Top o’ the mornin’ to ye!  St. Patrick’s Day is here again, one of the favorite holidays around the ol’ Flamingo Pond.  The husband is half-Irish, and back when we got married, we made a deal:  I would get all the Jewish holidays and he would get St. Patrick’s Day and Christmas.  I took this to be a pretty fair compromise, since the only holidays he wanted were the ones involving good food, good drink, and prezzies!  And we like to start the morning with a slab of old-fashioned Irish Brown Bread.  This is not the sweet bread with raisins or some such, that you might find in stores, today.  Real Soda Bread is just that – bread. Slice it up for sandwiches, chunk it up to sop up soup or gravy, toast it up & slather with good butter, a piece of cheese, maybe some jam.

We don’t dye anything green around here, no sir!  From the beginning, we’ve only made traditional Irish recipes, prepared as closely as possible to the traditional ways.

One of the really lovely things about this bread is that it’s pretty quick to make. Just mix up the dough – either by hand or mixer with a dough hook – form it up and bake.  No resting time, no rising time.  You can have this on the table, all warm, crusty, and ready to eat in about an hour!  And I’ll bet you have the ingredients ready to go, right now.  So, let’s do it:

Irish Brown Bread

Ingredients:

• 3 cups stone ground whole wheat flour
• 3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 3 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 Tbs. sugar, honey, or molasses (optional)
• 2 1/2 cups soured milk *

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425° F.

In a large bowl (or your mixer bowl), combine the flours, salt, and baking soda. Mix well.  Add the sweetener (if using),  and add the milk, a little at a time, mixing well.  The dough should be firm and still just a bit sticky.

Divide the dough into two pieces, form into firm balls, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or pan liner.  Flatten each ball slightly with your hand, to about 2-3 inches thick.  Slash an X across the top of each loaf (to let the fairies out, of course!).

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when the bottoms are rapped with your knuckle, or an instant-read thermometer inserted through the side indicates at least 192° F.

* Yes, I actually let milk go naturally sour for this. Don’t go freaking out. No, it’s not going to hurt you.  After all, that’s how basic farmers cheeses historically got their starts, and the natural acids work with the baking soda to get the dough rising.  And it’s a great way to use up milk that’s “gone off” on you.  If you don’t have any soured milk on hand, just measure out your milk and add either a teaspoon of lemon juice or a teaspoon of white vinegar, mix it well and let it sit till it reaches room temperature.

Don’t save this just for St. Patrick’s Day, either! This is a tasty, healthy bread that’s great all year long, especially if you just noticed that you’ve run out of bread for sandwiches or snacks.

More St. Patrick’s Day food ideas:

• Mashed Potato Biscuits (Irish Potato Cakes)
• Shepherd’s Pie for St. Patrick’s Day
• Chicken in (Non-Dairy) Tarragon Cream Sauce
• Colcannon (Mashed Potato with Cabbage and Leeks)

Eating healthier and dropping a few pounds is on the table (you’ll excuse the expression), once again.  This time, it’s my turn by doctor’s decree. I’m following my own advice – not going off the deep end, not going into deprivation mode, but rather, transforming some favorites into equally delicious alternatives.  Let’s face it.  If you have to work that hard, you’re not going to stick with it, right?

Oh, don’t panic. It’s not like I’m going to stop posting cheesecake, you know?

But for some reason, every winter I seem to go on a pancake kick (see here and here).  Must be the cooler weather, making me want something a bit more soul-satisfying than a bowl of cottage cheese. Well, we bought a cheap waffle iron on sale, recently, and once I figured out how it works, I started playing with waffle batter recipes.  This one’s a winner!

Buckwheat Pecan Waffles

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp table salt
• 2 tsp granulated sweetener (I used xylitol, but Truvía, or sugar are great, too)
• 1 1/2 cups milk (regular, 2%, buttermilk, or soy milk all work just fine)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Coarsely chopped pecans

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients, including the sweetener.  In another bowl (or large measuring cup), whisk together all of the wet ingredients.  Add the wet mixture to the dry, and mix together until smooth.  If the batter seems too thick, add a little more milk.  Allow the batter to rest for 30 minutes.

Heat up your waffle iron (give it a shot of cooking spray, if needed), sprinkle your desired quantity of chopped pecans directly onto the cooking grid (anywhere from 1 tsp to 1 Tbs – your choice), ladle in just enough batter to cover the grids, close the cover, and bake until browned and crispy.

Serve with your choice of butter (I like Smart Balance Light) and/or syrup or jam and/or fresh fruit. Pictured here, is Freakin’ Flamingo Sugar-Free Strawberry Vanilla Jam.  Of course.

