MY BIG HEALTHY BREAKFAST - IRISH SODA BREAD

Soda bread has become a staple of Cooking Club meals. It is very popular with our participants as it's scrumptious, cheap and incredibly quick and easy to make....... So much so that the group can turn out batches now without any help from the tutor.

It takes only 10 minutes to mix the dough and approx 30 minutes to bake in the oven. It has no preservatives or added sugars and can  last for a few days in a cool place.
Here's how.........

Ingredients: (1 loaf)

500g plain or self-raising flour
400ml milk/soya/almond/coconut/hemp milks
1 teaspoon  salt
1 teaspoon baking soda/bicarbonate of soda

Method:

*Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees C
*Grease a loaf or cake tin and line inside with greaseproof paper

*Measure out all the ingredients and sift the flour through a sieve.

*In a bowl, mix together the flour, salt and baking soda

*Slowly start adding the milk and stir together and then use clean hands to  the mixture into a ball of dough

*Place the ball of dough lightly in the grease-proofed cake tin and mark a cross on the top with a knife (this is the traditional Irish way of presenting the loaf)

*Bake in the oven for approx. 30 mins.
*You can test if it is ready by pushing a  knife into the centre of the loaf. If it comes out clean, the loaf is cooked through. If it has sticky residue then place the loaf back in the oven for more baking. (Test regularly.)

*Allow to cool for 10 minutes then cut the loaf into segments and serve warm with butter...

.......you can add extras to  the to flour give your loaf a variety of flavours: dried herbs, cinnamon and raisins, cheese, walnuts, sundried tomatoes,.........lovely with soups as well......

Thank you to Jeff Crownson for the photographs.

My Big Healthy Breakfast - Homemade Baked Beans

HOMEMADE BAKED BEANS.............

.............They're easy! tasty! healthy!

 PREP TIME:     5 mins

COOK TIME     35 mins

TOTAL TIME    40 mins

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic (crushed)

Half an onion (finely sliced)

¼ - ½ tsp(depending on taste) mild smoked paprika

300g passata

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 x 300g (195g ) tinned haricot beans (drained)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat oil in a sauce pan over a medium heat.

Add the garlic and onion. Allow to sizzle but be careful not to burn.

Reduce heat to low, add the smoked paprika and stir.

Add the passata and puree and then simmer for around 20 mins (until the sharp taste of tomato has gone and the sauce has thickened.)

Add the beans and simmer for a further 10 mins.

Cooking Club: My Big Healthy Breakfast - Braised Portobello Mushrooms

If you  want to make a healthy big breakfast and substitute the usual bacon and sausages with something vegetarian, try those huge Portobello mushrooms instead. 
They are now readily available in street markets and supermarkets. They are delicious, nutritious and have a "meaty" texture.
We braised ours in the oven in a baking tray and served one per person but for a really big breakfast you could have two! (They are not very calorific) :

Sprinkle mushrooms with seasoning.

Drizzle with olive oil and a little water to keep them moist in the oven.

You can add other ingredients such as chopped garlic, cheese, pesto.

bake in a pre-heated oven on 175 /gas mark 4 for 25 minutes or until the mushrooms are juicy and brown. You can save the liquid to make into a stock or sauce.

Thank you to Jeff Crownson for taking photos.