Happy St. Patrick's Day! Here's an Irish Soda Bread Recipe for you!

Many of you know that my heritage is Italian.  All of my grandparents were born in Italy and came to this country in the early 1900's.  I am very proud of my Italian heritage, but today everyone is Irish, including me!

Over the years, I have tried many different Irish Soda bread recipes, but I always seem to come back to this one as noted by how dirty the page is in my cookbook.  This recipe came from the Sunset Cookbook of Breads published by the Lang Magazine and Book Company.  The original was copyrighted in 1966. My edition was printed in 1975.  It was my very first bread cookbook.  I began all my bread baking adventures with this book.  It is literally falling apart, so much so, that I purchased a second copy back in the mid 80's. Yet I always come back to the original one, even though I now have nearly two shelves of bread cookbooks, I can't bring myself to get rid of it.

This is a very easy recipe, it doesn't involve yeast or rising or any other usual bread making techniques, except for a little kneading.  There are several variations, you can add caraway seeds, raisins, craisins, or currents.  This recipe makes two loaves.  I usually add craisins to one loaf and leave the other plain.

4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar (optional)
1/8  teaspoon cardamom or coriander (optional)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 egg
1 3/4 cups buttermilk

This can be made in the food processor since you are cutting in the butter, but you can use the old fashioned method of two knives or a pastry blender to cut in the butter.  Combine flour salt, baking powder, baking soda and sugar and spices (if using) in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse a few times to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture looks like coarse crumbs.  Do the same if you are using a pastry blender. Beat the egg slightly and mix with the buttermilk.  Add to the mixture. Combine until blended.  Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead three or four times. Divide the dough in half and shape into round loaves.  Place each loaf into a greased 8 inch round cake pan.  Use a sharp knife and cut a cross about 1/2 inch deep into the top of each loaf.  Bake at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.  Turn loaves onto a rack to cool a few minutes.  Serve with butter and jam or marmalade. Enjoy!

Happy cooking!
Carol

a.k.a
Nonnie

Lettuce Wraps - A 30 Minute Meal!

The first time I ever ate lettuce wraps was at a P.F.Chang's in Denver.  I was sold and knew I had to make these at home.  This is a quick and easy dinner that goes together in less than thirty minutes. An internet search will bring you dozens of recipes.  I combined several to come up with this one. You can choose what kind of lettuce to use.  Iceberg works well, but its crispy leaves will often break, something with a soft leaf like Boston Bib works best, but I have even used Romaine. Hoisin sauce can be found in the Asian section of your grocery store.  It's kind of like barbeque sauce, but sweeter and not smokey. Serve with sauce and chopped scallions.  Enjoy!

1 head lettuce (bib, iceberg or even romaine)
1 pound ground chicken (you can substitute pork)
1 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion finely chopped
1 can water chestnuts diced
3 cloves of garlic finely chopped or run through garlic press
1 inch piece of fresh ginger grated
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
3 Tablespoons soy sauce or Tamari if you are gluten free
1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar (can substitute cider vinegar)
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce This is a hot sauce to give it a little kick, you can omit if you wish
3 scallions chopped (white and green parts)

Sauce for topping

Whisk together with a fork;
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Heat one tablespoon of oil in a skillet and add garlic, onion and ginger. Cook for about three minutes over medium heat until softened.  Add chicken and cook about seven to ten minutes until no pink shows.  Add hoisin, soy sauce, vinegar, Sriracha, if you are using, and water chestnuts.  Cook through. Lastly, add sesame oil and stir to combine.  Serve with lettuce. Put meat into whole lettuce leaves, add a bit of sauce and some chopped scallions, wrap and enjoy!

Feel free to leave questions or comments in the comment section below the post.

