Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread

It's St. Patrick's day tomorrow, and virtually every food blogger out there has posted a recipe for Irish soda bread this week.  I decided to join the herd and make my own.  The twist is that I've never eaten Irish soda bread before in my life.

I come from an English family.  My ancestors have a bit of Welsh on my dad's side, and a lot of eastern European on my mother's side.  But to the best of my knowledge, there is nary a drop of Irish blood in my family tree.  I have married into an Irish (many generations back) family, and thought I ought to live up to my new-ish name and get into the spirit of St. Patrick's day.  Beyond the traditional way of doing so, which is to drink oneself into a stupor. 

So today I tried my hand at baking soda bread.  It is named for its scientific component - the aspect that makes it rise, which is baking soda.  I don't bake a lot of yeast breads because of a completely irrational fear of working with yeast (which I do overcome from time to time), so this bread was right up my alley.  And this recipe for it was perfect - about as easy as it gets.  It did split a bit in the oven, but I rather like the pac-man shape it took on as a result.  It's crusty on the outside, fairly tender yet dense on the inside.  To top it all off, it's delicious!  It's just begging for a smear of butter and apricot jam, or a slice of sharp cheese.

This is easiest in a food processor, but you can mix by hand if you need to.

Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread

adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

makes 1 round loaf

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups white whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 cup plain nonfat or lowfat yogurt (more if necessary)

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 375.  Line a baking sheet with a silpat liner, otherwise grease lightly with a neutral oil or baking spray.

2.  Combine flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a food processor (fitted with the dough blade, if you have one, but the regular blade is okay).  Process to combine.  Add the yogurt and process for about 30 seconds, until the dough starts to clump together.  If it is not moist enough, add more yogurt.  You want the dough to be mostly cohesive and soft, but not too sticky.  

3.  Turn out the dough onto the prepared baking sheet and use your hands to form a round loaf.  Slash the top with a knife  (if you don't do this deeply enough, you'll get a split like I did, but that's okay!).  Bake for 40 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when you thump the bottom.  Let cool before cutting into slices or wedges.

Enjoy, and happy St. Patrick's day!

Home Made Gnocchi

We loooove gnocchi in our house.  I have found a couple of reliable brands that are incredibly tasty, but I've always meant to try my hand at making them from scratch.  I made sweet potato dumplings once before, which were basically gnocchi made with sweet potatoes.    Here is a more traditional potato gnocchi, with hardly any ingredients and not too much skill required.

Once you've made these, you can lay them out on a sheet of wax paper and put them in the freezer (make sure they're not touching one another) until frozen, then put them in a freezer bag to cook later.  (Don't thaw them before cooking.)  Or you can cook them all right away.  I'd recommend lightly sauteeing them after you boil them so they crisp up a bit around the edges - I paired mine with a home made marinara straight after boiling them, and they got a bit mushy.

If you really want them to shine, dress them simply with a little home made pesto after sauteeing, and voila.

Home Made Gnocchi

adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 large russet potato (about 1 pound)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

about 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (all-purpose is okay too)

DIRECTIONS:

1.   Peel the potato and cut it into evenly sized chunks.  Place in a pot and cover with cold water.  Salt it.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat slighly.  Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until potato is very tender.  Drain.

2.  Use a potato ricer, or a masher, to finely mash the potato, eliminating any lumps.  Stir in a pinch of salt and pepper.  Add about half the flour and stir.  Your goal is to create a dough that is easy to handle.  Add a little more flour if necessary to achieve a dough-like consistency.  Try not to overdo it on the flour.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface a knead a few times to bring it together.

3.  Break off pieces of the dough and roll each one out into a long, thin rope, about 1 inch in diameter.  Use a sharp knife to cut the ropes into 1-inch pieces.  Place them on wax paper, not touching, while you continue to work.  Create a gentle indentation with your thumb on each gnoccho, or press against the back of a fork to create lines.  

4.  When you're ready to cook them, bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it.  Place the gnocchi, a few at a time, into the boiling water and gently stir.  When they rise to the surface, let them cook a few more seconds and then remove with a slotted spoon.   Sautee them or sauce them as you like, but do so soon, because they don't keep long after being boiled.

Enjoy!

