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Archive for the ‘Recipes’ Category

An Irish Leap Year Tradition

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 29/02/2012| 4 Comments »

Hey all you Irish single ladies…if the man of your dreams hasn’t “put a ring on it” yet, then you’re in luck. According to Irish tradition, February 29th (which only falls every four years in what’s known as a “Leap Year”), is the one day when it’s perfectly acceptable for you to propose to the man of your liking.  It seems we have good ol’ Saint Brigid, the female patron saint of Ireland, to thank for this welcomed tradition.

According to legend, Saint Brigid was giving out (complaining) to Saint Patrick way back in the fifth century about how unfair it was for women to have to wait for men to ask for their hand in marriage. Saint Patrick, being the kind man that he was, took pity on the ladies of the day and deemed it acceptable for the women of Ireland to propose in a leap year.

Back to modern-day, actress Amy Adams brought this little known tradition to light in the film Leap Year in 2010 (which incidentally wasn’t a “leap year”). In the film, Anna Brady (played by Adams) travels to Dublin, Ireland to propose to her boyfriend Jeremy on February 29 because, according to Irish tradition, a man who receives a marriage proposal on a leap day must accept it. As it turns out, Anna falls in love with someone else (an Irish man of course) and the two end up living happily ever after on the Dingle Peninsula in Co. Kerry. Such is the stuff of romantic comedies!

If you’ve been waiting for your “happily ever after”, wait no more because today is the day. Take matters into your own hands and pop the question. And, assuming the answer is a resounding “yes”, pop a bottle of bubbly and toast your future happiness with an Irish Black Velvet.

Black Velvets

4 ozs chilled Champagne

4 ozs chilled Guinness Stout

Directions

1. Pour the Guinness Stout into a fluted glass and top it with the Champagne. Serve immediately.

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The Best Blueberry Muffins

Posted in Recipes, tagged , on 31/12/2011| 1 Comment »

Holidays are a time for hosting family and friends. At this time we have friends visiting from Ireland and my brother-in-law and his good friend are also here. On Christmas day there were sixteen people with us for dinner. It was fun to seat everyone at our table in the Rockies and entertain big, much like we do back home in Ireland, but when morning came I really wanted everything to be easy. Don’t get me wrong, I love being Martha Stewart (and make every meal an event) but especially at this time of the year I want to be more Darina Allen (and make every meal simply delicious).

With this in mind, I baked the best blueberry muffins this morning. The recipe is from Cook’s Illustrated, May & June 2009. It takes about a half-hour to make but it’s so worth every minute of preparation. The recipe makes twelve. When our morning breakfast was through, we had only one left! Enjoy.

Lemon-Sugar Topping

1/3 cup (2 1/3 ounces) sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon finely grated zest from 1 lemon

Muffins

2 cups (about 10 ounces) fresh blueberries, picked over

1 1/8 cups (8 ounces) plus one teaspoon sugar

2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon table salt

2 large eggs

4 tablespoons(1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. For the Topping: Stir together sugar and lemon zest in small bowl until combined; set aside.

2. For the Muffins: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray standard muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Bring 1 cup blueberries and 1 teaspoon sugar to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, mashing berries with spoon several times and stirring frequently, until berries have broken down and mixture is thickened and reduced to 1/4 cup, almost 6 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in large bowl. Whisk remaining 1 1/8 cups sugar and eggs together in medium bowl until thick and homogeneous, about 45 seconds. Slowly whisk in butter and oil until combined. Whisk in buttermilk and vanilla until combined. Using rubber spatula, fold egg mixture and remaining cup blueberries into flour mixture until just moistened. (Batter will be very lumpy with few spots of dry flour, do not over mix.)

4. Use ice cream scoop or large spoon to divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups (batter should completely fill cups and mound slightly). Spoon a teaspoon of cooked berry mixture into center of each mound of batter. Using chopstick or skewer, gently swirl berry filling into batter using figure-eight motion. Sprinkle lemon sugar evenly over muffins.

5. Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm, 17 to 19 minutes, rotating muffin tin from front to back halfway through baking time. Cool muffins in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes before serving. (Hint, I found the muffins to be top-heavy, so for the final five minutes of cooling I flipped the muffins over so they were resting bottom-side up).

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Peach Butter

Posted in Recipes, tagged , on 31/10/2011| Leave a Comment »

Well, it’s official…autumn is finally here.  The kids are back at school.  The days are getting shorter.  The mornings are crisp and so too are the leaves falling from the trees.  But just before old man winter drops the first flakes of snow on us, there’s time to enjoy the last fruits of the autumn harvest.

Back in Ireland, ripe apples and pears are hanging from the trees in our organic kitchen garden just waiting to be picked.  Here in the Rockies, our newly planted espalier apple trees are, sadly, bare. Thankfully the local farmers market provides plenty of bounty to enjoy and, this year, preserve.

