Green Root Soup

Serves 4-6

This is probably one of my favorite soups. It has all the veggies that you need and no dairy! It still tastes creamy and has been a continual best in the soups that I make. You can mix and match the veggies that you add, it just depends on you!

Ingredients

2 cups of broccoli
1 leek
2 cups of chopped asparagus
2 cups of celeriac (celery root), peeled and chopped
       *If you can't get celeriac, feel free to substitute with potatoes.
5 cups of vegetable broth, chicken broth, or bouillon
salt and pepper
olive oil (optional)

Directions

Chop up all the veggies and pour into a large pot. Add enough broth till the surface is just past the tops of the veggies. Let cook for about 20 minutes, or until the veggies are soft. Now take off of the heat and let set for a minute before blending either with a hand blender, a regular blender, or a food processor. This step should be done in small batches to avoid making to big of a mess if you aren't using a hand blender. Season to taste with salt and pepper and return to the heat for about 3 minutes and stir. Serve hot with some toasted bread, grilled cheese, or float a poached egg on top with a little olive oil drizzle. Enjoy!

No Sugar Added Wheat Banana Dark Chocolate Scones

Makes 8 scones

I know that it is a long name, but it lets you know whats up. I can't eat sugar or milk right now, so this is my compromise. They are actually really good and make this change a lot easier. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

8 oz. of wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1 pinch of salt
2 oz. of butter
1 ripe banana
1/4 pint of milk or milk alternative
oil for greasing the pan

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Take the flour, baking powder, and salt and blend in the butter either with a food processor or your fingers. Ad the dark chocolate chips and mix.
Mash the banana but make sure to leave a few chunks. Mix the banana and milk together and add to the dry ingredients. Make sure not to over mix. It will be a sticky dough, so don't panic (or should I say doughn't panic?!) Hahaha, sorry back to the recipe...
Roll to coat on a floured surface and form into a thick disk- about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut into 8 triangles and place on a well oiled baking tray. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Enjoy!

Lavender Lemon Sponge Cake

Serves 8

This wonderfully light cake is brilliant with a cup of tea. The soft flavors of the lavender and lemon blend surprisingly well. The sponge is closer to a Victoria sponge type of cake. Let me know what you think!

Ingredients

juice of 2 large lemons
3/4 cup of sugar
12 sprigs of lavender
3 large eggs
7 tablespoons of cold water
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
a pinch of salt

Directions

First off, combine the lemon juice, 3/4 cup of sugar and lavender and let steep in a warm place for 8 hours or overnight.

Now separate the eggs. Beat together the yolks with the cold water for 5 minutes. Add the sugar and beat again till white and double in size.

Fold in shifted flour, baking powder, and salt.

Meanwhile whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form and gently fold into the yolk mixture. Divide the mixture between 2 greased 8 inch cake pans. Bake in the center of the oven for about 12-15 minutes or until golden brown and firm to touch. Make sure to check the cakes as they can cook very quickly depending upon your oven and whether you have a fan or not.

Now take the lemon and lavender mixture and remove the flowers (make sure to save them) pour into a sauce pan over low heat unto the sugar has melted and pour the warm syrup over the two cakes. Stack the two layers together and arrange the lavender on top.
If you want the sugary crust on top, you can skip the syrup step and just pour the mixture over the cakes. Its just up to your taste. Serve warm or cool.

Irish Stew

Serves 10

This fantastic stew is best when put together and cooked in a crock pot served with some crusty bread. You can use just beef or just lamb if you can't get one of them. So do not fret, just enjoy!

Ingredients

1 pound of beef chuck, cut into 2 inch cubes
1 pound of lamb, cut into 2 inch cubes
1 large white onion, cut into chunks
2 pounds of carrots, thickly sliced
2 pounds of small potatoes, thickly sliced (you can use regular potatoes as well)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, or 2 Tablespoons of dried
12 ounces of Guinness
1 cup of red wine
2 cups of beef broth or bouillon

Directions


Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Toss beef cubes with flour to coat, then fry in the hot oil until browned. Layer the onions, carrots, potatoes, garlic, rosemary, and ending with the meat ontop in a large slow cooker. Pour the Guinness and red wine over the top. Mix together the beef broth and tomato paste and pour into the slow cooker until the meat is nearly completely covered.

