Greek Dressing

• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 lemon juiced
• 1tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp salt and black pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Add all but oil and whisk together. Add in the olive oil, slowly mixing to emulsify.

Irish Apple Cake

Bake at 350 degrees F. for about an hour in a springform pan. 9" best.

Cake:

3 c. flour
1 T baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. COLD butter, cut into small cubes
3 large eggs
3/4 c. heavy cream
2 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 lb. granny smith apples, thinly sliced

Custard:

1/3c. sugar

4 large egg yolks

1-1/4 heavy cream

1 vanilla bean, halved or 2 tsp. vanilla

Prehat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9" springformpan and line the sides and bottom with parchment. (Not really necessary.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 cups flour, baking powder, salt, spices and sugar. Add cubed butter and incorporate with your hands until you have no large pieces of butter left and the mixture resembles sand. Make a well in the flour/butter and whisk in eggs, heavy cream, and vanilla.

Toss sliced apples with 3 T. flour until evenly coated, then fold into batter. Transfer to the pan and bake until apples are tender, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan.

Irish Soda Bread

I decided to try Irish soda bread once again. I probably made it in Ireland when I lived there in 1983. Most likely, I feasted on the Irish scones from Mary Rose's tea room and bakery on St. Patrick's street. I really have never tasted any like it since. The most common pastry/bread that was served in homes was tea brack (a dark fruit bread) with butter or not. And tea. Lots of tea.

I found this recipe online and, while intimidated by it, and trying it today - March 17th. I'll update it with photos if it is successful!

40 minutes baking time at 425 degrees F.

4-4-1/2 cups flour

1 T. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

4 T butter, cubed and slightly softened

1 cup currants or raisins

1 large egg, beaten lightly

1-3/4 c. buttermilk

Preheat the oven. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Work in the butter with your fingers until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Add in the currants or raisins.

Make a well in the flour mixture and add in the egg and buttermilk. Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough is too stiff to stir. Form the dough using floured hands and format rough ball shape. The dough should be a little sticky and like shortcake dough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and shape into a round loaf. It will still be sticky and shaggy. Don't overwork the dough!

Place in an iron skillet or on a baking sheet. Score with an X with a knife.

Bake until golden and the bottom sounds hollow - 35-45 min. 

Cool, slice and serve.

Greek Chicken Pasta

I had a hankering for something Greek last night and came up with these ingredients: thin spaghetti or fettuccine, feta cheese, pitted kalamata olives, tiny grape tomatoes, garlic, and chicken breasts. Also a Greek dressing as seasoning (see homemade below.) No photo! We gobbled it down.

Cut up the chicken into strips and saute it in olive oil, being careful to not overcook. Add the halved tomatoes and saute until softened, about a minute. Add the olives. 

At the same time (using about 8 minutes to cook), boil the pasta until al dente. Drain.

At the feta to the chicken for about one minute with 1/4-1/2 cup of the Greek dressing. Toss with hot pasta.

Dressing:

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 lemon juiced

1tsp Dijon mustard

2 minced garlic cloves

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp salt and black pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

Add all but oil and whisk together. Add in the olive oil, slowly mixing to emulsify.