Kathleen Rowland's Blog, page 9
March 25, 2016
Hot Cross Buns are a Good Friday tradition
I wrapped a hot cross bun and put it in my husband’s lunch box. We make them for Good Friday, and these spicy-sweet treats with cinnamon and nutmeg, studded with dried fruit, are topped with the white icing crosses.
Their history dates back to the Middle Ages, when a 12th-century monk baked the pastry in the days before Easter with a cross design that represented the crucifixion of Christ.
My recipe uses orange juice and makes 16 buns. Ingredients:
¾ cup warm (100° to 110°F) whole milk 4½ tsp. (2 packages) active dry yeast 1 large egg, plus 2 tbsp. beaten egg ¼ cup granulated sugar ¼ cup butter, melted and cooled ¾ tsp. salt ½ tsp. nutmeg, preferably freshly grated ½ tsp. cinnamon Finely shredded zest of 1 large orange About 3 cups flour ½ cup chopped candied orange peel ¼ cup dried currants 2 tsp. orange juice 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice 1 cup powdered sugar
In a bowl of a stand mixer, combine milk and yeast; let stand until yeast softens, 5-10 minutes. Add whole egg, granulated sugar, butter, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and orange zest. Beat on medium speed with dough hook until blended.
Blend in 2¾ cups flour. Beat on medium speed until dough is smooth and stretchy, 10-12 minutes. Add just enough flour (about ¼ cup) so dough is only slightly tacky. Add orange peel and currants, pick up dough and mix with your hands to distribute fruit. Return dough to bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1¼ hours.
Punch down dough. With floured hands, shape into 16 smooth rounds. Evenly space rounds in 2 buttered 8- or 9-in. square pans.
Cover loosely and let rise in a warm place until doubled and puffy, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Brush buns with beaten egg. Bake until deep golden, 13-15 minutes. Let cool in pans at least 30 minutes.
In a small bowl, stir together juices and powdered sugar until smooth. Spoon into a small, heavy-gauge plastic bag, snip a hole in a corner and squeeze icing onto buns to form large Xs.
March 22, 2016
Spring cleaning– with our planner!
When we think of Spring cleaning, it’s about weeding and clearing, but what about our own lives, our me-time? My planner is filled to the brim. Involvement is a great way to “get out of ourselves” and make a difference. An organization we believe in needs help, and we volunteer, but over-involvement takes its toll. To-do lists stack up. As a responsible person, I can’t just quit or become forgetful with tasks I need to complete. I am cutting back in ways that benefits me the most. Do I feel better? Yes, I do, and I’m off to swim laps in celebration.
Last night my husband and best friend, Gerry, asked my how my sequel to Deadly Alliance is coming along. Slowly, I said, with this, that, and the other thing. His advice? Cut back, give yourself more time to do what you love. I’m completing my year as Secretary/membership of OCCRWA, and will assist the person who takes this on. I get a lot out of my church and my sorority alum group, Kappa Alpha Theta. I won’t be doing any political work.
March 21, 2016
I’m cultivating wild roses
Wild roses stir thoughts towards Medieval times of knights, kings, queens, princes and princesses, as many of them date back well into our history. The botanical term for them is “Species Roses”, but this term does not conjure up the same emotions. This is the classification which includes wild roses in a rose catalog.
Wild roses grow as shrubs in the wild without a gardener’s help. Wild species are single bloomers with five petals, almost all of them are pink with a few whites and reds, as well as a few that go towards the yellow coloration. They grow upon their root systems and thrive upon neglect, die down in winter. I know not to overcrowd them so that air flow is not cut down.
March 16, 2016
How do we make our Irish Soda Bread?
Have you heard of the Soda Bread Society? Their logo is below. This site encourages modern bakers to get in touch with their Irish roots and use the traditional ingredients while making Irish soda bread. They want us to remember how far the Irish have come from the days when it was the only thing on the table to today when tables are filled with good things to eat. Remember the FAMINE YEARS. An gorta mor.
If you don’t make soda bread with Flour, salt, baking soda, and buttermilk, it’s a tea cake!
March 15, 2016
Corned Beef and Cabbage for St Patty’s Day!
As luck has it, you can make Corned Beef and Cabbage for St Patty’s Day. Irish Americans like to think we make it just like the IRISH across the pond. My recipe includes potatoes, turnips, celery, carrots and parsley. Finbar Donahue and Amy Kintyre, book characters, travel to Ireland in my book, Deadly Alliance, in search of the Rourke mafia.