Cover and cook on High for 6 hours or Low for 8-10 hours. I love making this for a Sunday lunch. Just put everything together the night before and wake up to an amazing smell. It lets you know that you have nothing to worry about lunch. I also like to make it in the morning before a day trip, it is a wonderfully warm and comforting smell to come home to.

Anyways, during the last half-hour before serving, dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water and drizzle in while stirring into the broth. Simmer on the High setting for a few minutes to thicken.

I hope you enjoy, and please let me know what you think. I'm feeling hungry now...good thing this makes excellent leftovers!

Triple Berry Preserve

Makes about 6 cups

I guess I have been in a homemade mood. There is just something nostalgic about making your own preserves. It isn't as hard as you might think and the end result is quite brilliant. You can use just one berry for this recipe if you don't like or want to bother with getting the other berries.

Ingredients

5 cups of a mixture of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries
juice of 1 large lemon
2 pounds of preserving sugar

Directions

First, place a plate in the fridge to cool. Then trim and wash your strawberries and put them right into the food processor. Wiz them for just a few seconds till they are broken up. If you don't have a food processor, you can just slice them. Place into a heavy medium pot along with the other berries and lemon juice over medium heat and cook for about 4-5 minutes.

Then add the sugar and stir till disolved. Allow to boil for 6 minutes or until it reaches the setting point. You test this by getting that plate you placed into the fridge and put a little of the preserve onto it, allow it to cool for a few seconds, then take your finger and push it into the preserve, if the surface wrinkles then it is ready.

Once setting point has been reached, remove from heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes. After the 15 minutes, use a spoon to remove all the little bubbles that have formed on the surface. Give it a good stir before ladling into hot sterilized jars* and allow to cool completely before serving.

*At this point you can begin the canning process. It isn't as daunting as it may sound, but it does take a bit of time. This recipe you can store extra in your freezer if you don't want to can them. Just make sure you let them cool completely beforehand.

Pavlova

Serves 8 or 1 Beth

This is one of my most favorite Irish desserts. It is light, served cool, and perfect for when all of those berries go on sale! I would like to dedicate this recipe to Beth-there is never to much pavlova!

Ingredients
4 large egg whites (room temperature)
granulated sugar
castor sugar
a set of 3 small glasses
1 teaspoon of white vinegar
1 teaspoon of cornstarch

Topping:
1 cup of heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons of granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Fresh fruit - kiwi, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches, pineapple, or other fruit of your choice

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw a 7 inch circle on the paper. The easiest way to do this is to use a round cake pan and just trace that. Then flip the parchment paper over so you can see the circle, but the ink is away from the pavlova.

Now take your three glasses and place the egg whites in one and pour equal amounts of the two sugars in the other two glasses. This may seem a little unnecessary, but it makes the best pavlova I have ever had (I think I'm allowed to say that?).

In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until they hold soft peaks. This means that a peak will form if you pulled the whisk out of the egg whites, but that it would fall if you bumped it. Start adding the sugar, about tablespoon at a time, and continue to beat until the meringue holds very stiff peaks. I like to add the granulated sugar first so that it has more time to dissolve. After all the sugar is added, sprinkle the vinegar and cornstarch over the top of the meringue and, with a rubber spatula, fold in.

Gently spread the meringue inside the circle drawn on the parchment paper, smoothing the edges and top. You want it to be about 3-4 inches high. You can spread it out just a bit more, but that doesn't give you as much of the wonderful soft center that is characteristic of pavlova.