Notes:

The pecans are actually totally optional.  You don’t have to use them – these waffles are extremely delicious without them, too. But they add such a wonderful texture, and the flavor is just so complimentary with the buckwheat, that I strongly recommend that you use them – unless you have some kind of nut allergy.

I’m not giving you an estimated yield of waffles this time, because everyone’s waffle maker is different.  Mine yields five waffles that measure 6 1/2″ across.  Yours may have a smaller, shallower cooking area(s).

I’m also not giving you estimated cooking times.  My el-cheapo waffle maker beeps, thinking it’s finished, at 1 minute.  Which is ridiculous.  I’ve worked out the cooking time for mine, to be 4 minutes.  Yours might be faster or slower, so check.

I have tested all of the variations in the ingredients list, so make any of those substitutions with confidence.  And no, I’ve received no compensation from any of the brands I mention.  I happen to like them, we use them, and I keep them in my pantry and fridge.  Except for the jam, of course. I do get compensation from that, because, well, I sell it. And it’s delicious. And the sugar-free ones don’t taste sugar-free or have that weird artificial sweetener aftertaste. End of plug.

Light, fluffy, crispy, and satisfying on every level. That’s a diet I can stick with. How about you?

Many of you have been telling me that you’re using Freakin’ Flamingo jams and marmalades in ways that have nothing to do with toast, but that’s no surprise to me – I’m doing the same. Today, I mixed some of my Piña Colada Jam (part of “The Cabana Collection“) into muffin batter, and ended up with a light, sweet muffin that’s just full of tropical flavor. Perfect for breakfast, snack time, or even dessert!

I’m also guest-posting over at Restless Chipotle! Many of you know the fabulous and talented Marye Audet. She’s one of my great friends – always ready with support and a good word – so when she asked me to give her a day off, I was more than delighted to help out. So, please stop by and check out the Piña Colada Chicken I cooked up, just for her! And you!

But, I’m taking these babies to the Miami Food Swap tonight!

Piña Colada Muffins
(makes 14 regular/small – not mini – muffins)

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 Tbs. Freakin’ Flamingo Piña Colada Jam
1 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
1 cup pineapple juice

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375º F. Prepare regular-sized muffin tin by inserting cupcake liners or by spraying lightly with cooking spray (if using good non-stick pan, you can skip this step).

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together all the rest of the ingredients.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and stir by hand to combine well.

Fill each muffin cup nearly to the top and bake for 17 – 20 minutes. They’re done when a wooden skewer or toothpick poked into the center comes out clean.

Have you been playing with your Freakin’ Flamingo? If you have, drop me a line at FreakinFlamingo @ att{dot}net! Include a photo and the recipe or link to your recipe, and I’ll feature it in the Freakin’ Flamingo Newsletter!

Sign up for the Freakin’ Flamingo Newsletter and get lots of perks at the website, in person when I’m at the South Miami Farmers Market, and links to recipes, just like this!

Now go visit me at Restless Chipotle!

I was going to start Passover week with Matzo Balls, but they’re still in the freezer, so I haven’t taken any photos yet. Hold your questions – all will be explained in that post. In the meantime, let’s start with the Passover Breakfast of Champions: Matzo Brei.

When I was a kid, there were two breakfasts you could count on getting during Passover: Dad’s scrambled eggs & onions, and Mom’s Matzo Brei. We didn’t have any of these Kosher for Passover boxed cold cereals like they do today. In fact, we ate no dairy during Passover for many years, because you couldn’t get KP milk in Ohio. Back then, Mom and Dad drank their coffee with milk in it, so during Passover? No coffee. Tea. Until I became a coffee-drinking adult (sort of), I never realized what a sacrifice that was.

But, how to describe Matzo Brei? Sort of a matzo pancake? Definitely a tasty blank canvas that can be topped with a sprinkle of sugar (Mom’s way) or a spoonful of jam (my way). We only ever had it (and I only ever make it) during Passover. If you don’t save certain dishes for special occasions, how would you know it was a holiday? Right?

Matzo Brei
(single serving)

Ingredients:

2 sheets of matzo
1 egg
pinch of salt
2 tsp. peanut (or vegetable) oil (for frying)

Preparation:

Put the matzos into a medium bowl and crush (I usually just make a fist and crush it with my knuckles). Cover with cool water and soak for about 2 minutes or until the matzo is soft, but not mushy. Pour through a strainer to drain, and press to get most of the excess water out.

Beat the egg with a fork until well-blended, add the salt and mix. Add the soaked matzo and mix very well, making sure that the matzo is completely coated.

Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and heat the oil. Add the matzo-egg mixture in a pile in the middle of the pan and press down with a spatula, spreading it out evenly, until it’s about 3/4″ thick. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, turning it over when it’s golden brown. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes on the other side.

We do the “Mom” touch around here, cutting the matzo brei up into bite-sized squares, then either sprinkling with sugar or adding a dollop of jam.

Notes:

Is it me? Or is matzo getting smaller this year? Or is it just Manischewitz brand? They looked positively Lilliputian when I took them out of the box!

A word about oil: Unless you follow the Sephardic tradition, the use of canola oil is not allowed during Passover. When I was growing up, the only kosher for Passover oil available, was peanut oil, so I continue to use that. There are KP vegetable oils available now, so if you prefer to use one of them, feel free.

Why is it that no one can agree on the proper boiling of an egg? I know. You think I’m kidding. You think I’m grasping for a topic to write about, don’t you? Well, maybe Guilty on Count 2, but I’m really not kidding.

Too many people think you can just plop an egg into a pot of water, boil it to death, and then wail because the whites are the consistency of overenthusiastic breast implants and the yolks are wearing army-issue olive drab coats. From World War I.

Others make the boiling of an egg sound like it’s culinary alchemy – an arcane set of spells and enchantments to master. Only achievable when the Harvest Moon is in the 16th hour of waning. Or is that, waxing?

I bring this up now, because the Jewish holiday of Passover begins the evening of April 18th. For most of us of Ashkenazic European descent (I confess ignorance of Sephardic traditions), the Seder dinner will commence with eating a hardcooked egg in salt water. And from what I’ve seen over the years, many people (including my own mother) can’t boil an egg to save their lives. And they don’t care. It’s a throwaway. A necessary tradition to get through and then get on with the real meal. Okay, maybe that’s a touch harsh. But only a touch.

You know what you really need to hard boil an egg perfectly every time? A kitchen timer and some ice. Oh, and the eggs, of course.

So now, a Primer on the Perfect Hard Boiled Egg:

First rule: This is one case when you don’t want the absolutely freshest ingredients. Buy the eggs ahead of time, and let them sit in the fridge for at least a few days before cooking them.

Place the raw eggs in a saucepan in a single layer. Preferably with a bit of room to move around. Add cool tap water to the pan to just cover the eggs, followed by a hefty pinch of salt. Place the pan on an appropriately-sized burner and turn the heat to high.

Immediately set a kitchen timer to 18 minutes.

When the eggs have just a couple of minutes left on the timer, fill a large measuring cup or a bowl with ice and set it next to the sink.

Immediately at the 18 minute mark (do not pass Go, do not collect $200), remove the pan from the heat and drain. Shake the eggs around in the pan a bit so that they crack, and dump the ice on top of them, then fill the pan with cool tap water.

Allow to sit for only a couple of minutes before peeling under the cool water in the pan. You’ll find that they’ll peel more easily (and pretty) when they’re still warm, than if you wait until they’re completely cold.

Note that you cook them the same way and for the same amount of time no matter the quantity. The time and rules remain the same, whether you’re cooking two eggs or a dozen.

See? Perfectly hard boiled egg: Bright, fluffy yellow yolk, no green ring, and the white is tender enough to cut with a fork.

Now you’re ready for the first course. Or deviled eggs. Or tuna salad (that’s what I’m making in this photo). Or any other application. Rubber eggs, begone!

So, yesterday was our 22nd wedding anniversary. When that fact sank in, we looked at each other and said – simultaneously – “Wow. And we haven’t killed each other, yet.” See? That’s why we’re married. I thought the occasion called for something a little special, and since I’d made some challah bread in a loaf-shape a couple of days before, French Toast came to mind. Not just any french toast, mind you – Stuffed French Toast. I think even the most mundane foods seem extra-special when you stuff them, no?
Stuffed French Toast

For the filling:

6 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 heaping tablespoons jam (I used my own Freakin’ Flamingo Strawberry Daiquiri Jam, but any
flavor will do)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Blend everything together in a small bowl with an electric mixer, until the mixture is smooth and creamy. It should be stiff enough to make mounds and not be runny at all. Set aside.

For the French Toast:

One 1 lb. loaf Challah bread (slightly stale)

3 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbs. sugar (I used natural cane sugar, but regular white will do)
pinch of salt

Butter for frying

Slice the bread into 1 1/2-inch slices. You should get 8 – 10 slices. Scoop out the middles with your fingers, making sure not to go all the way through to the other side. Match up your bread slices so that you have matched up pairs of similar size with “pockets” facing each other.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until well-blended. Add the milk, vanilla, sugar, and salt, and whisk well.

