Rae Udy

RECIPES: Barley Stew and Irish Herb Bread

By Rae Udy

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year by cooking up some authentic Irish specialties. These traditional recipes have slimmed down for today’s lighter eating style.
Is there anything more Irish than Barley Stew? This little used grain is a nutritional powerhouse and has a sweet, nutty taste. One cup of uncooked barley has over seventeen grams of protein with only a trace of fat and is also a good source of calcium, niacin and iron.
Irish Herb Bread takes a little effort and time to make but the smell while baking is worth it all. Each slice contains about fifty calories and is a good source of calcium and protein.
Go for the green this year by striving to eat more vegetables and whole grains.

“Don’t pinch me I’m wearing green,” Evan James, 8 months old.
BARLEY STEW

8 cups cold water
2 cups uncooked pearl barley
1 small onion, peeled and cut into quarters
4 carrots, peeled and sliced into one inch pieces
2 red potatoes, washed and quartered (do not peel)
1 celery stalk, ribbed and sliced thin
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
½ (one-half) teaspoon dried basil
½ (one-half) teaspoon salt
Bring water to boil in a large soup pot. Add all ingredients and bring back to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for one hour. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with hot sauce or low-fat yogurt. Yields eight servings.

IRISH HERB BREAD
3 Tablespoons dry active yeast
½ (one-half) cup warm water
2 Tablespoons corn oil
½ (one-half) cup finely chopped onion
1 ½ (one-half) cups lukewarm skim milk
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
½ (one-half) teaspoon each: dill seed, ground sage and salt
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 cup cornmeal
4 cups flour
Soften yeast in warm water for five minutes. In a small skillet, cook onion in oil until tender. Set aside to cool. In a large bowl combine milk, spices, and brown sugar. Stir in yeast and onion mixture. Add cornmeal and mix until smooth. Add flour a cup at a time until dough is easily handled. Knead on floured surface for five minutes. Place in lightly oiled bowl and cover. Let rise for one hour. Punch dough down and form into two loaves. Place into lightly oiled or sprayed bread pans. Cut three diagonal slices across the top of each loaf, about one-quarter each deep. Brush with melted butter. Rise in pans for thirty minutes. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for fifty minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pans for ten minutes then invert and remove. Slice and serve warm or cold. Yields two loaves.