IRISH REGIONAL FEST for ST.PADDY'S DAY...GEARING FOR EASTER

.WHat am loving so so muc with this months regional fest is we have truly begun to relish the world...eat global food and a re a step close to eating global and maybe if u have a little Atlas u can mark in a pin this month at IRELAND.....

And it coincides with St.Patricks day that brings along loads of traditions and funfare....I READ AROUND  and loved what i learnt....its fascinating, the tradtions ...the home's and the wonderful women who make it and yeah the fantastic recipes........

If u hop by HERE u'll read a  little more than am about to regale u about this wonderful cuisine.....

oK actually its the first time for and as Barbara of MOVABLE FEASTS put it ,i aint anywhere close to being Irish either ,unless i find my man of my dreams there:-)))))

And here's a sweet POST I found ,on top 25 IRISH BLOGS

Ok HERE"S another post i jus finished about IRISH COOKIES and learning a bit about This IRISh holiday....its been exciting and the recipes i bookmarked will last me a year ....but atleast this month will do and am combinig these with easter treats though am still looking for a egg cookie cutter yet......COZ ALL THESE GORGEOUS ST.PATRICKS RECIPES SEEM SO PERFECT AS IF JUS MADE FOR EASTER :-))))

AND AM SENDING THESE GOODIES GALORE TO DEAR FAITH FOR HER ALL ROUND THE YEAR CHEER AND ADDING TO HER ,BRANDY'S AND MY EASTER BASKET.......

And here are a few Wonderful IRISH blogs i stumbled upon.......INSIDE VIEW....thats got a very beautiful pic for the header and loads more....

SIMPLY HEALTHY FOOD , that has a fab side bar with Irish Foodie Blogs.....this one rocks...

 ADVENTURES IN VEG .   A journalists amazing blog.... u'll love those pics and info....i did.....and loved ROtana cafe in Dublin too...armchair travel ....here i come....well kitchen travel is more like it.......

LOLA n LU'S FAB KITCHEn

FOOD n DRINK IRELAND

And here i begin with the fantastic Beef Chilli /Stew/ w BEER with the addition of spices  of spiced beef...absolutely delicious...and very hearty....

IRISH BREAD WITH BEEF CHILLI /STEW/ WITH BEER

IRISH BREAD

Ever since my new found interest in ST.Paddys haveing been stumbling upon the, by now famed ,Irish soda bread....HERE.........THERE   and  EVERYWHERE.........and i so wanted this one for the IRISH BEEF...arent IRISH  recipes so delightfull.....

Oh and all those delicious POTATO RECIPES they have .....purfectttttttttttt...

Jane FitzGerald's Blue Ribbon Feis Soda Bread

I copied this from the above link....and loved it...

Ingredients:
3 1/2  cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp.  baking soda
1 tsp.  salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk.  

3 tbh butter soft

 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons caraway seeds - optional.( A friend who lives in Cork tells me that caraway seeds are strictly personal taste and are not normally used in traditional soda bread recipes.)-SPRINKLED CILANTRO.......

Method:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Lightly grease, then flour baking sheet.

In large bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt and optional caraway seeds.

Mix in buttermilk to form dough into ball. 

You may need to add a little more buttermilk. 

Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead until dough holds together, about 1 minute.

Shape dough into a 6-inch round. or use a cake tin as i did...2 little flowers:-)))))

Place on prepared baking sheet.(USED A CAKE TIN )

Bake until bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on bottom, about 40 minutes.

Transfer bread to rack and cool. 

If not serving right away, wrap loaf in tea towel to prevent it from drying out too much.

If not eaten in entirety, wrap well in foil or plastic wrap to keep as moist as possible.

DELICIOUS IRISH BEEF

I READ a couple of IRIsh sites and came up with this recipe that also has the spices of IRISH SPICED BEEF, oh i did add a little cubed chicken too but thats coz of our freezer supplies .....

