The Most Forgotten Meal of the Day

Even though everyone says that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, there are so many people who skip it. I always eat breakfast (unless I sleep in until 10:00 while on winter break...then I eat lunchfast). Usually, it's not a lot but I always try to eat something.

I know that eating isn't exactly the first thing you want to do when you wake up, but it's so important to get your body going in the morning. It's like putting fuel in your body to get you cruising until lunchtime. It also tells your body that you are planning to eat today and it can burn up what's in your belly, instead of hang on to it for dear life. I don't often feel well in the morning, but I feel even worse when I don't eat anything.

I'm not a morning person at all...so please don't picture me flipping pancakes and making omelets in the morning while whistling a cheerful tune. Picture me pressing snooze three times and then whimpering under the covers until my husband finally succeeds in convincing me to get up and go to work. So, needless to say, I need something quick and easy in the morning.

I almost always combine some sort of fruit with some sort of bread. Sometimes it's a banana and an English muffin with a bit of butter and honey on it. Sometimes it's apple slices and a piece of toast with raspberry jam. This morning I tried something different and absolutely loved it!

I got the idea from Everyday Food Magazine and tweaked it a bit.

First I bought some of this: Then I got these things out:

I toasted up a slice of bread and then spread the plain Greek yogurt on it. I added a heaping teaspoon of honey and some chopped walnuts. Wow! The creamy tangy flavor of the yogurt was sweetened by the honey and the nuts added a nutritious crunch. Everyday Food Magazine suggests adding pistachios, but I didn't have any on hand. I drank a few sips of orange juice and then got my coffee to head off to work.

This quick little breakfast idea is healthy, filling, and delicious. It kept me going all morning long until I got out my delicious soup for lunch. More on the soup in a future post! :)

Girls Only Getaway to the Mountains

For my Aunt Kathy's 50th birthday, we went on a Girls Only trip to the Poconos. It was my Mom, my sister, and my Aunts (Aunt Kathy and Aunt Lori). My Mom's other sister, Aunt Diana couldn't be with us and we missed her terribly. She always brings such joy and laughter to the people around her. She also is a phenomenal cook and baker and would have loved all the things my sister and I created. We will do the trip again, Aunt Diana, and you'll be with us next time!

We had a wonderful time. My Aunts live in Florida and North Carolina, so I don't get to see them that often. It was so much fun to talk until the wee hours of the morning and just hang out with one another. My sister and I decided that we would cook the entire weekend because we don't often get to cook together. She's been cooking long before I started and it was such a special time for us to be in the kitchen side-by-side.

We took pictures of most of the food we made, but they weren't on my camera and I need everybody to email them to me (hint, hint). The house that my Mom's good friend graciously let us use was absolutely unbelievable! I wish I had snapped a picture of the kitchen, because it was divine. But here's what the dining room looked like:

And here's what the view from the main balcony looked like (every bedroom also had it's own balcony):


And without further ado, here was our Menu (some are links and the many can be found in the recipes below)

Friday Evening
Shrimp and Zucchini Tostadas
Spinach and Strawberry Salad
Pear Cardamom Bread

Saturday Morning
Banana Sour Cream Pancakes
Herbed Scrambled Eggs

Saturday Evening
Zesty Ravioli Skillet
Herbed Garlic Bread
Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
Plum Galette

Sunday Morning
Crab and Roasted Red Pepper Strata
Pecan Praline Bacon
Cranberry Lemon Scones
(I used lemon instead of orange)

Snacks
Fresh Corn Salad
Puppy Chow
Banana Bread


Banana Sour Cream Pancakes
~These have a really unique flavor~

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• unsalted butter
• 2 ripe bananas, diced, plus extra for serving
• Pure maple syrup

1. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, mixing only until combined.
3. Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a large skillet over medium low heat until it bubbles. Ladles the pancake batter into the pan to make 3 or 4 pancakes.
4. Distribute a rounded tbsp of bananas on each pancake.
5. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes until bubble appear on the top and the underside is nicely browned. Flip the pancakes and then cook for another minute until browned.
6. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, add more butter to the pan, and continue cooking pancakes until all the batter is used.
   
