
Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the sausages all over, then put them into the slow cooker. This step is important because the sausages won’t brown in the slow cooker. If you have time, brown the onions in the frying pan too, as this will give a better flavour to the finished dish.
Add all the rest of the ingredients except the cannellini beans and parsley to the slow cooker and cook either on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours.
Add the drained beans 20 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Serve with crusty bread and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.
Lou Robbie’s Creamy Garlic & Lemon Chicken with Buttery Mash and Veg
To me this is pure comfort food, and it makes a great Sunday family dinner without any of the fuss.
Ingredients
4 chicken breasts
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp oregano oil, for cooking
zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
100ml hot chicken stock (use ½ a stock cube)
2 tbsp cornflour
½ tsp Dijon mustard
250ml double cream
To serve:
mashed potato
green beans
carrots
lemon wedges
chopped fresh parsley
Method
Warm a large frying pan on a medium heat. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and oregano, add some oil to the pan, and sear for about 5 minutes, until brown all over. Put the chicken breasts into the slow cooker, add the lemon juice, lemon zest and garlic, and pour in the chicken stock. Cook on low for 4 hours, or on high for 2 hours.
After the cooking time, remove the chicken breasts to a plate and cover to keep warm.
Make a paste by mixing the cornflour, mustard and a tablespoon of water in a small bowl and pour this into a small pot. Put 2 ladles of the juices from the slow cooker into the pot of paste and whisk on a medium heat for a few minutes to cook out the cornflour, then add the cream and the rest of the juices and let it bubble and cook for a few minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, then pour back into the slow cooker and put the chicken back too for a final 10 mins.
Serve with creamy mashed potato, green beans and carrots. Garnish with a lemon wedge and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.
Menstrual Wellness: Understanding and supporting your cycle with Maria Walsh at Ballymaloe Cookery School in Shanagarry on September 11
This course is long overdue – join Maria Walsh for an empowering course on honouring and respecting your menstrual cycle.
Maria will provide insights into hormonal balance, nutrition, and lifestyle strategies to support menstrual wellbeing.
Whether you experience irregular cycles, PMS, painful periods or just want to deepen your knowledge, Maria will equip you with useful tools that will also enhance your overall health.
Just as there are many different menstruation experiences and symptoms, there are always things that you can do to deal with them.
The most important part of this day is bringing women together to discuss this essential part of every woman’s life.
Spread the word to your friends.
Naturally Raised: The Organic Approach to Sheep Farming at Ballymaloe Organic Farm School in Shanagarry on September 18
Siobhan Hubbard is a full-time community worker and part-time farmer, her partner Ross Newcombe is a full-time farmer.
Siobhan and Ross are both passionate about rural life, sustainability, and creating meaningful change from the ground up.
They run a small organic farm where they raise sheep, pigs, chickens & grow their own produce, all with care and integrity, bringing honest food to local tables and serving hot pork rolls at festivals & events.
Siobhan works daily to support rural development, empower local projects, and strengthen food systems that put people and place first.
Whether it’s in muddy boots or at a meeting table, she believes in the power of community, connection, and a good dose of determination.
This on-day course offers a comprehensive introduction to organic sheep farming, combining theory with hands-on practical learning.
Whether you’re new to sheep or transitioning to organic, you will be guided through the key principles of managing a healthy, productive flock in line with organic standards.
In the classroom, topics such as soil health, pasture management, breeding, animal welfare, parasite control, organic certification, and farm planning, will be covered.
On the ground, you will gain experience with handling sheep, assessing health and body condition, rotational grazing, lambing prep, and low-stress flock management.
Designed to be practical, honest, and rooted in real farm experience, the course empowers participants to build confidence and knowledge in running an organic sheep enterprise.
Dining and Cooking