Irish Soda Bread

My brother-the-oncologist has stopped using plastic. (Welcome to the club!) In an attempt to find bread without a plastic bag, he made Irish Soda Bread. My interest piqued when I heard there was a bread that didn't require kneading and rising time. I found myself without buttermilk, so I found this vegan version. It turned out great--moist, sweet, great crust. Due to the fact that I didn't knead it (I only mixed well), and it only took about an hour to make, it's my new bread recipe! And it stuck together much better than previously-blogged-about barley flour bread.

As usual, I used only barley flour...

Whole Wheat Vegan Irish Soda Bread

Written by Lindsay Nixon

Irish Soda Bread Recipe

A whole wheat vegan version of the Irish comfort food! Perfect for spreading jam or dipping into coffee or tea. Lemon juice may be substituted for the apple cider vinegar. You can also increase the sugar to 4 tbsp for a sweeter bread.

Ingredients:

    * 1.5 cups non-dairy milk**

    * 1.5 tsp apple cider vinegar

    * 4 cups whole wheat pastry flour

    * 1 tsp baking soda

    * 1 tsp salt

    * 2 tbsp raw sugar (optional)

    * 1 cup raisins (optional)

Instructions:

1. Combine the apple cider vinegar with non-dairy milk and set aside for at least 5 minutes.
2. Grab a really big mixing bowl (the biggest you have) and add the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and raisins.
3. Whisk until it's evenly combined and well incorporated.
4. Whisk the non-dairy milk mixture a few times until it's light yellow and curdled.
5. Slowly pour non-dairy milk mixture into the flour, stirring as you go with a wooden spoon until it's wet and dough-like. 
6. Knead the dough once or twice to shape it into a ball but be careful not to over knead or it will be tough.
7. Place dough on a greased cookie sheet or a greased cast-iron skillet (how the Irish do it). Using a serrated knife to make an "X".
8. Bake 30 to 45 minutes at 425 degrees, until it's golden and cooked thoroughly. Check by pushing a long, wooden skewer or thin chopstick into the center. If it comes out clean, it's done. Also add an aluminum foil tent over top after 20-25 minutes if the top is burning or getting too dark.  

 source: http://happyherbivore.com/2010/03/irish-soda-bread/

**Julie's note: you can also use milk for this. if using milk, use 1.5 cups milk and 1.5 tablespoons (NOT teaspoons) apple cider vinegar. curdling will take a bit longer and will be less chunky

Apple Rhubarb Bread

I got excited when I found rhubarb at the farmer's market. This bread is amazing. We cannot stop eating it.  I used barley flour of course, and I would omit 1/4-1/2 cup sugar next time because it is already so sweet. The rhubarb has a wonderful and unique taste...sweet and aromatic--while chopping, baking, and eating!

apple rhubarb bread

Serves/Makes:   2 loaves

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup rhubarb -- finely chopped
1 1/2 cup apples -- chopped
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 whole eggs
3 cups flour
1 cup nuts -- chopped
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Heat oven to 350º. Grease bottoms of 2 loaf pans 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" x 2
1/2" or 9" x 5" x 3". Mix rhubarb, apples, sugar, oil, vanilla, and
eggs in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into pans.
Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until tested done. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen
sides of loaves from pan. Remove to wire rack.

source: http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/410/Apple_Rhubarb_Bread43563.shtml

Bread! Yay! Help!

wow, I cannot believe I made this bread. that is so unlike me to do something that requires time and energy AND patience. but i kneaded twice and waited! so, go me. it's warm, and it hasn't fallen apart yet. it looks sort of dry and cracked in the picture, but it actually has a really nice crust and the inside is soft and lovely.
but help! how do i store it? any ideas?

here's the recipe:

source: http://www.alive.com/2180a7a2.php?subject_bread_cramb=205

1 envelope yeast

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup lukewarm water

2 tbsp. Butter  (i substituted 1.5 tablespoons olive oil)

2 tbsp. honey

2 cups barley flour (freshly ground if possible)

1/2 tsp. salt

Put the yeast in lukewarm water with honey, then add the salt, egg and butter.

Stir in the flour and knead for a couple of minutes on a lightly floured surface.

Place dough in large greased bowl and cover with a fresh towel.

Let it stand in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours.

The dough will rise slightly.

Turn out the dough and knead again.

Shape it and place it on a lightly greased baking sheet, cover and let it stand for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees C

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and bread sounds hollow when tapped.

Turn out on a cooling rack and wrap in a towel.

Jam Cookies!

These cookies rock my world. Picture coming soon.

Source: http://www.theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/index.php?RecipeID=47

Ingredients
1 cup raw almonds
1 cup rolled oats or oat flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
pinch sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut , canola, olive or grapeseed oil. I like olive the best, with coconut running a close second.
1/2 cup maple syrup
all-fruit jam (raspberry is nice)


Julie's notes:
i added coconut too

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly oil a cookie sheet.
Chop almonds into coarse meal. This can be done with a knife (which takes a long time and is messy) or in a food processor (or a blender, but a food processor is ideal) by pulsing a few times. For a chunkier cookie, grind the almonds only into small pieces.
Grind oats to flour in a small food processor, flour mill, or a blender. You can also use oat flour. For a chunkier cookie, don't grind oats all the way.
Combine almonds, oats, flour, salt, and cinnamon.
In another bowl combine oil and maple syrup. Add to dry. Mix lightly.
Roll into walnut-sized balls. Place on an oiled cookie sheet. Press an indentation in the center with thumb.
Fill indentation with jam. Do not overfill.
Bake 15-20 minutes, or until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes.