Happy Cooking!
Carol

a.k.a. Nonnie

Crockpot Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic

I can hear you now, "forty cloves of garlic!"  " Is she crazy?"  No really, it's fabulous. Slow cooking gives the garlic a sweet mellow flavor.  This could easily be a company dish.  Next your asking, did you really peel 40 cloves of garlic?  No, I didn't; I used pre-peeled whole cloves in a jar.  This develops a rich creamy sauce that goes well over noodles or rice.  Serve with a vegetable and salad and you have a wonderful meal, and don't forget crusty bread to smear the garlic on.  You can use a whole chicken, chicken breasts, thighs, bone in or not.  It's up to you. This recipe came from Slow Cooker Revolution by America's Test Kitchen.  It is my go to slow cooker recipe book.  I have yet to make anything bad from this book.  Enjoy!

1 whole, cut up chicken, or chicken breasts, legs, or thighs.  It's your choice.
40 cloves of garlic, leave whole
2 - 4 tablespoons olive oil
4 shallots quartered end to end
3/4 cup white wine*
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary (or 1/4  teaspoon dried)
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme ( or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Salt and pepper

* If you don't want to use the wine, just change the amount of chicken broth to 1 1/2 cups

Begin by drying chicken and seasoning with salt and pepper.  Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the chicken a few pieces a a time and lightly brown on all sides.  Remove to a plate and cook the rest of the chicken in the same way.  If you have used chicken with skin, remove the skin at this point.  If you need more oil in the pan add the rest of the olive oil, shallots and garlic.  Cook over medium heat for about 8 minutes until they become soft and golden.  Add flour to the pan, stir and cook about 2 - 3 minutes.  Then add wine, and stir up any bits on the bottom of the pan.  Add the chicken broth, raise the heat until sauce begins to thicken.  Add  the sauce to the crockpot along with rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves.  Stir to combine and add the chicken and any juices that are on the plate.  Cook on low for about 5 - 6 hours.  Remove the chicken and skim any fat from the sauce.  Adjust seasoning. and serve over noodles or rice and garnish with parsley.  Enjoy!  Don't forget to leave questions and comments in the comments section below this post, and please share with your friends!

Happy Cooking!
Carol

a.k.a.
Nonnie

Cheesy Shepard's Pie with a Twist

I have confessed to you before that I am addicted to cooking shows.  Well for some reason, this week, nearly every cooking show, or cooking segment on a morning show has made some sort of casserole.  Is it national casserole week?  I don't know, but I figured I'd jump in on the bandwagon.

As you know, I grew up in a very Italian family and I had never heard of Shepard's Pie until I went to middle school got to eat cafeteria food for the first time in my life.  Well the Shepard's Pie in my school cafeteria was a scary concoction of ground beef, vegetables and gooey mashed potatoes on top. Back in the 70's when casseroles were all the rage, I tried to feed my family Shepard's Pie a few times, but it was not a hit.

This morning on the Today Show, Al Roker made Shepard's pie, and I got the idea I would try it again.  I did change his recipe drastically.  He used ground beef, I used left over cooked chicken. He made his gravy with dark beer and bullion, I used white wine and chicken stock, but  I did like his idea of putting cream cheese and sour cream in the mashed potatoes though.  Yumm.

This is a meal that lends itself to using up left overs, which is what prompted me to try it.  I had some left over cooked chicken in the freezer, left over green beans from dinner the other night, as well as a little bit of left over mashed potatoes.  I did have to cook more potatoes to make sure there was enough.

This is one of those recipes that you can adapt to whatever you have in your kitchen. Feel free to change up the combination of vegetables. Use red and green peppers if you like, or frozen mixed vegetables, the possibilities are endless. The ingredient list is long, but this went together in the time it took me to cook the potatoes, honestly!  Have fun with this!

