Irish Stew

I have been sick... for a while.  This is a soup my grandma used to make for me.  We always called it Irish stew, but it's really a very simple, five ingredient, soup.  I haven't had this dish in years. Start out with about 4-6 medium potatoes and a medium yellow onion.  Peel and chop the potatoes.  They don't need to be perfectly cubed or diced.  Grandma kept them coarsely chopped - kinda rectangular pieces.  Dice the onion fairly finely - no big chunks.

Add them all to a large pan and add water and salt.  The water should cover the ingredients with at least an inch of water.  Start with a modest amount of salt to keep things evenly seasoned.  Boil until the potatoes are fully cooked and tender.

Before serving, be sure to adjust the salt to your preference.  Grandma used to add evaporated milk when serving the soup.  But, that would turn my insides into outsides, so, I use almond milk.

She would serve it with her homemade bread.  This is the type of food I grew up eating; simple, ungarnished, unadorned, comforting food.

Blood Orange Scones

The perfect thing for a weekend breakfast: Scones!  And, I have a recipe, for once: I made this using the biscuit ratio recipe: 1 part fat:3 parts flour:2 parts liquid. I used: unrefined coconut oil (100g), a mix of spelt flour & shredded coconut (300g), almond milk with a smidgen of blood-orange juice (200ml).  To complete the mix, add a bit of sugar (50g), salt (.5t), orange zest and baking powder (1T).

Be sure to cut the fat into the dry ingredients and then mix in the liquid - but, don't over mix!  Then, form the dough onto a parchment lined pan.  Or, they can be cut like traditional scones.

They're delicious on their own, but they're amazing with a marmalade syrup.  It's easy to make with equal portions of sugar, orange juice and zest.  Boil to ~225F for a thick syrup.

Tropical smoothie - with a twist!

 

I found myself with a dozen blood oranges.  Although their flavour is very traditionally orange, their colour is is the novelty.  I worked these oranges into several culinary preparations.  The first, was a delicious tropical smoothie.

I started with some classic tropical flavours: banana, orange and pineapple.  I added almond milk and a bit of ice.

Blend it up!  Use a high-powered blender to ensure no chunks.

Garnish with sweeetened coconut and serve.  A tasty and healthy way to experience the tropics - even if you're stuck in the dead of winter.