Ingredients
7 quarts hot water
2 cups coarse pickling salt
1/4 cup dry mustard
2 tablespoons pickling spice (comes with the typical package)
10 cloves garlic, plus 10 cloves, crushed (probably not needed either)
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (ditto)
8 pounds beef brisket
2 ribs celery, quartered crosswise
2 onions, quartered
5 large red potatoes, halved
3 carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into thirds
3 parsnips, peeled and cut crosswise into thirds
3 turnips, peeled and quartered
1 head of cabbage, cut into 6 wedges
Directions
In an 8-quart nonreactive container, stir together hot water, pickling salt, dry mustard, pickling spice, whole garlic cloves, and pepper; let cool. Add beef, and top with a plate to weigh it down and keep it submerged. Let soak in brining liquid for at least 3 days and up to 6 days in the refrigerator.
Rinse brisket under cold water; place in a large pot with remaining crushed garlic cloves, celery, and onions. Add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, skimming scum from surface. Cover pot, and let cook for 2 hours.
Uncover, adding potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips, and cabbage. Cover, and continue to cook until the meat and vegetables are tender, about 1 1/2 hours more.
March 11, 2016
The Romance Studio is having a St Patrick’s Day week-long party
If you are interested in reading about new releases and entering contests for prizes, please join TRS at http://trsparties.com/ beginning tomorrow through March 17th. Here is my prize package: Black leather purse tassel from Lulu, flower pen, chocolates, copy of eBook Deadly Alliance by Kathleen Rowland.
March 10, 2016
Buttermilk Baked chicken with spinach salad and grapes
The buttermilk and honey marinade gives a delicious flavor under the crunchy chicken skin. Many of the same ingredients for the marinade go into the spinach salad dressing.
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon honey
6 cloves garlic, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 bone-in chicken breast halves (10 to 12 ounces each), skin removed
2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
3 slices white sandwich bread, torn into large pieces
2 teaspoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
1 bag (5 ounces) baby spinach
1 medium red apple, halved, cored, and thinly sliced
1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
Directions
Make marinade: In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups buttermilk, 3 tablespoons honey, garlic, 2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place chicken in a resealable plastic bag (or baking dish); add marinade and seal (or cover). Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.
Make salad dressing: In a jar, combine remaining 1/4 cup buttermilk, sour cream, vinegar, and 1 teaspoon honey; season generously with salt and pepper. Shake vigorously to combine. Refrigerate.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a food processor, pulse bread, oil, and Herbes de Provence until fine crumbs form; season generously with salt and pepper (you should have about 1 1/2 cups).
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Lift chicken from marinade, letting excess drip off (discard remaining marinade). Place chicken on foil, bone side down; sprinkle with breadcrumbs, patting them on lightly. Bake until crumbs are browned and chicken is cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine spinach, apple, and grapes. Add dressing and toss. Serve salad with chicken.
March 9, 2016
I follow the blog of Sierra Club Executive Director Micha...
I follow the blog of Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune who writes about lead in Flint, Michigan’s drinking water.
Starting today, the City of Flint is also supposed to begin replacing water service lines for residents at highest risk of lead poisoning. And with both political parties holding presidential debates in Michigan this week (the Republicans today in Detroit and the Democrats in Flint itself on Sunday), we can hope that what happened in Flint will get some additional national attention.
March 5, 2016
These sesame-teriyaki burgers are super flavorful — even more so when topped with grilled scallions.
Our granddaughter, Roxanne, will soon arrive for dinner and will spend the night. Do you agree a burger is kid-friendly? It is if you server fries with it! I also want my husband, Gerry, to like them.
Ingredients
1 1/4 pound(s) uncooked 93% lean ground turkey
1 Tbsp ginger root, fresh, finely chopped
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 cup(s) teriyaki sauce
1/4 cup(s) uncooked scallion(s), chopped
2 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, finely chopped
1 large egg white(s)
2 spray(s) cooking spray
8 medium uncooked scallion(s), root ends trimmed
4 item(s) reduced calorie hamburger roll(s)
Instructions
Preheat a grill (or grill pan) to medium-high.
In a large bowl, combine turkey, ginger, garlic, oil, teriyaki sauce, scallions, cilantro and egg white; mix until just combined. Make four burgers, about 3/4-inch-thick each.
Offheat, coat both sides of burgers with cooking spray.
Grill burgers, flipping once, until fully cooked, about 5 to 7 minutes per side. A few minutes before burgers are done, place whole scallions on center of grill and cook, turning once, until bright green and charred, about 2 minutes.
Remove burgers and scallions to a plate; lightly toast rolls on grill. Serve each burger on a roll topped with 2 scallions. Yields 1 burger per serving.
Here’s a great snack after a work out– an apple with cheese!
As I do on most days, I’m back from swimming laps at one of our community pools. We have a small one in our backyard, but it’s too expensive to heat in the winter. Today I chatted with a friend about eating healthy when super hungry. Lana who has lost 50 pounds on Weight Watchers enjoys an apple with a wedge of low calorie laughing cow– 35 calories. I tried it, and a Honey Crisp apple and wedge is surprisingly filling!
