Saint Benedict Farmhouse Ale

Happy Feast of St. Benedict! 🍻 

"In the ordinary form of the Roman rite, the feast of St. Benedict of Nusia is today, the date on which his relics are believed to have been translated to Fleury Abbey in St. Benoît-sur-Loire in France. In the traditional or extraordinary form of the Roman rite, his feast day is March 21, the day of his heavenly birthday. We don't blame you for wanting to celebrate the founder of Western monasticism twice in one year. After all, given all the drinks the Benedictines developed, you'll need far more than one sitting to appreciate them." - Drinking with the Saints

While we were in Oregon this past weekend, for my little sister's wedding, we were able to stop back by Benedictine Brewery to purchase a couple more glasses and some more of their great beer. Unfortunately our options were pretty limited following the 4th of July rush!

SAINT BENEDICT
Farmhouse Ale

A session ale in the farmhouse tradition, this beer gets its name because it was first brewed on March 21 and first served on July 11, the two annual feasts of St. Benedict. Bears the fresh aroma of yeast. Complex flavor for a lighter beer, with a slightly tart and peppery finish. Stands well as a cold beverage on a summer day. ABV about 4.7%.

This will be perfect to go along with the Benedictine Pizza found in the archives!

You can browse through all the different beers they have available at Benedictine Brewery here.

Saint Benedict, Ora Pro Nobis!

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Swedish Waffles and AIP/Paleo Waffles for Lady Day

St. Patrick's Day on the 17th, St. Joseph's Day on the 19th, my husband's birthday on the 24th (today!), and then the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord on the 25th... So much to celebrate lately and it's been a nice little break right in the middle of this year's lenten season. I shared these recipes over at Shower of Roses a couple years ago and I am finally getting them added over here at Catholic Cuisine too for tomorrow's Lady Day feasting. Scroll down to find an AIP/Paleo version as well. Enjoy!

The Annunciation from Rosary Flip Book

"This is Våffeldagen or Waffle Day in Sweden. One website said the name Vaffla, meaning waffle, originated from Var Fru, Our Lady, and that in time the two words became slurred and corrupted, first into Vaffer, then to Vaffla. The waffles are served with whipped cream and lingonberries (or cloudberries)... " 

You can read more in Jenn's post found in the archives on Lady Day Feasting. 

Originally I always served Belgian Waffles, since that was the only waffle maker we had at the time, using various recipes or mixes. (One year we made these delicious Organic 6-Grain Waffles and you can find that recipe here.) Once I finally purchased our heart shaped waffle maker we started making the delicious thinner Swedish style waffles. We love topping our waffles with marionberries, maple syrup and occasionally whipped cream.

Lady Day Swedish Waffles

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 oz butter
• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups plus 3 tablespoons milk
• 2 eggs

Directions:

In a bowl or blender (I used my Vitamix) whip together flour, baking powder and salt with half of the milk until you have an even batter. Pour in the rest of the milk, eggs and the melted butter, whip until thoroughly mixed.

Heat the waffle iron and brush with butter. Pour in 6 tablespoons of batter and bake until golden brown. Makes 8 waffles. Top with berries. (Lingonberries are traditional in Sweden. We used Marionberries in honor of Our Lady!) 

♥    ♥    ♥    ♥    ♥    ♥    ♥

After baking waffles for everyone else, I was really craving a waffle too... I decided to try to adapt an AIP Belgian waffle recipe to use with our waffle maker and the Cassava Flour I recently purchased. It turned out great! I'll definitely be making these again.

Autoimmune Protocol Waffles for the Annunciation
{gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free, egg-free, dairy free, nut-free, seed-free}
Vegan, Paleo-friendly, AIP-friendly, and still delicious! 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup cassava flour
• 1/4 cup arrowroot starch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/4 water
• 1 13.5 oz can full fat organic coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (alcohol-free for AIP)

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and mix well.

Place all the wet ingredients in blender (I used my Vitamix) and blend until well combined. Add dry ingredients and blend again until well combined. The batter will be thicker than pancake batter but should still be pourable. You may need to add a little additional water or coconut milk.

Lightly brush waffle iron with coconut oil. Add about 1/3-1/2 cup of batter to your pre-heated waffle iron and cook until done. I use this waffle iron, preheated and very hot, with setting number 4.

The recipe yields 5-6 Swedish style waffles, using approximately 1/3-1/2 cup of batter for each waffle.  Be sure to cook the waffles long enough or they can turn out gummy.

