St Patty's Irish Soda Bread and Shepherd's Pie

 For  St Patricks Day   a touch of the Irish  for supper.
  Searched and searched for a recipe for soda bread  finally settled on one with  only 4 ingredients,which I am told is the traditional  way.Love the simplicity of this bread.. no caraway, no sugar , no currants.



Ingredients:

•3 cups all-purpose flour
•1 1/2 tsp baking soda
•1 1/2 tsp salt
•1 1/2 cups  buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, stir dry ingredients together with a whisk. Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk. Combine dry ingredients and buttermilk .
Knead the dough lightly on a floured surface for 1 minute. . Place on a  greased  cookie sheet. Mark a large 1/2-inch deep X with a sharp knife and bake soda bread for 40-45 minutes.

The bread is ready when it is golden and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
The cross on the top of the bread is to ward off evil spirits.

Warm with butter.The buttermilk in the soda bread adds so much flavour.....
 The Shepherds pie is a family fav from years ago.

Basically ground beef , onion, garlic, browned add  frozen  peas, mushrooms ,brown gravy mix  top with  hot  mashed potatoes   sprinkle with some cheddar cheese bake at  350 for about 25 minutes until  bubbly.