Apple Crumble

It's apple season, and for the first time ever I live somewhere where it seems every friend and neighbor is burdened with an overabundance of apples from the trees that grow on their land. We have been generously gifted with baskets and baskets of apples. When I ask what variety they are, even from our familiar farmer at the farmer's market, I get a puzzled look and the response, "I don't know, regular old Irish cooking apples." But one Irish cooking apple will taste more tart than the next, and they aren't all bad for eating either. Most are green and speckled with the kind of imperfections unknown to the American supermarket. But I have come to love these homely, nameless apples. And while I've made a few American apple pies out of them already and have gotten that craving under control for now, it seemed a good time to combine these local flavors with the other staple of Irish cookery, the oat.

Ingredients:

1 c. brown sugar (I used maple sugar, a Trader Joe's import)
1 c. rolled oats
1 c. flour (I used spelt flour for a heartier taste)
1/2 c. butter, melted
3 c. apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1/2 c. white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8-inch square pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, oats, flour and butter. Mix until crumbly. Place half of crumb mixture in pan. Spread the apples evenly over crumb mixture. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and top with remaining crumb mixture.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

Vegan Chocolate Cake

Earlier this year I was in a low-residency teacher training course where a group of us would drive form all corners of this isle and converge on a farm/intentional community for the weekend and have a bunch of intensive talks/workshops. I loved this group of people and miss them dearly now that the course has concluded. Part of my warm memories from these course weekends are the foods that people brought to share. My friend Liz soon become known for this vegan chocolate cake she brought each time. "Vegan" might imply that it is healthy, but it really it is still full of sugar and chocolate, just minus the eggs. It is kind of decadent in a way that sneaks up on you. After the second or third slice, one realizes the light, airy vegan cake is actually quite an indulgence but by then the sugar is doing its magical work. Also it is incredibly quick and easy to make, so a late night sugar jones can be quelled within a half an hour.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups plain flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence 

Mix all together electric mixer great to get rid of all the lumps. Bake at 200 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes (approximately).  Check with a knife. If mixture is still wet leave in the oven a few more minutes.

Irish Brown Bread

After two years of living here I am starting to develop an appreciation for soda bread. Vivienne has loved it from the start, gobbling up the obligatory slices that accompany any order of soup in any restaurant in the land. Often it is the type of bread served as toast as well, and it is always an option when ordering a sandwich. What can I say, I am a yeast-lover through and through. Give me a crusty, gooey baguette any day of the week, but in the interest of health, and seeing the gift of the family-secret recipe bestowed upon me by my doctor, I decided to try making my own. The four year old loved helping with this because it is a mushy dough to mix with the hands. And it makes the house smell good. And it is nice, hot out of the oven, smothered in Irish butter. With some local smoked salmon and my homemade potato-leek soup, you might forget we are mere "blow-ins."

2 kg wholegrain wheat flour
2 oz. wheat bran (also optional to add, wheat germ, oat flakes, nuts)
2 Tablespoons baking soda

2 oz. sunflower oil
2 eggs
1 carton (1 liter) buttermilk

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celcius. Mix first 3 ingredients together in a large bowl. Make a little well in the center of the dry ingredients and incorporate the next 3 (wet) ingredients. This can be mixed with hands. Dough should be rather wet and sticky. Yogurt may be added if more moisture is needed. Once all the dry ingredients are incorporated, transfer dough into 2 floured loafpans. Bake for approximately 1 hour.

Makes 2 loaves.

Thai Laksa (Noodle Soup)

package of Thai rice noodles, 400 g
(280 g) 1 package firm tofu, cubed
800 ml coconut milk
2-3 tsp Thai red curry paste
4 tsp nam plaa (fish sauce)
500 mls chicken or veg stock
2 Tablespoons oil, sesame or sunflower
50 g fresh bean sprouts
1 cup fresh coriander
6 stalks spring onion, finely chopped
2 head of napa cabbage
juice of 1-2 fresh limes, plus additional lime wedges for serving
2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 package of fresh mushrooms (shitake, oyster)
2 cloves garlic, pressed


Place noodles in pot of coiling water for 8-10 minutes. Rinse with cold water when cooked and set aside.

