Irish Soda Bread

I wish I had photos for you of the bread but unfortunately, it was all gobbled up faster than I expected. So this post will be accompanied by some photos from the Irish pub we stumbled upon in Peru. 

Ingredients 

* 4 cups all-purpose flour

*3/4 cup white sugar 

* 1 tsp salt 

* 1tsp baking powder 

*1 tsp baking soda 

1/2 cup butter at room temperature (I personally like Kerry Gold Butter) 

1 1/2 cups raisins 

1 1/2 cups buttermilk at room temp

3 eggs 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

Grease and flour your baking pan. 

Mix together all your dry ingredients. 

Begin to cut the butter gently into your dry ingredients until they are well combined and then mix in your raisins. 

In another container, whisk together the buttermilk and the eggs. After they are both mixed together, mix this into the flour/butter paste. 

Place the dough into your buttered pan. 

Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes to an hour the top of your bread will be golden brown. 

When you remove the pan from the oven, allow it to cool for a little while before removing from the baking pan (10-15 minutes should do it). 

Serve with butter, jam, a Guinness or whatever goodies you have in mind.

Happy St. Patty's to you whatever your altitude!
Have fun! Stay safe!

Wishlist Wednesday

President's Week has me thinking about how quickly spring and summer are creeping up on us and I have to tell you, I can not wait. 

Last year I saw all the different fashion bloggers I follow carrying this AWESOME  architectural bag that looked like a combination of a basket, bird cage, and watermelon slice. Intriguing description? Don't quite believe that it's accurate? 

Judge for yourself because I finally found it! 

 I found this bag by Cult Gaia along with a myriad of variations of it on this website I'd never heard of before "Moda Operandi."

The brands it carries are outside of my frame of reference and super pricey. 

But, there is no harm in looking :) 

So take a peek at the other things I thought were inspiring for summer: 

Jonathan Simkhai Top

Jonathan Simkhai was the only designer name that I was vaguely familiar with. I had previously heard of JS from the lovely Lydia Elise Millen's blog/youtube channel.  I've never met Lydia but she has impeccable style and you should absolutely check her out.  

Cult Gaia, Small Acrylic Bag

Woven watermelon slice basket has me feeling all sorts of ways... 

Monse, Football Floral Off the Shoulder Dress

I just love this dress. 

It has a comma in the price, 

and I have issues about purchasing clothing with commas, so it's not meant to be but

this is absolutely darling. 

I love the off the shoulder draping and the asymmetrical hemline. 

It's such a feminine dress that the juxtaposition of the football print tickles me immensely. 

Jacquemus, Side Tie Short Sleeve Top

Love the draping on this top. Super simple, super chic. 

Ulla Johnson, Tautou basket

This basket-bag is made of wicker, with an optional shoulder strap so it can be worn multiple ways. 

Malone Souliers, Maureen Metallic Leather Flats

Chic and easy, these rose gold flats are so tempting. I love rose gold, it's flattering to most skin tones and is a softer option to other metallics. I love how the silver straps give this a pop of contrast. 

Malone Souliers, Maureen Leather Pumps

These too... 

Malone Souliers, Zada Silk & Leather Stiletto Mules

Malone Souliers, Zeida Leather Trimmed Silk Satin Point-Toe Flats

Bally, Lottie Linen & Cotton Slippers

Tell me these shoes don't scream Amalfi Coast, styled with a cute little eyelet crop top, a "Gloria hat"  and some light jeans or pencil pants? You can't.

Bye lovelies

xox G 

Shaved Asparagus and Bean Sprout Salad in a Lemon and Roasted Garlic Dressing

Ingredients: 

1 bunch of asparagus (about 2-3 cups of shaved asparagus) 

1 1/2 cups of bean sprouts 

1 large roasted garlic bulb

1 large lemon

Salt & Pepper 

Cut the bottom ends off of your asparagus.

Using a vegetable peeler shave asparagus into thin strips.

Add bean sprouts 

Remove roasted garlic from it's "shell" place into a seperate bowl. 

The garlic should easily be crushed (masticated) with a fork. 

I am OBSESSED with my garlic roaster by Petite Maison.

Take a large lemon and squeeze the juice over your garlic. 

If you are not using fresh lemons and instead opt for lemon juice use about 1/4 cup. 

Whisk together thoroughly.  

- Add the leftover oil from roasting the garlic (1/2 tsp  - 1 tsp) into the dressing-

Whisk again

Add lemon garlic dressing to the shaved asparagus and bean sprouts.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Mix and enjoy! 