Preserving, also called “canning”, is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.  My mother preserved her own strawberry jam and tomato sauce when I was growing up and the romance of “making my own” has always stayed with me. With that in mind, last week I bought a 32-pound box of Autumn Rose peaches at our local market for the crazy-good price of $20.00. With the help of my new friend, Akemi, we made fourteen jars of sliced peaches and twenty jars of peach butter, a yummy peach spread that despite its name is not made with butter.

We started our project at about 10am and by time we picked up our children at the bus stop at 3.45pm we were finished. It was so easy! I’d be leading you on if I didn’t mention we scanned blogs and websites to make sure we were on the right path…no botulism for us, please.  Our favourites turned out to be: smittenkitchen.com, foodinjars.com and simplycanning.com.

The recipe for our peach butter came from smittenkitchen.com and follows below.  We didn’t change a thing and I doubt you will either.  Its delicious spread on toasted Irish soda bread but its uses don’t stop there.  It would be equally good on your morning yogurt, it could be used as a glaze for chicken or pork, it would make a lovely filling for crepes and a sweet dollop on ice cream or plain cheese cake would be nice too. As for me, I’ll keep a few jars for the family and the share the bounty of 2011’s autumn harvest with friends and neighbours in the weeks to come.

Peach Butter

(Yield: 4 cups)

4 pounds (1.8 kilograms) peaches

1 cup (237 ml) water

2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar

Juice of one lemon

Directions

1. Cut a small “x” in the bottom of each peach. Dip each into a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds, and then into a bowl of cold water for a minute. The peels should slide right off.

2. Halve your peaches and remove the pits, then cut each half into quarters. Place peach pieces and water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Simmer until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking. Puree in a food processor, blender or with an immersion blender until smooth (though any texture you prefer is fine).

3. Return the peaches to the large pot, add the sugar and lemon juice and bring the mixture to a good strong simmer/gentle boil, cooking for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally in the beginning and more often near the end, as it thickens up and the fruit risks scorching on the bottom of the pot.

4. To test for doneness:  drizzle a ribbon of sauce across the surface of the fruit in the pot; when the ribbon holds its shape before dissolving into the pot, it is done.

5. To can your peach butter: First, sterilize your jars, either by boiling them in a large, deep pot of water (which should cover the jars completely) for 10 minutes or wash them in hot soapy water, rinsing and drying the parts well and then place the jars only in a 200 degree oven for 20 minutes. Then, divide your hot piping hot peach butter between your jars, leaving a little room at the top. Wipe the rims clean with a dry towel and cover the jars with their lids. Submerge the jars in a large, deep pot of boiling water for 10 minutes (if you are canning at high altitude you need to extend that time of cooking to suit your area), either in a removable basket or using tongs to dip and remove them. Let cool completely on towels, a process that can take overnight. If canned properly, the peach butter should last indefinitely at room temperature.

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Quick & Easy Tomato Sauce

Posted in Recipes, tagged , on 30/10/2011| 4 Comments »

Many years ago my lovely Irish husband and I went to cookery school in Italy.  It was a fantastic trip and one of the best things to come out of it was the tomato sauce recipe that follows. We use it for everything from pizza topping to pasta  and, with the addition of a little water, it also makes a hearty soup.

This recipe takes five minutes to pull together and another half-hour to cook. It smells divine, tastes great and is good for you (unlike most of those jars at the grocery store).  If you want to make it complicated, by all means add diced carrots, sausage, red pepper flakes, and Italian herbs like oregano, marjoram and parsley. Me? I like it simple and delicious.  You will too.  Enjoy!

Quick and Easy Tomato Sauce

(Serves six as a pasta sauce)

4 tbsp good olive oil

1 onion, chopped finely (1/2 cup)

1 kg of tinned tomato pieces in their liquid

garlic, minced, to taste (1 tblsp)

handful of fresh basil, shredded or chopped

sugar to taste

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.  Put the olive oil and onions into a big pot and sauté until the onions become translucent.

2.  Add the next four ingredients and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes or until it is reduced and concentrated by about

one-third.

3.  Salt and pepper to taste.

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Brown Soda Bread for America

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , on 08/08/2011| 2 Comments »

Last month I promised to post a Brown Soda Bread recipe for friends living in America.  Being a woman of my word, here it is at last.  This recipe, adapted from one of Darina Allen’s, works perfectly at sea level and at high altitudes (I know because I’ve baked it at both many times).  Enjoy!

Brown Soda Bread (for America)

(Makes One Loaf)

2 cups all purpose flour                                                 

2 cups whole wheat flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 level teaspoon baking soda

1 ½-2 cups buttermilk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly flour a large baking sheet.

