Tomorrow is Saint Patrick's Day and I thought I would gather as many of my Irish related recipes in one spot as possible so as to make it easy for you to find them. This is by no means all of them, but I do think that I am giving you a nice variety of them to choose from!
I suppose there are not too many people who cannot claim to have at least a small portion of Irish DNA in themselves, which gives most of us much to celebrate when it comes to Saint Patrick's Day. I had my DNA done several years ago with the end result that I was 27% Irish.
I would have to say that the Irish are some of the most wonderful and humble people you could ever want to know. Living in the UK, I was blessed to be able to call a few Irish people friends. You could not ask for a better friend. They are the cream of the crop.
Their food is also incredibly humble, what I would call country cooking. Straightforward and without pretense, homey fare based on unsophisticated yet delicious raw ingredients. That is what I love most about it. It is simple and wholesome food.
Aside from fresh seafood and shellfish, which you can enjoy in abundance in Ireland, dried fruit and potatoes figure massively in Irish cooking. A goodly portion of their breads, cakes and desserts make fabulous use of this. You won't see any of the shellfish on here as I am allergic to shellfish and typical Irish seafood is just not easy to come by here in Canada.
I do hope that you will enjoy the examples of recipes I have shared with you however. I know that I certainly have!
BREADS & SCONES
WHITE IRISH SODA BREAD (NON-FRUITED) - Quick, easy and very delicious, this is the white bread version of a non-yeasted Irish quick bread. You will see some versions containing dried fruit and you are certainly welcome to add some. Having said that, it is pretty tasty just on its own. I enjoy it sliced and spread with butter and jam or with soups, or stews for mopping up all that delicious gravy.
TRADITIONAL IRISH SODA BREAD - A simple classic bread in Irish households. This yeast free whole meal bread is perfect served with soups and stews, salads, etc. Its also pretty delicious served sliced and spread with butter and jam, marmalade and honey.
SMALL BATCH IRISH SODA BREAD - This is a small batch version of the traditional Irish soda bread, made for the smaller family to enjoy without having a lot of waste or leftovers. Every bit as delicious as the full batch.
BOXTY - This delicious potato bread/potato cakes is also known as Potato Farls. This is a very simple recipe and very authentic in its simplicity. Composed of only three ingredients. Potatoes, flour and salt. These are traditionally cooked on the stove top in a flat surfaced griddle pan. At one time they would have been baked on a grill pan over an open fire.
IRISH SODA BREAD MUFFINS - Small individual soda breads baked in a muffin tin. Loaded with plenty of dried currants and caraway seed. These are fabulously easy to make a incredibly tasty! Again, quick and easy to make, bake and eat!
IRISH TEA BRACK - A non yeasted heavily fruity bread. You begin the night before by soaking a quantity of dried fruit in Irish breakfast tea overnight. The next morning you add the remaining ingredients and bake. This is heavy, yet beautifully fruited bread that is fabulous thinly sliced, spread with butter and served up with copious amounts of hot tea.
TRADITIONAL IRISH BARMBRACK - A fruity yeasted bread that is traditionally enjoyed sliced and buttered. This makes for a fabulous tea time treat, or even a breakfast treat. Its delicious any time you choose to enjoy it.
IRISH HONEY SCONES - These lovely scones are filled with the nuttiness of whole wheat and are gently sweetened with honey. They are simple, but don't let that simplicity fool you into thinking these are nothing special.
SOUPS, STEWS & MAIN DISHES
BALNAMOON SKINK - A delicate Irish version of a delicate soup made with fresh vegetables, enriched and lightly thickened with a mixture of cream and egg. This makes great use of the early Spring Vegetables and is light enough that although satisfying, it leaves you with room for the main course.
SMALL BATCH IRISH STEW - A delicious lamb stew for the smaller family. Cubes of lamb are layered in a casserole with onions, carrots and seasonings, then topped with wedges of potato and covered with stock. Cover tightly, pop into the oven and then let the oven do the work. Quite simply delicious.
IRISH STEAK AND GUINNESS STEW - A hearty stew made with lean cubes of stewing steak, carrots, parsnips, turnips and onions, cooked in a delicious Guinness gravy until deliciously fork tender. Plan ahead as this takes a good 2 1/2 to 3 hours to cook, but then again the best things in life are worth waiting for.
IRISH HUNTER'S PIE - Buttery mash lines a pie dish that is filled with chunks of simmered lamb. The juices of the lamb are then made into a gravy which is poured through the top of the pie to moisten the filling, with any excess being served on the side. Simple vegetables accompany this tasty dish.
