My Irish Soda Bread

March 15, 2013 by

Everybody’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. Whether that’s true or not, I’ll bet eating this great round loaf is a good start.  It’s a simple, purist’s loaf – the way I like it; no fanfare, just enjoy with hot tea.

4 cups all purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. baking soda
4 Tbsp. butter (do not use margarine)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups buttermilk

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Sift the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda together in a large bowl. Using the tips of your fingers work the butter into the mixture until it looks like coarse meal.

Make a well in the center and add the beaten egg and buttermilk into this well; mix it in with a wooden spoon until the dough is too stiff to stir anymore. Dust your hands with a bit of flour then gently knead the dough right in the bowl just long enough for it to form a rough ball. Transfer it to a surface that you’ve lightly floured and shape it into a round loaf.

Transfer loaf to a large lightly greased baking sheet or even a cast iron skillet is good – grease that too. Make an X shape about 1/2″ deep with a serrated knife on top of the dough. Place into the oven and bake until it’s golden brown – about 45 minutes. Let it cool briefly and serve warm or room temp. This recipe makes fantastic leftovers!

Filed Under: Autumn & Winter, Breads - Quick, Frontpage Tagged With: ,

Spiced Crust Roasted Chicken

March 7, 2013 by

A good-sized oven roaster chicken is perfect for this dish. The spices stick to the skin because of extra virgin olive oil rubbed over first. Enjoy with some homemade biscuits.

1 5 pound oven roaster chicken – sizes & weights vary slightly
3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
2 lemons, quartered
1 large onion, cut into eighths – it’s not necessary to peel
2 large heads garlic, separated but not peeled
2 large Tbsp. parsley
1 Tbsp. poultry seasoning
2 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. sea salt or a coarse salt
1 cup water

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and take chicken out of fridge, rinse, pat dry and set into roaster or pan you’ll  be using on the counter for at least 30 minutes while oven preheats. Meanwhile, get out all other ingredients and cut your onions, lemons and separate your garlic.

Rub the oil all over the chicken, squeeze lemons all over chicken then place some inside and around pan. Stuff as much garlic and some onions into the chicken and spread around pan any that won’t fit inside. Then, in order listed above, sprinkle on all the ingredients – the chicken will be covered with all and that’s good. Pour the water in to pan, but not over the chicken.

Place, uncovered, in the oven for 90 minutes, basting only occasionally – you want the skin to be crispy – then cook until done, approximately 30-45 minutes longer. Place on cutting board and let sit about 10 minutes before slicing.

Filed Under: Chicken, Frontpage Tagged With: ,

Jambalaya

March 3, 2013 by

I discovered this dish late in life and have been enjoying it all cold-weather season. This pairs well with soft bread on the side or even homemade cornbread.

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 lb. smoked sausage
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
6 cloves minced garlic
4 celery ribs, with tops, chopped
3 small cans tomato paste
1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes
6  – 7 cups chicken stock
2 tsp. cayenne pepper – optional
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. thyme
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt to taste
1-1/2 cups Uncle Ben’s rice

In a large pan or dutch oven, heat the oil; brown the chicken with a sprinkling of salt and black pepper, remove and cut into pieces. Now brown the sliced smoked sausage then set that aside, too.

In the same pot with the hot oil, saute the onions, garlic, peppers & celery for 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for about 5 minutes. Add 2 cups of the stock and stir/scrape the pan to mix in any browned bits from the bottom. Add everything else, except the rice and cook for 30 minutes. Add the rice and cook for 30 minutes more. Serve.

Filed Under: Frontpage, Soups & Stews Tagged With:

Creamy Carrot, Ginger, & Lime Soup

February 28, 2013 by

When I think of an exotic soup, this one comes to mind.

2 medium onions, peeled & chopped
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 lb. bag of baby carrots
5 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1  tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 cup half-n-half or light cream
Parsley or chives for garnish, if desired

Add olive oil to a large pot and when it is hot add the onions and saute them over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add carrots, stock, water, ginger and bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Add all the rest of the ingredients up to the garnishes and cook for 5 minutes uncovered.

Puree the soup in batches in a food processor or blender. Don’t let it come to a boil when you preheat it.

Filed Under: Frontpage, Soups & Stews Tagged With: , , ,

Shepherd’s Pie

February 20, 2013 by

Shepherd’s Pie seems to be from both English and Irish and eaten around St. Patrick’s Day. I don’t care what time of year it is, this is a perfect dish to make on a bleary, rainy day. But don’t let that stop you, we have 15 inches of snow where I live, and it’s delicious then, too! 