2. Sift the two flours, the salt and the baking soda in a large bowl.

3. Make a well in the centre and pour in most of the buttermilk.

4. Using a wooden spoon or your fingertips, mix the liquid into the flour. The dough should be soft but not too sticky. If needed, add the rest of the buttermilk a little at a time or a little extra flour to get the right consistency.

5. Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet and press into a circular shape about 2″ high. Using a butter knife, mark a deep cross in the top of the dough.

6. Bake for one hour in the centre of the oven. When done, remove the baking sheet and bread from the oven and tap the bottom of the loaf.  If it sounds hollow when tapped it is done.  If not, put it straight back into the oven for another 5-10 minutes. There’s no need to put it back onto the baking sheet for this, just place it right on the rack in the oven.

7. When baked completely, cool on a wire rack.

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Spaghetti, S’Mores Sleepover

Posted in Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 02/08/2011| 2 Comments »

Last Tuesday evening was just another night for most people but in our home it was “Spaghetti, S’mores, Sleepover” night. For hours I listened to five girls sing pop songs, laugh, share secrets, play dolls, jump on the trampoline, dine al fresco on the back patio and roast marshmallows (more like burn them to an eternal crisp) outdoors before they passed out with exhaustion in their respective beds. It was lovely, really.

Watching my youngest daughter and her “B.F.E.” (best friend ever) was probably the most fun. While they sat at our little red café table on the side patio, I watched them . At first they were talking and then laughing. Next, one of them snorted and the two of them started laughing so hard they nearly fell off their chairs. I thought to myself “I gotta get me some of that”.

And by “that” I mean “joy”. Life has gotten too damned serious lately. The simple pleasures of fresh air, music, laughter, pasta, a roaring fire and a good night’s sleep are being overshadowed by all the “debt”, “bailouts”, “foreclosures” and “loss” swirling around us. We need to reclaim our joy…remember how to throw our heads back and snort and laugh with abandon. “Spaghetti, S’mores, Sleepover” night may have been organized for the benefit of my daughters but, in the end, I had fun too.  Where do you find your happiness?

Spaghetti Sauce

(Serves 6)

4 tablespoon good olive oil

1 onion, chopped finely (1/2 cup)

garlic, minced, to taste (1 tablespoon)

1 kg of tinned tomato pieces in their liquid

handful of fresh basil

salt and pepper to taste

sugar to taste

Directions

1.Put all the ingredients into a big pot.

2.Simmer uncovered for about half an hour to an hour until it is reduced and concentrated by about one-third.

S’Mores

(Serves 5)

15 Marshmallows

One Packet of Rich’s Tea biscuit or Graham Crackers

Chocolate bars cut broken into small squares

Directions

1.Roast a marshmallow on a long stick over hot coals or a fire.

2. Place a chocolate square on top of one Rich’s Tea biscuit.

3. Next put the roasted marshmallow on top of the chocolate square.

4. Cover with a second Rich’s Tea biscuit and gently press the two biscuits together.

5. Wait a minute for the marshmallow to melt the chocolate and then eat.

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Brown Soda Bread Recipe #1

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 26/07/2011| 2 Comments »

Bread baking has long been part of Ireland’s culinary heritage.  The earliest breads were little more than thin oatcakes baked over the fire on an iron plate or placed directly on embers. In the mid-1800’s bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) was introduced and the birth of soda bread, as it is known in Ireland today, was born.

My first introduction to Brown Soda Bread was at the kitchen table of my mother-in-law.  Every week she made a loaf from scratch.  She worked quickly and efficiently, as only a woman who raised twelve children can do, and when the bread came out of the oven the smell was just delicious!

Both nourishing and comforting, Irish Soda Bread is perfect in the morning for breakfast, as part of a sandwich at lunchtime or served with a hearty homemade soup or a green salad fresh from the garden in the evening.

Brown Soda Bread

Makes One Loaf

225g self raising flour

225g extra coarse wholemeal

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon salt

about 450ml buttermilk

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 180C. Put a little vegetable oil into a bread tin and put the tin into the oven to warm.  When the oil is warm, use a pastry brush to get it all over the inside of the tin.  Set aside.

2.  Sieve the two flours, the soda and salt in a large bowl.

3.  Make a well in the centre and pour in most of the buttermilk.

4.  Using a wooden spoon or your hand, stir the liquid into the flour.  The dough should be soft but not sticky.  If needed, add more buttermilk to get the right consistency.

5.  Put the mixture into the bread tin and bake for one hour in the center of the oven.  Ease the loaf from the tin and tap the bottom.  If it sounds hollow when tapped it is cooked.  If not, put it back into the oven for another 5-10 minutes.  There’s no need to put the loaf into the bread tin for this, just place it right on the rack in the oven.

6.  When baked completely, cool on a wire rack.

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