BOILED BACON AND CABBAGE - There is nothing out of the ordinary here . . . it's just simple imgredients . . . cured pork, a few vegetables, water . . . pepper. Cabbage.Simple ingredients put together in a simple way with extraordinarily delicious results! I made a mustard sauce to serve with it, and boiled new potatoes . . . but a parsley sauce is just as delicious.
CORNED BEEF WITH PARSLEY SAUCE - Tender slices of juicy perfectly cooked corned beef, served thinly sliced with a variety of fresh and tasty vegetables on the side and a deliciously lush and creamy parsley sauce!
DUBLIN CODDLE - A Coddle is a traditional Irish dish usually associated with the city of Dublin. Hearty and delicious it is a stew-type of dish created with good pork sausages, salty bacon, pearl barley, onions, potatoes and herbs.
POTATOES
CRUSHED NEW POTATO COLCANNON - There is something pretty wonderful that happens when you combine cabbage and potatoes and Ireland. Humble ingredients put together in a most delicious way, this is considered haute cuisine in many multiple Michelin star restaurants. In short this is a beautiful side dish well deserving to be served on any table!
TRADITIONAL IRISH CHAMP - Mashed potatoes with warm milk, spring onions and butter beaten into them. It's so tasty. The Irish know how to do potatoes and do them well!
PUDDINGS AND CAKES
IRISH WHISKEY AND GINGER CAKE - A dense and moist cake chock full of lovely ginger flavor! With the consistency of a pound cake, this cake is studded with plenty of candied ginger and loads of ginger flavor that really shines through.
IRISH MARMALADE CAKE - A sweet and moist marmalade flavored loaf studded throughout with sticky sweet sultanas. A delight when sliced, buttered and enjoyed with a nice refreshing hot drink.
IRISH BOILED FRUITCAKE - A plain cake, beautifully moist and stuffed with loads of fruit. Dried Currants and sultana raisins are boiled in a mixture of golden syrup and tea. A few other simple ingredients are added prior to baking in the oven to create a delicious moist and fruity cake that is a great keeper, and quite simply delicious.
IRISH BLAEBERRY PUDDING - A sweet blueberry/blaeberry/billberry fruity filling is topped with a light and delicious cake batter then baked to perfection. Delicious served warm and spooned out into bowls with a topping of cream, custard or ice cream.
IRISH APPLE CAKE - A delicious apple cake with a cake/scone base, topped with plenty of sliced apples. A topping of crumble is sprinkled on top prior to baking to perfection. Delicious served warm and sliced in wedges, along with lashings of warm custard.
BERRY BUTTERMILK COBBLER - Frozen fruit baked into a buttermilk batter, served up warm, with a simple custard flavored with Irish Cream. Not only is this simple to make, but also very quick. You can have everything ready to mix together ahead of time and just do the final mixing at the last minute so that it can bake while you are enjoying your main course.
FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH A BAILEY'S CHOCOLATE SAUCE - You will want to make the cake for this the day before. It needs several hours in the refrigerator to set up properly for cutting. (I like to leave it overnight.) It's rich and delicious. Top with a scoop of really good Vanilla ice cream and a spoonful of Bailey's Chocolate sauce for the perfect finish.
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Serves 6
Shepherd's pie with the delicious twist of a layer of macaroni and cheese on top instead of the usual potatoes! Scrumdiddlyumptious!
For the meat layer:
2 TBS oil
3 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
1 large carrot, peeled, cut in half and then thinly sliced
into half moons
1 leek, washed well, trimmed, halved and then thinly sliced into half moons
2 sticks of celery, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
750g (about 1 1/2 pounds) of minced lamb
150ml of red wine (a generous half cup)
2 TBS tomato ketchup
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 lamb bouillion cube, crumbled
sea salt and black pepper to taste
For the macaroni topping:
35g (about 3 TBS) unsalted butter
30g of plain flour (about 3 TBS)
750 ml whole milk (3 cups)
1 bay leaf
120g of extra mature cheddar cheese, grated (1 1/2 cups)
1 TBS Dijon mustard
150g of macaroni (1 1/2 cups)
sea salt and black pepper to taste
To Top:
1 slice of white bread, crusts removed and crumbed
2 TBS freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
1 TBS butter, melted
Heat the oil for the meat layer in a large saucepan. Add the vegetables and thyme, and cook over about 8 minutes over low heat, stirring from time to time, until glossy and beginning to soften. Add the lamb mince and increase the heat.
To make the cheese sauce for the macaroni topping, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about a minute before slowly adding the milk and bay leaf. Bring to the boil whisking constantly, until it thickens.
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 5. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to the boil and cook the macaroni as per directions, leaving it very al dente, or slightly undercooked (it will cook more in the cheese sauce). Drain well and then stir it into the cheese sauce. Pour the whole mixture over top of the meat mixture in the baking dish.