2 Tbsp. butter
2 lbs. ground beef
1 large onion, peeled & diced
3/4 cup frozen peas – no need to thaw
2 carrots, peeled & diced or cut into coins
2 Tbsp. all purpose flour or you can use cornstarch
1 1/2 cups beef stock
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
Pinch of nutmeg
Kosher salt & ground black pepper
3 large potatoes peeled and diced
6 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup of half-n-half or milk

And, 2 more Tbsp. butter

In a large pot melt the butter then add the ground beef, onion, and carrots and cook over low heat until the meat is browned – takes about 10 minutes; drain and place back in pot. Add the flour and cook for one full minute, then add the beef stock, Worcestershire, spices and peas. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered for about 30 minutes or until thickened, stirring often. Remove from heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a pot with enough cold water to cover, sprinkle in some salt and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and simmer for about 25 minutes. Drain and place potatoes in a bowl with 6 Tbsp. butter, the half-n-half and salt & pepper to taste – mash until smooth. I use a hand held mixer to mash them.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and transfer the beef mixture to a 9 x 13 pan. Place the mashed potatoes over the top of the beef mixture and spread around as carefully as you can – take your time spreading them. Dice the last 2 Tbsp. butter and scatter over the top. Bake this until bubbly and slightly browned – about 30 minutes.

Filed Under: Beef, Frontpage, Pies Tagged With: , , ,

Broccoli Puff

February 16, 2013 by

Easy, elegant and tasty. Using a cup of shredded cheddar cheese will make it more cheesy than using grated Parmesan.

2 of the 10 oz. pkgs. frozen chopped broccoli
1 cup of Bisquick or Jiffy Baking Mix (NOT corn muffin mix)
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt (kosher salt is best)
1 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease a 2 quart casserole type dish. Cook and drain the broccoli according to package directions. In a large bowl add the baking mix, eggs, milk, salt and beat until smooth. Stir in the broccoli and cheese then pour batter into the greased dish. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into center comes out clean.

Filed Under: Frontpage, Vegetables

Easy Chocolate Cake

February 12, 2013 by

img_0249.jpgI do take shortcuts whenever I can, and this cake is one of them. It’s a tweaked cake box mix recipe that’s fast and great tasting. If you don’t care for white chocolate drizzled over top, you can substitute confectioners’ sugar sprinkled on through a sifter. Whatever works for you is what you should do. Of course some ice cream on the side would also work. Hmmm.

1 packaged box cake mix – I used Betty Crocker Super Moist Devil’s Food
1 box (3.9 oz.) Jell-O Instant Chocolate Pudding
4 large eggs
3/4 cup black coffee – (cool to cold, not hot)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sour cream (Not the lite variety)
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 Tbsp. milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a Bundt pan.

Into a large mixer bowl, place everything up to the white chips; with an electric mixer beat at high speed for two full minutes. Pour batter into pan and bake for about 40 minutes – or until a toothpick comes out clean. Place pan on rack to cool for 10 minutes, then invert cake onto cooling rack to cool completely.

Once cooled, combine the white chips and milk in a small bowl; microwave on high for about 1 minute, whisk, and you may need to do this for 25-second intervals one to two more times. Whisk until smooth then drizzle/pour onto cake. Let set 30 minutes.

Filed Under: Desserts, Frontpage Tagged With: , ,

Blackened Steak

February 8, 2013 by

Oh my goodness, this is so delicious!

1-2 pounds steak (any cut you want)
1 tsp. ground pepper (black or a mixture)
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning (odd, but works)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Place the steak on a plate, mix all the spices together in a small bowl and rub it all over both sides of the steak. Set aside and place oil in your pan and heat. Cook steak to desired doneness.

I have a George Foreman Grill (which I simply love!) and I cooked this steak for about 15 minutes. If you have a counter top type grill, then definitely use it for this recipe.

Filed Under: Beef, Frontpage Tagged With:

Home Fries

February 4, 2013 by

Use instead of baked or mashed, your family will be thrilled. The trick is to parboil the potatoes first, then they pan-fry so much better.

About 6 med-sized potatoes, peeled & cut into slices or chunks
1/2  green pepper, chopped
4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, peeled & diced
2 cloves garlic, minced

First, parboil the potatoes: place them in a large pot and just cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then simmer about 10-12 minutes. You don’t want them “too” done, because they’ll continue to cook in the skillet. Drain.
In a large skillet, (cast iron is best) heat the oil and add the green pepper, onion, and garlic; cook until soft – about 5 minutes. Then place the drained potatoes in the skillet and gently fold/stir them around to mix everything up. Gently, but firmly, with a spatula, flatten them down and leave them alone for about 10-15 minutes so they brown on the bottom. Stir and turn them over and cook other side. Serve.

Filed Under: Breakfast / Brunch, Frontpage, Vegetables

Pasta Chicken Salad

January 31, 2013 by

Easy, good, quick and you probably won’t have leftovers. Serve some crusty, kicked up bread – such as garlic – on the side, and perhaps some steamed broccoli. A perfect light lunch or dinner.

1 lb. elbow (or other small shape pasta) cooked, drained, rinsed
1/2 cup green olives
1/2 cup sliced black olives
3 Heaping Tbsp. grated Parmesan, or Pecorino Romano cheese
3-4 cooked & diced thin chicken cutlets
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
8 oz. of creamy Italian dressing

Combine everything in a large bowl and mix well. Chill for at least 30 minutes then serve.

Filed Under: Frontpage, Salads
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