Two Recipes for St. Patrick's Day

 I just wanted to wish everyone a

Happy St. Patrick's Day.

 

 

I'm sharing two recipes from a delightful cookbook that I've had for a while: The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook by LOVE FOOD, an imprint of Parragon Books Ltd, UK.

 

The first recipe, roasted shallots, is the perfect side dish for roasted pork, chicken, or just about anything. The recipe calls for banana shallots, but small onions or shallots will do. The flavor is mild, and the dish won't compete with your entrée--but the flavor is dense, savory, and slightly smoky, with touch of apples.

 

Roasted Shallots
                                                 serves 2-4

8 shallots

2 Tablespoons apple juice concentrate

6 Tablespoons olive oil

1/2 tablespoon chopped thyme

Thyme for garnish

sea salt and pepper to taste

2/3 cup bread crumbs

1 cup shredded mild Irish cheddar cheese

1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped (garnish)

 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

 

Into a bowl, add apple juice, olive oil, and theme. Whisk and set aside. Peel shallots and cut off ends. Slice in half (length-wise), place slices in the bowl, and toss, coating the shallots well. (I didn't measure my olive oil, and you can see the result below. Note to self: Using your measuring spoons!)

Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the shallots to a (Pam-sprayed) baking dish.

Sprinkle shallots with bread crumbs. Salt and pepper.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until shallots begin to darken at the edges. Place cheese on top and

continue cooking another 3 to 5 minutes (or until cheese melts). Remove from oven and garnish with parsley and thyme sprigs.

 



Next, I made Beef and Stout pies, which my family loved. It's heartwarming on a cold, late-winter evening. The original recipe involves transferring things into separate bowls and draining the beef (after you've made the gravy). Since I am a certified exhausted cook, I simplified things a bit. My additions are in blue.

 

 

Beef and Stout Pies

 

3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 heaping Tablespoon Hungarian Paprika

2 pounds boneless chuck steak (or eye of round), cut into 1" cubes

vegetable oil (to fry meat)

1 1/4 cups beef stock

1 onion, chopped

8 ounced cremini mushrooms (same as Baby Bellas), discard stems and quarter the caps

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

2 teaspoons chopped thyme

1 cup stout (I used 1/4 cup Smithwick's Lager)

1 pound store-bought puff pastry

1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

3 potatoes, peeled and cubed

3 carrots, peeled and sliced



Into a bowl, combine flour, salt and pepper. (I added a heaping tablespoon of Hungarian paprika). Toss the beef cubes until coated. Heat oil in a large skillet over a medium high flame. Fry the meat in batches, transferring each one to a paper-towel lined plate. Transfer meat into a large bowl. Now, deglaze the skillet by adding a little stock, then scraping the sides and bottom of the pan. (At this point, the Easy Version of the recipe begins.) Add 1 or 2 Tablespoons oil (actually, 1 T. will be plenty) to the skillet; sautee the mushrooms and onion. Add tomato paste, thyme, stout (I mixed this in a separate bowl.) Blend well. Add the mixture to meat/onions. Add remaining stock. Stir until blended. (At this point, you can add 2 peeled, cubed potatoes and 3 peeled, sliced carrots, if desired. Add the potatoes during the last 30 minutes or so to prevent them from disintegrating.)

Reduce the flame and simmer the stew until thickened, about 45 minutes to an hour (or until carrots are tender). Stir frequently. (I have a gas cooktop, and I use a "flame tamer" to prevent scorching.)
Spoon meat mixture into a casserole dish or individual pie pans.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Roll out the puff pastry and place it over the filling, trimming and crimping the edges. Save the scraps to decorate the top of the pie. Brush the pastry with the egg wash. Using a knife, cut slits in the top of the crust.  Bake 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 400 degrees and bake 5 additional minutes. If necessary, place tin foil around the edges of the crust to prevent burning.

"May your blessings outnumber

The shamrocks that grow,

And may trouble avoid you

Wherever you go."

 

                           --Irish blessing



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Foodie Friday--March 14th

 Welcome to the March 14 Foodie Friday, where great food is always on the menu.
 

I've been cooking Irish goodies this week. If you are looking for recipes and tablescape ideas,

pop over to Cuisine Kathleen's 6th Annual St. Patrick's Day Blog Crawl.

