Irish Halloween Traditions

Barmbrack or Bairin Breac --   Bairin means loaf and Breac – speckled due to the fruit…  

Is a great fun part of the Irish Halloween custom. The Halloween Brack traditionally contained various objects baked into the bread and was used as a sort of fortune telling game.   In the barnbrack were: a pea, a stick, a piece of cloth, a small coin (originally a silver sixpence) and a ring. Each item, when received in the slice, was supposed to carry a meaning to the person concerned: the pea, the person would not marry that year; the stick, would have an unhappy relationship; the cloth or rag, might have bad luck; the coin, would enjoy good fortune or be rich; and the ring, would be wed within the year. Other articles added to the brack include a religious coin to symbolise going into the priesthood or to the Nuns.  

Why not create your own little fortune game…

A Very Quick Barmbrack

1 ½  cups of mixed fruit

8oz/225g self raising flour

1 egg beaten

2 teasp cinnamon 

2 tablespoons of brown sugar

3 tablespoons of milk

300ml/1 good sized mug of cold tea

Honey or golden syrup

Some rings wrapped in parchment paper.

Soak fruit overnight in the cold tea, strain next morning

Whisk egg, milk, cinnamon, and mix in strained fruit.  Stir in the brown sugar until well combined ensuring there are no lumps.    Sieve in the flour and fold into the mixture   Grease a loaf tin and pop the mixture into it.   

Transfer to oven and cook at 180 for 40 minutes -  (Cover with tinfoil after 20 mins)  and cook until when skewer is inserted it comes out clean (which is about 40 mins)

Melt a tablespoon of honey or golden syrup and brush over the brack when nearly cool.  Wrap in greaseproof paper and keep in a sealed container.  

Some fun stuff for kids…

Toffee Apples

6 dessert apples

6 lollypop sticks for holding apples

225g brown sugar

25g butter

110ml water

2 tbsp golden sugar

½  tsp vinegar

Sprinkles

Pop the sugar and water into a saucepan together, stir over a moderate heat until sugar is dissolved (its not cloudy)  add the vinegar, golden syrup and butter.

Bring to the boil and cook without stirring until it reaches whats 

called (hard crack stage) 138c or hardens into a ball when dropped into a jug of cold water.  This takes about 10 mins of boiling time.

Pierce each apple with its wooden stick , once the toffee is ready dip each apple into the hot toffee, swirl it round to coat it fully.  Scatter a few sprinkles over the top..

Leave to set on a lightly oiled tray.  If you’re not going to eat immediately wrap in cellophane to keep.

Also a great idea for pressies is to wrap in cellophane with ribbons.

Chocolate Dipped Apples

6 Irish eating apples

225 grams  chocolate

2 tbls of butter

Sprinkles,  or whatever decorations  you fancy..

Simply melt the chocolate & butter over a pan of simmering water

Spike the apples with lollipop sticks

Twirl them around in the hot chocolate mixture

Have the sprinkles on a plate ready to dip the choc apples into... simple but very delicious.

Wrap in cellophane with ribbon for a great pressie.....

As well as carving pumpkins why not try some really easy pumpkin dishes that will have you buying pumpkins at any time of the year…

Pumpkins have become extremely easy to buy, here are some great dishes to help you get cooking with pumpkin… have a look in the shops at the different varieties and don’t forget the beautiful butternut squash, from the same family but really sweet and delicious..

Some quick ideas…. 

Salty Pumpkin Seeds, scoop out the seeds, wash, dry pop on a non stick baking tray for about 7 mins @ 180, remove sprinkle with sea salt and use as a snack or sprinkle over soups & salads....

Roast pumpkin as a side dish – cut pumpkin in half scoop out the seeds, chop into large sized chunks drizzle with olive oil, pop onto a baking tray in a preheated oven for 15 mins or until tender.

Creamy Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Mash – cut pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds, quarter and peel. Chop into bite sized cubes. Peel sweet potato cut same sized as pumpkin, steam for 15 mins or until tender.  Mash until smooth with 2 tbls of warmed cream & salt & pepper.

Make a delicious risotto w roast Pumpkin, fresh sage, mushroom &  parmesan

Add cubed pumpkin to a veggie curry in lieu of potatoes.

Small varieties include the Orange Minikin, Golden Nugget & Gem Squash are delicious roasted whole or stuffed with rice, nuts & spinach..

