Celebrate St Paddy's Day with Christine's Soda Bread

Been too busy with the Scotland blog, but my mom reminded me to keep up with this one too. Here's a recipe to make March 17th a delicious day. Enjoy!

IRISH SODA BREAD

2-1/4 cups of white flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teas. salt

1/2 teas. baking soda

1-1/2 teas. baking powder

1 cup buttermilk, store bought or home made

1 cup raisins

1 Tbl. caraway seeds

If making your own buttermilk, put1 tablespoon of cider or white vinegar into a glass measuring cup. Add milk to the one-cup line. Stir. Allow to rest for 10 minutes or longer.

Meanwhile put all dry ingredients into a bowl and mix together. Add raisins and caraway seeds and mix again. Add buttermilk and stir just enough to mix together.

Turn dough onto a well-floured board, flour hands if necessary and knead about 20 times. Form into a ball. Use a sharp knife to cut a cross on the top of the ball. Place in greased cast iron skillet or fry pan (or any round cake pan or cookie sheet). Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes, then turn down the oven to 350 degrees and bake another 40 minutes until the bread sounds hollow when knocked on the bottom.

Irish Roots

These recipe are all time favorites of mine because they are new takes on Irish classics. Despite the carb content, they are healthy due to the whole grain and vegetables, and they taste delicious. I recommend a slice of the bread toasted with some of Clucky/Christine's raspberry jam (if you're lucky enough to have a jar)!

Colcannon

(source: Good Food Book by Jane Brody)

1 pound potatoes, washed and peeled

1 pound green cabbage, shredded or chopped (about 4+ cups)

1 large onion, chopped

1/4 c milk

1 T butter

1/3 -1/2 c shredded, sharp Cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until tender but not mushy. Drain, reserving water. Boil cabbage and onion for 5 minutes in the potato water. Drain. Mash potatoes with milk and butter until smooth. Add cabbage and onion mixture. Mix two-thirds of cheese into potato mixture and season with salt and pepper. Put potato mixture into a greased casserole or baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Heat in moderate oven (between 325 and 425 degrees) until warmed through.

Brown Soda Bread

(source: Cooking Light)

2 1/2 c of whole-wheat flour

1/2 c all-purpose flour

1/2 c steel cut oats

2 T brown sugar

1 T wheat germ

1 t baking soda

1 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

2 c buttermilk

1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine flours and next six ingredients (through salt). Combine buttermilk and egg; add to flour mixture. Stir until just combined. Spoon mixture into a greased loaf pan. Bake for one hour and five minutes or until a pick inserted in center comes out clean. Invert onto wire rack to cool.