Irish Potato Farl

Oh. my. gosh.First of all, Happy St. Patricks day! I wanted to try a traditional Irish Recipe for my St. Pattys day breakfast this year, little did I know it would be the easiest recipe I have ever attempted, .and seriously one of the best things I have ever tried. Behold, Irish Potato Bread Farl. Apparently it's a breakfast staple in Northern Ireland a part of something called an Ulster Fry. An Ulster Fry, according to Wikipedia, is a full Irish breakfast, usually fried (go figure), consisting of bacon, eggs, sausage, soda bread, and potato farl. Now, I have never been to Ireland, but apparently they eat quite well! The Potato Farl is delightfully crisp on the outside and smooth and creamy on the inside. It reminded me a bit of a less oily hashbrown, but a million times better. I messed with the recipe proportions because I only had three little potatoes left over, which yielded 1 1/3 cups mashed potatoes. The recipe source I used said that the amount of flour can vary, just add bit by bit until a soft dough forms. A good rule of thumb is use half as much flour as potato. So, for example, I had 1 1/3 cups mashed potatoes, so I used a scant 2/3 cup flour. The finished product is supposed to be savory and is often served with onions and mushrooms. But I like my breakfast on the sweet side so I topped it with butter and syrup.

It was delightful, and, dare I say it, I liked it better than pancakes! And that is something because I LOVE pancakes! Next time you have mashed potatoes, definitely set a few aside for a hearty potato farl, and Happy St. Patricks day!

Irish Potato Farl

from foodista.com

Ingredients

2 cups hot boiled potatoes

Scant 1 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter + more for griddle

While hot, mash potatoes well with salt and butter. Gradually work in flour in smaller increments until a soft dough forms. Dough should be a little tacky but workable.

Divide and roll/press into a circular shape about 9″ and 1/4″ thick.

Cut into 6 or 8 ‘farls’ (wedges). Grill in a hot, greased griddle or pan until well browned on both sides.

So. So. Good.

Have a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Linking up at Prairie Story Recipe Swap, Full Plate Thursday with Ms. Helen, Designs By Gollum, Family Friendly Friday's, I'm Lovin It, Everything But the Kichen Sink, and It's A Keeper Thursdays.

Coconut Chicken CURRY!

So my good friend Lauren (you may be familiar with her adorable blog) came over for a girls night last weekend. We had a GREAT time, watched Devil Wears Prada (I got inspired to get my bangs cut like Ann Hathaway... we'll see how that goes), and we made an absolutely divine coconut chicken curry. It is really pretty easy, just takes a bit of time cause it has to simmer. That was perfect for us though, while it was simmering away, filling my apartment with delicious smells, we had time to gab and have some good girl time. Once it was finished cooking though, the talking stopped for a good ten minutes as we stuffed our faces with this delicious concoction. I served it over rice and we also had a lovely crispy baguette Lauren had brought from Grand Central Bakery. I know rice is the traditional accompaniment to curry and it was nice, but I think that the bread was a better complement to the rich sauce. So, I recommend you serve the curry over a nice crusty whole wheat baguette. That being said, either way you choose to serve it, this curry is a definite keeper!

Coconut Chicken Curry

from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

2 tablespoons curry powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder (cayenne)

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 red potatoes, cut into chunks

1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk

1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

3 tablespoons sugar

Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat oil, curry powder, and paprika in a large skillet over medium-low heat for two minutes, until fragrant (but don’t let it burn).

Turn the heat up to medium and stir in onions and garlic. Cook ten minutes more, or until onions are very clear (mine took about 15 minutes).

Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink and is cooked through.

Add potatoes, then add coconut milk, tomatoes (lightly crush the stewed tomatoes with your fingers before adding), tomato sauce, and sugar into the pan. Stir to combine.

Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 50 minutes, until sauce thickens. Serve with rice or a hearty wheat baguette. Makes great leftovers the next day too!

Have a lovely, stress-free weekend!

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