 

 

First, I'm sharing Bailey's Irish Cream Fudge with Pistachios.

I saw the recipe on my friend Butteryum's blog. Patricia's photos went viral, and you can still find them pinned like crazy on Pinterest. That's how much people love this recipe.

Since my kitchen is overflowing with pistachios, I just had to try Butteryum's recipe.

 

 

You can find the original recipe at  the fabulous Butteryum's blog. Patricia

adapted her recipe from Eat Good 4 Life.

 

Ingredients:

36 oz white chocolate chips, Ghirardelli brand,  3 bags
1 14 oz can sweetened condense milk, unsweetened is best
1/2 cup Irish cream liquor, more if you like
1/2 cup raw pistachios, chopped, more if you like
 

Read more at http://www.eatgood4life.com/irish-cream-and-pistachio-fudge/#KLdLdlmphKKOgvJf.99

 Bailey's Irish Cream Fudge with Pistachios

36 oz white chocolate chips
1- 14 oz can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
6 Tablespoons Bailey's Irish Cream
1/4 cup pistachios, chopped
1/4 teaspoon sea salt plus a few pinches of sea salt

 

 Spread aluminum foil on the bottom and sides of a 9" x 9" pan, then grease the foil (I used Pam).

Into a double boiler add white chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, Irish cream, and salt. Stir over medium flame until the chocolate has melted and ingredients is blended. Remove pan from heat and add pistachios. Place mixture in the foil-lined pan and chill until set. Sprinkle the top with sea salt, if desired. 

 

Next . . .
Irish Whiskey-Pistachio Crusted Corned Beef

I don't have a recipe, just a procedure: braise the corned beef according to the directions on the package. Place brisket in a baking pan. Reserve 1/4 cup "braising" liquid.

In a separate bowl, make a glaze.  

36 oz white chocolate chips, Ghirardelli brand,  3 bags
1 14 oz can sweetened condense milk, unsweetened is best
1/2 cup Irish cream liquor, more if you like
1/2 cup raw pistachios, chopped, more if you like
 

Directions:

Lined a square pan, I used an 8x8 square baking pan, with foil paper and lightly grease it.
In a sauce pan, at low heat, pour all of the ingredients except pistachios. Stir constantly until chocolate has almost melted.
Turn off heat and continue stirring until chocolate is completely melted. Add pistachios and pour evenly onto prepared pan. Let cool until set. Remove fudge from pan and peal off the foil paper. Cut fudge into small squares.
Store fudge in a airtight glass container.

Read more at http://www.eatgood4life.com/irish-cream-and-pistachio-fudge/#SY1b4ydhErcLWKFU.99

36 oz white chocolate chips, Ghirardelli brand,  3 bags
1 14 oz can sweetened condense milk, unsweetened is best
1/2 cup Irish cream liquor, more if you like
1/2 cup raw pistachios, chopped, more if you like
 

Directions:

Lined a square pan, I used an 8x8 square baking pan, with foil paper and lightly grease it.
In a sauce pan, at low heat, pour all of the ingredients except pistachios. Stir constantly until chocolate has almost melted.
Turn off heat and continue stirring until chocolate is completely melted. Add pistachios and pour evenly onto prepared pan. Let cool until set. Remove fudge from pan and peal off the foil paper. Cut fudge into small squares.
Store fudge in a airtight glass container.

Read more at http://www.eatgood4life.com/irish-cream-and-pistachio-fudge/#SY1b4ydhErcLWKFU.99

 

Irish Whiskey Glaze

 

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon dry mustard or Dijon mustard

¼ cup light molasses

1/3 cup Jamison's whiskey

1/4 cup "braising water"

1/4 cup shelled, chopped pistachios

salt and pepper

Mix ingredients and spread onto the brisket.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes (or until glaze has thickened).

Remove brisket from oven. Cool slightly, then sprinkle

top of corned beef with pistachios.

Leftovers make an out of this world sandwich.

