Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread

One thing about going gluten free...I miss this kind of thing.  Whatever the holiday, I make a dinner with the foods from that country, we put on the Pandora to that style of music, and chat about the theme over dinner.  How can I possibly do St. Patrick's Day Dinner without Irish Soda Bread, a pint of Guinness, or Guinness Chocolate Cake?  Last year I perfected my Irish Soda Bread recipe and now I couldn't even make it?  

Then I began to think...and those of you who know me know where that can lead, but it actually lead me to the Perfect Flour Blend from Namaste Foods. I bought it on a whim in case I ever needed to add a little flour to something as a thickener.  Well, turns out I could make my Irish Soda Bread recipe and just substitute this flour...cup for cup!  

I did make one error, I'm not going to lie.  I left it to tall.  In other words, I should have patted it down a little.  In hopes for a high rise-looking bread I left it more ball shaped instead of flattening it out.  It was still delicious, don't get me wrong, but when I cut into the middle it wasn't cooked through, so I put some foil on it and put it back in the oven.  Came out better, but boys are impatient for that bread!  So I sliced it like biscotti and cooked the last few pieces that way.  UM, YUM!  They should make Irish Soda Biscotti.  No joke!  Sometimes mistakes can be a good thing.

Here's what I served it with for our Irish feast:

 

Shepherds pie, mixed greens with blackberries and balsamic vinaigrette, and delicious GLUTEN FREE Irish soda bread.  This is actually my son Marcus' plate.  He insisted I take a shot of his.  From this angle it looks like he has a piece of bread bigger than his plate!  It's not.  But boy does he wish it was!  Enjoy!

Gluten-free Sandwich Bread

Well, I have been venturing into gluten-free bread land.  The first attempt was an epic fail and it was only 1 1/2 inches high.  Ya, not something my kids want to take to lunch.  Although if you slather enough apple butter on anything it tastes good, so we ate some with apple butter. 

When I purchased my first loaf at the store, it looked like pound cake to me.  And when I made a sandwich for my son, it looked pretty small.  The main purpose for me to make this bread is to allow the kids to have a sandwich in their lunchbox.  Who knew going gluten-free would be such a pain find a GOOD bread recipe?  And by good I mean tasty!

Any-who...I have spent way to much time on way to many blogs looking for the perfect bread recipe.  This recipe rose all the way to the top of the pan, so I call that a success in itself.  Sure beats my flat loaf that I made previously.  I really should have taken a picture of that!  It was quite  sad.

 

I left it resting upside down on the cutting board to cool.  I think it's easier to cut straight slices without bread crumbling when you cut from the bottom.  I could be totally wrong, but I swear it works for me.

I let the boys taste test it when it cooled.  My oldest son asked for some peanut butter on his.  He started raving about it, and said that it's way better than the store bought kind.  My youngest son had his with some peach jam.  He raised his eyebrows, gave a loud "mmmm," and said "this one's awesome!"  So, I guess we have a winner.

Where did I find this delicious gluten-free bread recipe?  I was searching various gluten-free blogs and this one stood out to me because of the title of the bread.  I saw "Tender High Rising Gluten Free Sandwich Bread" and knew I found EXACTLY what I was looking for.  It's an adapted King Arthur Flour recipe.  Find this recipe and more at Barefoot In The Kitchen blog.  You will not be disappointed.  I think I just found myself another great blog to follow!  :)

Artisan Bread in the Deep Covered Baker

 This is a fantastic bread recipe and very easy.  Prepare the dough in the evening and let it rise overnight.  Need it and let it rest another 2 hours and bake. 

I made this bread two days in a row it was so good!

YUM!

Artisan Bread in the Deep Covered Baker

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups tap water

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 ½ cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at room temperature.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Liberally flour a Pastry Mat using the Flour/Sugar Shaker, and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself 3 or 4 times. Fold the 2 sides of the Pastry Mat over the bread and let it stand on the counter for 2 hours to rise.