Here is One LINK with FAB recipes....

The best Part about this stew was that as the fragrance of the stew filled our home....delicious and i had jus finished shooting some of these golden sunset pics ...i went to my reader and boy was so so so so dang excited and tickled pink coz  2 of my fav blogging pals   FAITH    n     JOANNE had also jus posted a stew recipe and here i was stilll looking for a IRish soda bread........

I love the part where FAITH makes the  beurre manié ...to thicken the stew....i was tempted to try this on my already ready for dinner stew but didn coz it was already thickenned with all that potato and potato starch...

And love JOANNe's stew with wine added in ......maybe will do that ,if there are any left overs tomorow...ofcourse there will be a little bowl full in the corner for the pics in the afternoon sun..... 

Also instead of 5 spice powder ,i added the whole spices and tossed in some pine nuts too....[5 SPICE POWDER IS USED FOR IRISH SPICED BEEF ]

1)SOAK 1/2 CUP OF RED BEANS for a few hours or overnight...and boiL. kEEP aSIde.

2)HEAT OLIVE OIL-ADD 1 CUP  CHOPPED WHITE ONIONS WITH A PINCH OF SALT N SUGAR.and the pine nuts

3)nOW the fab IRISH flavourings .....PEPPER FLAKES or CAYENNE PEPPER
                                                         CRUSHED CUMIN
                                                          PAPRIKA POWDER
                                                          BAY LEAVES
                                                          CLOVES n CINNAMON
                                                          SMALL PIECE STAR ANISE
                                                          CRUSHED GARLIC n GINGER
                                                           CARDOMOMS
                                                           

4) Add 2 cubed GREEN PEPPERS ,STIR fry and tip in
1 CUP OF CHOPPED BEEF
1.1/4 CUP CHOPPED CUBED BONELESS CHICKEN.
125 grams PORK MEAT (i used portuguese chourizo piquant w paprika n garlic-d only pork we had and as close as i can get to Irish)

5) Now 1/2 CUP SPRING ONION,
CHOPPED TOMAMTO,
THE BOILED RED BEANS
A CUBED POTATO & SWEET POTATO
BROWN SUGAR,
STOCK POWDER,
1 CUP BEER (  Guinness extra stout WOuld be authentic)

6)BRING TO A QUICK BOIL AND SIMMER TILL DONE (OR pressure cook as i did).

Serve with the IRISH SODA BREAD ,sprinkled with cilantro...



TEA BRACK -AN IRISH FRECKLE BREAD

A TEA LOAF- A DELICIOUS ONE ....WITH  GREEN TEA  ...........DATES AND NO BUTTER /OIL...............YIPPEEEEEEEEEEEEE...... CUT INTO EGG OR RATHER BAKED INTO EGGY'S SO PERFECT FOR EASTEr

Well the little holes are my toothpick tests :-)))))...had a layered one too....like a easter wedding cake ...like the CC wedding cookie

Tea brack — a.k.a. Irish Freckle Bread — is a moist, close-grained, packed-with-fruit breakfast bread.

The flavor of the whole wheat is discernible, yet not overpowering because it's complemented by just the right degree of sweetness.

Interestingly, the recipe uses brewed tea as its liquid. 
If desired, substitute 2 tablespoons Irish whiskey for an equal amount of the tea.

NOTES

~~~ I DONT HAVE THE SAMROCK SHAPED CUTTERS SO BAKED EM IN TRIANGLES-THE MEANING N SIGNIFICANCE IS SAME ...TRINITY PLUS SUPER FOR EASTER :-)))) and eggs too.....

                              ~~~I USED CANDIED PEEL; INSTEAD OF CURRANTS ,N BLACK CURRANTS INSTEAD OF GOLDEN RAISINS AND NO PRUNES TOO ,SO DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF DATES :-)))

SO IF U DO THAT ,U CUT DOWN THE AMOUNT OF BROWN SUGAR :-)))))
I DIDNT :-)

~~~NO CORSE SPARKLING SUGAR TOO SO A COMBI OF CASTOR SUGAR N GRANULATED SUGAR WORKED SUPER......BAKES INTO A SUPER CRUST ...AMAZING..LOVED IT

~~~I DID TIP IN SOME OLIVE OIL ,THEN GOT TEMPTED TO ADD FLAVORED BUTTER TOO , TO A PART OF THE BATTER,  BOTH WERE EQUALLY FANTASTIC...

