March 2016 Recipes

Recipes from the March Meeting

March 8, 2016

Irish Soda Bread

Anna Brandl

¾ cup buttermilk

3 tablespoons softened butter or margarine

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon salt

½  to ¾ cup golden raisins

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  If you don’t have buttermilk, mix ¾ cup milk with 2 tablespoons white vinegar and set aside before continuing with the recipe.

Mix dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder, sugar, salt).  Add softened butter and vanilla.  Should resemble fine crumbs.  Add raisins and buttermilk.  Put on a floured surface.  Knead 1 to 2 minutes.  Brush top with milk.  Form a fall and flatten to 1½ inches.  Transfer to a baking sheet and with a knife, make a cross on the top.

Bake 30 to 45 minutes until the top is golden.  Let cool on a baking rack.  If you want a softer top, wrap in a clean dishtowel.

Irish Beef Stew

Anna Brandl

2 to 3 pounds beef stew meat, cut smaller

2 onions, chopped

4 to 6 carrots, chopped

6 potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 cups beef stock, more if needed.

Sauté onions, then add carrots in a sturdy pot.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  Remove vegetables from pot.  Brown meat, not all at once or it will steam.  Then add onions and carrots back into pot.  Add stock.  Cook 30 minutes.  Add potatoes.  Cook one hour or more or until meat is soft.

Sue’s Shepherd’s Pie

Dana DeBellis

Dana modified a recipe from the January to April 2016 issue of On the Vine.

3 cups cooked lentils (the original recipe calls for lamb)

1 onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, diced

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

4 cups mixed vegetables

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon flour

½ cup red wine

1 cup chicken stock

1 can (15 ounces) chopped tomatoes

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 cup frozen peas

1 teaspoon fresh mixed herbs, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

17 ounces mashed potatoes

Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Sauté onion, carrot and garlic in olive oil until browned.  Add vegetables, lentils (or lamb), tomato paste and flour and mix over a low heat for 3 minutes.  Add red wine, stock, Worcestershire sauce, tomatoes, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes until liquid has reduced.  Turn off heat and stir through peas and fresh herbs. Place in a pie or casserole dish and top with mashed potato and Parmesan cheese.  Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the top has browned slightly.

Rosemary Pecans

Patti Harlan

This recipe comes from The Charlotte Herb Guild Cooks Again, page 286.  Patti tripled this recipe to feed the Guild.

1 tablespoon melted butter

1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1 cup pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a shallow baking pan, mix butter and seasonings.  Add nuts, stirring and turning them to coat. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes.  Remove from oven.

Tossed Salad

Patti Harlan

Mixed lettuces

Cherry tomatoes

Chopped  carrots

Chopped celery

Broccoli, finely chopped

Cauliflower, finely chopped

Artichoke hearts

Avocado, sliced thin

Basil, shredded

Toss together and pour French vinaigrette dressing over and toss again.