7. Serve with sliced bananas, butter and maple syrup.

Recipe taken from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Family Style

Herbed Scrambled Eggs
~These went nicely with the pancakes~

Crack 1 dozen eggs into a large bowl and whisk together with a 1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Cook over medium and allow to set a little bit before "scrambling". This gives the eggs a nice texture that is more like folds of eggs instead of lumps. Then add shredded provolone and/or Parmesan cheese while the eggs cook and then sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs such as chives and Italian parsley when they are done cooking.

Zesty Ravioli Skillet
~Fresh and flavorful!~

• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 4 cups loosely packed fresh baby spinach leaves
• 6 oz. provolone cheese, grated
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes with onions, undrained
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 package small frozen cheese ravioli
• Halved grape tomatoes (optional)

1. Add oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Finely chop the jalapeno and add to the skillet. Cook for 1 minute or until crisp tender. Add garlic to the skillet and cook for 15-20 seconds until fragrant.
2. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper to the skillet and cook 1-2 minutes until simmering. Add ravioli, stir to coat. Cook, uncovered, 4-5 minutes or until tender.
3. Stir cream into skillet. Cook, uncovered, 1-2 minutes or until simmering.
4. Sprinkle spinach over ravioli and cook, covered, 1 minute or until spinach starts to wilt.
5. Remove from heat and top with cheese. Cover the hot skillet and let stand 1-2 minutes so that the cheese can melt. Garnish with grape tomatoes, if desired.

Recipe taken from The Pampered Chef

Herbed Garlic Bread
~I ate what seemed like 500 pieces of this~

• 1 loaf of nice crusty Italian bread
• 1 stick( or maybe a little less depending on how big the loaf is)of butter
• 3 or 4 cloves of minced garlic
• dash of garlic salt (optional)
• a couple tbsp chopped fresh herbs like Italian Parsley and Basil
• Olive oil
• Handful of shredded provolone or Parmesan cheese.
  

Soften some butter and mix some minced garlic in it, you could add some sprinkles of garlic salt as well to add flavor. Spread that on the bread. Then add the chopped herbs. Drizzle with olive oil on top and added shredded provolone and Parmesan cheese. Put it in the broiler and WATCH IT until it gets golden on edges and cheese melts.

Plum Galette
~This recipe was so easy and very impressive~

• 2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling (skip 2 1/2 cups of flour if using ready made pie crust)
  
• 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces (skip if using ready made pie crust)
  
• 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar (only need 5 tbsp if using ready made pie crust)
  
• 1 teaspoon salt (skip if using ready made pie crust)
  
• 1/2 cup ice water (skip if using ready made pie crust)
  
• 1/4 cup whole, skin-on almonds, toasted
  
• 5 to 6 plums, halved, pitted, and sliced inch thick (keep slices together)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream

*I used a Pillsbury ready made pie crust from the refrigerated section and it worked wonderfully*

1. If you choose to make your own pie crust, follow these directions. In a food processor, combine 2 1/2 cups flour, butter, 1 teaspoon sugar, and salt; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 1/4 cup remaining ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Don't overmix. Remove dough from processor and shape into a disk; wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour.
   
2. Here is where I began. Wipe bowl of food processor clean and add almonds, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 2 tablespoons flour; pulse until ground to a coarse meal.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness (I didn't have to do this...I just unrolled the ready made crust). Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet (I made it on a stoneware pizza stone); sprinkle almond mixture over dough.
   
4. With a spatula, transfer plums to dough; press lightly to fan out, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold edge of dough over fruit. Refrigerate 20 minutes.
   
5. Brush crust with cream; sprinkle galette with 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until crust is golden and underside is cooked through, about 70 minutes.

We had such an amazing time as a family. There is nothing in the world that makes me happier then sitting down to a table of delicious food with the ones that I love.

Happy Birthday, Aunt Kathy!

Breakfast for Dinner

Oh how I love going to cooking classes. This week I went to a week night class called "Breakfast for Dinner". My husband, who is not apt to join me in the kitchen ever, came along with me! This is partly because he loves me and wants to do things that I enjoy, and partly because he's a breakfast fanatic.

Once again, I forgot my camera...but hubby came to the rescue with his cell phone and we snapped a couple of pictures as we devoured the delicious food.

