Rustic Irish Potato Cabbage Soup

Perfect chill buster with incredible flavour and texture!

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 small onion, diced

2 tbsps minced garlic

2 medium or 12 mini new potatoes, unpeeled and cut in chunks 

1 medium carrot, sliced

4 cups shredded cabbage

1 stalk celery, sliced

6 cups chicken broth

1 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp celery seed

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp butter

In a large pot cook the bacon until crispy. Remove and set aside. In the remaining bacon fat, cook the onion and garlic until onion is translucent, 2-3 minutes. Add the potatoes, carrots, thyme, celery seed, salt, pepper and broth and bring to a boil. Then simmer 10 minutes or until veggies are tender. Add the cabbage and celery and return the bacon to the pot and simmer 6-8 minutes. Stir in the butter and serve. Makes 4-6 servings

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Peanut Butter Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

If you're looking for a chewy, tender peanut butter cookie, this is it. Makes a perfect baker's dozen. 

Helpful hint: If you ever find yourself with cookies that are just too crisp, add a slice of bread to your airtight container (like you would for brown sugar that has hardened) and they'll soften right up in a few hours!

Ingredients:

1 cup peanut butter 

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs 

1/2 cup oats

1/4 cup chopped walnuts 

1 tsp vanilla

 

Mix everything together and roll into heaping tablespoon sized balls. Place on a baking sheet about 3" apart, no need to line the pan. Flatten slightly then bake at 325°F for 15-17 minutes. Cool then store in an airtight container. Makes 13 cookies 

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Pumpkin Sourdough Bread

This one has a tight crumb, perfect for toasting and spreading with butter or jam, as your toppings won't leak through. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup active sourdough starter

4 cups bread flour

3/4 cup water, at room temperature

1 cup pumpkin purée

2 tsps salt

1 1/2 tbsps maple syrup

2 shakes of cinnamon

semolina for sprinkling 

turmeric for colour (optional)

Mix starter, pumpkin purée, water, maple syrup, cinnamon and flour together until shaggy. Rest 30 minutes covered with a tea towel. Sprinkle the salt and incorporate. Perform 4 sets of stretch and folds every 30 minutes. You can sprinkle some turmeric on the dough for each stretch and fold (use gloves so your hands don't turn yellow!) After the 4th stretch and fold place in bowl and cover with plastic wrap until doubled. (Mine took 6 hours). Turn out on floured surface and form into a boule pinching at the bottom. Flour well. Sprinkle semolina on bottom of a bowl the size of your Dutch oven. Sit dough seam side up, cover with plastic wrap and keep in a warm place (bread proofer or microwave with a cup of hot water) for 2-3 hours then refrigerate overnight. In the morning remove from fridge for 1 hour. Give it a quick freeze in the freezer for 15 minutes. Preheat oven with the Dutch oven and lid inside for 20 minutes at 450°F. Turn dough out on parchment or Dutch oven sling, rub turmeric on top if using, then score and lift into hot Dutch oven. Bake covered 30 minutes, then uncover for 15 minutes. 

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Chili Pumpkin Spice Sweet Potato

The warming spices used to season this sweet potato will fend off the chill coming in the next few months. 

Ingredients:

1 small to medium sweet potato

2 tsps olive oil

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp pumpkin spice

salt and pepper to taste

2 tsps honey

parsley to garnish 

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut sweet potato in half lengthwise (unpeeled) and score the flesh several times. Brush both halves all over with olive oil, then salt and pepper. Season the top with 1/4 tsp each chili powder and 1/8 tsp each pumpkin spice. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 400°F. Check with a fork. If still not tender return to the oven until done. Remove from oven and drizzle 1 tsp honey on each half and serve sprinkled with parsley. Serves 1

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Easy Homemade Honey Granola

As a yogurt topping for breakfast or dessert or simply for snacking, this easy batch of granola will keep you going all week or more. It's customizable and, oh, it uses sourdough discard.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, melted to browned then slightly cooled

1/2 cup sourdough discard

1/4 cup honey

2 tbsps brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp salt

2 2/3 cups oats

1 cup chopped nuts

1 cup dried fruit 

Preheat oven to 325°F. Mix the browned butter, honey, discard, brown sugar, salt and vanilla together. Add the oats, nuts and fruit and combine until everything is coated. Spread out on a lined baking sheet. Press together if you want chunks for snacking or keep loose for sprinkling on your yogurt or cereal. Bake for 20 minutes then flip over and bake another 10 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet then store in jars. Makes 1 1/2 quarts.

Adapted from: bakesbread.com

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Savory Honey Chicken with Pears

A few classic flavours in one delectable dish with pears keeping the chicken nice and juicy!

Ingredients:

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup diced onion

3 tbsps olive oil, divided

4 strips of bacon, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup white wine (or chicken broth)

1 tsp dry thyme

1/4 cup honey

2-3 pears, unpeeled and cut in chunks

1 1/2 tsps lemon juice

1/4 tsp lemon zest

Preheat oven to 400°F. Dry chicken with paper towels and cut into 1/2 - 1" slices. Salt and pepper the strips and set aside. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet to medium and cook bacon 2 minutes. Add the onion and cook another 3-4 minutes. Pour in the wine, stir and de-glaze 2 minutes. Remove from heat and spoon into the bottom of an 8 X 8" baking dish. Set aside. In the same skillet add 1 tbsp olive oil and fry the chicken 2 minutes per side on medium to medium high heat to golden. Sit the chicken pieces on top of the bacon and onions and sprinkle with thyme. Roast in a 400°F oven for 10 minutes. In a bowl mix the pears, honey, salt, pepper, lemon juice, zest and 1 tbsp  olive oil together and top the chicken with this mixture and accumulated juices returning to the oven for another 10 minutes. Serve over mashed potatoes or rice. Serves 4 

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