Irish

KNR, p. 139 “Irish Brown Bread”

 

Ireland is a fabulous place to visit from Spring right through early Fall. The country has plenty of top-notch scenery, challenging golf courses, stud farms, and castles galore. And, it has all that really great food. Sheila and I had loads of fun going from tea room to pub to restaurant, sampling traditional Irish dishes.

 

The one constant at lunch wherever we went was the dense brown bread. It varied slightly in taste with different bakers, but it was usually served with soup or at afternoon tea, with jam, butter or honey.

 

Of course, when we came back to the States, Sheila and I created our own version of the bread so that we could serve it on St. Patrick’s Day. Yes, it is on the table with the soda bread, giving our guests a chance to try both. To be clear, Sheila does the baking and I do the tasting and cleanup. We make a great team in the kitchen.  🙂 

 

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"Irish Brown Bread"
Author: 
Recipe type: bread
Cuisine: Irish
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 Tablespoons cold butter
  • 2 ¾ cups stone ground whole wheat flour, plus additional Tablespoons if needed
  • ¼ cup regular or quick-cooking rolled oats
  • 1 ½ cups buttermilk
  • 4”x8” loaf pan
  • non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
  1. In a mixing bowl, blend all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt.
  2. Cut in butter until mixture forms pea sized crumbs.
  3. Stir in whole wheat flour and oats.
  4. Add buttermilk, using bread hook if available. If mixture is sticky, add in more whole wheat flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time, just until the dough has a smooth, dry surface.
  5. Place dough ball on a lightly floured board and knead 6-7 times, shaping into a loaf.
  6. Spray 4”x8” loaf pan with non-stick spray and place dough in the pan.
  7. Bake at 400 until golden brown, about 45-50 minutes.
  8. Test for doneness with metal skewer.
  9. Remove from pan immediately and cool on rack.
  10. Let rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

 

Serve with butter, jam, or honey and enjoy!

 

*Photo by Patti Phillips

 

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KNR, p. 70 “Irish Peasant Soup”

 

 

 

During our last trip to Ireland, Sheila and I had lunch in many different restaurants, in both big cities and small villages throughout the country. We were surprised to see that there were two comfort foods common to every mid-day menu: Brown Bread and Irish Peasant Soup. While I’m traveling, if I find something I like to eat, I tend to stick with it, just to be on the safe side. Sheila says I should be more adventurous, but IMO, odd sauces can cover up a LOT of mystery meat.

 

Having said that, we discovered that each of the places had different recipes for the soup. Sheila came up with this combination of vegetables after striking up a friendship with a chatty cook who revealed that the soups are basically created using whatever is fresh from the garden that week.

 

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Irish Peasant Soup
Author: 
Recipe type: Soup
Serves: 4-6
 
Ingredients
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 stalks celery, (no leaves) diced into 1/4 inch cubes
  • 2 quarts (64 ounces) organic low sodium chicken broth (Swanson’s)
  • 1 teaspoon powdered garlic
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 ¾ cups baby carrots, sliced
  • 3 parsnips, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup)
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon fine sea salt or Kosher salt
  • 2 cups coarsely chopped kale
Instructions
  1. Saute diced celery in olive oil until translucent (about 10 minutes), stirring occasionally.
  2. Add 1/4 cup of chicken broth if needed to keep from sticking.
  3. Add powdered garlic and onion powder. Stir.
  4. Add sliced carrots, sliced parsnips, minced garlic and salt.
  5. Add 1 cup more chicken broth, stir, cover and bring to low boil, cooking until parsnips fork tender (about 20 minutes).
  6. Stir occasionally.
  7. After parsnips are fork tender, add the kale and the remaining chicken broth, cover and continue on simmer for another 30 minutes, stirring every ten minutes.
  8. Remove soup from pot a little at a time and puree in blender or food processor until desired consistency, setting aside until entire contents are pureed.
  9. Return puree to pot and lightly season with salt, etc. to taste.
  10. Reheat before serving.
Notes
Note: If making ahead, this soup gets a little saltier in the refrigerator by the next day.

It’s easy to substitute other veggies if parsnips or kale are out of season or unavailable. Keep the seasoning, liquids, and measurements the same. The basic recipe is quite versatile. Promise: nobody will die if you switch out collard greens for the kale.  😉

Enjoy!

 

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KNR, p. 213 “Nobody Dies Eating Salmon Quiche”

 

St. Patrick’s Day will be here before you know it, so we are gathering our recipes and making decisions about what to cook for our own dinner and what to take to the weekend parties. Since the big day falls on a Saturday this year, we know for sure that both Friday and Saturday will be nabbed as great days and nights to celebrate.

 

Why did we choose Salmon Quiche for this year’s entry into the tasty dishes? On each of our trips to Ireland, we visited coastal cities. The seafood is abundant and we ate some of the best fish dishes in our lives while there. The pubs on the coast offered some kind of salmon dish – entrée or sandwich or croquette – at every place we stopped. We thought it would be great to figure out a recipe that could make use of leftover cooked salmon, or canned salmon, and be adapted to appetizers or eaten at a brunch. This quiche can be both.

 

Slainte Mhaith! (Good Health!)

 

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KN, p. 213 "Nobody Dies Eating Salmon Quiche"
Author: 
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: American
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • Ingredients for Topping:
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/3 cup shredded cheddar
  • 1/8 cup chopped almonds
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • Plus....
  • Ingredients for Filling:
  • 9” deep dish pie crust
  • 3 extra large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup sour cream or yogurt
  • 1/4 cup mayo
  • 1/2 shredded cheddar
  • 1/2 Tablespoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried dill
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 14 ounces cooked salmon (we used canned salmon)
Instructions
  1. For Topping:
  2. Using a fork, mix together flour, 1/3 cup shredded cheddar, chopped almonds, sea salt, paprika, and vegetable oil.
  3. Set aside.
  4. For Filling:
  5. Bake empty pie shell at 350 for ten minutes to reduce ‘soggy bottom.’ Remove from oven and set aside.
  6. Drain salmon. Save juice. Add water to juice to make 1/2 cup.
  7. Remove bones and skin and flake the salmon.
  8. Blend eggs, sour cream, mayo, and salmon liquid.
  9. Add salmon, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, onion, dill, and mustard, and stir.
  10. Spoon mixture into pie crust.
  11. Sprinkle evenly with topping. Cover edges with pie crust ‘savers’ or strips of aluminum foil to protect the crust from burning.
  12. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until firm in the center and topping is lightly toasted.

 

Serve it with a salad and enjoy!

 

Nobody died while taste testing the salmon quiche variations. There may have been swooning and salivating, because we do love salmon.

 

 

 

 

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