Here was the menu:

Cardamom-Pear Muffins
Crab and Roasted Red Pepper Strata
Huevos Rancheros
Rosemary-Mustard Sausage
The Ultimate Sticky Buns
Pecan Praline Bacon

I'm not actually a huge breakfast person. I eat it because I have to...and let's face it, the really good breakfast food isn't really that good for you anyway. I usually choke down some yogurt or an English muffin with honey on it. These recipes may not have been for calorie counting...but boy were they they tastiest darn things in the world! I'll share a few recipes now and save a few for future posts.

Cardamom Pear Muffins*
~I had never tasted anything like these~

• 1 2/3 cup all purpose flour (I bet you could use 1/2 whole wheat, 1/2 all purpose)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom**
• 1 1/2 cups chopped, unpeeled pear***
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 large eggs

• 1 tbsp sugar (for topping)
• 1/4 tsp cardamom (for topping)
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tin or line with paper cups (if using a loaf pan, grease the bottom of it).
2. Mix first 5 ingredients together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix pears, vegetable oil, milk, and eggs.
3. Combine dry and wet ingredients and mix only to combine. Pour batter evenly into muffin tin (I use an ice cream scooper to ensure even distribution) and sprinkle topping over each muffin.
4. Bake for approx. 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
5. Cool in tin for 10 minutes, remove and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

*This can be made as a loaf of bread, too. Instead of using muffin tins, use a loaf pan. Increase the cooking time to about 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

**This is a really unique spice. It's available in the grocery store, but can be a bit pricey. To make it last, store it in the freezer. If you prefer to use something cheaper, cinnamon will work. However, the cardamom has a really special taste and I highly recommend using it.

***We used Bosc pears. When you are baking with fruit, it does not need to be ripe. If you would prefer, you could use apples instead of pears. But I think the pears go perfectly with the cardamom.

Huevos Rancheros
~I am in love with this recipe~

Ranchero Sauce*

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup poblano pepper, roasted and chopped**
• 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp cumin, ground
• 1/2 tsp salt or more to taste
• 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice

• Vegetable oil for pan-frying
• 8 corn tortillas
• 8 large eggs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Pepper Jack cheese and/or sour cream to garnish

1. For the sauce, warm the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Mix in the poblano pepper, tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, cumin, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, until thickened.
3. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice into the sauce shortly before removing from the heat.
4. Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in a medium to large skillet. Dip the tortillas into the oil, one at a time, and cook for a few seconds, until soft and pliable. Drain the tortillas on a paper towel.
5. Fry the eggs (we actually did them scrambled and likes them very much that way). Season with salt and pepper.
6. Top each tortilla with a fried egg (or a couple spoonfuls of scrambled). Sprinkle cheese and sour cream, if desired, and then top with ranchero sauce.

*The Ranchero sauce is wonderful to have on hand. Make a double batch and store the extra in the freezer. It can be used to top chicken or salmon, too. If you use it with eggs on Monday, save some and use it over chicken later in the week for a quick meal!

**To roast the peppers, pop them under the broiler, turning occasionally until they are blackened on all sides. Then, while they are still hot, put them in a bowl and cover the bowl to allow them to steam a little bit (this will help the skin come off easier). Place them on a flat surface and use the back of a knife to scrap the blacked skin off of the peppers. You don't have to get it all off, just most of it. The peppers are then ready to chop. For a shortcut, they are available canned.

Rosemary and Mustard Breakfast Sausage

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary (or 1/2 tsp dried)
• 1 14 oz. package bulk breakfast sausage, mild or spicy
• 2 tsp whole grain mustard (using whole grain works best)

1. Heat oil in small skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and chopped rosemary and saute until golden (about 10 minutes)
2. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add sausage, mustard, and generous amount of pepper. Mix gently.
3. Form into 12 two inch diameter patties (you can make more smaller ones, or less bigger ones too).
4. Arrange sausages on a heavy baking sheet (can be made 1 day ahead up to this point, store in fridge until ready to bake)
5. Set rack at lowest position in oven and preheat to 500 degrees. Bake sausages until cooked through, about 6 minutes. If sausages have not browned, you can broil them for 2 minutes.
6. Transfer sausages to paper towels to drain, then arrange on platter.

Pecan Praline Bacon
~ This was my favorite recipe of the night~

• 1 lb thick cut bacon (about 12 slices)
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped fine

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. On rack of a large broiling pan (or baking sheet lined with a Silpat) arrange bacon slices in a single layer.
3. Cook in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes or until they just begin to turn golden.
4. In a small bowl stir together sugar and chili powder. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle bacon with sugar mixture and pecans.
5. Return pan to oven and cook until bacon is crisp and browned, about 5 minutes.
6. Transfer bacon, praline-side up, to paper towels to drain.
   