Broccoli Rabe and Couscous

Sometimes you come home from a long day at work (or jury duty, as the case may be) and you really don't have the energy to spend more than about 15 minutes making dinner.  There is definitely a temptation to reach for the phone and call for some takeout, but if you have a few ingredients on hand you can probably make something much healthier and more rewarding for yourself.

Case in point.  This is a meal with very few ingredients, yet it has complex flavors and is incredibly satisfying.  One non-pedestrian vegetable, one fluffy little grain, and an optional salty meat component - plus a few basic pantry staples - and you're set.   I say the meat is optional because it is there more for extra flavor than anything else.  This can easily be converted into a vegetarian dish.

Feel free to downgrade this to a side dish, but if you heap it into a bowl and plop down with a fork, you won't need anything else. 

Broccoli Rabe and Couscous

adapted from Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express

serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup low sodium vegetable (or chicken) broth

3/4 cup couscous

salt

1 bunch broccoli rabe, stems trimmed

2 tablespoons diced prosciutto (optional)

freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

juice of 1/2 a lemon

DIRECTIONS:

1.  In a small pot, bring the broth to a boil.  Stir in the couscous, turn off the heat, and cover.  Let sit for 5-10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

2.  Meanwhile, bring a larger pot of water to a boil.  Salt it and add the broccoli rabe.  Blanch for about 2 minutes, just until crisp tender, then drain.  Chop the broccoli rabe into bite-sized pieces.

3.  While the couscous is cooking, also heat the diced prosciutto in a small skillet over medium heat, if using, until sizzling and slightly browned.

4.  Stir the broccoli rabe and prosciutto into the couscous.  Add salt and pepper to taste, olive oil, and lemon juice, and stir everything together.  Serve.

Enjoy!

Spicy Pork Noodle Bowls

We don't eat a lot of pork in our house, but occasionally I have the urge to make it.  I especially enjoy it in the venue of Asian food.  There is something unfailingly satisfying about a noodle bowl, and lean pork seems like the perfect protein to feature in such a versatile dish.

This is one of those throw-together-on-a-weeknight dishes that is healthy and incredibly delicious.  Try not to scarf it down as quickly as I did, so you can actually savor the incredible combination of spices, and just the right degree of saltiness, with a backdrop of buckwheat soba noodles and hearty kale.

I think it's pretty obvious, but this is one of those recipes you should follow loosely according to your preferences.  The options are literally endless.

Spicy Pork Noodle Bowls

adapted from Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express

serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS:

salt

4 oz. buckwheat soba noodles

3/4 lb. thin cut boneless pork chops, trimmed, cut into 1/4" slices

freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon five spice powder

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 bunch kale, stems and tough ribs removed, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon Sriracha or other hot chile sauce

1 scallion, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it.  Cook soba noodles according to package directions until al dente, usually about 3-4 minutes.  Drain.

2.  While noodles are cooking, season pork with salt, pepper, and five spice powder.  Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat.  When hot, add the pork and stir fry.  When pork is almost cooked through, add kale, vinegar, soy sauce, and hot sauce.  Stir and cook until pork is cooked through.

3.  When noodles are cooked and drained, add them to the skillet and toss to combine everything.  Serve topped with sliced scallions.

Enjoy!

Pasta with Chickpeas

This is another one of those recipes where the well-stocked pantry pays off. I came back from the gym hungry for pasta, but none of the recipes I had chosen for the week were pasta. What to do? Raid the pantry, of course. And the Mark Bittman recipe collection.

If you feel like something spicy, cheap and simple, this is the recipe for you. Chances are you already have all the ingredients on hand - and if you don't, substitute freely. That's what it's all about! But the recipe as it is has loads of flavor, a variety of textures, and oodles of nutrients. It's pretty hard to go wrong with this one.

Pasta with Chickpeas
adapted from Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian
serves 3

INGREDIENTS:

salt
1/2 pound whole wheat penne (or other short pasta)
1 large clove garlic, minced or pressed
1/4 teaspoon cracked red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons EVOO
1 cup cooked chickpeas (canned is fine; rinse first)
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and salt it. Cook the pasta according to package directions, until just al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking liquid and drain the pasta. Return it to the pot.

2. Meanwhile, warm the oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a small skillet over medium heat. When the garlic starts to sizzle, reduce heat to medium-low and stir in the chickpeas. Cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is puffed up and just browned, and chickpeas are warmed, about 4 minutes.

