RSS Feed

Posts Tagged ‘Irish’

  1. Secret Recipe Club: Irish Soda Bread

    March 12, 2012 by erinRD

    Adapted from The Tasty Cheapskate

    Just in time for St. Paddy’s Day! This bread is delicious – especially warmed with a little butter on top! As soon as I saw this on Jean’s blog, I knew I had to try it for Secret Recipe Club this month! The Tasty Cheapskate is a unique blog where Jean really tries to cut down on the expenses of grocery shopping for her family of 6! Although eating at home is much cheaper than eating out, her site really made me look at my own grocery bill a little more closely!

    When I was studying to become a Registered Dietitian, we had to create healthy meals for a family of 4 under $3 I believe, and that was certainly a challenge! Looking through Jean’s blog brought me back to my college days! It’s interesting to see how you can change your habits and become more thrifty by just calculating how much food costs in each recipe.

    Luckily, all of the ingredients in this recipe are found in most kitchens already! If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, remember to sub 1 cup of milk + 1 Tablespoon of vinegar for each cup of buttermilk. In this recipe, you’d use 2 cups of regular milk + 2 Tablespoons of white vinegar in place of the 2 cups of buttermilk!

    3 cups whole wheat flour
    1 cup all-purpose flour
    1 1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/4 cup sugar
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    2 cups buttermilk

    Directions:
    1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking soda.
    2. Stir in buttermilk.

    Mix as well as possible with a spoon and then knead the dough with your hands as much as possible. It should not be so wet that it can’t form itself into a ball. If it is, add another 1/4 cup flour.
    3. Pat into 1 round and place on a greased baking sheet. Use a sharp serrated knife to slice a cross deeply into the top of the bread, about 1-inch deep.

    Bake ~ 45 minutes or until the loaf is firm on top and when you tap the bottom, feels hollow. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for about one hour before serving. Makes 12 slices.

    Taste Test: I was a little concerned at first because the outside of the bread looks very dry and a little crumbly. But I cut into the bread and the inside was moist and soft – perfectly delicious and just like the bread in Ireland! I want to book a trip to go back there!

    Easy to make, simple ingredients and perfect to pair with your Irish dinner!



    Category Uncategorized | Tags: ,,,, | 26 Comments

  2. Irish Brown Bread

    March 16, 2011 by erinRD

    The Irish are not known for their food.

    This is not an opinion – it’s a fact. ;)

    They don’t use many spices, they aren’t very inventive and they serve something called black pudding for breakfast (which is nothing like pudding and absolutely revolting). So, when my husband and I went to Ireland back in 2006 I wasn’t expecting much as far as the food was concerned. But Ireland more than made up for it in scenery….

    …Until I tried their brown bread. By the end of the trip it was a joke between my husband and I – how much brown bread can a girl really eat? It was moist, flavorful and with a little butter – it was the best bread I’d ever eaten.

    Irish Brown Bread
    Adapted from Brown-Eyed Baker and David Lebovitz

    1 cup heaping, whole wheat flour
    ½ cups heaping, wheat bran, oat bran or wheat germ, or a combination
    2 cups all-purpose flour
    ¾ teaspoon baking soda
    ½ teaspoon salt
    2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
    1 1/3 cups buttermilk
    1 teaspoon molasses

    Directions:
    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and put it on the center oven rack.
    2. Whisk together the whole wheat flour and wheat/oat bran or wheat germ in a large bowl.
    3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the wheat flour mixture and whisk to combine.
    4. Add the butter pieces and rub them into small pieces with the flour mixture using your fingers, until as small as possible.
    5. Stir in the buttermilk and molasses until the dough is uniformly damp. Turn out onto a lightly floured countertop and knead gently, until the dough forms a smooth ball.
    6. Use a sharp serrated knife to slice a cross deeply into the top of the bread, about 1-inch deep. Place the loaf on the hot baking sheet.


    7. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until the loaf is firm on top and when you tap the bottom, feels hollow.


    8. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for about one hour before serving. Makes 12 slices.

    Nutrition Notes: Wheat Germ is the embryo of the wheat kernel. Now that doesn’t sound very good but it is packed with nutrients! It’s one of the best sources of folic acid, iron and zinc. Toasted wheat germ is nutty and slightly sweet and is usually preferred over raw wheat germ for use in recipes or sprinkling on food. Toasted wheat germ can be added to breakfast cereals, oatmeal, pancake and waffle mixes, smoothies, yogurt, breads and muffin mixes – to name a few. Make sure to refrigerate or it will go rancid!

    Taste Test: I was a little concerned at first because the outside of the bread looks very dry and a little crumbly. But I cut into the bread and the inside was moist and soft – perfectly delicious and just like the bread in Ireland! I want to book a trip to go back there!