Mix together the melted butter, breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle evenly over top of the macaroni. Bake the pie for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown, and the filling is bubbling.
I did us some lovely Lamb Chops for our New Years Eve Supper last week. I simply rubbed them with a mixture of rosemary, thyme, garlic, sea salt, white pepper, olive oil and a bit of good balsamic vinegar that I mashed together with my mortar and pestle. I let them macerate for a good hour or more while these delicious potatoes were baking and then I quickly grilled them in a hot skillet with a bit of butter for about a minute and a half per side. They were done perfectly!
Occasionally I like to spice things up here a bit in my kitchen. I am trying to empty my freezer right now, in preparation for moving in just TWO weeks, (Yikes!) and I ended up today with a couple packages of ground lamb that I wanted to use up.
I didn't really feel like making a Shepherd's Pie . . . I wanted something to tantalize our tastebuds.
I initially thought of Koftas, but then I settled on Kibbee. We love Kibbee. They are a delicious middle Eastern appetizer composed of ground lamb and spices. Cut into small diamonds, or shaped into little football shapes, they are delicious served warm with sour cream for dipping.
We had them as an entree, along with some garlic rice and steamed carrots.
mmmm . . . they may not be much to look at, but they be mighty tasty!
Try to imagine yourself sitting in a Bedoin tent in the middle of the desert as you are eating these . . . a gentle breeze stirring the leaves of the date palms on your little oasis, and camels softly snorting and shuffling in the sand nearby . . .
No, this is not typical English Food, but it's my kitchen and I can cook what I like in it. They do say that variety is the spice of life!!
*Baked Spiced Kibbee*
serves 8
Printable Recipe
A delicious middle eastern spiced meat dish, typically served as an appetizer. You can shape it into small shapes, or just bake it iin a square pan like I have. Scored before baking it very easily separates into small diamonds. We have it as a main course.
200g bulgar wheat
1 1/2 pounds lean ground lamb
1 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp all spice
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 TBS olive oil
90g pine nuts
4 medium onions, peeled and minced
3 TBS butter, melted
Sour cream to serve (optional)
Cover the wheat with boiling water and let sit for about an hour soaking. Squeeze as much water out of it as you can and then put it into a clean bowl. Add the meat and seasonings. Knead and mix together for about 10 minutes.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and pine nuts. Cook and stir over medium low heat until golden brown. Remove from the heat.
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F.
Divide the meat mixture in half. Press half of it into a buttered 8 inch square baking dish. Top with the onion/pinenut mixture, spreading it evenly over top. Spread the remaining meat over top, pressing it down evenly and smoothing it out. Run a spatula around the edges to form a bit of a gap between the meat and the edges. Dip the spatula in cold water and start making cuts lengthwise in the meat, evenly spaced about an inch apart. Go back over it crosswise, cutting it into diamond shaped pieces. Brush the melted butter evenly over top.
Bake the kibbee in the heated oven for 30 to 35 minutes until browned and cooked through. Remove from the oven, and separate into diamonds. Serve with sour cream if desired.
Source: google.com via Stephanie on Pinterest
Well, here we are at the end of another year! I don't know how it happened. This year has just flown by with amazing speed! It's been a wonderful year though . . . with lots of good cooking and happy times shared with loved ones, friends and YOU!
Food shared with friends is the best food ever and I have really enjoyed sharing my culinary repasts with each of you over the past twelve months. I thought it would be a fun exercise today to go back over some of the most popular recipes posted in 2011, and so . . . without further adieu I bring you the deliciousness that was 2011!!
January . . .
One of my favourite posts in the month of January was the one where I did a proper English High Tea for the Toddster . . . just to break the monotony of a boring month! Oh we did have a very tasty repast with Finger Sandwiches, Jam Tarts, little Cake Fancies, Florentines and a glorious Victorian Sponge. It was great fun and something we both really enjoyed. I may do it again this year. It sure pepped up what is usually a pretty dull month!!
February . . .
Aside from the usual Valentines treats in February, I treated us to a delicious Lamb Stew with Feather Dumplings. We're both big stew nuts in this house, and this lamb stew was most delicious with it's rich gravy, tender lamb and those feather dumplings which are to die for! You can never go wrong with a delicious stew. It's my husband's favourite dish . . . next to a hearty meat pie that is!
March . . .
March brought with it the tease of spring on the horizon and with it some sunnier and brighter days. My favourite recipe that I made that month, hands down had to be the Apple and Blackberry Crumble Pavlova! Oh my but it was scrumdiddlyumptious and oh so pretty! Apple and Blackberries together, plus Crumble has to be one of my favourite combinations and to have them all together in a delicious Pavlova, well that was pure genius, if I don't say so myself!
April . . .