To assemble:

Spoon the cream cheese/jam mixture into the pocket of one of the challah slices (a couple of heaping tablespoonsful). The mound of filling should actually come above the top of the pocket. Cover with the second slice of bread, so that the pocket of the second slice fits over the first. Press together gently, but firmly. They should stick together.

Melt some butter in a large frying pan (I prefer non-stick) over medium heat.

Place the sandwich into the egg mixture and allow to soak for about a minute. (These are thick slices and take a little extra time) Turn and soak the other side. Remove the sandwich from the bowl, allow some of the excess liquid to drip off, and place into the now hot frying pan. Fry for about 2-3 minutes per side, or until GBD (golden brown & delicious). You can prepare several at a time.

I like to dust them with powdered sugar and finish with a little extra jam on top.

So, here’s to another 22 years together! If we don’t kill each other, first….. Nah.

Eggs are a hot topic, lately. You’d think that cooking an egg would be the simplest thing in the world, but it’s not so easy to get over-easy every time. We love soft-cooked eggs for breakfast (and sometimes even supper) at our house, and even now, I keep looking for a formula to make the perfect breakfast eggs – soft, fluffy whites, yolks that ooze without running all over the plate. I think I finally got it.

I was watching one of those ubiquitous food/travel shows on TV, not too long ago, and saw someone making something called a “basted egg”. When I looked up the process, I ran across several different methods, one of which called for cooking the egg in the bacon grease left from frying bacon, then basting it with the grease while cooking. Definitely not for me.

I needed a method that’s quick and fairly fuss-free. I’m calling this “Basted Eggs”, but I think it’s really a hybrid of frying and poaching, and the best part? No flipping and no busted yolks!

Light Basted Eggs
(I make these 2 at a time)

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp butter or margarine
2 eggs
salt & pepper
2 Tbs. water

Special equipment: Small non-stick omelet or sauté pan with a tight-fitting lid, a toothpick or sharp paring knife.

Method:

Heat the butter or margarine in the pan over medium-high heat, till just sizzling. Break the eggs into the pan gently (or into a dish, then slide into the pan). Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Poke each egg yolk just once with the toothpick or knife tip, add the water to the pan around the edge of the whites, and immediately cover the pan with the lid. Reduce heat to medium, and cook until your desired doneness – about 2 minutes for soft and runny, 3 minutes for medium, 4 minutes for firm.

Remove from heat and uncover. Give the pan a bit of a shake, then slide the eggs out of the pan onto your plate. Here, I’m serving them over a bed of buttered white rice (which is my husband’s thing, lately), but of course, you can serve them accompanied by whatever you like.

Wait for it…

Wait for it…

I’m thinkin’ E.T. or that alien, Paul, in that new Area 51 movie…

Happy New Year!

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for following along over the last year. 2010 was a pretty exciting and volatile year for me. It was the year I stopped musing and realized that Life is indeed what happens while you’re busy doing other things. And having figured that part out, actually did something about it. So, Welcome 2011! Can’t wait to see around the next corner!

But, the weekend’s not over yet, and if you need something for a special breakfast, brunch, a light supper, or even the hors d’oeuvre table, this Spinach Strata goes with just about anything you plan to serve – especially bubbly beverages. It’s also loaded with spinach – a good luck food – to bring you health and wealth in the New Year!

Spinach Strata

(Serves 4 as main dish; may be doubled or tripled as necessary)

Ingredients:

1 tsp. butter, margarine, or Smart Balance Light Spread
1 medium potato (about 9 oz.)
4 oz. sliced or shredded cheese (such as Swiss or mozzarella)
4 large eggs, beaten
2 Tbs. milk
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
2-3 cups baby spinach, uncooked
1 medium tomato, sliced thin
salt & pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375º F. Grease a 1 quart oven-proof casserole dish with the butter.

Slice the potato very thinly. A small hand slicer or mandoline will be useful here. Line the bottom of the casserole with half of the potato slices, overlapping. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. Lay half of the cheese over the potato slices.

Beat the eggs with the milk until combined, season with a little salt and pepper, and mix in the thyme leaves (which you’ve first stripped from their stems). Pour into the casserole.

Pile the spinach leaves evenly over the egg mixture and cover with the sliced tomato, followed by the remaining potato slices. Arrange the remaining cheese over the top, making certain to cover the potato slices completely.

Bake for 30-35 minutes and let cool for about 5 minutes before cutting, to allow the strata to set.

Notes:

Swiss cheese will create a crisp, cheesy crust on top (think frico), so if you’d prefer a softer and creamier top, use something like mozzarella.