Bring coconut milk to a gentle boil on medium heat. Add red curry paste and nam plaa. Stir. Add chicken or vegetable stock and reduce to simmer.


Heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Stir fry cabbage, garlic, onion, mushrooms and bell peppers for about 5 minutes or until soft but still bright in color. Add bean sprouts and tofu and stir fry for another minute or two.


Assemble soup by adding stir fry mixture and noodles to the pot of simmering broth. Add fresh lime juice and stir through. Remove from heat. Top with fresh cilantro and serve.


Makes 4 servings.

Savory Crepes

Last night the only fresh vegetables in the house were tomatoes and arugula (rocket). I never think to make savory crepes, but the wee one was over the moon for them (may have been the taco-like delivery system). Sauteed up the arugula and tomatoes with some thyme picked from the garden, and once the crepes were freshly made, put some grated cheddar cheese into each to melt up with the veg mixture. Simple and good. This recipe makes 8 large crepes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk, divided use
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus whole butter for cooking crepes

Directions

Whisk together the flour, eggs, 1/2 cup milk, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Continue whisking until you have a smooth batter. Add the remaining cup of milk and stir well to combine. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to chill the batter for at least 30 minutes or several hours.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Just before you are ready to make the crepes, whisk in the melted butter. The batter should be the consistency of heavy cream; if it is too thick, add milk slowly while whisking constantly until it is the right texture.

Heat a 9-inch non-stick skillet or crepe pan over medium heat. Melt a teaspoon of butter in the pan or spray with vegetable spray and heat the pan until a drop of water "dances" across the surface.

Using a ladle or a measuring cup with a lip, pour about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the batter into the pan. Hold the pan with 1 hand and pour the batter in with the other. Swirl the pan while pouring so that the batter covers the pan thinly and evenly for each crepe. Pour off any excess batter. Try not to leave any holes. After the first few crepes you will know exactly how much batter your pan will hold.

Cook the crepe over medium-high heat until the edges turn brown, about 15 seconds. Flip the crepe using a small spatula and your fingers. Cook on the second side for another 10 to 15 seconds. The second side will not be as evenly browned as the first side. Remove the pan from the heat and invert it over a warm plate to stack the crepes. Keep warm until ready to use. Continue making crepes with remaining batter, adjusting the heat as needed.

If not using immediately, place a square of waxed paper between each 1, place in a resealable plastic bag and store in the refrigerator. Crepes can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for several months. Reheat uncovered in a low oven (250 degrees) for 15 minutes or until warm. Fill with your favorite filling.

Minestrone Soup

Needs a bit of tweaking. Didn't have the tomato paste so broth was a bit watery. But threw in a rind of parmesan to cook some extra cheesey richness into it and that I will do again.

Ingredients: 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 cup thinly sliced Savoy cabbage
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped basil
• 2 large stalks of celery, sliced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 can chopped tomatoes, with their liquid
• 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained
• 1 cup dried fusilli pasta
• 1 can cannellini or white beans, drained
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Method: 

In a large stockpot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and onions and cook until translucent. Add broth, cabbage, tomato paste, parsley, basil, celery, carrots, bay leaf, and tomatoes with their juice and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Add chickpeas, pasta, and beans and simmer for another 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

Ladle soup into bowls and serve with Parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top.

Beet Slaw

2 lbs. beets, raw and grated
1/4 cup lemon juice, (about 1/2 a lemon, squeezed)
1 orange
1 tsp. ginger, fresh
1/2 pint blueberries

1. Shred peeled beets into a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, mix lemon juice with the zest (peel) of the orange.
3. Grate ginger into the mixture and stir.
4. Toss with the beets. 
5. Top with blueberries. 
6. Let sit for an hour or overnight to enhance the flavors.

Carrot Coriander Soup

This was deeemed new favorite soup by both members of the household, a particular victory for the girl who presently wishes to subsist on smoothies and crackers. Apologies for the metric. My source is on this side of the pond and, though I haven't yet taken to weighing everything with a scale, I've learned to eyeball a kilo of carrots here and there.