April brought with it some very mild temperatures and a fabulous Royal Wedding. I don't know who wasn't glued to the telly on the day that Prince William and Kate got married! It was a great day of celebration the world over and I think they are just the sweetest couple ever . . . and the sweetest recipe that month had to be The World's Best Gingerbread Cake with a Spiced Lemon Sauce. In fact I do believe that it is one of the most popular recipes on my site, getting the most hits on average. And to tell the truth, it is indeed very scrummy!! I am not in the habit of calling something the World's Best unless I actually think it is the world's best!!
May . . .
Spring had truly arrived and we were in the midst of busily planting the garden out and enjoying the warmer sunnier days. I do believe spring is one of my favourite seasons and we celebrated it deliciously with these scrummy Cranberry, Pecan and White Chocolate Flapjacks. Flapjacks are not something I had ever run across before moving over to the UK, but I have to say that I have totally embraced them with all of my heart. They are indeed such a wonderful treat, and these Cranberry, Pecan and White chocolate ones are the best!
June . . .
The warm days of June brought with it more light foods, salads and the like. We were enjoying harvesting young beans and peas from the garden. I created this deliciously delightful Summer Pea, New Potato and Pesto Tart which was one of my absolute favourites, because not only was it different, but it was beautiful to behold and oh so delicious as well!
July . . .
July brought a delightful trip down to Ipswich and Jimmy's Farm along with my friend Julie. What a fabulous couple of days we had together, touring the farm, meeting Jimmy, taking a lovely butcher class and eating some fab food. I was ever so impressed with his animal husbandry and farm and restaurant. It was just a wonderful experience altogether, and of course we all were able to bring home some fabulous meat. The Toddster is a real pork chop afficionado and he absolutely delighted in these wonderful Grilled Chops with a Hoisin Marinade and Glaze that I made with some of that lovely pork I brought back from the farm.
August . . .
We really didn't have much of a summer weather wise really. It was cold and wet and gloomy. I think we actually had our summer back in April . . . but shhhh . . . I'm not complaining. If it wasn't for the bad weather we'd never be able to truly appreciate the good! One of the favourite things I cooked in August had to be this Apple and Blackberry In and Out dessert that I got from Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's mom's cookery book, The Great Granny Cookbook. It's one of my favourite cookbooks, and for good reason . . . it's filled with a lot of fantastically tasty recipes! This was the perfect dessert in which to make good use of the early season apples and those blackberries which ripened early due to having had such an early spring!
September . . .
We were away to Cumbria on our holidays with Mitzie in September . . . a holiday which just happened to co-incide with Katrina the hurricanes visit to our beautiful Sceptred Isle. It was a holiday filled to overflowing with rain, wind, rain, wind and ever more rain and wind. We still managed to enjoy ourselves anyways, even if we did arrive back home here a few days earlier than planned. (There is only so much you can occupy yourself with in a cottage in the middle of nowhere when you have an antsy cocker spaniel with you and you have left your warm coat and boots back home!) In any case we did enjoy some fab food, which is always a plus. Something that I did cook that we really enjoyed back home though was this delicious Gratin of Chard, created with some fabulous Rainbow Swiss Chard I received in my bi-weekly Vegetable box at the end of the month. My but it was some good!
October . . .
October brought us lots of deliciousness with Blue Cheese and Cheddar Stovies and the like. My favourite recipe of the month though had to be the Apple Pie Roll Ups with Custard! It was so easy and soooooo delicious! I always welcome the cooler months and the heartier recipes that come with them, don't you? I like salads too . . . but I am a glutton for autumn and winter food!
Oh please, I must show you two . . . as these were real winners as well . . .
Baked Hot Dogs Cooked one week for some hungry missionaries who really enjoyed!!
November . . .
November was full of delicious things as well, not the least of which was this fabulous Chocolate Cola Cake. The Toddster is not a real fan of chocolate cakes, but I tortured him anways because I just adore Chocolate Cake and I had some cola that I needed to road test. Oh my but this has to be the creme de la creme of chocolate cakes. SOOOOO fabulous!
It wasn't all about cake and chocolate though . . .
This Pan Roasted Butternut Squash Lasagne also went down really well . . . ahem . . . rich, delicious and very, very addictive!
Which brings us to
December . . .
There was plenty of deliciousness in December too, with all of the holiday foods and treats, but I think the Rumpled Pizza Buns deserve an honorable mention . . . coz . . . one, I love Pizza . . . two, they were easy to make . . . and three, most important of all . . . THEY WERE DELICIOUS!
So that was 2011 . . . 372 recipes . . . each one delicious in it's own right. I do hope that you enjoyed the journey through the year right along with me. Here's to 2012 and even more deliciousness!!
Happy New Year one and all!
Over in The Cottage today, the Perfect Lemon Tart!
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