Place in oven and turn down the heat to 220 F and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the outside is dry and takes on a very pale cream color. Turn the oven off, leave the door slightly ajar, and let the pavlova cool completely in the oven.

Just before serving gently place the pavlova onto a serving plate. Whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla in your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, until soft peaks form. Now at this point you can put the cream on top of the pavlova and arrange the fruit on top, which makes a beautiful presentation. However, if you are just wanting to serve a group of people, I like to slice the pavlova like a pie and then place the whipped cream and fruit on top and the side. This ensures that everyone gets enough fruit and whipped cream. You can also serve it and just have a bowl of extra fruit and whipped cream on the side. Either way it isn't complete without some tea. Enjoy!

*Note* If you have done everything right and when it came out of the oven or onto the serving tray it just fell apart, do not be dismayed! Just scoop it all into a serving bowl, mix in the whipped cream, fruit, and a handful of mini marshmallows and you have just made an Edom mess! This is also a great way to reuse your leftover pavlova, that is if you managed to save some.

Orange Apricot Marmalade

This recipe is designed for my mom. She likes oranges, but neither she nor I like the bitter taste that comes with most marmalades. I have designed this recipe without that bitter taste.

Ingredients

6 large sweet oranges

1 cup dried apricots

1 lemon’s juice

2.2 lb Preserving sugar

Directions

Wash the oranges. Juice the oranges, and then scrape out the membranes and pith. I find a melon scoop (melon baller) makes this job easier, but a normal spoon will work.

Cut the orange peel and dried apricots into thin strips. You can make it thicker if you want "thick cut" marmalade. I sugest thin cut for your first time.

Place peel, apricot slices, and (lemon & orange) juices in a pot with 6 ⅓ cups water.

Bring mixture to a boil and simmer for 1½ hours, until the peel is very soft and the contents are reduced by half.

Stir in the sugar, until it dissolves.

Bring mixture to a boil, and boil rapidly for 15 minutes.

To test consistency, place a teaspoon of marmalade on a cold plate. After a few seconds push the marmalade with your finger - if the surface wrinkles, it has reached setting point.

Remove the pot from the heat, removing any film from the mixture’s surface with a slotted spoon.

Let the marmalade stand for 15 minutes; then stir to distribute the peel.

Place in sterilized jars/containers, then label and date.
Enjoy!

Scotch Eggs

This is a great picnic dish. They can be eaten hot or cold, at any time of the day. You can spice it up with your favorite sausage to add your own twist to it, or add some herbs and run them through a food processor with the sausage meat. Enjoy!

Ingredients

14 ounces of sausage meat
6 hard boiled eggs, shells removed
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
Baking:
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
Frying:
1 1/2 inches of oil  in your fryer

Directions

Preheat oven or oil to 350 C. If baking, use the oil to grease your baking sheet.

The trick to making this easy is your set up before you start. I have my eggs in a bowl, the sausage meat in front of me, the bread crumbs in front of the meat in a shallow dish, and a greased baking sheet beside me. If you have a helper, one can do the covering of the eggs, and the other can do the bread crumbs. this makes everyone's hands a little more manageable.

Divide the sausage meat into 6 portions and flatten them into disks. Take each dist and wrap them around each egg, making sure to close any creases. Take each ball and roll it in the bread crumbs and place on a greased baking sheet or plate if you are frying them. Frying does produce a better crust, but baking avoids having to pull out the fryer.
Baking: Put in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Frying: Have 1 1/2 inches of oil heated to around 350 C. Fry each scotch egg for about 6 minutes, or until golden brown. Let drain on some paper towels on a plate.
You can serve these hot or cold. They can easily be reheated in the microwave. Enjoy!

In memory of....

My father-in-law passed away this past weekend and his memorial service is today. He will be remembered as a great man of God; an evangelist who followed God to Ghana and Kenya. I thank God for the power that we have through Christ, that there is no fear in death through the blood of Jesus Christ. I pray that we never forget that hope and the peace that surpasses all understanding in this time of loss for us. Thank you God for your joy and strength, may we continue to be always in your will and presence.

