Thursday, October 25, 2012

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.

Friday, October 19, 2012

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.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

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.