Here’s another item to file under: Necessity is the mother of invention. I wanted to bring scones to a morning meeting, but I was out of eggs, and I didn’t want to run to the grocery store. I googled “breakfast, no eggs” and the first recipe that came up was epicurious.com’s Bacon and date scones.

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I was a little nervous they’d be a little dry without the additional liquid from the eggs, but they were the perfect recipe for the day. I had all the ingredients. As a bonus, it had the sweet-and-savory combination that I love, like cranberry-spinach salad, strawberry-spinach salad with blue cheese, brie en croute with any number of sweet insides (another blog at another time), sweet hot chicken with snow peas, sweet hot shrimp with broccoli, sweet hot tofu, and last, but not least, roasted sausage and grapes with garlic mashed potatoes (also another blog at another time).

Savory bacon and dates scones
adapted from epicurious.com

10 ozs thick-cut bacon slices
2 c all purpose flour
¼ c sugar
1 t vanilla
1½ t baking powder
¾ t baking soda
½ t coarse kosher salt
¾ c coarsely chopped pitted dates
½ c (1 stick) chilled butter
2/3 c buttermilk*

Preheat oven to 400°. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Cook bacon using your preferred method (I prefer in the oven, it cooks evenly, and unattended) until cooked through, but still tender and not crisp, turning occasionally. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain; cool. Pour bacon drippings from skillet into small heatproof bowl and reserve.

Using one hand, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Coarsely chop cooled bacon. Add bacon and dates to flour mixture; toss to coat. Coarsely grate butter into flour mixture. Again using one hand, stir in butter and buttermilk until large moist clumps form. Continue to combine mixture until all dry ingredients are incorporated and a soft dough forms. (Scones can be made to this point and refrigerated overnight to bake in the morning for warm scones at breakfast.)

Transfer dough to parchment paper. Pat into 8-inch round. Cut into 8 wedges. Pull scones apart. Brush with reserved bacon drippings. Bake scones until golden brown, 16 to 18 minutes. Serve warm.

*If you do not have buttermilk available, you can combine 2/3 c milk and 2/3 T white vinegar and let stand for 10 minutes.

St. Patrick's Day Food

We had a few friends over last night to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. We were having drinks, "heavy appetizers" and desserts. My serving goal was to serve foods that were Irish-inspired and/or orange and green. I am putting up my menu (before I forget):

Lamb Chops with Yogurt Mint Sauce

Corned Beef & Cabbage Slaw Sliders

Roasted New Potatoes with Horseradish Cream and Smoked Salmon

Cockles & Mussels (sauteed a little garlic in butter, added white wine and parsley and steamed the mussels and cockles)

Green, White & Orange Veggies with spinach dip

Irish Soda Bread

Car Bomb Cupcakes

Minted Peaches with Mint Ice Cream (I tossed sliced fresh peaches with some sugar and chopped mint. I mixed some chopped fresh mint into softened vanilla ice cream and served in a martini glass on top of the peaches)

And my friend Maria brought Mint Brownies (she makes her brownies, then while they are still hot she puts Andes Candies on top and spreads them as they melt. Beautiful and delicious!)

We had Guinness, Harp, Bass and others, and of course, finished with Irish Cream.

Overall, exactly the meal I was hoping for. I don't think I would omit or change one thing.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all! I have one, and only one, recipe from my grandmother who emigrated from County Sligo, Irish Soda Bread, and I've made 13 loaves of it in the last 6 days, for clients, and family, and friends, and — if truth be told — I made a mini-loaf, and ate it all by myself!

Grandma's Irish soda bread

1/2 c raisins*
2 c flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/4 t caraway seeds, optional
1 c buttermilk**
grated rind of 1/2 orange***

Preheat oven to 375°. Soak raisins in very hot water for 10 minutes to soften them.

Sift together dry ingredients, orange rind, and caraway, if using. Drain and towel dry raisins, add to dry ingredients.

Moisten with enough buttermilk to form a slightly sticky dough. Form dough into a round loaf on an ungreased baking pan. Slice a cross into the top of the loaf.

Bake at 375° for 10 minutes. Reduce oven to 300°, bake for 40 minutes longer. Cool 10 minutes before slicing. Best served warm with butter.

*My friend, Karen, said her mother used a combination of raisins and currants. I'll try this next time.

**If you do not have buttermilk available, you can combine 1 c milk and 1 T white vinegar and let stand for 10 minutes.

***My husband doesn't like the grated orange rind, so this year I substituted ¼ t orange extract and it worked perfectly.

St. Patrick's Day Post

We are having a few friends over to celebrate St. Patrick's Day next weekend for cocktails and drinks.
Food: I am not going to do a full corned beef and cabbage dinner, but may do some appetizer based on corned beef (my husband would be ecstatic if I did a hash). I am looking for dishes that are based in Irish Cuisine and/or that are orange and green. I WILL be making Irish soda bread and probably some brown bread, and my Potatoes with Smoked Salmon (post from last year).
I am also thinking I might do baby lamb chops with mint and some type of clam or mussel dish. Any other thoughts? I'd love to hear them!
Drinks: I think we'll be offering an assortment of drinks made with Irish beers and/or whiskeys, and, of course, Irish Cream.
Look forward to your thoughts.

Lent’s upon us again. This year, I’m trying to offer Meatless Crockpots on Fridays. I’ve come up with the following schedule:

Friday, March 18: Split Pea Soup with Tarragon
Friday, March 25: Maryland Day Crab Bisque
Friday, April 1: April Fools’ Day “Worms with Eyeballs” (Spaghetti with Meatless Meatballs)
Friday, April 8: Lentil Soup with Vegetables
Friday, April 15: Income Tax Clam Chowder
Friday, April 22: Good Friday Confetti Vegetable Curry

But I need a recipe for the “eyeballs” (meatless meatballs). Has anyone ever made veggie meatballs? Any ideas? I’ve put the call out to my friends who are vegetarians, or have vegetarian kids too. So far, nada.

Lamb Curry

Last week, a friend and I visited Trader Joe's and I purchased a Curry Simmer Sauce. OH YUM! Made a Lamb Curry the other night, adding in lamb tips, diced onions, potatoes, carrots, raisins and light coconut milk. (I think without the coconut milk it might have been a bit too spicy for the kids, but with it, they did great!)

It was so easy, and so tasty. I love that you could add in whatever you have at home and dinner can be ready in a few minutes (just make sure to cut the potatoes into a really small dice if you are trying to cook quickly so they get soft enough). Can't wait to try it another time with chick peas, spinach and cauliflower.

Does anyone have any other favorite Trader Joe sauces or marinades?