Top with marionberries. Next time I'll make some Coconut Whip too! Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven.

O God, who didst will that Thy Word take flesh in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary at the message of the angel: grant us, we pray, to be aided before Thee by her intercession, whom we believe to be truly the Mother of God.  

- The Holyday Book by Father Francis X. Weiser

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Baileys Cream Puffs - St. Paddy & St. Joe Combo Treat

The feasts of St. Patrick and St. Joseph share a week in mid-March. Since they are just days apart how about a treat that combines elements of cultural symbolism of each. The cream puff - an Italian pastry sfingi, is a typical St. Joseph treat. But this variation on the traditional cream puff gets an extra kick from the addition of Baileys Irish Cream, a tribute the land of St. Patrick.

Baileys Cream Puffs

Ingredients:

Pastry puffs

3/4 cup water

6 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 cup flour

3 eggs

1 egg for egg wash

Baileys cream filling

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 Tbsp Baileys Irish cream

1 Tbsp  granulated sugar

Chocolate

1/3 cup hot fudge topping

1 Tbsp Baileys Irish cream

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Pastry

Combine butter, sugar, and water in medium sauce pan over medium heat. Bring it to boil, while stirring slowly, and take off heat. Add flour and stir until all combined and coming off the walls of the pan easily.  Whisk in eggs, one at a time, making sure that each egg is mixed into the batter before adding another.  Transfer batter into a piping bag and pipe little round mounts, about 1 ½ inches in diameter.  For egg wash, beat 1 egg in a separate little mixing bowl and brush pastries with egg wash before baking.  Bake pastries at 425 for 12-15 minutes then lower the heat to 350 and bake for another 10 minutes, until golden brown. Let pastries cool completely before adding the filling.

Baileys cream filling

Add the cold heavy whipping cream into the cold mixing bowl. Starting at low speed, start whisking, gradually raise to speed to high. Slowly pour in the sugar and then Baileys. Beat until stiff peaks appear (don't walk away far). Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use. Transfer whipped cream into a piping bag. Cut cooled pastries in the middle and fill them with whipped cream.

Chocolate

Heat up hot fudge topping and whisk it with Bailey's until completely combined. Cool before using so it doesn't melt the whipped cream.  Once cooled, drizzle filled cream puffs with chocolate sauce.

St. Patrick, Pray for us.
St. Joseph, Pray for us. 

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St. Brigid Guinness Stew Puff Pastry Pot Pie

St. Brigid's feast nears the mid-winter mark. A perfect meal for these still cold (but growing in light) winter days is stew, and a beef & Guinness stew is a great one for the Irish saint(s). It is a variation on a Beef and Guinness Stew recipe posted by Jessica several years ago. Puffed pastry makes a flaky and delicious topping which ups the cozy quotient as it nestles the steamy stew beneath its layers.

Guinness Stew Puff Pastry Pot Pie

Ingredients:
1.5-2 lb beef chuck, cut into bite-size pieces
2 Tbsp flour
salt & pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 cup beef broth
1 cup Guinness
1 TbWorcestershireire sauce
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
1 sheet puff pastry

Directions:
Add flour, salt, and pepper (to taste) to a large plastic bag, add beef chunks and shake to coat. Heat oil in large pot. Brown meat in batches and remove to separate container.

Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic and water to pot. Cook vegetable s until tender, stirring occasionally. Add tomato paste and stir. Return beef to pot along with broth, beer, worcestershire sauce, and seasoning.  Cover and cook 1-2 hours.

Allow stew to cool. Divide cooled stew between four 16 oz ramekins. Roll out puff pastry large enough to cover two dishes. Cut into equal squares.  Lightly bright a 1-inch border around each square with a beaten egg. Invert pastry onto filled ramekins, pressing puff pastry sides to dish. Brush top sides of pastry with lightly with beaten egg.

Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees, then reduce to 400 and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until pastry is puffed and lightly browned.  Serve hot. Pin It

Organic 6-Grain Waffles for the Annunciation

The feast of the Annunciation is celebrated on March 25th. The main food associated with this feast is waffles. You can read more in Jenn's post on Lady Day Feasting in the archives. A couple years ago we made these delicious Organic 6-Grain Waffles using a Belgian Waffle Maker and topped them with Marionberries and Maple Syrup!  This year my girls are planning to make the thinner Swedish style waffles using our heart shaped waffle maker and may try the recipe Charlotte shared for Annunciation Waffles which can also be found in the archives.