Make a delicious soup heart warming pumpkin & potato soup – use 4 potatoes & 1 medium pumpkin cubed & peeled.. you can either use veggie stock our  how about spicing it up with chilli, coriander & coconut milk...

Baked pumpkin with penne & basil butter

Serves 4

1kg pumpkin 

100g real butter

600g penne pasta

80g pinenuts

¾ cup shredded basil

4 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese

Cut pumpkin into big bite size pieces, place on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and cook @ 220 until tender… 

Meanwhile cook the pasta in lots of boiling ½ teasp of salted water until just al dente.   Heat butter over medium heat in a small pan until foaming add garlic, cook for 2 mins then add pinenuts, cook till golden be careful not to burn

Remove from heat, add basil.  

Drain pasta, add the basil butter, pumpkin & 2 tablespoons of parmesan combine and serve immediately… with the extra parmesan in a little bowl  on the side...

Asiany Butternut Squash Ginger & Coconut Soup 

Serves 6

1 large butternut squash peeled and roughly chopped

3 medium sized potatoes peeled & chopped

2 garlic cloves chopped

2 inch piece fresh ginger grated

1 large onion chopped

1 litres veggie stock or about 5 cups

1 cup of coconut milk

1 tablespoon of peanut oil

pinch of nutmeg

salt & pepper to taste

Season with chopped coriander

Heat the peanut oil and pop in the onion & garlic cook until tender.

Pop in the squash, potatoes & half the grated ginger.. cook for a few mins. 

 Add ½ the veggie stock allowing the veggies to soak up the liquid then add the remaining stock and simmer until veggies are tender. 

 Blend soup and then gradually stir in coconut milk and pinch of nutmeg..  

Season to taste and serve with scattered coriander on top..

Served with crusty bread…..

Warm Roast Squash Spinach & Feta Salad

1 medium butternut squash

1 red onion thinly sliced

2 large handfuls of baby spinach

2 tbls of pinenuts

1 orange juiced

1 handful of feta cheese cubed

1 tsp of paprika

2 tbls of olive oil

Slice the butternut in half, scoop out the seeds, chop into cubes without the skin on.  Heat the oven to 200 pop the squash on a tray and drizzle with olive oil.  

Pop the pinenuts onto a baking tray and cook for about 5 mins until golden.  Remove from tray pop on a plate.

Heat a pan with the remainder of olive oil and cook the onion for about 2 mins then add the paprika and pumpkin.

Leave to cool

Combine the butternut mixture with the spinach, transfer to a bowl

Scatter the pinenuts and feta gently thru the spinach.

Lastly squeeze over the fresh orange juice

Colcannon

Comfort food at its best – this recipe differs depending on where you come from in Ireland… 

6 medium sized potatoes 1 cup boiling milk

1 medium green cabbage Salt & Pepper

3 tablespoons butter

Cook potatoes in their jackets in cold salted water bring to the boil and after 10 mins strain off most of the water.  

Place lid on pan and allow to steam until fully cooked, this method steams the potatoes and prevents them from getting too mushy…  

Remove dark leaves from cabbage and cut into quarters, and then slice finely.  Barely cover cabbage in water add a little salt and cook until tender.  Mash potatoes, cabbage butter, salt & pepper, and boiling milk until combined nicely… just delicious..

Variations…  

• • Add some finely sliced onions boiled in milk
• • Cook 2 parsnips and combine into potato & cabbage mixture
• • Ulster Champ, 2 cups of peas & 4 tablespoons of chopped parsley
• • Top with a fried or poached egg.

To serve you just place a few good heaped tablespoons onto the centre of the plates, place a knob of butter on top and scatter with chopped parsley..   

How about cooking some fab ham to go with the Colcannon?

I’ve found the best way to cook a ham is to first steep it for a couple of hours in cold water, then change water and  bring to the boil..   

If you don’t have time to do this then bring ham to the boil in cold unsalted water..  strain once boiled and refill with cold water bring back to the boil and repeat the process before settling down to a simmer… this method rids the ham of excess salt.

Cooking times vary a little however if you allow 20 mins per pound and then check by inserting a a skewer into the centre  if it comes away easily when inserted into centre its perfectly cooked if not allow another 10 mins and try again.

Drain all the water from ham, transfer to a baking dish, leave to cool a little and then trim ham of excess fat..  