A little story...

So life has just picked up and thrown us a curve ball. My husband has had to make an emergency trip to his family due to his father being in ICU and getting worse. If you could remember them in your prayers, that would be great.

On a little lighter side, I wanted to leave you with a story since I didn't get a recipe up. There will be a recipe up next Wednesday.

So I have been doing Couch to 5K and it has been very challenging. I keep hoping for that illusive "runner's high," but the only high I get is light headed from lack of oxygen. However, I have been surprising myself with how much I can do. It is all a head game. While I run I have a set conversation in my head that is trying to talk me into stopping. Its great for passing the time, however this past workout I ran 3 min. instead of just 90 seconds. So after a the first minute and a half I had finished my conversation and didn't know what to talk about to myself next. Luckily there were plenty of people and dogs for me to doge, so that provided a good distraction. Also this particular time I was running by myself so I brought my kitchen timer to help me time my durations. The problem with this is that it doesn't show the seconds. so when it gets to 1 minute. I am willing that thing to start beeping. I was on the last leg of running and 1 minute seemed to be hanging out for a while as I'm approaching  a family walking there dog. Right when I get parallel to them the beeper goes off, I drop the beeper, gasp "thank you God!," and the family that is now next to me stop and look with startled faces as the parents then push the children along at a quicker pace. After I retrieved the battery and timer, I couldn't help but laugh as I walk back home. Running just became fun...or funny.

Millionaire Bars

These wonderful little treasures are perfect for evening tea.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of butter, soft

1/4 cup of white sugar

1 cup of all-purpose flour

1/2 cup of butter

1/2 cup of packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons of light corn syrup

1/2 cup of sweetened condensed milk

1 1/4 cups of chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º F (175º C).

In a food processor or medium bowl, mix together the ½ cup of butter, white sugar, and flour until evenly crumbly. Press into a 9 inch square baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue to boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and beat vigorously with a whisk for about 3 minutes. Pour over baked crust (warm or cool). Cool until it begins to firm.

Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 1 minute, then stir and continue to heat and stir at 20 second intervals until chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour chocolate over the caramel layer and spread evenly to cover completely. Chill in fridge until hard. Cut into 1-inch squares. These need to be small because they are so rich.

Mixed Berry Scones

Makes 8 scones

Ingredients

1 ½ cup of self-rising flour, plus some for dusting

1 teaspoon of baking powder

½ stick of butter, cubed

1 pinch of salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup milk

1 egg, beaten

1 cup mixed berries, fresh or frozen

Directions

Preheat oven to 450°F, or 200°C

First combine the flour, baking powder, butter, salt, and cinnamon and put it into a medium bowl. You can do this using a food processor, pastry cutter, or just pinch the butter in until the butter is fully incorporated. I do like the feeling of getting my hand in there, because there is something relaxing about feeling the butter working into the flour. It also saves you less dishes. The food processor is faster though, after processing it, pour it into a medium bowl.

In a liquid measuring cup, place the beaten egg in and pour enough milk in to fill to the ½ cup mark. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the milk and egg. Stir with a wooden spoon till almost combined; add the mixed berries and fold in. It will be a sticky dough.

Form it into a ball and place on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle a little flour on top and press down till it is an eight-inch thick disk. Take a floured knife and cut into eight triangles.

Place triangles, points facing inward, on a well greased pan. You can brush on an egg wash on if you want, but it isn’t necessary.

Place in the preheated oven and turn temperature down to 400F for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. It is very important that the oven is hot. Once baked, remove from oven and allow to rest for one minute on the pan before placing on a cooling rack or serving tray. Serve warm or cooled by itself or with some sweet cream, butter, or jam.

If you do happen to have leftovers, just store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Easter Hot Cross Buns

Makes 15 buns

These buns are traditionally served for breakfast on Good Friday. The cross on the buns reminding us of the cross on which Jesus died. You can make them the day before and toast them the next morning, or just serve them hot out of the oven.