Organic 6-Grain Waffles 

with Marionberries & Maple Syrup

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Milk
• 3 tablespoons Oil
• 1 Egg
• 1 1/2 cups Organic 6-Grain Pancake and Waffle Mix 
• Marionberries (optional)
• Maple Syrup (optional)

Directions: 

Place milk, egg, and oil in a medium bowl, stir with a wire whisk until smooth.  Add pancake mix and store until the large lumps disappear. Do not over mix. Let stand for 1 or 2 minutes to thicken while you heat waffle iron.  Be sure to spray waffle iron with pan spray so your waffles don't stick before cooking. Enjoy! 

Note: I purchased a 5 pound bag of the mix made by Central Milling Company (for a great price!) at our local Costco. It can also be found over at Amazon. 

You can find additional recipes for the feast of the Annunciation in the archives. 

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Cannoli Bites for Solemnity of St. Joseph

This recipe is a different take on a classic Italian feast day treat; simpler than the traditional cannoli but with similar flavors.  Making cannoli is a big process and it to great way to get the flavor of cannoli without the work. Use a pre-made pie crust, flavor it a little, cut into small circles and make mini cups to fill with the cream.

Cannoli Bites

Ingredients:

Cannoli cups:

1 refrigerated pie crust
3 tablespoons coarse natural sugar (Turbinado)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
dry white wine

Cannoli Filling:

16 oz whole milk Ricotta cheese, strained
4 oz Mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 T. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/3 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Directions:

For the cannoli cups - Heat oven to 400°F.  Thaw pie crust. Unroll the crust onto a lightly floured surface. Brush lightly with wine and sprinkle the top of each crust with the sugar and spice mixture. Lightly roll over it with a rolling pin so that sugar and spices are pressed into the dough.

With a 2 – 2 ½ inch round biscuit cutter or cookie cutter, cut out circles and lightly press them inside a greased mini muffin cup to create a pastry cup.  Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Cool.

For Filling  - In a mixing bowl, blend together Ricotta and Mascarpone cheese to mix well and remove lumps. Add sugars and vanilla and mix in. Cover and chill 30 minutes.

After mini shells/cups are cool, remove cannoli filling from refrigerator, transfer to a piping bag fitted with a tip (or you can use a large resealable bag and cut the tip off one end). Pipe filling into cups and sprinkle with chocolate chips and dust with powdered sugar. 

For best results serve within 2 hours. Store in refrigerator.  Makes approximately 20 cannoli bits.

St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, Pray for us!

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St. Patrick’s Day Potato

The St. Patrick’s Day Potato from See’s Candies is a fun treat for the feast of this great Irish saint! According to the ingredient list, the “dirt” is actually cocoa powder and cinnamon, the white “potato” inside is delicious nougat with walnuts, and it’s topped with a few pine nuts representing the “eyes of the potato.”

Pick them up at the store if you have one in your area or order them online while you can. 

Only available seasonally!

These photos were from last year's celebration. You can find links to our St. Patrick from Naturally Catholic (pictured above) and the free printables for our Blessed Trinity Shamrock "Glory Be" Prayer Poster over at Shower of Roses. Scroll through all St. Patrick's Day posts here. 

Find additional recipes for St. Patrick's Day in the archives here at Catholic Cuisine!

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Mudrica - St. Joseph's Sawdust

On St. Joseph's feast day in Italy, many pay tribute to the carpenter saint by sprinkling "sawdust" over pasta. There are different variations on the "sawdust" ingredients. This recipe for Mudrica (St. Joseph's Sawdust) is adapted from John Besh's My New Orleans: The Cookbook. You can read more about Mudrica in the archived St. Joseph Altar foods post by Jenn Miller.

Mudrica

Ingredients:

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

2 T. olive oil

3 tbsp. grated parmesan

2 tbsp. toasted pine nuts

2 tbsp. dried currants

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

pinch fresh chopped oregano leaves
pinch of salt

Directions: Put all the ingredients in food processor and pulse 4 or 5 times or until the mixture is well combined. Sprinkle over buttered pasta of choice.

St. Joseph, Most Courageous, Pray for us!

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Pesto Tortellini Shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day

Looking for an easy and cute lunch idea for St. Patrick's Day. Using frozen tortellini, jarred pesto, and a broccoli stem you can make these fun edible shamrocks.  I had a tri-color package so used both the green and white ones.  You can use a variety of veggies for the stem - broccoli, green bean, celery.

St. Patrick, Pray for us!

