Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Celebrate the day of the Irish, with good food, family and dear friends!  I want to share a few of my favorite bread recipes today. We enjoy these year round, but especially on St. Patrick's Day!

MILK BREAD

Combine in a large mixing bowl or in a bowl of a stand mixier, until the yeast is disolved, about 5 minutes.
1 Package active dry yeast
3 Tablespoons warm water
ADD:
1 cup whole or low fat milk, warmed to 110 degrees
6 Tablespoons melted butter
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
Mix by hand or on low speed for 1 minutes. Gradually stir in:
2  Cups Bread flour
Gradually add until the dough is moist, but not sticky:
1 1/2 to 2 cups all purpose flour
Knead for about 10 minutes. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, and turn it over once to coat with oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place until doubled in volum, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch the dough down, knead briefly, and refrigerate covered for 30 minutes. At this point, the dough may be shaped into rolls. Or grease a loaf pan, form the dough into a loaf, and place saem side down in the pan. Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush the top of the loaf with Melted butter. Bake until the crust is deep golden brown, and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan to a rack and let cool completely.
King Sitric Brown Bread: 3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
3 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons melted butter
1. Preheat oven to 400 Degrees
2. Sift and mix the flours ( I just whisk them together) thoroughly with the soda, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the buttermilk, and mix again, until moistened.
3. Mix in the melted butter. Turn into a 2 warmed loaf pans, cover, and bak, 1 hour in preheated oven. Remove the cover for the last 10 minutes to allow the top of bread to brown. Aluminum foil can be used to cover, however, place parchment paper between the foil and dough.
4. When baked, remove from oven and turn the bread onto a cooling rack. Wrap in a clean kitchen towel and allow to cool before slicing.

Eggplant Parmesan. A Family Favorite!

Eggplant Parmesan

1 Large fresh Eggplant

2-3 cups Panko Bread Crumbs

1 Cup unbleached all natural flour

Sea Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, garlic and Herb salt free seasoning

1 Cup grated parmesan cheese (shaker kind, or fresh)

2-3 cups peanut, olive, or canola oil

Angel Hair Pasta

Good spaghetti or marinara sauce

2-4 cups parmesan/mozzarella cheese

2 Cups whole milk

In a large skillet, heat oil of choice to 375 degrees. While the oil heats, slice the eggplant in 1/8 inch thick slices. The thinner the better, as it cooks up much crispier. On 2 sheets of paper towel, lay the eggplant slices out to dry. Salt them a bit, and it will help to draw out the moisture. Top with another layer of paper towels and then more eggplant. Let rest for at least 10 minutes. In the mean time, mix bread crumbs, flour, cheese, and seasonings.

When the eggplant has rested, dip it in milk, then coat with breadcrumb mixture. Fry until golden brown in good hot oil Let drain on paper towels or a cooking sheet with a rack. I let mine rest in a 275 degree oven, while the rest cooks.  You can sprinkle the cooked eggplant with cheese while it rests if you choose.  Serve piping hot over a bed of pasta and sauce, and sprinkle with cheese!