Serves 4 
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Cheap and cheerful.  Who doesn't like chicken and dumplings.  If you buy your chicken breasts on sale and freeze them individually, you can bring this delicious entrée in for less than a fiver.

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

1 TBS cooking oil

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp dried parsley

1/4 tsp dried sage

2 TBS plain flour

428ml chicken stock  (use a stock cube and equivalent in water, 14 1/2 ounces)

225ml water (separate from above, 1 cup)

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

150g frozen peas (1 cup)

2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

For the dumplings:

 

Season the chicken pieces with the salt and black pepper.  Heat the oil in a large skillet which has a tight fitting lid.  Add the chicken.  Cook and stir until almost cooked through.   Add the carrots and onions.  Cook and stir for a few minutes, then add the stock, parsley and sage.  Cover tightly and cook for about 5 minutes.  Stir in the frozen peas.  Bring back to the boil, then reduce, cover and simmer for a further few more minutes, until the carrots are tender and the chicken is cooked through.  Shake the flour in a jar with the additional water.   Pour this into the chicken mixture, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken.  Taste and adjust seasoning as required.  

Using a tablespoon, drop the dumpling dough over top of the hot bubbling chicken mixture in dollops.  Cover tightly with the lid and cook for 12 to 15 minutes or until the dumplings are well puffed up and look dry on top and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.  Don't be tempted to peek ahead of time.  Divide the chicken stew and dumplings between four heated plates and serve hot.   

 

*A St Patrick's Day Salad of
Apple Dressed Pears with Cashel Blue Toasties*

This lovely salad makes the perfect first course with it's lovely green colours for St Patrick's Day. The tart flavour of the cooking apple shines through in the dressing without being overpowering and goes very well with the savoury crunch of the toasted walnuts and the sweetness of the pears. The lovely Cashel blue cheese toasts are it's crowning glory, and add just that extra special touch.  

  

4 baby gem heads, washed and leaves separated, the larger ones torn into smaller pieces
4 thin slices of Irish Brown Soda Bread
75g of mild cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes (3/4 cup)
75g of Irish cashel blue cheese, cut into small cubes
2 ripe dessert pears
dash of lemon juice
100g of whole walnuts (A scant cup)

DRESSING:
1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and cut into small chunks
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped

1 tsp liquid honey
1 TBS cider vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1.  Heat a TBS of the oil in a small skillet and cook the shallot and apple in it, stirring, until golden. Remove from the heat and put into a blender along with the other dressing ingredients. Blitz until smooth. Check for seasoning, adjust if necessary, and set aside.

2.  Cut each slice of soda bread in half and toast under the grill on one side only. Mix the cubes of cheese together and then divide amongst the slices of bread and toast under the grill until the cheese is all melted and bubbling and starting to brown just the slightest. Take out and set aside.

3.  Toast the walnuts in a dry pan for about 30 seconds.

4.  Peel, core and slice the pears. Toss the sliced pears with a dash of lemon juice to help keep them from turning brown.   Toss the pears with the lettuce leaves, toasted walnuts and apple dressing. Divide amongst four chilled plates, garnishing the top of each with two slices of the cheese toasts.

Serves:  4 people
Prep Time:   15 minutes
Cooking Times:  10 minutes

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Serves: 4
Prep Time:  30 minutes
Cook Time:  3 hours, approximately

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*Colcannon*

I can remember reading a story once about a big rough and ready Irish family.  They had this for supper and it was set in a big bowl in the middle of the table, a large crater scooped into the middle and filled with melting butter.  They all sat around and scooped into it, eating it together with scraps of freshly baked crusty bread.  It sounded so delicious.  It is delicious, truly and so very easy to make.  We might not sit around scooping it up with chunks of bread now, but a dip in the middle filled with melting butter is still a pretty tasty thing to do.




1 pound cabbage, finely chopped
7 to 8 fluid ounces of milk or cream
2 small leeks or green spring onion tops, chopped
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a pinch of ground mace
4 TBS melted butter

1.  Cook the cabbage in a large pan of boiling salted water until very tender.  Drain well and keep warm.

2.  Put the milk or cream in a small pan with the leek or spring onion and simmer until soft.  Set aside and keep warm.

3.  Put the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with salted water.  Bring to the boil and then simmer until cooked through and they can be pierced easily with the tip of a knife or the tines of a fork.  Drain well and then place back on the warm burner, giving them a good shake to dry them out.  Mash well.  Mix in the leeks and enough of the milk or cream  to give it a creamy consistency.  Add the cabbage and season with salt, pepper and mace.  Drizzle with the melted butter and serve.

Serves:  4
Prep Time:  15 minutes
Cook Time:  30 minutes

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6.  Dust the cake with icing sugar and cut into wedges to serve.  Top each serving with a scoop of the vanilla bean ice cream.  Spoon a portion of the warm chocolate sauce over top of each and serve immediately.

Prep Time:  20 minutes
Cook Time:  60 minutes, plus 4 hours for chilling

Printable Recipe


As with any challenge, there is a prize involved,  a trip to Ireland.  (It's on my bucket list of things to do before I die.)  All of the Feasts entered in the challenge will be judged by a a panel of esteemed Judges:



Orla Broderick

Orla Broderick is a freelance food writer who lives in Dublin.  After a degree in HOme Economics, she worked as a writer for BBC Good Food magazine for five years before deciding to specialize in creating recipes and preparing food for television.  Orla has worked on many highly regarded productions, mainly for the BBC, but also for the first series of Masterchef Ireland.  She is also the author of several cookbooks, as well as working with a number of high profile chef's on their own publications.  She is also a contributing editor to the Bridgestone Irish Food Guides.



Andy McFadden

Andy McFadden was born in Ireland and from a young age was very passionate about great food.  He endeavoured to make a career out of this passion.  Working his way through some of the best restaurants in Ireland and on the continent, he gained a wealth of knowledge and skills that are still with him to this day, a culinary trail which inevitably took him to London, where he took up the position of chef de partie at the two Michelin starred, Pied a Terre.  Andy now holds the top position at sister restaurant, L'Autre Pied, where he is showcasing his star quality and preparing creative, innovative and delicious dishes.

Wish me luck, and a Very Happy Saint Patrick's Day to you all!!

450ml of chicken stock

First make the soup.  Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan.  Add the leeks and cook, stirring, until they have softened, without colouring.   Tip in the water, tomatoes, stock pots and cayenne pepper.   Bring to the boil, then reduce to a slow simmer.  Cook slowly, uncovered, until all of the vegetables are very soft.  This will take about 20 minutes.  At the end of that time, using an immersion blender (Or using a food processor or regular blender with care and in batches) puree the soup until smooth.  Place back on the heat and bring back up just to the boil.  Whisk in the sour cream and cheddar cheese.   Taste and adjust seasoning with some salt if needed.   Keep warm over very low heat, without letting the soup boil, while you make the croutes.