Ingredients: 

1 small bunch of asparagus (about 2-3 cups of shaved asparagus) 

1 1/2 cups of bean sprouts 

1 large roasted garlic bulb

1 large lemon

Salt & Pepper 

Fiddlehead Fern

I've been trying to eat more seasonally.

 So last week while perusing the produce aisle at Whole Foods I came across Fiddleheads and was immediately intrigued. 

I had seen them a few times before at specialty stores but I was not really sure what to do with them. 

A few google searches later I felt confident enough to buy a small bag of them. Which probably amounted to about 3 cups of fern heads. 

Fiddleheads are rich in omega-3 and omega-7 fatty acids and are rich in potassium. 

They have a very earthy taste, and remind me of a cross between asparagus and peas.  

Preparation of the actual fern heads is very important. They need to be thoroughly cleaned and boiled to assure the removal of any bacteria that are possibly on the ferns, as well as to remove their initial bitterness. 

While I waited for the water to reach a boil, I soaked the fiddleheads in cold water.

 Once the water reaches a rapid boil, add the fiddleheads and cook for 10-12 minutes. 

Be sure to stir them while they cook to assure that none of them stick to the sides of your pot. 

Once the time has passed, drain and discard the water. 

Warning; it will be brown. 

Don't panic like I did, that's apparently normal. 

 Reserve the steamy hot fiddleheads. 

Over medium head, add 1 tsp of truffle oil, 1/2 tsp of olive oil, 1 clove of minced garlic, fiddleheads  1/4 tsp of powdered ginger.

Cook for about 5 minutes

Recap: 

1) Rinse off the fiddleheads and then soak in a bowl of cold water while waiting for the pot to boil. 

2) When the water is at a rapid boil - parboil the fiddleheads for 10-12 minutes 

expect the water to change colors 

3) Drain the water, reserve the ferns on the side and pat dry 

4) Over medium heat, add 1 tsp of truffle oil, 1/2 tsp olive oil, 1 minced garlic clove, and 1/4 tsp of powdered ginger

5) Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep any of the ingredients from sticking to the pan

*6)- if you want to make the fiddleheads into a salad; after they have cooled, add 1 1/2 cups of halved cherry tomatos. 

Do NOT add any additional oil.

Salt and Pepper to taste 

April Showers, Bring May Flowers; Tulip Chicken Salad in a Lime Vinaigrette

I recently bought myself this amazing cookbook Cooking with Flowers by Miche Bacher of Mali B Sweets (you can order it from Amazon here). I was really inspired after reading her Prologue aptly titled, 'Why Eat Flowers?' to try and incorporate some of her ideas into my own cooking. 

-Some people may be VERY allergic to flowers, so make sure you have NO reaction (rash, itchiness, sneezing) to contact with them before ingesting. If you have any concerns whatsoever consult a physician before adding flowers into your diet. If you have ingested ANYTHING and your throat begins to itch, you develop a rash or you are having a hard time breathing consult a doctor IMMEDIATELY- 

 I have always struggled to cook small quantities of food, but I've been making a concerted effort to make smaller quantities of food, especially given my restrictions are not shared throughout the household. 

 The following recipe is appropriate for an individual serving. If you want to make this for more people simply multiply the recipe times the number of individuals you intend on feeding. 

Ingredients:

Salad

1 cup of chopped/sliced red cabbage depending on how you like it

2/3 cup of cherry tomatoes cut into halves

1/2 cup shredded chicken breast

Petals from 1 large tulip (6 large petals) or 2 smaller ones (approximately 12 petals)  

1 tablespoon of shredded fresh basil

1-2 sprigs of lemon thyme

Vinaigrette

3 teaspoons of fresh lime juice, 

which is approximately equivalent to the juice of 2 fresh squeezed limes

1/4 tsp garlic powder 

1/4 tsp paprika 

1/4 tsp coriander 

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Our garden is currently teeming with late blooming tulips. I felt comfortable using the petals of these flowers  in the salad because I know they've not been treated with pesticides or fungicides that are toxic when ingested. Bacher cautions over and over again in her book to not use flowers that come from the grocery store or any other place, like a roadside, where they could have been treated with chemicals or absorbed pollutants. Know what you're eating. 

Tulips have a flavor that is similar to a cross between a sweet pea and a cucumber. That's the only way I can think to describe it. Apparently, each variety of tulip differs in flavor from the others and some of them can have more of a bite than others.

Wash your petals. 

Then, wash them again. 

