Irish-American Diner

I always mean to make festive Saint Patrick's day food, but since I don't make corned beef anymore (I'm sorry my dear Clinton!) it hasn't happened in a satisfying way the last few years. This St. Paddy's day was different, though, and I had a good time in my kitchen making interpretations of a few "classic" Irish dishes.

First on my list was the soda bread. My initial recipe turned out like a scone. It was actually a very tasty scone, but a scone none the less. I was telling my friend Kevin that even though I had never tasted real soda bread, I was pretty sure it was supposed to be a little rustic -- not so much of a delicate tea bread. Unfortunately I ran out of raisins testing my first loaf; they're not traditional anyway, so I read. I had to use dried cranberries in my second batch. Soda bread heresy!



Irish Soda Bread

Oven 375
Prepare a baking sheet with parchment

whisk together in a bowl:

3 c barley flour
1/2 c rolled oats
1 t baking powder
1/2 t soda
1/2 t salt

mix in:

1 c raisins, chopped, or 1 c currants

mix separately:

2 T molasses
2 T maple syrup
1 c soy yogurt
1/4 c non-dairy milk
1/4 c melted coconut oil

Pour the wet into the dry and stir just until mixed. Gather the sticky dough into a ball in the bowl and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Most people slash the top, but I have never made soda bread where the raisins did not obscure the slash and make it pointless. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 40-45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. This is best the day it is baked, but I find the leftovers make nice toast the next day.

This recipe could easily be adapted for use with whole wheat pastry flour and soured soy or other non-dairy milk. Barley flour is really worth seeking out, however, as it is a bit nutritionally superior to wheat, is less of an allergen, and has a pleasant, light texture.



Next, I wanted something nice and GREEN! This is just a simple green goddess dip with crudites.



Green Goddess Dip

(Does anyone else think the word "dip" adds a certain undesirable trashy flair to anything it touches?)

1/2 c veganaise
1/2 c silken tofu
2 chopped scallions
1/2 c roughly chopped (not packed) parsley
2 t lemon juice
1/2 t white wine vinegar
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 t kelp powder
1 t capers

Combine until smooth in a blender or small food processor. If you have an immersion blender, now is the time. The flavors will improve over a few hours in the refrigerator, but I think it's just fine right away as well. This also makes a lovely salad dressing when thinned with a little "milk".

Last is my take on colcannon. I wanted it to be a little more fun than just mashed potatoes with cabbage, so I made

Colcannon Baked Potato Boats!

First:

Bake in a 400 degree oven:

4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed and poked all over (with a fork or skewer, silly)
*Organic please! Potatoes are highly contaminated with pesticides when conventionally grown.*

When tender, remove from oven and place on a baking sheet. Lower the oven heat to 350. Slice the potatoes in half the long way, and leave until cool enough to handle.

Make the cabbage while the potatoes bake:

Heat the oil over medium in a large pot with a lid. Add the cabbage, onions, and garlic, stir to coat with the fat, and sprinkle generously with sea salt. Saute for about 5 minutes, then cover and lower the heat to medium low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage becomes meltingly tender, 45 minutes to an hour.

For this next step, you'll need:

Additional fat of your choice, several tablespoons
a small amount of warmed non-dairy milk (1 c or less)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
sweet paprika

As soon as the cabbage is done and the potatoes aren't screaming hot, scoop the potatoes out of their skins, leaving a shell for the filling. Press the potato "insides" through a ricer--always my preference for making mashed potatoes--or mash. (Never use a hand mixer for mashed potatoes! It makes the starch very angry and everything gets gluey.) Add a little fat, warmed "milk", and salt and pepper as you would for regular mashed potatoes. Fold in the cabbage mixture, and refill the potato shells. Replace to the baking sheet they were cooling on. I sprinkled them with paprika, cause I'm old school like that. Bake in a 350 degree oven until everything is piping hot, about 10-15 minutes. Run under the broiler for a few minutes before serving so the tops get toasty and brown. Serve, sprinkled with the green onions tops if you so desire.

I ate mine with ketchup, because I'm disgusting.



Thanks to Kevin for the photo. He really has a way with potato photography. It's hard to work with potatoes, and Kevin knows just how to coax out their cuteness.

For the feeling good about what you're eating part, potatoes are high in vitamins b and c, potassium, and contain magnesium, phosphorous, iron and zinc. The cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin c and beta-carotene, which are anti-oxidants that protect our bodies from free radicals. Nice!

I hope everyone had a very happy St. Patrick's Day!