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Celtic Knot Graham Cookies

This graham flour cookie is a festive treat for St. Patrick's Day or any other Irish saint feast day tea party. 

Celtic Knot Graham Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups graham flour
3 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Sift flours, baking soda and salt into large bowl.  Beat butter in another large bowl at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.  Add brown sugar and beat together. Add molasses and beat until fluffy.  Add egg and beat until well blended.  Reduce speed to low and add vanilla.  Add flour mixture and graham cracker crumbs and beat on low speed just to blend.

Wrap ball of dough in plastic wrap.  Chill until firm, at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.

Sprinkle work surface with flour and roll out 1/2 of dough. Refrigerate unused portion.

Roll lengths of dough into ropes and, working on a parchment-lined baking sheet, twist them into knots as shown.  I printed out a 3 inch celtic knot clipart to use as a template and place under the parchment paper. 

Bake in pre-heated oven (350° F) for 8-12 minutes.  Let cool on pan until firm enough to transfer to wire racks. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cool completely.  Makes about 2 dozen, 3-inch knot cookies.

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St. Benedict - The Raven and the Bread

St. Benedict of Nursia whose feast day is July 11 (March 21 traditional) is, among other patronages, the saint invoked against poisoning. There are a couple stories associated with him where he was spared of poisoning. In one depiction Benedict was given poisoned bread by priest who was jealous of him and his fame. Knowing that the bread was poisoned St. Benedict called to the raven (or crow), who would often come and feed from his hand, to take it away to a place where no one could eat it. The raven flew away with the poisoned bread in his beak and disposed of it, then returning to be given rations from St. Benedict. You can read the episode yourself in The Dialogues of St. Gregory (Book II, Chapter 8) which is the life of St. Benedict.

Due to this and other stories, the raven is often depicted with St. Benedict in pictures. It is the mascot of many Benedictine schools. So since the bread and raven are noteworthy symbols associated with St. Benedict, this very simple feast day idea came to mind. I know as busy parents it is always nice to have something that is really easy to put together without a lot of effort. Bread is something we usually have on hand, or is easy to obtain. Any kind will do and if you have special dietary considerations can choose a suitable bread as well. And if you have more time, it is also possible to bake your own bread for the feast using one of the many past recipes here at Catholic Cuisine. 

I went the easy route and picked up a boule of Italian bread from the store. Then I sliced it up and served it with the raven mascot looking on. We happen to have a couple fake ravens/crows in our decoration but a simple alternative if you don't have a plastic raven/crow handy and don't want to get one (readily available around Halloween) - use a paper silhouette you can print out and place as guardian of the bread at your table. This site has some great raven/crow silhouettes in their free clip art, including this one - Raven Silhouette Clipart.

St. Benedict, Pray for Us!

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Honey Sweetened Grasshopper Bars

The Birthday of Saint John the Baptist from Saints: A Year in Faith and Art

There is a great recipe for Grasshopper Parfaits in the archives here at Catholic Cuisine. After making them for the rest of my family, I decided to try and find something that I could enjoy as well for our celebration on the Solemnity of the Birth of Saint John the Baptist since I've been on a strict Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) diet for the past four months.  These Honey Sweetened Grasshopper Bars were perfect and tasted amazing! Cocoa Powder is not on the AIP list of approved foods and it had been a while (113 days to be exact) since I had eaten any chocolate, but so far I haven't noticed any adverse reactions and am hoping that it can remain in my diet as an occasional treat.  This recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free, seed-free, nut-free and makes a delicious option for those looking for a healthy dessert!

St. John the Baptist, martyred for defending the law of purity, drew strength from his austere and penitential life in the desert. Here is a delicious (and nutritious!) recipe for Honey Sweetened Grasshopper Bars to serve on this Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, recalling Matthew 3:4: “John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.”

Honey Sweetened Grasshopper Bars

adapted from Raia's Recipes

Ingredients:

Mint Layer

• 1 large avocado
• 1/4 cup organic raw honey 
• 6 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 1/2 c. shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 tsp peppermint extract (or a few drops of peppermint oil for AIP)
• dash of salt (I used Real Salt.)

Chocolate Layer

• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 2 Tbsp organic raw honey 
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder (I used Rapunzel Organic Cocoa Powder. You could also substitute carob powder for a caffeine-free treat that is AIP approved!)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract (I used Frontier Naturals Non-Alcoholic Vanilla.)
• dash of salt

Directions:

Mint Layer
1. Line a 9×9 inch baking dish with foil.
2. Place all ingredients in high powered blender (I used my Vitamix) or a food processor. Blend until smooth.
3. Smooth mixture into prepared dish and stick in the freezer while you prepare the chocolate layer.

