A Donegal chef at a Belfast hospital has added his restaurant-quality dishes to a coveted healthy eating cookbook.
Jim Farren from Greencastle is the Head Chef at Kingsbridge Private Hospital in Belfast.
A hospital isn’t the first place you’d think of getting award-winning local cuisine but at Kingsbridge, that’s just how Jim likes to do things.
As well as excellent medical care, the hospital’s catering department also plays an instrumental role in helping patients make a speedy recovery.
Chef Farren’s recipes were so tasty and nutritious that they have now created a cookery book based on the hospital menu called ‘Kingsbridge Kitchen’.
“The inspiration for the book came after countless requests from patients asking our catering staff to write down the ingredients and method for certain dishes. We selected the recipes that were simple to make and the most popular. Healthy food doesn’t have to be bland or boring and if it is, it isn’t doing its job,” Chef Farren said.
With a background in the restaurant industry, Chef Farren enjoys using fresh local ingredients.
“People forget what an impact food can have especially when you are ill or recuperating after a procedure. I firmly believe good hospital food is vital to our health and helps patients convalesce sooner,” he said.
Each inpatient gets a copy of the new glossy hardback book as a gift from Kingsbridge when they are discharged. Inside there are dozens of mouth-watering meal ideas along with some nutritional benefits, hints, and tips to make cooking easy and delicious, so patients enjoy making healthy dishes before putting their feet up for essential recuperation.
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