    What’s your favorite bread?

    Category Uncategorized | Tags: ,,,, | 2 Comments

  3. Shepherd’s Pie

    March 15, 2011 by erinRD

    There are not that many foods that can claim that a historical event centered around them but the potato can. By the early 19th century, potatoes were being grown extensively throughout Northern Europe. Potatoes were one of the only sources of food in Ireland during this time because of the potato’s inexpensive production and the poor economy of this country. Yet during 1845 and 1846, the Irish Potato Famine occurred where most of the potato crop in Ireland was ruined and this caused almost three-quarters of a million people died, and hundreds of thousands emigrated to other countries, including the United States, in search of sustenance. Pretty interesting!

    Now that the History less is completed, let’s talk about another one of my favorite Irish dishes. Although it originated in England, the Irish make this dish a lot and it can also be made with ground beef instead of ground lamb but it’s always topped with those yummy potatoes!

    Shepherd’s Pie
    Inspired by Alton Brown

    4 large potatoes, cubed (skins on!)
    1 Tablespoon butter
    1/4 cup skim milk
    salt and pepper to taste
    1 pound bag mixed vegetables (carrots, corn, green beans) frozen
    1 Tablespoon canola oil
    1 onion, chopped
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    1 pound lean ground lamb
    2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
    1 Tablespoon ketchup
    1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
    1 teaspoon fresh thyme
    1 can (15 ounces) beef broth
    1/2 cup shredded 2% sharp cheddar cheese

    Directions:
    1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash.


    2. Mix in butter and milk and mix until creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
    3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
    4. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and garlic and cook until clear. Add ground beef and cook until well browned. Pour off excess fat, then stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add mixed veggies, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, spices and beef broth.


    5. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
    6. Spread the ground beef mixture in an even layer on the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Top with the mashed potato mixture and sprinkle with shredded cheese.

    7. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serves 4.

    Nutrition Notes: After the low carb craze a few years back, potatoes got such a bad rap but they really are very good for you! Potatoes belong to the same family as eggplant, tomatoes and peppers and they are the number one vegetable crop in the entire world. Unfortunately this is because of the consumption of french fries and what usually makes the potato unhealthy is what people put on it. Potatoes are a very good source of vitamin C, a good source of vitamin B6, copper, potassium, manganese, and dietary fiber. Make sure to leave the skins on for extra fiber and vitamins!

    Taste Test: Shepard’s Pie is comfort food at its best. It reheats well and The Husband is crazy about it. It takes a little bit of time to make, especially making the homemade mashed potatoes but the result is so delicious!

    How do you make your potatoes?

    Category Uncategorized | Tags: ,,, | 1 Comment

  4. Corned Beef and Cabbage

    February 22, 2011 by erinRD

    Coming from an Irish family, this was a staple dinner in our house. I always make it around St. Paddy’s Day but the veggies were on sale this week, so I figured why not!

    I made this for The Husband when I was away at college. Our entire meal was silent – not one word was spoken. He was too busy inhaling the food to talk to me. Now that we live together, he knows the pot that I cook this in and every time he sees it – he gets excited. :)

    The saying “the way to a mans heart is through his stomach” certainly holds true with The Husband.

    The ingredients are simple, the prep is minimal and the result is delicious.

    Corned Beef and Cabbage

    2 pound corned beef roast
    2 pounds red potatoes, skins ON, cubed
    4-5 carrots, chopped
    1 cabbage head, chopped
    salt and pepper, to taste
    horseradish mustard

    Directions:
    1. Fill a large pot with water and place roast into water. Bring to a boil.
    2. Reduce heat to medium and cook 45 minutes for every 1 pound of the roast. (2 pound roast cooks for 1.5 hours)
    3. After cooked, remove roast from pot and place on a plate covered with tin foil.


    4. In the same water, put in your carrots and potatoes and cook until just tender – about 15 minutes.


    5. Add in the cabbage and simmer for 5 minutes.
    6. Cut meat in slices, removing fat. Serve with horseradish mustard or spicy brown mustard.

    Nutrition Notes: Horseradish comes from a root. It is a member of the cruciferous family of vegetables all of which have a number of phytonutrients in common. These phytonutrients are responsible for the spicy, mustardy taste, and, for the cancer-fighting benefits of horseradish, broccoli, cauliflower, and kale. The spicy root of horseradish can be used as a natural treatment against rheumatic disorders and respiratory disorders. It is also beneficial because of its high amount of vitamin C and potassium, calcium and iron.

    Taste Test: Seriously, the mustard makes this dish. My husband and friends make fun of me because I love horseradish mustard but it just goes perfectly with this dish! Yum!

    Does your family make Corned Beef and Cabbage around March?

    Category Uncategorized | Tags: ,,,, | 4 Comments