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion , chopped
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 potato , chopped
• 450g carrots , peeled and chopped (about 3-4 large carrots)
• 1 litre vegetable or chicken stock
• handful coriander (about ½ a supermarket packet) 

1. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion, then fry for 5 mins until softened. Stir in the ground coriander and potato, then cook for 1 min. Add the carrots and stock, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat. Cover and cook for 20 mins until the carrots are tender.
2. Tip into food processor with the coriander. then blitz until smooth (you may need to do this in two batches). Return to pan, taste, add salt if necessary, then reheat to serve.  Serves 4.

Chickpea Bulgur Salad

1 cup medium-ground bulgur
2 garlic cloves, crushed
juice of 2 1/2- 3 lemons
salt and pepper
7 T extra virgin olive oil
one 14-ounce can of chickpeas, drained
3 cups loosely packed chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 cup loosely packed finely chopped mint leaves

In a medium saucepan, bring bulgur and 1 1/2 cups of water to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

Add all other ingredients to bulgur and stir together.

Serves 6.

Tomato and Feta Salad

100 g feta cheese
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 cup chopped parsley
3 T olive oil
1 T white wine vinegar
salt & pepper

Add the cut-up tomatoes, onion, vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and parsley and toss well. Dice the feta in 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes, crumbling it as little as possible. Gently fold it into the salad and serve at room temperature.

Makes 4 servings

(Also good with chopped fresh basil)

Punkin Muffins

 My last trip to the States in April I came within one kilo of overweight charges on my baggage returning to Ireland due, in part, to the stockpile of canned pumpkin I was carrying. Even still, the supply is limited, so I wouldn't go making pumpkin pie/pancakes/muffins every day. Pressed to come up with a special occasion to crack open one of the coveted cans, I will say it is Sid Vicious' birthday. Happy Birthday, Sid.

 1 cup (240 ml) canned pumpkin puree
 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (120 ml) plain yogurt
1/2 cup (120 ml) sunflower oil
1 1/2 cups spelt flour
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Place rack in the middle of the oven. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. In a medium sized bowl mix together the pumpkin puree, eggs, yogurt, and oil. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, bran, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the milk and egg mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until just combined. Fold in the raisins. Do not over mix the batter or the muffins will be tough when baked. Fill the muffin cups with the batter using two spoons or an ice cream scoop. Place in the oven and bake for about 18 - 20 minutes , or until firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool. Makes 12 regular-sized muffins.

Stir Fry Sauce

This went into a stir fry of frozen edamame and peas, fresh broccoli and green beans, served over brown rice.

1/2 cup water or veg broth
3 tablespoons tamari
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon Mirin
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
3 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1 shallot, diced

In a small bowl, combine the water/stock with the tamari, cornstarch slurry, vinegar and sesame oil.
In a medium saucepan, heat the sunflower oil until shimmering. Add the ginger, garlic and shallot and cook over high heat, stirring, until fragrant and golden. Add the frozen veg, if using. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes. Add the stock mixture and boil over high heat until thickened and glossy, about 1 minute. Add fresh vegetables and stir fry a few more minutes until al dente.

Juicer Sweetbread

Now that we are juicing we have a steady supply of fruit and vegetable pulp that V, who I think has internalized my distain for wasting food, does not like to see thrown out. Perhaps this will turn us into composters at long last, but in the meantime I decided to make a "sweet bread" out of the leftover bits.

2 cups (270 grams) fruit/veg pulp from juicer (for example, I had a mixture of carrot, apple, beet and ginger)
2 cups (260 grams) spelt flour
3/4 cup honey
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (3.5 grams) salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup coconut (sweetened or unsweetened) (optional)
3 large eggs
3/4 cup (180 ml) sunflower oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Place paper liners in 12 muffin cups.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. Stir in the coconut if using. Set aside.

In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, oil, honey and vanilla extract. Fold the wet ingredients, along with the fruit and veg pulp, into the flour mixture, stirring just until moistened. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (If making into one loaf in a loaf pan, cooking time is 45-55 minutes.)

