I always love chatting with Matt Swaim on the Sonrise Morning Show. Today we talked about St. Patrick. Now check out my other article on Dublin Coddle for some fun facts about St. Patrick. Also, a listener named Tony said we had to try an Italian specialty during Lent: Egg and pepper sandwiches. Oh my does this look good. Tony said it’s an Italian fave at Fontano’s in Chicago. So along with the bread, you’ve got this recipe for the sandwich. Now a question: do you put garlic in yours? Or cheese? What kind of peppers do you use? Let me know!
ITALIAN PEPPER & EGG SANDWICH
Although this dish is traditionally made by using green peppers, cooking them until they are so! and served on crusty italian bread, this recipe can be changed and cooked to your liking. You may use red peppers or green peppers or use a mixture of both and when cooking the peppers, you may cook them until they are completly so!ened or “al-dente”, depending on how you like them. You can also choose to use any type of sandwich rolls you prefer.
From Epicurious
Start to finish approximately 45 minutes. YIELD: Makes 4 Servings
INGREDIENTS
4 green or red Peppers, washed, seeded and sliced.
4 large eggs, scrambled in bowl with 1 tbls. water added
1-2 cloves garlic chopped
1/4 cup olive oil (enough to coat bottom of pan)
salt and pepper to taste
grated parmesan or romano Cheese
1 loaf of Italian or French bread sliced to make 4 sandwichs rolls crushed red pepper (optional)
Mild or hot Gardinera (optional)
PREPARATION
In large skillet add olive oil and garlic and saute on low-med until garlic is golden, (do not burn). Add peppers, season with salt and pepper, stir to coat peppers with oil. Continue cooking on low- med heat, stirring frequently, until peppers are so!. Raise heat to med-high and add eggs, stirring well to coat egg onto peppers. Cook eggs throughly, making sure not to burn. Sprinkle with cheese and red pepper serve on roll and add gardinera.
PEASANT BROWN SODA BREAD
I’ve been intrigued by the recipes that have come my way for Irish brown bread leavened with baking soda. I’m thinking those recipes are surfacing because St. Patrick’s Day is around the corner.
But here’s the deal. I’m not talking about the moist, buttery and fruit studded soda bread I’ve shared in the past. You can find that here on my site. (And yes, it’s a family fave.)
What I’ve been wanting to make this year for St. Patrick’s Day, is a simple, thick crusted, earthy, dense loaf with no discernible sweetness. I found a bunch of recipes and settled on this vintage one. It’s quick to make with a straight forward “wheaty” flavor.
We’ve eaten it warm from the toaster slathered with butter and marmalade. If I can manage to save some, I’ll serve it alongside a simple Irish stew. Otherwise, I’ll just make another batch. It’s that easy.
Maybe you’ll be inspired to make this simple brown soda bread, too.
Peasant brown soda bread
The original recipe called for wheat germ. I didn’t have any, so I upped the whole wheat flour to 1-1/2 cups. My dough was really sticky. I’m thinking if you added wheat germ and less whole wheat flour (see recipe) the dough may be less sticky.
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour OR 1-1/4 cups whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup quick cooking oats
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup room temperature buttermilk (I used whole buttermilk)
3 tablespoons honey
Extra buttermilk or melted butter for brushing on top (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425.
Spray cookie sheet or place parchment on cookie sheet and spray.
In a large bowl, whisk flours, oats, wheat germ if you’re using, baking soda and salt together.
Whisk buttermilk and honey and add to flour mixture.
Stir until soft dough forms. It may be sticky.
Turn dough out on floured surface. Divide in half. I added a little more flour before I could divide it since my dough was still sticky.
Shape each half into a round loaf, using a bit more flour if necessary.
Place 4” apart on cookie sheet and pat down a little – a good inch or so.
Cut a cross into each to “let the devils out”.
If you want, brush with buttermilk or butter. Buttermilk makes a crisper crust and butter a softer one.
Bake on middle shelf 10 minutes.
Turn heat down to 400. Rotate cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes longer or until dough sounds hollow when tapped and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Mine took another 5-7 minutes after to get done. It registered 200 on a thermometer stuck through the center.
Makes 2 loaves, 5-6” each.
Tip: Is baking soda still active?
Add a little to vinegar or lemon juice. It will fizz right away if it still has leavening power.
About Eating 