 

Finally, the easiest recipe I know:

 

Sea Salt Irish Cream Donuts

 

 

What You Need:

1 box store-bought donuts, plain--no icing

Bailey's Irish Cream

Confectioner's Sugar

Sea Salt

 

 

Whisk together the Irish cream and sugar. I don't have a recipe. I just

"eyeball" the sugar and cream, working with the ingredients until the mixture

is neither too runny nor too thick. Place the donuts on a rack and drizzle the icing over the tops

and sides. Sprinkle with French sea salt (to cut the sweetness a bit).

 

 

 

 

Here's a peek at last week's most popular recipes at Foodie Friday.

 

Talk about fabulousness.

 

Note: If you are visiting from Pinterest, do not pin the following photos from Foodie Friday. Click on the links and pin from the featured blogs.

 

If you are a fan of the PBS series, Downton Abbey, you will adore The Quintessential Magpie's Downton Abbey Dinner Party.

To pin this photo, click HERE.

 

 

 

You'll find a tablescape and a recipe at Fabby's Living's Spring Luncheon.

To pin this photo, visit Fabby's Living's Spring Luncheon.

 

Enjoy a chopped taco salad at What's Cooking in the Burbs.

To pin this photo, click HERE.

 

 

If you are contributing a recipe to this week's Foodie Friday, locate the blue Inlinkz icon in the lower, left-hand portion of this post. Click on the icon and follow the directions. After you complete the process, you will see a red "x" beside your name. This allows you to delete your link if you made an error; the red "x" is visible to you only.

 

You can read a complete guide to this linky party HERE.  It's pretty simple. You don't need to "like" our Facebook page or be a follower of this blog to participate. Nor do you need to include a backlink or Foodie Friday button in your post. Add as many recipes as you wish, old or new. If you love food, we love you.

 

Pretty please do not pin images from the FF thumbnails. Visit the source blogs. Thanks.

   

If you'd like to share your food photos--or photos of other FF participants on Pinterest, join the Pinterest foodie board, Consuming Passions. Leave a message on the most recent "pin" if you'd like your name added to the list.

 

Every Friday, we are joined at this big, virtual table--thank you for stopping by today. I'm grateful to all of you who spend your days cooking. I'm grateful to old and new friends who contribute recipes every week. I'm grateful to friends who leave a comment. I'm grateful for the silent folks, because you are brought here by your love of all things culinary. We are food people. And that's a marvelous thing. 

 

Until next time,

 

 

 

 



 



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Foodie Friday -- March 7th

 Spring is finally in the air. I've spent the week baking for St. Patrick's Day,

and so has Bandwidth. He made a Bailey's Irish Cream Bread Pudding that is out of this world.

The flavors are perfectly balanced--not too sweet--and the Bailey's adds a delicate touch of Ireland.

 

 

Bailey's Irish Cream Bread Pudding

by Bandwidth

 

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray Pam on the sides and bottom of a 9" x 13" pan.

 

Into the pan, add 4 cups cubed bread (he used a fresh French baguette).

In a separate bowl, mix:

2 cups white sugar

5 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup Bailey's Irish Cream

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 vanilla pods (split in half and scraped)

 

Pour mixture over the bread cubes and let it sit for ten minutes.

 

Make the topping:

 

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1 cup white chocolate chips

 

Mix and sprinkle over the top of the pudding.

Bake 35 minutes.

Serve with a powdered sugar/Bailey's glaze. Or get into a cupcake mode and throw caution to the wind: top the pudding with a huge, decadent poof of mascarpone.

Whipped cream is also a nice touch.



 

 

 

We're Sharing Last Week's Popular Recipes at Foodie Friday:

 (Note: You are entering a "no pin" zone. Please click on the links. Thanks.)

 

 



We loved the Irish recipes at Cuisine Kathleen's St. Patrick's Day Food Ideas.

It's like a mini-cookbook--you'll be sure to find a recipe.

 (To "pin," please go to Cuisine Kathleen's St. Patrick's Day Food Ideas.)

Cuisine Kathleen's St. Patrick's Day Food Ideas

 



Don't miss Cuisine Kathleen's Annual Pub Crawl.

Mark your calendars for March 12th, 

6th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Blog Crawl

I'm delighted to participate in  Cuisine Kathleen's 6th Annual St. Patrick's Day Blog Crawl!

 

 

Few people could resist this Divine Irish Apple Cake by Mary at Home Is Where the Boat Is.