3. 1 ½ hours into the 2 hour rising time, preheat oven to 450 degrees and place the empty Covered Baker with lid on in oven for 30 minutes. You want the Covered Baker blazing hot. Dump the dough into the Covered Baker, put the lid on and put back in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes then take the lid off. Bake for few minutes until the bread is golden brown on top. Cool on a rack. OK, go ahead and eat it. We don’t have the patience to let it cool in our house either.

If you buy the 50 lb bag of bread flour and the yeast in bulk at Costco ( Keep most of the yeast frozen until needed), this bread costs about 30 cents a loaf and takes about 4 minutes of your actual time!

***When letting the bowl set, you can put it in the microwave so that it is kept away from a draft.  I had mine on the counter and it didn’t fully rise until I put it in the microwave since it’s chilly out right now***

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

My son Nicholas has been asking me to make cinnamon rolls since this summer!  I am not a fan of cinnamon rolls.  I'd rather have a bagel, scone, muffin, anything else really.  I just have never been a fan.  BUT I decided to go ahead and give the boy the gift of cinnamon rolls.  He doesn't like to bake with me as much as he did when he was younger so I figured that it would be great for us to bake these.

Keep in mind that anytime you make bread, rolls, etc there is a LONG wait time for the dough to rise.  I usually make dough the night before and let it rise over night when I am going to bake bread.  For these rolls we got up early and didn't get to have breakfast till about 11:00am, which is extremely late in our household!  Especially since my boys are up at 6-7:00am!

The boys were happy, and they were delicious, just be prepared for waiting!  

They come out of the oven perfect!  You just need to drizzle all of your icing over the top and serve!

You can find the recipe we used at King Arthur's Flour.  Enjoy!

Irish Soda Bread

Last year was the first year I made Irish Soda Bread.  It was a huge hit at our house.  We love to play Irish pub music and have a traditional Irish dinner on St. Patrick's Day (no we are not Irish , it's just something fun we do). This recipe is a combination of recipes from Martha Stewart, Ina Garten and my friend Katie's Irish Grandmother.  I took what I liked from all of them and made my own.  The difference THIS year is that I actually wrote it down!  It's so simple you will HAVE to try it!

Mix the dry ingredients in the mixer.

Whisk the buttermilk and eggs and then add to the dry mixture.

Add one cup of golden raisins and one cup of regular raisins.

Knead dough a few times on a floured surface, and then put onto a sheet pan covered with parchment paper.  Use a serrated knife to put an X on the dough, and brush with egg/cream mixture.  Bake at 375 for 50 minutes.

Use a tester to make sure the bread is completely cooked.  YUM.  Here is my recipe:

IRISH SODA BREAD

4 C Flour

1/4 C Sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

4 tbs (1/2 stick) cold butter, cubed

put all the above ingredients into a mixer bowl.

1 3/4 C buttermilk

1 egg 

whisk the buttermilk and egg together and add to the dry mixture.

1 C golden raisins

1 C raisins

add the raisins to dough until incorporated.  turn out onto floured surface and knead a few times.   make an X on the top of the bread with a serrated knife and brush with 1 egg yolk and 1 tbs heavy cream.  place onto a sheet pan with parchment paper and bake in a 375 degree oven for 55 minutes.  (Cover it with foil if it starts to get too dark.  If you do less than 55 you might have a doughy center even though the outside is done.)

Pot Roast with Herbed Flatbread and Green Beans

My husband actually said, "this is the best roast you've ever made."  I always love to hear that someone enjoyed my meal.  We actually watched Giada De Laurentiis make this on her show Giada at Home.  I immediately picked up my laptop and looked up the recipe.  I printed it and put the ingredients on the grocery list.  My oldest had two huge portions and asked to take the flatbread in his lunchbox the next day.  Marcus, my youngest, usually never cares for steak or stew gobbled it up too without argument.  We have a winner.  I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as we did.  The roast is amazing as a sandwich the next day too!!!

