Not your typical Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread is really a large biscuit shaped into a loaf. Most recipes call for buttermilk and many add caraway seeds to the bread along with the raisins.  Since I am not a caraway fan, this recipe does not have them included. Sour Cream replaces the buttermilk with the result being a finer texture  bread and a loaf that lasts 2-3 days. The dough is sticky so be prepared to have sticky fingers when shaping the the balls but the result is well worth it!

Starting with the basics I plump the raisins in water for 2 minutes in the microwave, then drain and add to the douhg

Once the dough is mixed, shape it into tow balls and flatten the dough on a sheet of parchment to 1 1/2" thick.

Irish Soda Bread- yields 2 loaves

4 Cups all purpose flour

1 Cup white sugar

1 Teaspoon baking soda

2 Teaspoons baking powder

1/2 Teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1 Pint sour cream

1 Cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.

2. Mix the raisins with 1 Cup of water and microwave for 2 minutes, medium-high heat. Drain.

3. Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the eggs, sour cream, and raisins and mix until just combined.

3. Turn onto a lightly floured board and shape into two round balls. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet and flatten each ball to 1.5 inches thick.

4. Bake loaves for 40-45 minutes.

Optional: Can be baked in 2 greased and floured 8x4 bread pans. Bake 50-55 minutes.

4.

Chiara's Vegetarian Lentil Stew

I just returned from San Francisco where my daughter-in-law Chiara served this stew at their Boxing Day Party. It has been a favorite at our store for some time and I thought my readers might like the recipe for the New Year. This makes a wonderful meatless Monday entree or a great meal on a snowy day like today.

Start with the ingredients below—do some dicing, mincing, and chopping and enjoy! The original recipe [from Post Punk Kitchen] calls for 2 teaspoons of cumin, but I prefer the garam masala instead. The choice is yours. (Note: I start with a bag of lentils when I prepare this for the store, so don't faint at the bowls of vegetables in the photos. They are just there to give you an idea of size of dice not the amounts you will need.)

• 1 Cup brown lentils
• 1 large onion, diced small
• 2 whole carrots, peeled and diced small
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ Cup canola oil
• 10 whole plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 6 ounces tomato paste
• 1 Cup vegetable stock
• 1 Cup peas, frozen
• 1 Tbsp. garam masala
• 2 tsp. Hungarian paprika
• ½ tsp. thyme, dried
• ¼ tsp. cardamon
• ¼ tsp. corinader
• ⅛ tsp. allspice
• ⅛ tsp. cloves
• ⅛ tsp. cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp. salt, or to taste

1. Boil lentils for 45 minutes covered in 3 cups of water, until tender. While lentils are simmering, prep all the vegetables and spices.
2. Drain any excess liquid from lentils and set aside.
3. In a large pot, over medium heat, sauté the onions and carrots in canola oil for 10 minutes. 
4. Add garlic, ginger, and spice blend. Sauté another 5 minutes.
5. Add chopped tomatoes and cook 5 minutes more. Add tomato paste and vegetable stock. Simmer until bubbling. Add cooked lentils and peas and simmer 10 minutes.
6. Serve as is over brown rice or polenta. A great meatless meal!

Seeded tomatoes ready to dice.

Vegetables diced and ready to go. Spices measured and ready to add to the vegetables.

And now for a glimpse at the finished stew. Can you guess what I'll be having for dinner tonight? Hope you enjoy!