Meanwhile make a Honey Mustard Glaze

6 tablespoons of brown sugar

4 tablespoons of honey

2 heaped tablespoons of wholegrain mustard

Combine the above ingredients in a bowl, coat the entire ham with the glaze and roast @ 180 for 20 minutes… cool  a little before slicing..  

Quick but tasty alternatives 

• • Butcher Thick Smokey bacon rashers
• • Butcher Gammon steaks

Back to basics stocks, soups & the best brown bread..

Stocks are really easy and cheap to make… all you need is a little time.  

Stocks are basically the flavour base that make sauces, soups, casseroles & risottos taste fantastic!

Veggie Stock

1 large carrot, chopped

1 large parsnip, chopped

2 medium onions chopped

6 sticks of celery chopped

1 bunch of mixed herbs for example - thyme, bay, parsley

1 tablespoon of black peppercorns

3 litres of water

Pop all of the above ingredients into a large saucepan, simmer, uncovered for 1 ½ hours, strain through a large colander. Discard the veggies and leave liquid to cool before popping into the fridge or containers in the freezer.

Chicken Stock

2kg chicken bones

2 medium onions, chopped

2 sticks of celery chopped

2 medium carrots chopped

1 bunch of mixed herbs

2 teasp of black peppercorns

5 litres of water

Pop all of the ingredients into a large saucepan, simmer uncovered for 2 hours, strain through a large colander, and discard the chicken bones and veggies.  Leave liquid to cool and store for 1 week in the fridge or in containers in the freezer.

When you’ve made the soup why not get cracking at brewing up some batches of Heartwarming Soups..

A soup is basically Soup is basically a warm food that is made by combining ingredients such as veggies or meat + veggies with stock, juice or water. Traditionally, soups are classified into two main groups: clear soups and thick soups. So you’ve got the French Classification of clear soups buillion and consommé. 

Thick soups are more filling soups and in some cases there is little to distinguish soups from a stew except a soup will have more liquid, therefore making soups extremely good on the pocket.

Some ingredients used to thicken & make more robust soups include, potatoes, rice, eggs, lentils, beans, grains, pasta, milk, cream, coconut milk.

Soup or Chowder - Chowder is a generic name for a wide variety of seafood or vegetable stews and thickened soups, often fortified with diced potatoes, milk or cream however some healthier varieties use a mixture or cream and tomatoes. 

Were not sure where the name ‘chowder’ came from, however it is possible it came from the French Chaudière, the type of pot in which the first chowders were probably cooked.

Examples: Seafood Chowder, a mixture of diced potatoes, sauted onions, mixed seafood, milk & cream

Smoked Haddock & Leek Chowder – mixture of leeks, butter sautéed, with a little flour, milk, cream and smoked haddock…

Trivia…   The Campbell Soup Company invented condensed soup in 1897, in the US..  Americans consume 2.4 billion bowls of Tomato, Cream of Mushroom, & Chicken Noodle each year!!

But we are going to make our own satisfying homemade healthy & thrifty soups!

Heartwarming Soups

The great thing about making soups is that you do not have to follow any recipe you can make it up as you go along with the ingredients & leftovers you have at hand…

The Very Basics..  Mixture of Veggies +  Liquid which can be water or stock or tomato juice+ flavourings = herbs, spices, seasoning.

Pop the mixture of veggies into a pot completely cover with a liquid, bring to the boil, simmer until tender, blend with a hand blender.  Soups can be lumpy, very thick in consistency or simply very drinkable.. its your choice, just add some more stock or water if you want it to be thinner in consistency…..

Additional Flavourings – honey, ginger, fresh chilli, chilli powder, cumin, coriander fresh & ground, 

·        Carrots, potato, veggie stock, honey, salt & pepper

·        Leeks, 2 potatoes, veggie stock, salt & pepper

·        Sweet Potato, carrots, veggie stock, pinch of chilli.

·        Thai Curry Paste, coconut milk, leftover chicken

·        Can of tomatoes, 3 cups of water, 1 pinch of chilli powder, 1 cup of pasta, 1 cup of Bolognese meat

Dress them up….

Croutons, toasted pita bread, a scattering of chopped herbs, roasted pine nuts, toasted almond, a spoon of yoghurt, or crème fraiche and serve with our fantastic brown bread for an extremely economical dinner. 

Soups have great keeping properties, in the fridge for 4 days or freeze and have anytime….simply heat and serve.