You start by browning the roast on all sides in 6 quart pan.  The recipe called for a 5 lb roast, but Meijer had 2 1/2 lb roasts on sale; so I bought two and tied them together.  It worked just fine.  Once you brown all the sides, place it on a plate while you prepare the vegetables.

Add the vegetables and cook for about 8 minutes.  The recipe called for fennel, but it was priced to high, so I skipped it.  I was going to substitute onions, but thought it may be to much with the boiling onions and more onions, so I skipped it.  I'll try fennel next time.  

Add the roast back to the pot along with the beef broth and wine.  The recipe called for sherry, but I had a bottle of red wine open, so used that.  Bring this to a boil and then cover and cook in the oven for 4 hours.

This is so juicy and delicious.  But we are not done yet.  I usually would stop here when I make a roast.  Giada has you remove the roast and use and emulsion blender to blend the veggies and broth to a thick broth/gravy to pour over the roast!  It is a step worth taking.  If you don't have an emulsion blender, just use your mixer in batches.  Be careful, as it is very hot!

Okay, now here is the flatbread.  So yummy and very easy to make!!!  The fresh herbs make the bread so flavorful!!!  Put the dry ingredients in the mixer and use the paddle attachment.  Add the liquid and mix until it comes together.  Kneed the dough and shape into four disks.

Roll out the four disks to a size that will fit into your grill pan.

Look how amazing it looks with all the fresh herbs in it.  I can't wait to try parmesan cheese and other varieties!

Brush both sides with olive oil.  Grill in your grill pan with the press on top for about 4 minutes on each side.

Yummy.  Golden brown on both sides.  I made these while the boys set the table.  They are super fast to cook!

Here are the breads.  You just break off pieces and dip in your roast juices.  You want to see the roast, right?

You break it off into chunks and pour some of the sauce over the top.  My mouth is watering while I type.  I will be having the leftovers for lunch today!!!

Here is my plate from that night.  OH YUM! 

The recipes are posted below.  They can also be found on the food network site under Giada at Home.

Cipollini Onion and Fennel Pot Roast

Ingredients

Herb rub:

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (5-pound) boneless beef chuck roast
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 pound (about 2 cups) cipollini, boiler, or pearl onions, peeled
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into 3/4-inch pieces
• 2 medium fennel bulbs, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 cup dry sherry
• 4 cups low-sodium beef broth, plus extra, as needed
• 2 dried bay leaves

Directions

For the rub: In a small bowl, mix together the rosemary, thyme, oil, salt, and pepper until smooth.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pat the beef dry with paper towels and rub on all sides with the herb rub. In a heavy 6-quart pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until browned on all sides, about 12 minutes. Remove the beef and set aside.


Add the remaining oil, onions, carrots, and fennel to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until aromatic. Add the sherry and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in the broth and bay leaves. Return the beef and any juices to the pot and bring the liquids to a boil. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook until the beef is fork-tender, about 4 hours, turning the beef over halfway through and adding extra broth, as needed, to keep the beef halfway covered in liquid.


Transfer the beef to a cutting board. Tent with foil and let stand for 15 minutes. Spoon any excess fat off the top of the pan juices. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Using an immersion blender, blend the vegetables and cooking juices together until smooth. (The vegetables can also be pureed in a blender). Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep warm over low heat.


Cut the beef into 1-inch pieces and place on a platter. Spoon some of the sauce over the meat and serve the remaining sauce on the side.

Herbed Flatbread

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup water, plus extra, as needed
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, rosemary, and thyme in the bowl of an upright mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until incorporated, about 2 minutes. With the machine running, slowly add the water until the mixture forms a dough, adding more water, if needed, 1 tablespoon at a time. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes until smooth. Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. Form into disc shapes and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.


Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each piece of dough into an 8 to 10-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Brush each circle with olive oil and grill for 4 minutes each side. Remove the flatbread from the grill and cool slightly before serving. 

