Recipes

So I gave this address to a couple friends here in Ireland, which I think is good because it will give me more motivation to post things. You know, people who see me in person on a regular basis can harass me that I haven't posted anything in a week.
And I told them I would post a few recipes for them here. So at the risk of turning this into an all-recipe-all-the-time blog here's a couple. The chicken goujon's (I think that's what the Irish call chicken breasts or strips) that I made for Silas's b-day picnic, and a lemon and raspberry scone I made for a coffee morning this morning.

Ritzy Chicken Strips
3 chicken breasts, cut into about 4 thin strips
3/4 cup all purpose flour
pepper, salt, and paprika
2/3 cup crushed Ritz crackers
2 egg whites
1/2 cup buttermilk (I use the thin-ish homemade yogurt, so half yogurt half milk would prob. work too)
3 T veg. oil

Heat oven to 450 F.Mix flour and spices together and dredge chicken strips. Set aside on rack. Add cracker crumbs to remaining flour. Heat oil in large glass baking dish. Whip egg whites to soft peaks and add buttermilk. Dip each strip into egg mixture then into flour and crumb mixture. Set on rack. Place strips in baking dish and roast for about 15 minutes. Flip strips over and roast for another 10 minutes until chicken is cooked. Serve with ketchup, barbecue sauce, honey mustard, etc.

Lemon Raspberry Scones
2 cups barley or spelt flour
1 cup unbleached bread flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup butter, cold
1 large egg
3/4 cup buttermilk (or yogurt as above)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 T lemon zest
1/4 cup raspberry preserves

Optional glaze
1/2 cup icing/powdered sugar
2 T lemon juice
1 t lemon zest

Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine all dry ingredients and cut the butter in using a fork or pastry blender until the mixture resembles crumbs. Whisk the egg, milk, juice and zest together. Add all at once and stir lightly with a fork until moistened.
Scoop about 1/4 of the dough onto a baking sheet making a rough circle. Spoon half the jam on top, swirling and spreading as necessary. (You may need more jam). Spread another 1/4 of the dough on top, sandwiching the raspberry filling. Repeat with the rest of the dough and jam.
Bake for 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before glazing.

Note: Not sure how readily available barley flour is in the rest of the world but I can't find it here. I weigh out 4 oz of barley per cup required and throw it in the blender for a couple minutes. It doesn't make the worlds finest flour, but it seems to for everything I've tried in so far. I really love the flavor it gives to baked goods, it's a great whole grain, and is a good source of B vitamins, magnesium, selenium, etc. Look here for the run down of why you should be eating more barley! But if the whole making your own flour is too much, you can substitute spelt flour instead which you can get at health food stores here.

Stay tuned for more yogurt containing recipes. Since Linda bought me a yogurt maker last time we were home I always have these five little pots staring out at me from the refrigerator. So far we've made a batch (2 quarts) about once a week. Yeah Lactobacillus acidophilus!