St Patrick's Day

You all know by now that I'm a Notre Dame alum proud of her Irish heritage.  So of course St. Patty's Day is a celebration in my family!  My dad loved Corned Beef and Cabbage, but I'm just not a fan, so I normally make something different.  This year was especially fun because with two toddlers, we got to have a Leprechaun Hunt in our house, and when everyone arrived home from school and work, we found a big mess left by our little prankster...and some of his treasure!  It looked like he ran off in a hurry, so perhaps we scared him off when we opened the garage door!  So, we enjoyed a festive Irish meal with some of our leprechaun's abandoned treasure (chocolate "golden" coins) for dessert.  I hope you love this meal as much as we did!  Slainte!

Irish Stew

Colcannon

Irish Soda Bread

Guinness Chocolate Cheesecake

Irish Stew

Having graduated from Notre Dame and having some Irish heritage in my family roots, St Patrick's Day is cause for celebration in my house.  Normally I whip up a Shepherd's Pie, but this year I wanted to do something a little bit different.  I'm not a big fan of corned beef and cabbage, and I remember a fabulous Irish Stew that I had in Cork when I visited Ireland years ago.  This year I did some research and found this fabulous recipe.  My husband gobbled up the leftovers before I could holler "Blarney!" so I guess I'll just have to make it again!!

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound sirloin, trimmed of fat and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 onion, coarsely chopped 

3 carrots, coarsely chopped 

1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle dark beer

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 325.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until very hot, and brown the meat, stirring to brown the cubes on all sides. Sprinkle with flour, and stir lightly to coat with flour. Stir in onion, carrots, dark beer, bay leaves, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, and cover.

Place the Dutch oven into the preheated oven, and cook until the beef is very tender and the liquid is reduced by half, about 45 minutes.

Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate. Crumble the bacon and set aside.

Place the potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for a minute or two.

Place the potatoes into a large bowl, and add milk, butter, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Mash the potatoes with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Stir in the crumbled bacon, and parsley until well combined.

To serve, place a scoop of colcannon onto a plate, make a hollow, and fill with braised beef stew.

Colcannon

3 slices bacon

2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1/4 cup milk, warmed

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate. Crumble the bacon and set aside.

Place the potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for a minute or two.

Place the potatoes into a large bowl, and add milk, butter, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Mash the potatoes with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Stir in the crumbled bacon, and parsley until well combined.

Irish Stew

Ever since a family vacation to Ireland in the eighth grade, I've been on a the hunt for a wonderful Irish Stew recipe!  I finally found one a year or so ago (though, for the life of me, I have no idea where I found this gem) and decided that this year I'd trade in our normal Shepherd's Pie for Irish Stew on St Patrick's Day.  After all, I can't stand corned beef and cabbage, and it's not really Irish anyway!  This almost didn't happen this year since I had a hard time finding lamb, but I finally did, and this was perfect for a rainy day of watching basketball and drinking Irish beer...oh, and did I mention the gorgeous colors of the Irish flag in this dish make it even more perfect for celebrating my Irish heritage?!?!  Just remember...  "When Irish eyes are smiling, it usually means they're up to something!"

2 pounds boneless leg of lamb, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch pieces 

1 3/4 pounds white potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 

3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 

3 stalks celery, thinly sliced 

3 large leeks, white part only, halved, washed and thinly sliced 

14 ounces chicken stock 

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 

1/4 cup packed parsley leaves, chopped 

Combine lamb, potatoes, carrots, celery, leeks, broth, thyme, salt and pepper in a 6-quart slow cooker; stir to combine. Put the lid on and cook on low until the lamb is fork-tender, about 8 hours. Stir in parsley before serving.

Pairs wonderfully with green beans (my husband mixed them into the stew), crusty bread and shard Irish cheddar, and Irish beer (Harp is my favorite, please and thank you!).

Irish Shepherd's Pie

OK, so this is probably closer to American Shepherd's Pie, since I used ground beef rather than ground lamb, but oh well.  Shepherd's Pie is a dish I fell in love with when I lived in London and traveled extensively throughout the British Isles.  It's a comfort food, yet it's served in nearly every pub in Britain. It's hearty and perfect for a winter weeknight meal, and healthy too!  Really, it's the Irish version of meatloaf!  This is also our traditional St Patrick's Day meal since I absolutely cannot stand corned beef and cabbage...

1 pound ground beef

2 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and sliced thin

4 tablespoons flour

1 pint beef stock

dried parsley and thyme, about 1/2 tablespoon each

2 pounds mashed potatoes (I cheat and use two containers of ready-to-microwave Country Crock Garlic or Loaded Mashed potatoes, thawed)

Irish white cheddar cheese, shredded

You can also add in 1 cup frozen peas, if you'd like

Preheat the oven to 350.

Brown the ground beef.  Drain.  Add butter and vegetables, and saute until golden and tender.  Stir in the flour, then stock and herbs.  Bring to a boil and reduce until the mixture resembles a very thick gravy, about five minutes.

Place in a casserole and cover with mashed potatoes.  If using the ready-to-microwave potatoes that have been frozen, drain the water produced during thawing.

Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.  Sprinkle Irish cheese over top of the dish and bake an additional 10 minutes or until top is golden and bubbling.

Serve hot, with country-style green beans and a crisp salad.

Serves 4.