Ingredients

3 cups of bread flour, plus a little extra for dusting

1/3 cup of caster sugar

1 ½  teaspoons of salt

1 Tablespoon or packet of dried yeast

2/3 cup of warm milk

2/3 cup of warm water

1 cup of sultanas (raisins)

Zest of two small oranges

1/3 cup of mixed peel (this is a mix of lemon and orange peel, its okay if you don’t have this)

2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon

For the cross piping

1/3 cup of plain flour

1 tablespoon of powdered sugar

1/2 cup of water

Directions

Sift the bread flour, sugar, and salt together in a bowl then mix in the yeast. Mix together the milk and water (make sure it is warm). While stirring, slowly add the milk and water mixture until it forms into a ball of dough. Lightly flour your work surface and knead the dough for 5-6 minutes until smooth. Place back into the bowl, cover with a clean tea towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 hour somewhere warm.

After 1 hour, knead in the peel, orange zest, sultanas and ground cinnamon into the dough and make sure they are evenly distributed (it does take a little effort, but smells great!). Then leave to rise in the bowl for another hour in a warm space.

Lightly grease a baking sheet and then pull off pieces of the dough and make 15 balls. They should be about 1/3 a cup big. You can use a scale and measure out to about 2 ½ ounces. Place the balls onto the baking sheet, cover, and allow to rise in a warm spot for another hour. At this point you can also store covered in the fridge till the next morning. 

Preheat the oven to 430F.

Make the flour piping by combining the plain flour, tablespoon of powdered sugar and water and mix until the mixture is smooth. Pour into a piping bag and with a small plain nozzle and pipe a cross over the top of the buns.

Bake the buns for 10 minutes at 430F then turn the oven down to 400F and bake for a further 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Place buns on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving them warm. The buns can also be sliced in half, toasted and served with butter and coffee. I would recommend a citrus coffee like from Kenya or Columbia. Enjoy!

Pear & Almond  Scones

These are the perfect scones for a peaceful time of day. The soft flavors remind me of spring. This recipe is inspired by scones that I had at a cafe in Belfast. It is written for those that are in the US. If you are from the UK, I can give you the modifications.

Ingredients

1 ½ cup of self-rising flour, plus some for dusting

1 teaspoon of baking powder

½ stick of butter, cubed

1 pinch of salt

½ cup of natural or Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 egg, beaten in a small bowl

1 pear, peeled and cut into small pieces

¼ cup of flaked almonds

Directions

Preheat oven to 400F, or 200C

First combine the flour, baking powder, butter, and salt and put it into a medium bowl. You can do this using a food processor, pastry cutter, or just pinch the butter in until the butter is fully incorporated. I do like the feeling of getting my hand in there, because there is something relaxing about feeling the butter working into the flour. It also saves you less dishes. The food processor is faster though, after processing it, pour it into a medium bowl. 

Make a well in the center and add the yogurt, vanilla, and most of the egg. (just save a little bit to make an egg wash). Stir with a wooden spoon till almost combined; add the pear and fold in.

It will be a slightly sticky dough.

Form it into a ball and place on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle a little flour on top and press down till it is an eight-inch thick disk. Take a floured knife and cut into eight triangles.

Place triangles, points facing inward, on a well greased pan. I like to have it pretty heavily greased because I like how is crisps the bottom and edges. Using a pastry brush, glaze the tops and the sides with the remainder of the egg. Then take the flaked almonds and place some on top of each scone. 

Place in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Once baked, remove from oven and allow to rest for one minute on the pan before placing on a cooling rack. Serve warm or cooled by itself or with some sweet cream, butter, or jam. 

These are especially good fresh. You can revive that freshness just by placing in a toaster oven or oven for a few minutes to heat them up. If you do happen to have leftovers, just store in an airtight container for up to a week.