~~~I DID ADD IN LOADS OF VANILLA CAVIAR 

~~~AND THE TEA I BREWED WAS A MIX OF APPLE GREEN TEA N RASBERRY FRUIT INFUSION....FANTASTIC FLAVOURS HERE...pics above...

• 1 cup brewed hot tea; Irish breakfast tea is a good choice
• 1 cup raisins, packed
• 1/2 cup currants, packed
• 1 cup pitted prunes, snipped into small pieces
• 1 cup chopped dates
• 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 cups Irish-Style Wholemeal Flour or King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 2 1/2 tablespoons coarse sparkling white sugar

• 8 ounces brewed hot tea; Irish breakfast tea is a good choice
• 5 ounces raisins
• 2 1/2 ounces currants
• 5 3/4 ounces pitted prunes, snipped into small pieces
• 5 ounces chopped dates
• 8 ounces brown sugar, firmly packed
• 8 ounces Irish-Style Wholemeal Flour or King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 3/8 ounces sparkling white sugar

Directions

1) Pour the hot tea over the dried fruits in a medium-sized bowl. Set the mixture aside to cool to lukewarm, about 1 hour.[ I SOAKED FOR AROUND 7HOURS]

2) Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease an 8" round cake pan.

3) In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the brown sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt.

4) Add the dried fruit, and any remaining liquid. Stir till thoroughly combined; the batter will be thick and stiff.

5) Add the egg, mixing till thoroughly combined.

6) Spread the mixture into the prepared pan or variteis like i did .... Sprinkle the top evenly with the coarse sparkling sugar.-DONT MISS OUT THIS ONE...ITS SUPER...

7) Bake the bread for 60 to 70 minutes, till a cake tester inserted in the center comes out moist, but without clinging crumbs.

8) Remove it from the oven, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool.

DELICIOUS .....MOIST AND SUPER LUSCIOUS....AND WITH FLAV AS GOOD AS A SUPER FRUIT CAKE.....AND A HEALTHY VERSION TOO...............

GUINNESS CHOCOLATE CAKE FOR EASTER [and st.paddys too:-))) ]

Chocolate Guinness Cake  [WITH LIGHT BEER :-))) ]

CUPCAKES,SHAPED INTO EGGS JUS FOR EASTER AND DECORATED WITH WHITE ICING OR RATHER GREEN ICING AND WHITE FLOWERS OR WHITE ICING AND GREEN FLOWERS-HEART SHAPED OR WHATEVER SPRINKLES U HAVE :-)))))

ADAPTED FROM KAF WITH DETAILED RECIPE AT BAKERS BANTER

NOTES

~~~I USED A LIGHT HOLLAND BEER HERE

~~~by mistake i didn cut  down the amount of coco powder ,though i did halve the recipe,yet it was a super chocolaty cake :-)

~~~I decorated these with THE EASTER THEME IN MIND ....N HEART

 CAKE

• 2 cups stout or dark beer, such as Guinness
• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups Dutch-process cocoa
• 4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 2-3 WHOLE VANILLA BEANS [OPTIONAL] 

Frosting [I USED A PLAIN BUTTERY GLAZE]

• 1 pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cake

• 16 ounces stout or dark beer, such as Guinness
• 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter
• 4 1/2 ounces Dutch-process cocoa
• 17 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 pound, 12 ounces sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 large eggs
• 6 ounces sour cream