Boot Camp - Week 2

This week we made some Indian cuisine in my Boot Camp class. I'm really excited to try some of these global cuisines because I haven't had a ton of exposure to food from other countries. I've had pretty much no exposure to Indian food, so this was a fascinating class for me. Here was our menu:

Spinach and Potato Samosas with Mint Chutney
Chicken Satays with Peanut Dipping Sauce
Indian Spiced Cauliflower and Peas
Chicken Vindaloo
Naan

The food was awesome. I was so excited. In fact, I called my husband on the way home just to tell him everything we made. Sometimes I just get so excited about things I can't wait to tell someone. He gets that about me.

Some of the recipes are on the spicier side, but can be made more mild (which I will do because I haven't quite gotten used to spicy food yet). My favorite was the Chicken Vindaloo and homemade Naan. I may or may not have eaten 5 loaves of Naan before the night was through (hey...they aren't that big).

I forgot my camera again, which makes me so mad. The food looked so colorful and wonderful...next time I'll remember to grab it before class, I hope.

So, like I said, here are my favorites...

Chicken Vindaloo
~If you have a well stocked spice cabinet, you're good to go~

• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
• 6 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh ginger (remember, you can freeze this to have on hand when needed)
  
• 1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp dried crushed red pepper
• 2 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
• 2 lbs skinless boneless chicken thighs (about 10), cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 1 (14 1/2 oz to 16 oz) can diced tomatoes in juice
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I didn't use this because I don't like it)

1. Place first 8 ingredients in a blender or food processor. Add 1 tbsp mustard seeds and blend until smooth. Transfer spice mixture to a large bowl.
2. Add chicken and 2 tbsp oil to spice mixture and coat well.
3. Heat remaining 2 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until golden, about 5 minutes.
4. Add chicken mixture and stir 3 minutes to blend flavors. Then add tomatoes with their juice and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until chicken is tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
6. Season chicken mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in remaining 1 tbsp mustard seeds. Simmer uncovered until liquid is slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick. Stir in cilantro (if desired) and serve (with Naan!).

Naan
~ This takes a little bit of time, but it's so worth it~

• 1 (.25 oz) package active dry yeast
• 1 cup cold or luke warm water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tsp salt
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour (you can use all-purpose, too...or you could use 1/2 all purpose and 1/2 whole wheat)
• 2 tsp minced garlic (optional, but highly recommended)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until slightly frothy.
2. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, and flour. Mix a little bit, then add the salt. It should come together to to form a soft dough.
3. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth (try to use the least amount of flour as possible). You could also knead this by using a stand mixer with a dough hook.
4. Put the dough into a large ziploc bag that has been sprayed with cooking spray on the inside. Let it rise for 1 hour until doubled in size.
5. Punch down dough and knead in the garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and play on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
   
6. During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.
7. Roll the dough balls out into a thin circle with a rolling pin. Place dough on grill and cook for 2 or 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes.
8. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared. This pairs great with many many things, but we ate it with the Chicken Vindaloo.

This bread is ridiculously delicious. You can make it and freeze it, too. Just pull it out and toast it up to thaw it. Yum!

Quick Breads Done Light

Not all low fat recipes taste bad

This weekend I decided to try two new light recipes for quick breads. I have a bit of a "self-control" issue when it comes to banana bread and other sweet quick breads (By the way, quick bread means the kind of bread you can make without yeast...thus, it's quick to make). My favorite banana bread recipe is quite yummy...but it's not good for calorie counting. I've also tried various zucchini bread recipes, but all of them are pretty high in sugar.

I was watching a show called Zonya's Health Bites and she lightened up recipes for banana bread and zucchini bread. I was skeptical, but decided to give them a try. I was pleasantly surprised by both. I'm not going to say they are exactly like the recipes that have tons of butter and sugar, but they are very tasty (especially with a little bit of Smart Balance spread onto a slice). Another great thing is that both recipes are not only tasty, but good for you. It's a win-win! Both recipes are taken directly from Zonya's Lickety-Split Meals cookbook. I'm excited to tell you more about her show in a future post.

