July 2008 - Cheesy Mustard Soda Bread

I will just quickly get this one started while I am waiting for the sparky to finish getting my power point working again. I shouldn't be too late for work, maybe 30 minutes. That is not too bad I guess. It is a different guy this time. If it has been the guy that I usually deal with I would have just left him to it and gone to work but when it is someone new I just like to be a bit more careful.

There are a lot of delectable recipes in issue #73 and like most other issues it was difficult to decide what to make. My initial menu plan for the month has me making Jill Dupleix's Roast Marmalade Chicken with Winter Salad. I really liked the sound of this. The main reason that I didn't end up making it is that I don't have any marmalade in the house. I do know that marmalade makes a nice glaze and is used in some other recipes I just don't eat it as a spread so I was reluctant to purchase a whole jar. The recipe serves 4 and only uses 3 tbsp and I would be using even less so it made me even more reluctant to buy it. I usually make marmalade as part of my Christmas hampers as my grandmother loves it. So I might keep a small amount for myself this year when I make it and I will try this recipe then. I am going to have to start making note of where all these recipes that I want to try at a later date are or I will forget....

I would highly recommend Jamie Oliver's creamy mushroom soup on the front cover. It is an excellent recipe and a terrific soup. I had never made mushroom soup before I came across this recipe in Jamie's Dinners, which is a fabulous book in itself. I would definitely recommend that all mushroom lovers make this soup.

I considered making, and am actually going to make tomorrow night, Tobie Puttock's Shanghai Beef Noodles. I love Shanghai noodles, although I haven't had it with beef before. I have had chicken and just a vegetarian one so I can't wait to try it with beef. I have been pleased with the recipes of Tobie's that I have tried so I am hoping that this one doesn't let me down.

Another recipe that was considered very carefully was Skye Gyngell's Slow-roasted pork belly with apple-paste aioli. What a glorious combination it sounds. After roasting pork belly for the first time this year I was keen to try another roast. The only thing that held me back from making it was the need to make the associated recipe of apple paste to go in the aioli. This required 2 kg of granny smith apples, sugar and lemon juice. It makes a lot and then states that it will only keep for a week. So as much as I wanted to try it I decided that I would make some thing else.

While deciding on something to have with the Baked Beetroot & Apple soup I was flicking through this issue and came across Jamie Oliver's Cheesy Mustard Soda Bread and I thought it would be the perfect accompaniment. I made half a recipe although it still made a lot. It was a bit denser than I would have liked, although maybe that is what soda bread is supposed to be like. I couldn't taste the mustard in it, so I would recommend using more, and it seemed a little light on for cheese too. It was nice but not something that I would be rushing to make again.

Cheesy Mustard Soda Bread

Ingredients

• 350 g wholemeal flour
• 175 g plain four
• 1 tsp mustard powder
  
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  
• 50 g freshly grated cheese
• 350 ml milk
  
• 1/3 c. (80 ml) sour cream

Method:

• Preheat oven to 200 C.
  
• Mix first 5 ingredients in a bowl and make a well in the centre.
  
• Mix milk & sour cream together and pour into dry ingredients.
  
• Mix to form a wet, sticky dough then divide in two and form into balls.
  
• Flour hands and pat balls down to form 2 discs approx 20 cm across.
• Score the top into six pieces then bake for 30 minutes or until it is brown and crusty on top.