Easy Irish Soda Bread

EASY means there is NO kneading required. That's my kind of bread. The buttermilk give this slightly sweet bread that nice little tang, with the added olfactory benefit of your house smelling wonderful.

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup raisins

Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Blend the egg and buttermilk together and add it to the flour mixture. Mix just until moistened. Stir in butter and raisins. Pour into a greased 9x5 loaf pan. Bake at 325 for 65-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the bread comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack and wrap in foil for several hours or overnight. The bread tastes even better after it sits for a few hours. 

Vegan Peanut Butter Smoothie

My favorite smoothie of all time is fresh peach but this vegan peanut butter smoothie could be a tie for first! Just toss all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor and enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 cup ice
1 cup soy milk (or rice, almond, chocolate soy)
3-4 tbsp peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp raw sugar

Orange-Cream Cheese Tea Bread (Makes 2 Loaves)

You have to really like orange for this most delicious recipe found on www.justapinch.com. I modified the recipe-by using skim milk and low-fat cream cheese. It seemed appropriate to add the word "tea" to the title of this creamy bread, because the loaves are smaller than ones baked in your typical larger loaf pan. This bread is dense, similar to a pound cake. Tea (pinkies up), coffee, and especially a glass of cold milk hit the spot with this fragrant orange bread.

Ingredients:

1 8 oz package low-fat cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter flavored shortening

1 2/3 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 cup skim milk

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons grated orange peel

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Combine cream cheese and shortening, creaming well. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, beating well after each addition.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix well after each addition. Stir in walnuts and orange peel.

Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 8" x 4" x 3" inch loaf pans. Bake at 375 for 50-55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Sprinkle the orange juice over the loaves and transfer bread from pans to a wire rack so they can finish cooling.

Thai Butternut Squash Soup

I have a variety and abundance of squash in my freezer which I picked, sliced into small pieces (5"x5"), seeded, baked, and froze in quart size freezer bags. Over the holidays I've been thawing some of this beautiful squash for soups and pies (pumpkin--it's a squash). I peel off the skin once the piece of squash is thawed--very easy. I've made this Thai butternut squash soup twice now, once in the crock pot and once on the stove. I like the crock pot version a little better. It's silky smooth and luscious. The cilantro, red curry sauce, ginger, and lime provide an oh-so-lovely Thai flavor.  I don't know exactly how much squash I used but I'm estimating 5 cups. Enjoy. This is what winter soup is all about.

5 cups of cooked butternut squash

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 14 oz. can light, unsweetened coconut milk (Trader Joe's)

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 cup white onion, finely chopped 

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed

3 tablespoons red curry sauce (Trader Joe's)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (Penzey's is great)

A couple of good shakes of:

-black pepper

-paprika

-garlic powder

Put it all ingredients into a crock pot (slow cooker) and stir.  Cook on low for 4 hours.  To get the creamy, smooth, silky texture use an immersion blender to blend the soup until completely smooth.  You can also transfer the soup into batches to a food processor or blender, or use a potato masher to mash the soup until nearly smooth.  I used to food processor method.  Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with:  a) finely chopped cilantro, b) finely shredded lime peel, c) chopped nuts, d) a small dollop of sour cream, or, e) all of the above. 

Homemade Applesauce

Last night I made homemade applesauce for the first time in my life. It is so easy! This morning for breakfast I had this delicious, thick, homemade applesauce with cinnamon sprinkled on top.

I used fuji, cameo, and delicious apples of the red and gold variety. I used 20 medium-sized apples which made about a gallon of applesauce. 

Ingredients:
20 apples of any variety, unpeeled, cored, cut into quarters
1 cup sugar
3 cups water
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

In a large saucepan, combine apples, water, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
  

Cover and cook over medium heat for 25-30 minutes, or until apples are soft.
 

Allow to cool, then mash with a fork or potato masher. After mashing, remove the biggest pieces of apple peel. The peel comes off of cooked apples much easier than it does on raw apples.

If you'd like, you can freeze the applesauce in freezer bags. Store any remaining applesauce in the fridge.