Homemade Soft Pretzels

I finally made them!  Yes, they were fantastic, but they were also much easier than I anticipated.  I did a search on my favorite food blogs and they all were using Alton Brown's recipe.  Who am I to argue with Alton?  We took the kids to the drive-in last night, complete with homemade soft pretzels.  We dipped ours in mustard...what will you use?  Here are the steps to get to your delicious pretzel:

Line two sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with vegetable oil.  Set aside.  Combine the water, sugar and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer and sprinkle yeast on top.  Allow to sit 5 minutes.  Add the flour and butter.  Use the dough hook attachment to mix until combined.  Knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl.  Remove dough, clean the bowl and oil with vegetable oil.

Return the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap (I used press and seal).  Let sit in a warm place for approximately 50-55 minutes, or until dough has doubled in size.

When the dough is ready, preheat oven to 450 degrees and bring a large pot of water and baking soda to a boil.

Divide dough into eight pieces.  Roll each piece into a 24 inch rope.

Begin to shape your dough into a pretzel shape.  Start with a U and then cross the ends over each other to form your pretzel.

Press down at the seams so they do not come apart while boiling.  Place onto greased parchment paper.

These are shaped and ready to go into the boiling water.

Drop each pretzel individually into the boiling water for about 30 seconds.  It will rise to the top of the water when it is ready.

Remove them with a large spatula and place back on parchment lined sheet.

Brush them with egg yolk mixture.  Sprinkle with salt.  (I didn't have pretzel salt on hand so I adjusted my salt grinder to make thick grinds of salt.)

Here is a close up of what it should look like when ready to go into the oven.  Bake for 12-14 minutes. 

They should be dark golden brown in color.

YUM!

Place on a cooling rack to cool for 5 minutes before eating.

I like to use a stackable cooling rack for something like this.  Saves space and ensures they all cool quickly.  The faster they cool.  The faster you can eat them!

We plan to try different varieties next time.  But for a first run, I think they turned out perfect!

Here is the recipe for Homemade Soft Pretzels by Alton Brown.

Seared Tuna in Tomato-Basil Sauce, Green Beans with Lemon Butter, & Avocado and Lemon on Toasted Rustic Bread

Talk about YUM!  This meal is delicious!  I know I've been saying that a lot lately with these posts, but I've been trying a lot of new recipes and have been pleasantly surprised!  Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Prep work makes your life easier when you cook.  If you have all the ingredients ready to go before you begin, it makes the recipe that much easier for you.  It is less likely for you to burn, over-boil, or forget about something when you are prepared.

A definite asset to this dish is the Avocado and Lemon on Toast.  Oh my goodness is it good.  And so simple.  Cut open two avocados and slice a loaf of bakery bread.  I chose french bread.

Line up the sliced bread and brush with olive oil.  Toast in a 325 degree oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Once you slice the avocado, drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice then top with salt and pepper.  (I mixed the oil and juice to make a dressing to pour on top.)

Boil water and add green beans.  Blanch the green beans until crisp, 4-5 minutes.  Drain and return beans to the pan.  Add butter and lemon zest.

Cut 1 1/2 pounds of ahi tuna (one inch thick) into one inch chunks.  Season with salt and pepper.  Sear in a pan for 3 minutes on each side.  Remove from pan, place on a plate and tent with foil.

 

Wipe out the pan with paper towel and add two tablespoons of olive oil.  Add one cup of yellow onion and saute for 6-8 minutes.  Add two cups halved cherry tomatoes and wine, simmer until the tomatoes begin to shrivel, 3-5 minutes.  Reduce heat and simmer another 5 minutes.  Add fresh basil, stirring until wilted.  Season with salt and pepper.

Take your bread out of the oven and put on a plate.

To serve, put tuna chunks on the plate and add tomato-basil sauce to the top.  Put the avocado spread on the toasted bread (you will be amazed at how yummy this is!).  And add some lemony green beans to your plate!  Enjoy!!

I found this in my Martha Stewart Dinner at Home cookbook, but it is also online on her website.  Click here to see the full recipe:  Seared Tuna in Tomato-Basil Sauce and Green Beans