(To "pin," go to Home Is Where the Boat Is.)

 Home Is Where the Boat Is.

 

 

We were charmed by Festive Chocolate Covered Pretzels by Upstate Ramblings.

(To "pin," please go to Upstate Ramblings.)

 Upstate Ramblings.

 

 

 

You'll love this Heartwarming Reuben Sandwich by Pat at Back Porch Musings.

To "pin," go to Back Porch Musings.

 Back Porch Musings.

 

 

If you are contributing a recipe to this week's Foodie Friday, locate the blue Inlinkz icon in the lower, left-hand portion of this post. Click on the icon and follow the directions. After you complete the process, you will see a red "x" beside your name. This allows you to delete your link if you made an error; the red "x" is visible to you only.

 

You can read a complete guide to this linky party HERE.  It's pretty simple. You don't need to "like" our Facebook page or be a follower of this blog to participate. Nor do you need to include a backlink or Foodie Friday button in your post. Add as many recipes as you wish.

 

Pretty please do not pin images from the FF thumbnails. Visit the source blogs. Thanks.

   

If you'd like to share your food photos--or photos of other FF participants on Pinterest, join the Pinterest foodie board, Consuming Passions. Leave a message on the most recent "pin" if you'd like your name added to the list.

 

Every Friday, we are joined at this big, virtual table--thank you for stopping by today. I'm grateful to all of you who spend your days cooking. I'm grateful to old and new friends who contribute recipes every week. I'm grateful to friends who leave a comment. I'm grateful for the silent folks, because you are brought here by your love of all things culinary. We are food people. And that's a marvelous thing. 

 

Until next time,

 



 



 

 

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Pub Sandwich with Irish Whiskey Slaw

 

St. Patrick's Day is almost here, and I am in an Irish state of mind. Candy shamrocks are all over the counters, and the air smells poignantly of whiskey and Irish cream.

For lunch, I put together a hearty corned beef sandwich. I'd cooked a brisket the night before, but

only a scrap remained. I sent Bandy to the grocery for deli corned beef.

 

I wasn't in the mood for a Reuben, so my thoughts turned to slaw. The Irish version is creamy, almost like a soup. I made a small serving, perfect for two sandwiches (with a bit leftover). At the last minute, I added a little Jamison's Whiskey.

 

Oh, my.

My, my, my.

 Each bite will take you to Ireland.

 

As my brother would say, "Now this is what I'm talking about." 

 



 

Pub Sandwich with Irish Whiskey Slaw

 

Bakery bread, unsliced

Boar's Head Corned Beef, sliced

Swiss Cheese, sliced

1/2 cup shredded cabbage

3 Tablespoons mayonnaise (I used Duke's light)

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon honey

1/4 teaspoon Irish whiskey (I used Jameson's)

1 chopped scallion

salt and pepper to taste

Tabasco, 3 drops

Stone ground mustard

 

To make the slaw, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, whiskey, scallion, salt and pepper, and Tabasco. If you're from Louisiana, it's a state law that you must use Tabasco every chance you get. That is all.

 

 

Slice the bread into thick hunks. Spread each slice with stone ground mustard. On one slice of bread, add 1 or more slices of Swiss cheese. Microwave for 10 seconds and remove. Place corned beef on top of the cheese.

Spoon the coleslaw on top of the beef.  Top the sandwich with bread.

Enjoy!

 

I'm delighted to participate in Cuisine Kathleen's 6th Annual St. Patrick's Day Blog Crawl.
 

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Simple Shamrock Biscuits

Simple Shamrock Biscuits

. . .

"As sure as the shamrocks are growing in the land which the Irish all love, as sure as the lakes of Killarney reflect the blue heavens above - as sure as the warmhearted Irish all pay honor to Saint Patrick too, I’m wishing you “top o’the morning” and happiness, always, for you."

                                                 Irish Saying

. . .

No matter how hectic it gets at Rattlebridge, we always manage to eat. Homemade biscuits are a favorite for breakfast or lunch, but when I'm too busy to make them from scratch,
I use canned dough. 