This recipe is a great way to use up apples if you have an abundance. You can also use applesauce as a healthy substitute for oil in recipes. 

Rigatoni Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

So many different ingredients can be added to pasta. And there are so many different pastas to add ingredients to! Tonight, my choices were what was conveniently located in the pantry and fridge.

1/2 package rigatoni pasta
1/2 package sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Boil the pasta according to package directions. I cooked the rigatoni for 11 minutes, and then drained it for a minute and shook out the water. Don't rinse it with cold water unless you are planning to make a cold pasta salad.

While the pasta is cooking, add the olive oil to a small frying pan that has been heated over medium heat. Remember: hot pan, cold oil, food won't stick. Add the garlic and tomatoes and cook until the garlic is just starting to get brown. Remove from heat.

Place the drained pasta back into the saucepan in which it was cooked (I used a 4 quart pan). Mix the garlic-tomato-olive oil into the pasta. Spoon into a plate or pasta bowl. Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Mom's Apple Crisp

Autumn is here.  The smells, the sights, the sounds (mostly of rain around here).  Here is an easy recipe for an apple crisp, and a great way to use your fall apple harvest.

4 large apples, cut into chunks
Cinnamon and nutmeg as you choose
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
4 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter cut into bits

1/2 cup each of walnuts and pecans
Dash of salt

Preheat over to 350.  Put apples in a pie pan.  Dust with cinnamon and nutmeg.  Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

In a food processor, chop nuts with a few short pulses.  Add sugar and flour and process to combine for five seconds.  Add salt and butter and pulse 8-10 times, until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Sprinkle topping over baked apples and continue baking until topping is lightly browned and crispy – about 30 minutes.

You can mix in 1/4 cup of apple cider with the apples, but not necessary if the apples are juicy.  Be sure to have a cup of hot apple cider with your crisp while you sit by the fire!  

5 Must-Have Julia Child Books

From our friends at foodista.com, article written by Leah Rodrigues.
http://www.foodista.com/blog/2011/08/11/5-must-have-julia-child-books

Julia Child may be the most famous food writer in the United States.  Her books have taught generations of people how to cook.  In honor of Julia's upcoming birthday, I thought I would pay tribute by highlighting some of my favorite Julia Child publications.  Every cook should have at least one of her books in their cookbook collection.

Mastering The Art of French Cooking Vol. 1 and 2
These books are the backbone of all Julia Child's work, her magnum opus.  They fueled American's interest in French cooking.  Her recipes and techniques are still relevant in today's kitchen.

The Way to Cook
This book speaks to anyone with little or no cooking experience. Child describes basic cooking techniques in great detail to give the beginner confidence to get in the kitchen and cook.

Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home
This book is the companion to their hit PBS series of the same name.  The book is divided into chapters on appetizers, soups, eggs, salads and sandwiches, potatoes, vegetables, fish, poultry, meats, and desserts. It is written in a she said-he said format which allows both cooks to give culinary advice on the same topic.

As Always Julia: The Letters of Julia Child and Avis Devoto
Avis Devoto is one of the main reasons why Julia Child was able to publish Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  This book is a collection of letters recounting the writing process and the budding friendship between the two women.

My Life in France
A memoir of Julia and Paul Child's life in France beginning in 1948 when they first arrived in Paris until their last days enjoying their cabin in Provence.  It gives personal insight to Julia's life and tells of how she became a food icon.

Magical Blackberry Cobbler

This easy recipe makes a sweet cobbler that screams out for a scoop of vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt. And get this, even though the blackberries start out on the top of the crust batter when you place it in the oven, they are slowly but surely surrounded by the crust by the end of baking time. The baking powder is responsible for this magical event.

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
3 cups fresh blackberries

Melt butter and pour into a 2 quart casserole dish. Combine thoroughly the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and milk in a small mixing bowl. Pour the mixture over the melted butter without stirring. Place blackberries on top of the batter. Bake at 350°F. for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

I'm Out of Eggs! What Can I Use Instead for my Recipe?

Kitchen Tip:  Egg Substitute

1 whole egg =
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons baking powder

From chow.com