The last thing you want is some creepy-crawly in your food. 

Stack your petals, gently roll them into a tube and slice horizontally across to get thin strips. 

Cut and or shred your red cabbage. Add to your tulip petals. 

Add your tomatoes to your mixing bowl along with the chicken, basil and thyme. 

Stir and set aside. 

In a small bowl mix together the dry ingredients for your vinaigrette. 

Add the lime juice, mixing thoroughly. 

Add the olive oil. 

Mix thoroughly into your salad and enjoy.

Baked Shrimp in my Poppy Ginger Dressing

Ingredients: 

- 14 oz. package of precooked shrimp

- 1 tsp. chives

- 1 tsp. chopped ginger

 - 1/2 tsp. of Mustard Pommery or any other whole-grain mustard

- 1/2 tsp. Poppy Seeds 

- 1/4 tsp. Black Pepper

- 1/4 tsp Dark Chili Powder

- 1/4 tsp. Paprika 

- 1/4 tsp. Black Yruffle Oil 

- 2 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar  

- Sea Salt to taste 

(I use a sea salt grinder and turned it 5 times) 

Prior to cooking, make sure your shrimp is completely defrosted. 

If you are pressed for time, place your shrimp into a colander and run cold water over it for about a half an hour to quickly defrost shrimp taken from the freezer. 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

Mix your dry ingredients (chives, poppy seeds, chili powder, black pepper, salt and paprika)  with the mustard and ginger in a bowl.

Then add the truffle oil and the apple cider vinegar. 

Mix well.  

Take your defrosted shrimp and add it to your dressing being sure to thoroughly coat the shrimp. 

If you want to intensify the flavors, you can prepare this ahead of time and allow the shrimp to marinate in the dressing in the refrigerator before cooking. 

Take a piece of parchment paper and line your baking dish. 

Spread out the shrimp on the parchment paper.

Cook for 5-7 minutes. 

Be careful not to over cook the shrimp since it is already pre-cooked you don't want to have it become rubbery. 

I served mine over my mediterranean cole slaw recipe with some roasted asparagus. 

This dressing is also delicious on grilled chicken or shrimp kebabs. If you'd like it to be spicy, simply add 1/4 tsp. of hot pepper flakes to the dressing. 

If you intend to use this recipe for a marinade I would suggest you double the recipe. 

My Mediterranean Coleslaw Recipe

Ingredients: 

- 1/2 Red Cabbage 

- 2 Cucumbers peeled, seeds removed and cubed

- 2 tsp. chopped ginger

- 1 tsp. garlic powder

- 1/2 tsp. dried dill weed 

- 1/2 tsp. coriander

- 1/2 tsp. cumin 

- 1/2 tsp. paprika 

- 1/4 tsp. turmeric

 - Sea Salt & Pepper to taste 

- 1/3 Cup of Apple Cider Vinegar 

Cut up your cabbage into bite sized pieces. 

Peel your cucumbers, cut off the ends and slice it in two. Take a spoon and run it down the center of each of the halves to remove the seeds. Cut the cucumber into slices and then cube them. 

Place into a bowl together.

Mix the rest of the ingredients into the apple cider vinegar to make your dressing. Be sure to thoroughly mix the dry ingredients to avoid clumping.  

Pour the dressing over the cabbage and the cucumber. 

Mix well & enjoy. 

Easter Tablescapes and Floral Arrangements

So this year we had Easter for our extended family and I was in charge of the tables, flowers, and general ambiance. I went a little overboard with the flowers I got from the supermarket but I had so much fun arranging them. 

It started out as a bit of a hot mess, 

but in the end it all came together quite nicely. 

I ended up making nine arrangements using hydrangea, roses, tea roses, wax flowers, tulips, snapdragons, hyacinths (which smell AMAZING), and some lilies. 

The formal "adult" table  I accented with nests I found at this adorable little boutique near us, which I filled with pears and Easter eggs. To keep the table from looking too formal and make it a little "sweeter" I left bunny butter cookies that I spruced up with a pink ribbon on each bread plate. 

I also found these adorable beeswax votive candles in the shape of an Easter chick. 

The other two tables were also decorated but primarily using pastels instead of the richer colors of the formal table. 

A hyacinth bouquet for the powder room. 

I was also in charge of the appetizers/antipasto but with all the running around I didn't take a moment to photograph it except for the hard boiled quail eggs that I prepared. They caught my eye in the supermarket and were so eye catching that I wanted to find a way to include them in the festivities. 

I hope you had a wonderful holiday!