"Simple Shamrock Biscuits" 

  Print This Recipe

What You Need:

canned biscuits (I used Pillsbury Grands)
shamrock-shaped cookie cutter
1/4 stick melted butter
pastry brush
chopped parsley


Procedure:

Pre-heat oven (350 degrees). Dust a little flour onto a sheet of waxed paper. Use a rolling pin to gently flatten biscuits (roughly the size of your cookie cutter). Bake 10 minutes or when browned.

Aftr removing biscuits from oven, brush the stops and sides with melted butter. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Serving Ideas:
Butter and jam
chicken salad
egg salad and watercress
ham, turkey, or beef
Mini-shamrock BLTs

. . .

There's a place in every cook's life for simple cooking.

To see a Spring tablescape and a variation of these biscuits, click HERE.

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Foodie Friday: Baileys Irish Cream Cupcakes

Every St. Patrick's Day, I bake simple cupcakes, usually from a mix, but I make up for it by garnishing the beeswax out of them. This year, I wanted to surprise my family with Baileys Irish Cream cupcakes. 

I began looking for recipes, but I felt overwhelmed by the complex steps--well, they were complex for me, a tired slob. My husband, the country doctor, suggested that I look to Dr. Frankenstein for inspiration. With a little luck, couldn't I cobble together a simple, painless recipe?

First, I cleaned my kitchen counters. I always do this because icing baffles me, and I don't want to be distracted. I rolled up my sleeves and began to experiment.

My husband (and Dr. Frankenstein) nodded approvingly when I added Baileys mint-flavored Irish Cream to a box of dark chocolate cake mix. I also threw in white chocolate chips.

So far, so good.

As always, my troubles began when I made the icing. The first batch was runny (but good--my husband abandoned his low-carb diet and licked the bowl), because I foolishly added too much Baileys. The second batch had the right consistency, but when I tried to fit the icing into the itty Super Dooper Icing Kit for Dummies, I hit the wall.

So did the icing.

Great globs of creamy icing flew across my counters and migrated to my hair.

Even though I was a sticky mess, I remembered to add Wilton sprinkles

and homemade green sanding sugar.

Baileys Irish Cream Cupcakes

1 box Duncan Hinz dark chocolate cake mix

3 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/4 cups water

white chocolate chips (if desired)

1/4 cup Baileys Irish Cream added to cake mix

4 T Baileys Irish Cream added to icing 

Confectioners' sugar

8 oz cream cheese, softened

Wilton sprinkles

emerald sanding sugar

. . .

Preheat the oven. Place paper liners in 2 cupcake pans. Mix the cake according to directions, adding 1/4 cup Irish cream (be sure to decrease the total amount of water used--if the instructions call for 1 1/4 cup water, add 1 cup water and 1/4 cup Baileys). If you're adding white chocolate chips, gently fold them into the mixture. Spoon the lucious batter into the liners. Bake (18 minutes worked for me).

. . .

After the cupcakes cool, get your big girl panties on and make the icing.

Into the bowl of a KitchenAid mixer, blend 8 oz softened cream cheese, powdered sugar (see below), and Baileys Irish Cream (4 tablespoons). I began with 2 cups of powdered sugar and kept adding it bit by bit until the icing reached the proper spreading consistency. As Rachael Ray says, "Eyeball it."

Ice the cupcakes, taking care not to ruin your freshly cleaned kitchen,

and garnish with sanding sugar and/or shamrock sprinkles.

  

Thank you so much for stopping by Foodie Friday today. Your inspirational recipes make this day so much fun!

This week, please leave a comment and describe your recipe--what made you want to cook it? Would you recommend the recipe for a party? Tell us ALL about it!

Be sure to visit the menu at the Foodie Friday Cafe this Sunday, February 26th. Quite a few entries from this week's Foodie Friday will be in the spotlight. To view last week's menu at the cafe, click HERE.

If you are contributing a recipe to this week's Foodie Friday, locate the blue Inlinkz frog (below, left) and follow the instructions.

If this is your first time to participate in Foodie Friday, or if you aren't sure how to add a permalink, a short tutorial is available. If you are linking a recipe to Foodie Friday, a FF button can be found on the sidebar. If you'd like to add it, simply copy-and-paste the code beneath the button (located on the right-hand sidebar). Happy Recipe Hunting!



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