Frosting

• 1 pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 16 ounces (1 pint) heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 8" or two 9" cake pans, and line them with parchment paper circles. Be sure your 9" pans are at least 2" deep. [ IE IF UR MAKING THE FULL CAKE,I HALVED THE RECIPE AND STUCK TO CUPCAKES N BAKED SOME IN A SHEET PAN TO CUT OUT THE EGGS..AND THE MOON....WELL NEXT TIME WILL HAVE STARS TOO :-))).,SO I DID THE SAME TO MY CUPPY CAKEY PANS ]

2. For the cake: Place the stout and butter in a large, heavy saucepan, and heat until the butter melts. Remove the pan from the heat, and add the cocoa powder. I USED A MIX OF HINTZ COCO POWDER N HERSHEYS COCO POWDER.

3. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature. I ADDED 2 WHOLE PLUMP VANILLA BEANS HERE AND WHISKED AWAY THE MIXTURE WHICH WAS AS LUXURIOUS AS FRAGRANT....:-)))) I KNEW THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE ONE OF THOSE BETTER CAKES FOR SURE :-)))

4. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; set aside. I ADDED THE SUGAR TO THE COCO BUTTER MIX......SWEET :-)))))

5. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs and sour cream.

6. Add the stout-cocoa mixture, mixing to combine.

7. Add the flour mixture and mix together at slow speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and mix again for 1 minute.  MY BATTER WAS THICKER THAN AT KAF BUT DELICIOUS......[and realized later i hadn cut down the coco powder to half :-))) ]

8. Divide the batter equally among the prepared pans. MOON FOR EASTER NIGHT !! I BAKED SMALL CUPPYS IN HEARTS N EGGY BALLS and also on a PAN SHEET IN A EGG CUTTER [hand made at home ,will post about it :-)))) ] , and in a DESSERT RING N THEN CUT IT INTO AN EGG/S :-)))))) AND THE MOONS........

9. Bake the layers for 35 minutes for 8" pans, or 45 to 50 minutes for 9" pans, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and cool on a rack for 10 minutes before turning the cakes out of their pans and returning to the rack to finish cooling completely before frosting. [WELL HERE I DID THE SAME FOR MY CUPCAKES AND CAKES BUT THEY BAKED MUST FASTER:-))))]

For the frosting:[I USED A SIMPLE BUTTERY GLAZE BUT HERE'S THE ORIGINAL RECIPE] Place the chopped chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to a simmer in a heavy, medium-sized saucepan.

Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until the mixture is completely smooth.

Stir in the vanilla. Refrigerate until the icing is spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours.

To assemble:[THIS IS IF UR MAKING THE FULL RECIPE ,DIDN REALLY NEED THIS FOR THE CUPCAKE SHAPES AND MY EASTER EGGY CAKKEY'S AND THE MOON....] Trim one cake layer to have a flat top, if necessary (otherwise the layer will crack when you place it upside down on your cake plate).

Line the edges of a serving plate with parchment or waxed paper to keep it clean, and then place the layer upside down on top. Spread 2/3 cup of the icing over just the top of the layer.

Top with another cake layer, top side down, and repeat the process. If you baked three layers, add that one also.

Use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake. Remove the parchment or waxed paper. Sprinkle with shamrock sugar decorations, if you have them. ...I DONT

TOAST FROM MY SWEET FREN BARBARA'S SITE WHO ALSO HAS THE RECIPE FOR A VERY SIMILIAR SUPER CAKE BY NIGELLA L

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!AND PASSOVER HAPPY EASTER TOO....

"May the roof above us never fall in, and may we friends gathered below never fall out."
....Irish ToasT

AND WITH I JOIN MY SWEET BUDDY JOANNE ,FOR THE IRISH REGIONAL FEASTS..........

AS ALSO FAITH AND BRANDY WITH MY FRUIT TEA BREAD AND CHOCO CAKE .....JUS FOR EASTER.........