3 cups diced cooked chicken
2 large potatoes cut up
1 onion diced
2 cloved minced garlic
1 cup of carrots diced
1 green beans, cut into small pieces
1 cup frozen corn
6 tablespoons butter divided
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup white wine
about 2 cups chicken stock plus more for the mashed potatoes
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (do not use garlic salt)
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Begin by boiling the potatoes in salted water.  Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet and add the onions, carrots and garlic.  When the vegetables have softened after about five minutes add the corn, green beans, salt, pepper and rosemary.  Saute until the corn is cooked.  Now add the flour of the pan and cook for about three minutes over medium high heat.  Add the wine and scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pan.  Add the chicken broth and worcestershire and cook over high heat until mixture thickens.  You may add more broth if it gets too thick.  Remove from heat and add the parmesan cheese.  Mix well.  Prepare a casserole dish with non stick cooking spray and pour the mixture into the casserole.  Now drain the potatoes and return to the pot.  Add the cream cheese, sour cream butter and garlic powder, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and mash.  Add chicken broth until you have a smooth consistency.  Spread the potatoes over the casserole and top with cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, Heat your broiler, and place under the broiler for about three minutes, or until the top begins to brown.  Enjoy!

Please leave questions and comments in the comment section below this post and don't forget to share with your friends!

Happy Cooking!
Carol

a.k.a.
Nonnie

A New Kind of "Pizza" Dough.

As some of you may know, we were buried in about 26 inches of snow this weekend.  I don't know why, but snow makes me want to cook.  This is a recipe I found in a new cookbook I just purchased before Christmas called The Free Range Cook, by Annabel Langbein.  I just discovered her on the PBS Create channel.  She is from New Zealand and has some really interesting dishes.  This recipe is for a kind of pizza like pie called Pissaladiere.

What I found really interesting about the recipe was the dough.  I pretty much changed up the toppings, but I wanted to try this dough.  There is no yeast, and its made with olive oil. If you are a fan of thin crust pizza, which I am, then this is for you.  It is so much easier than traditional pizza dough, and even though I have told you to purchase your pizza dough ready made, this is still easier.  The magic comes in rolling it out.  Traditional pizza dough is like working with silly putty.  You roll it out and it just springs back;  it takes work and skill to get it really thin. This is so easy to roll out.  Also she makes some suggestions for baking that I found really helpful.  This does not lend itself to wet soggy tomato sauce, it is more of a rustic pie, but oh so good! I am going to give you the dough recipe and some suggestions for toppings. This recipe makes enough for one large sheet pan.  Feel free to double it. Have fun!

Olive oil dough:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3  cup good olive oil
2/3 cup warm water

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir with a fork to combine.  Combine oil and water and add to the flour mixture.  I used a fork and then a wooden spoon to combine, and finally, a few quick turns with my hands.  Cover with a dishtowel  and let rest for 1/2 hour.  You can let it rest as long as 24 hours. This is a very soft, moist dough.

While the dough is resting, you can pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees and prepare your toppings.  About 15 minutes before you are ready to bake your pie, place your sheet pan in the oven to preheat.  This little trick helps to make sure you have a crisp crust.

Now for toppings.  I thinly sliced two onions and minced about 6 cloves of garlic. I sauteed this in about two tablespoons of olive oil until they were soft and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Next I prepared grape tomatoes but cutting in half and squeezing out the juice.  Finally, the original recipe called for using uncooked Italian sausage as a topping, but I didn't want to defrost a whole package of sausage for just a few sausages, so I cut up some pepperoni into tiny bits and  cooked it in a skillet to render out the fat.  I also used kalamata olives, grated Asiago cheese, pesto which I had in the freezer, dried rosemary and dried basil.

Next cut a piece of parchment paper to fit your pan.  Flour the paper and roll out your dough into a large rectangle.  Turn over the edges to make a kind of lip around the outside.  Next I covered it with the cooked onions and garlic.  Then I put on the tomatoes, olives, pepperoni, herbs, a few blobs of pesto and cheese.  Remove the hot pan from the oven, lift the parchment and place onto the pan. Return to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. I will admit the lifting of the parchment was a bit tricky as the dough folded over on itself, but it was an easy repair because this is such a forgiving dough.

Experiment with toppings.  I would love to try broccoli, zucchini or other veggies.  What about cooked chicken? The original recipe did not have cheese, but I added just a little.  Try other cheeses and experiment with your toppings.  Let me know how yours turned out! Don't forget that you can leave questions and comments in the comments section just below this post.  Also please feel free to share with friends!

Happy cooking!
Carol

a.k.a.
Nonnie