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. After about 10 minutes remove the muffins from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Makes 12 standard-sized muffins.

Vegetarian Split Pea Soup

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
2 cups dried split green peas, picked over and rinsed
5 cups water
juice of 1/2 lemon (reserve the zest)

a few pinches of smoked paprika


Add olive oil to a big pot over med-high heat. Stir in onions and salt and cook until the onions soften, just a minute or two. Add the split peas and water. Bring to a boil, dial down the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the peas are cooked through (but still a touch al dente). Using a large cup or mug ladle half of the soup into a bowl and set aside. Using a hand blender (or regular blender) puree the soup that is still remaining in the pot. Stir the reserved (still chunky) soup back into the puree - you should have a soup that is nicely textured. If you need to thin the soup out with more water (or stock) do so a bit at a time. Stir in the lemon juice and taste. If the soup needs more salt, add more a bit at a time until the flavor of the soup really pops.

Ladle into bowls or cups, and serve each drizzled with olive oil and topped with a good pinch of smoked paprika and a touch of lemon zest.

Serves 4 to 6.

Banana Bread

1 cup (115 grams) walnuts or pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)

1 3/4 cups (230 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 ripe large bananas (approximately 1 pound or 454 grams), mashed well (about 1-1/2 cups)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract



Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place oven rack to middle position. Butter and flour (or spray with a non stick vegetable/flour spray) the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan. Set aside.

Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Let cool and then chop coarsely.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nuts. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients just until combined and the batter is thick and chunky. (The important thing is not to over mix the batter. You do not want it smooth. Over mixing the batter will yield tough, rubbery bread.) Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake until bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. This bread can be frozen.

Makes 1 - 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf.

Mushroom Barley Soup

Ingredients

1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 ribs celery with leaves, diced
1/2 cup parsley
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound fresh porcini or other mushrooms
1 tablespoon flour
6 cups water
1 cup whole barley
2 teaspoons salt


Preparation

1. Soak the mushrooms in enough hot water to cover for a half hour. Strain through a filter. Reserve the water.
2. Coarsely chop the dried mushrooms.
3. Melt the butter in a stockpot and sauté the onion, celery, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, carrot, garlic, and fresh mushrooms until soft, about 5 minutes.
4. Lower the heat and add the flour, stirring every 30 seconds for about 5 minutes or until thick.
5. In a soup pot heat the water. Add a cup of mushroom mixture at a time to the pot, stirring.
6. Turn the heat to high, and add the reserved mushroom water (about another 6 cups of liquid) and barley. Stir well and add salt to taste.
7. Simmer, covered, for about an hour or until the barley is tender and the soup is thickened, stirring often.
8. Add additional chopped parsley, mix thoroughly, and adjust seasonings.

Kale, Sweet Potato and Chickpea Stew

A comforting, nutritious stew that was given the thumbs up by everyone in the house-- even the picky three year old. I'll be putting this one in the rotation of regular dinners. Also, all the ingredients are commonly available in our current neck of the woods, which is not often the case for new recipes here in the land of cabbage and carrots.

Serves six to eight


1 medium yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons fresh ginger (chopped)
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (((I omitted)))
3/4 pound kale
2 large sweet potatoes
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas
6 cups (1 1/2 quarts) vegetable broth
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
2 cups brown rice



1 Cook the rice according to the package instructions – I combined 2 cups long grain brown rice and with 4 cups water, brought to a boil, and simmered for 50 minutes.

2 Prepare the vegetables: Dice the onion. Finely chop the 2 cloves garlic and 2 teaspoons ginger. Wash the kale, remove the tough stems and roughly chop. Dice the sweet potato into bite-sized cubes.

3 Prepare the soup: In a large pot, heat at about 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cook the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, 2 teaspoons ginger, 3/4 teaspoon turmeric and 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper, and cook for 1 minute.

4 Stir in the sweet potatoes. Then add the 6 cups vegetable broth and bring to a simmer.

5 Once the stew is simmering, add the kale and chickpeas. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender.

6 Stir in one cup coconut milk.

7 Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve over brown rice.