Multi-tasking

I am being ridiculously productive. As I am writing this I am simultaneously making:
-barley flour bread
-soy milk
-mushroom curry
-rice noodles (to eat with the curry)

I am cooking the most amazing curry but have no one to share it with because Justin is in Nicaragua. So, shall we call it being productive or being single? I don't know, but I think it will be delicious.

 

The picture doesn't really do it justice, but it's the mushroom curry from Moosewood. And I sauteed almonds in olive oil to sprinkle on top. 

It IS amazing. Yum. It has all these amazing tastes at once, and my favorite part is the apples which are mostly soft but still a bit crunchy. I think this is my favorite thing I've made in a long time. And I'm proud of myself for going the extra mile to make the almonds because they really add to it!

Here's the recipe. I changed/omitted a few things, so here's the recipe that I used. Refer to Moosewood for original.

Mushroom Curry

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup kale

about 1/2 lb mushrooms

1/2 tsp each of the following: ground cumin, turmeric, cinnamon

3/4 tsp salt

1.5 tbsp shredded coconut

1/2 tbsp honey

juice from half a lemon

1.5 cups tomato sliced in small cubes

1 apple sliced in small chunks

water to steam

1/2 cup chopped almonds sauteed in olive oil

Directions:

Cook onions in olive oil
Add salt and spices
Add kale and shrooms
Add 1/4 cup water to prevent sticking and to make nice broth
Mix well, cover, simmer for 5-8 min

Sautee almonds in olive oil.

Add apple, coconut, and tomato
Mix and simmer until everything gets soft but not mushy
Turn off heat. Add honey and lemon juice, mix and cover.

After it has sat for a few minutes, serve over rice (I ate it with rice noodles) and sprinkle sauteed almonds on top. Again, the almonds are optional but really are worth the extra effort!



About the bread:
I am ecstatic to try a recipe for barley flour bread because I have not found non-wheat bread that I like. Actually I do have a rye bread that I thought was awesome even before I went wheat-free, but now I'm sick of it because it's my only option. I'll let you know how it goes, but I'm still in the waiting-for-it-to-rise-again process.

About the soy milk:
Justin and I have started making our own soy milk. We decided that store-bought soy milk is expensive and wasteful because there's so much packaging. Also there are weird things in it like corn, so we just started buying soy beans and we got a soy milk machine which we like to call our Electric Cow. Homemade soy milk is amazing because you can make it your own. Sometimes we add black sesame seeds or vanilla, and there's all sorts of other things that you can add like nuts. There are three buttons on this wonderful machine: mung bean, soy milk, and multigrain. So as the buttons indicate, the possibilities are endless. I highly recommend this machine as a gift for those people in your life who have hot flashes. (Someone close to me who has cancer tells me how amazing soy milk has been for his hot flashes.)

Black Bean Soup

This is my new favorite soup. I'm not posting a picture because it looks, um, brown. But it tastes amazing. Creamy and a bit sweet.

Black Bean Squash Soup

Ingredients:
-1/2 an onion, chopped
-2 garlic cloves, chopped
-olive oil
-carrot, sliced
-sweet potato, cubed
-delicata squash, cubed (you can leave the skin on)
-The liquid leftover from cooking soaked black beans with onion (about 4 cups)
-salt and pepper to taste

1) Saute onions and garlic in olive oil.
2) Put in carrot, sweet potato, and squash.
3) Pour black bean liquid into pan and bring to a boil.
4) Cook on medium until all veggies are very soft
5) Blend everything
6) Enjoy alone or put rice directly in the soup

Note: Use one pan for everything. Also feel free to substitute other veggies for the carrot, sweet potato, and squash. I have even used turnips!

Scared of Moose

I'm going to Alaska because my band is the artist in residence at a retreat. I'm scared because I don't understand Alaska, and Sarah Palin now works for Fox "News".
But I'm also worried about what I will eat. So far the list of "no" foods is: dairy, wheat, refined sugar. Then there's a bunch of things I haven't actually introduced so who knows how I will react to them!? This list includes mango, Halibut, sulfites, and food colorings. I'm sure I will encounter these on my trip, and I know for sure I will be eating Alaskan Halibut. By the way, I still think it's funny that I only tested sensitive to one fish.
The other issue is vegetarianism (or as I like to call my specific situation (non-dairy, but eggs, fish and raw cheddar are ok): accidental almost-veganism). The retreat center has assured me that vegetarian options are no problem, but I'm betting that I will end up eating some sort of interesting meat (moose? elk? mmm....) especially outside of the retreat center. I am trying to get the band to compete in my eat-the-most-obscure-meat-challenge.
Admittedly, I'm actually a little excited about eating some obscure meat because I think my vegetarianism had led me to miss out on some cultural knowledge in the past. For example, when I was in Ghana many years ago, I could not partake in GoatFest (created by other participants on my trip.) Also, during a college trip to Argentina I missed out on free-range, organic beef. I realize now that I want to support such sustainable and healthy endeavors, but back then I was just trying to enjoy my unrelenting gnocchi dinners and cheese empanadas.
So when I eat Alaskan moose, perhaps I will finally come to understand a small part of this foreign land and culture. I'll let you know if I have any epiphanies.