Each recipe makes enough batter for two loaves (or 8 mini loaves, if you have a mini-loaf pan) I actually made 1 regular loaf and 4 mini loaves when I tried the recipes this weekend. I gave away some of the mini loaves and popped a few in my freezer.

Banana Bread
~ This is great in the morning with breakfast or after dinner for dessert!~

• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 egg whites (or 1 egg, yolk and white)
  
• 2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups bananas (about 5)
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 3 cups whole-wheat pastry flour (or 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour)
  
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (opt) (I didn't add these)
  
• 1/2 cup ground flax seed (opt) (I added this very healthy ingredient and it didn't affect the taste at all!)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare 2 loaf pans with cooking spray.
   
2. Mix brown sugar, egg/s, and vanilla together in a large mixing bowl.
3. Mash the bananas (I use a food processsor). Stir into mixture.
4. Add oil to mixture and stir.
5. Place flour, baking soda, and salt into a sifter and sift over mixture (or place in a separate bowl and use a fork to equally distribute the salt and soda).
   
6. Stir dry mixture together thoroughly with the wet ingredients.
7. Stirnuts and flax seed into batter, if desired.
8. Divide batter evenly between the pans (loaves will not be high). Bake 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Per slice, this bread comes in at 137 calories, 4 grams of fat, and 7 grams of sugar...it's a great source of fiber and protein as well.

Zucchini Bread
~This also makes for a great anytime treat~

• 3 cups whole-wheat pastry flour (or 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves (I skipped these cause I didn't have them)
  
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1½ cups sugar
• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 cup skim milk or nonfat plain yogurt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp lemon extract
• 2 cups shredded zucchini, unpeeled (I shredded it in my food processor)
  
• 1/2 cup nuts, if desired

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare 2 loaf pans with cooking spray.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices in a small or medium bowl.
3. Beat sugar, egg whites, milk, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon extract in a large bowl.
4. Stir zucchini into wet ingrediants. Then stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture until just combined.
5. Stir in nuts, if desired. Divide batter evenly between pan(s). Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
   

Per slice, this bread comes in at 140 calories, 3 grams of fat, and 13 grams of sugar...not bad...plus there's plenty of nutritional value in it as well.

This proves that you really can have sweet treats when you are watching your weight. You just have to watch your serving sizes and use healthy recipes!

Not just for St. Patrick's Day

My Dad's side of the family has some Irish in there. Sonny has Irish on both sides of his family. So I like to make Irish sorts of things around this time of year. Last year I made Humble Shepherd's Pie for dinner. I also made Irish Soda Bread. I loved the Irish Soda Bread so much that it made me think...

Could I perhaps make this at other times of the year? Can Irish Soda Bread be enjoyed not just for St. Patrick's Day, but all year round? Of course it can! I make this bread regularly.

This recipe is easy and so delicious. It makes 2 loaves, so you can freeze one...or give it away...or eat both like I do.

This bread is very versatile. I've served it as an appetizer at my book club. I've served it alongside dinner. I've eaten it for dessert or brought it to work for a snack. It has a unique flavor and a touch of sweetness without being too sweet. I just made two loaves today and am kicking myself because I forgot to take a picture!

Irish Soda Bread
~I learned this recipe at The Kitchen Workshop~

• 4 cups bread flour (I keep bread flour on hand, but you can use regular flour, too)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 sugar
• 1 cup raisins or currants, rinsed in hot water and patted dry
• 1 tbsp caraway seeds
• 2 cups buttermilk

1. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and baking soda.
2. Stir in raisins/currants and caraway seeds. Add the buttermilk and stir the mixture until it forms a dough (I do this in my Kitchen Aid mixer with the paddle attachment)
3. Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface and knead for 1 minutes (I attach the dough hook to my mixer instead...much less mess).
4. Halve the dough and with floured hands, shape each half into a round loaf. Transfer loaves to a lightly greased baking sheet (or one with a Silpat on it). Cut an X about 1/4 inch deep across the top of each loaf. Beat an egg with a splash of water or milk in a small bowl. Brush the top of each loaf lightly with the egg mixture (this will make it brown nicely)
   
5. Bake in the middle of a preheated 350 degree oven for 45-55 minutes (or until tester comes out clean). Transfer loaves to a rack and let them cool.
6. Serve warm or room temperature with butter. It can also be toasted...yum.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!