3. Toss the pasta with the garlic/chickpea mixture and stir in the parsley. Serve.

Easy does it. Enjoy!

Sausage with Peppers and Onions

When you grow up in a British family, you eat bangers. You just do. If you don't, you're missing out. You eat them with mashed potatoes and gravy, or in a sandwich with grilled onions. You eat them slathered with HP sauce. You eat them however you can get them.

I can only imagine that if you grow up in an Italian-American family, the same is true of Italian sausage (only perhaps without the HP sauce). I have long heard about the quintessential Italian sausage + peppers + onions combination. Tonight I decided to try my hand at making it (only with shallots instead of onions). I bought some lovely crusty rolls to make it into a sandwich.

It was really good. I didn't see stars, but I could definitely see why this is a tradition of sorts. The sweetness of the peppers, the spiciness of the sausage, and the occasional crunch of sweet grilled shallot, all gathered together in a freshly baked roll - it definitely gets the job done.

And yes, I did put HP sauce on mine (not pictured). Couldn't resist.

Sausage with Peppers and Onions
inspired by Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything
serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

Cooking spray
2 links of hot Italian sausage (preferably turkey sausage)
1 tablespoon EVOO
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1 bell pepper (any color), cored and sliced into strips
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat up a small skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray. Puncture the sausages a few times with the tip of a sharp knife and cook, browning on all sides. Add a few tablespoons of water to the skillet after the sausages have browned and cover with a lid. This will steam the sausages so they cook faster. (I learned this from Rachael Ray). Cook until done, about 10 to 15 minutes.

2. While sausages are steaming, heat EVOO in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and cook for a 4-5 minutes, until just starting to brown. Add the peppers and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook all the veggies together, tossing around occasionally, until tender, about 5 more minutes.

3. Transfer the sausages from the watery skillet to join the peppers and onions, just to brown them up a bit more. Serve.

Easy. Tasty. Good. Enjoy!

Skillet Cornbread

Everyone loves cornbread. That might be an overstatement, but I have never met someone who has tasted really good, home made cornbread and said, "Eh, I could take it or leave it." Warm from the oven, with a little bit of butter and a drizzle of honey - it's hard to beat. This particular recipe for cornbread can be made in a regular baking pan (8 x 8 if you please) but there is something magical about making it in a cast iron skillet.

I was always curious about cast iron skillets, and finally became the proud owner of two thanks to my sister and mother over the holiday season. And I am having a blast with them. They take cooking to a whole new level. Stove top? Check. Oven? Check. Both? Double check. If you don't own one yet, I'd recommend it - they're not very expensive and easy to find. (I, along with America's Test Kitchen and most people who know a thing or two about kitchen accessories, recommend the Lodge pre-seasoned cast iron skillet). And of course, the piece de resistance when it comes to cast iron skillets has to be cornbread.

Enter the master himself, one of my culinary mentors even though he doesn't know it, Mark Bittman. I can't believe this is the first recipe of his that I've posted. I read his blog daily, I worship his "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian" cookbook, and here I am posting a recipe of his from a book I picked up at the library.

It's a pretty great recipe, and you can tweak it as you see fit - add spices, add corn kernels, add cheese, add extra yogurt to make it more moist, use EVOO instead of butter - the options are endless. I'm sharing it the way I made it - delightfully crumbly, slightly sweet, and great with honey all over it and a cup of tea or coffee on the side. And as you can see from the picture above, it was a success - it's going, going, and nearly gone.

Skillet Cornbread
Adapted from Mark Bittman's "Quick and Easy Recipes from the NY Times"
Makes one 10 1/4 inch round cornbread

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons plain lowfat yogurt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Put the butter in a 10 1/4 inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat; heat until melted and hot, about two minutes, then turn off the heat. (The goal here is not to brown the butter, just to warm it up and melt it, so don't leave the heat on too long). You may want to tilt the skillet around to evenly distribute the butter.

2. While the butter is warming up, combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix the egg and yogurt in a separate bowl, then stir the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients, combining well. If it seems too dry, add a little more yogurt.

3. Pour the batter over the preheated butter in the skillet. Give the skillet a firm shake to evenly distribute the batter. Bake for 30 minutes, until top is lightly browned and sides have pulled away from the pan. Serve warm.

Eat it however you like it - plain, with chili, with Log Cabin Chicken (TM) or any other way you choose! Enjoy.