Chocolate Layer
1. In small saucepan, melt coconut oil and honey over low heat.
2. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.
3. Pour over chilled bottom layer and return to the freezer for about 15 minutes, or until the chocolate layer is hardened.
4. Remove from foil and cut into bars.
5. Store covered in the freezer.

Makes approximately 8 servings

Note: These would also make a healthy green treat for St. Patrick's day in March! 

Saint John the Baptist, pray for us! 

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Dairy Free Blueberry Annunciation Smoothies

This recipe was submitted by past Catholic Cuisine contributor Amy. You can find additional pictures of her cute children enjoying their Annunciation Smoothies over at her blog, Knit Together.

I thought I would share this with you super quick.  It is an easy way to whip together something special for the Feast of the Annunciation today.  I did a dairy free version, but you can replace the canned coconut milk with yogurt and the almond mil with regular cow's milk if you prefer.

You will need:

• 2-3 cups Frozen Blueberries
• 1-2 cups Frozen Peaches (or other fruit)
• 1 Can Coconut Milk
• Almond Milk
• approx. 1/4 cup Sweetener of your choice, I used Maple Syrup

Put the frozen fruit in blender.  I use peaches too because blueberries can be a really strong flavor and some people, especially kids, might not like it.  Next, add the canned coconut milk (this will make it thick and creamy) and sweetener.  At this point you want to pour in the almond milk.  I do this by eye.  Depending on how thick you want your smoothie, you will want to fill the blender halfway or up to covering the frozen fruit.

Blend it thoroughly!

If you need more almond milk, fruit, or sweetener feel free!  Make it to your taste.

Additional recipes for the Solemnity of the Annunciation can be found in the archives. 

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Cathedral Cake for St. Joseph

"He was chosen by the eternal Father as the trustworthy guardian and protector of his greatest treasures, namely, his divine Son and Mary, Joseph’s wife. He carried out this vocation with complete fidelity until at last God called him, saying: “Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord." - St. Bernardine of Siena

Bake a cake in a cathedral shaped pan in honor of St. Joseph, patron of the Universal Church. Some pan options include this Cathedral Bundt Pan, this Vaulted Cathedral Pan, and this Stained Glass Bundt Pan.  Be sure to take a moment to offer a prayer for all priests!

Prayer for Priests to St. Joseph

O illustrious patriarch St. Joseph, who carried the Infant Jesus in thy blessed arms and who, during the space of thirty years, lived in the most intimate familiarity with Him, take under thy powerful protection those whom He has clothed with His authority and honored with with the dignity of His priesthood, whom He has charged to continue His mission, to preach His Gospel, and to dispense everywhere His graces and blessings. Sustain them in their fatigues and labors; console them in their pains; fortify them in their combats; but above all, keep far from them all the evils of sin.

Obtain for them the humility of St. John the Baptist, the faith of St. Peter, the zeal and charity of St. Paul, the purity of St. John and the spirit of prayer and recollection of which thou, my dear Saint, art the model, so that, after having been on earth, the faithful dispensers of the Mysteries of thy foster Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, they may in Heaven receive the recompense promised to pastors according to the Heart of God. Amen.

St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, Pray for Us!

Additional recipes for the Solemnity of St. Joseph can be found in the archives. 

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Shamrock Frittata

Shamrock Frittata

Adapted from Skinny Taste's Bell Pepper and Potato Frittata and our Zucchini and Sweet Potato Frittata

Ingredients:

• 1 Bag of Trader Joe’s Roasted Potatoes with Roasted Peppers and Onions (or equivalent)
• Olive or Coconut Oil
• 12-18 Eggs (depending on the size - enough to cover the potatoes)
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 Green Bell Pepper (with three lobes for the shamrocks)
• Irish Style Breakfast Sausages (optional)

 

Directions:

Heat oil in a 12" Oven-safe Family Sized Skillet and cook potatoes, peppers and onions according to package directions.

While the vegetables cook, whisk the eggs in a bowl, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add the egg mixture to the cooking veggies.

Cook on low heat until just set, about 10-15 minutes.

Transfer the frittata to the oven and finish baking until golden under a heated broiler.

Serve with Irish style sausages.  This Shamrock Frittata served our family of nine. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

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