I’m not Irish, but I love St. Patrick’s Day and the traditional corn beef and cabbage and soda bread dinner. This year, however, I think I’d like to skip the large amount of salt in the corned beef and turn to something just as Irish—lamb. The Lenten dessert ban that I’m on certainly shouldn’t affect the rest of my guests and Zig—so I’m going to top off this great St. Patrick’s Day party with the pie of the month—Grasshopper pie!
The lamb stew is a recipe from my son—the only one with the cooking gene—who lives in Madison. His measuring techniques leave something to the imagination—but I put more precise amounts in parentheses.
Jed’s Lamb Stew
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small or ½ large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. cooked lamb in bite-sized pieces
Chopped carrots – 2 handfuls (1 cup)
Peas – 2 handfuls (3/4 cup)
2 roasted red peppers, roughly chopped
5 cups beef broth
1 cup good red wine
2 Tbsp. corn starch
2 large sprigs of rosemary
5-8 sprigs of Thyme
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
Orzo Pasta – 1-2 handfuls (½ - 1 cup) or 2 medium potatoes, pared and diced into ½ inch dice
1 handful chopped Shitake Mushrooms (1/2 cup)
Salt and Pepper
Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until tender. Add the cooked lamb, carrots, peas, red peppers, rosemary, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Add beef broth and wine. Bring to a simmer. Mix corn starch with 2 Tbsp. of cold water and add to stew. Add pasta or potatoes. Allow to simmer until pasta or potatoes are tender, stirring regularly. Change stove temp to low and allow stew to stop simmering. If it is not as thick as you’d like it, add more cornstarch and simmer some more. Taste stew and add more salt and pepper if needed. Add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are tender. Pull out the thyme and rosemary sprigs. Eat with delicious bread.
Since this is a St. Patty’s Day meal, the “delicious bread” is going to be a take on soda bread so I can freeze any left-overs and serve to my breakfast guests, as well.
Soda Muffins with Cheddar and Scallions
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ cup ( ½ stick) butter, chilled and cut into pieces
6 ounces coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese
¼ cup chopped scallions, white and green parts
2 cups buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
Preheat oven to 350. Grease or spray two 12-cup muffin tins. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in cheese and scallions. Mix buttermilk and egg and add to dry ingredients stirring just until blended (batter will be thick). Spoon batter into muffin tins. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Serve warm.
Grasshopper Pie
Chocolate Cookie Crust (recipe follows)
32 large marshmallows or 3 cups miniature marshmallows
½ cup milk
¼ cup green crème de menthe
3 Tbsp. white crème de cacao
1 ½ cups chilled whipping cream
Few drops green food color
Prepare crust from store-bought chocolate wafers or make the cookies in the recipe below. Heat marshmallows and milk over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until marshmallows melt. Chill until thickened; blend in liqueurs. Beat cream until stiff. Fold marshmallow mixture into whipped cream; fold in food color. Pour into cooled crust. Chill at least 3 hours. Garnish with chocolate curls.
Chocolate Cookie Crust
1 ½ cups cookie crumbs
¼ cup butter, melted
Crush cookies in food processor until fine crumbs. With processor running, add melted butter through feed tube until mixture comes together. Press mixture against bottom and sides of 9” pie pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool before filling.
Chocolate Wafers
1 ½ cups flour
½ cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 stick butter, softened
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup melted and cooled butter
1 large egg
1 ½ tsps. pure vanilla
Preheat oven to 375. Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in medium bowl; set aside. Put first amount of butter and sugar into bowl of a mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high until pale and fluffy. Mix in additional melted butter. Add egg and vanilla; mix until creamy. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture and mix until combined. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are firm, 12-15 minutes.
The lamb stew is a recipe from my son—the only one with the cooking gene—who lives in Madison. His measuring techniques leave something to the imagination—but I put more precise amounts in parentheses.
Jed’s Lamb Stew
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small or ½ large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. cooked lamb in bite-sized pieces
Chopped carrots – 2 handfuls (1 cup)
Peas – 2 handfuls (3/4 cup)
2 roasted red peppers, roughly chopped
5 cups beef broth
1 cup good red wine
2 Tbsp. corn starch
2 large sprigs of rosemary
5-8 sprigs of Thyme
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
Orzo Pasta – 1-2 handfuls (½ - 1 cup) or 2 medium potatoes, pared and diced into ½ inch dice
1 handful chopped Shitake Mushrooms (1/2 cup)
Salt and Pepper
Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until tender. Add the cooked lamb, carrots, peas, red peppers, rosemary, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Add beef broth and wine. Bring to a simmer. Mix corn starch with 2 Tbsp. of cold water and add to stew. Add pasta or potatoes. Allow to simmer until pasta or potatoes are tender, stirring regularly. Change stove temp to low and allow stew to stop simmering. If it is not as thick as you’d like it, add more cornstarch and simmer some more. Taste stew and add more salt and pepper if needed. Add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are tender. Pull out the thyme and rosemary sprigs. Eat with delicious bread.
Since this is a St. Patty’s Day meal, the “delicious bread” is going to be a take on soda bread so I can freeze any left-overs and serve to my breakfast guests, as well.
Soda Muffins with Cheddar and Scallions
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ cup ( ½ stick) butter, chilled and cut into pieces
6 ounces coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese
¼ cup chopped scallions, white and green parts
2 cups buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
Preheat oven to 350. Grease or spray two 12-cup muffin tins. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in cheese and scallions. Mix buttermilk and egg and add to dry ingredients stirring just until blended (batter will be thick). Spoon batter into muffin tins. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Serve warm.
Grasshopper Pie
Chocolate Cookie Crust (recipe follows)
32 large marshmallows or 3 cups miniature marshmallows
½ cup milk
¼ cup green crème de menthe
3 Tbsp. white crème de cacao
1 ½ cups chilled whipping cream
Few drops green food color
Prepare crust from store-bought chocolate wafers or make the cookies in the recipe below. Heat marshmallows and milk over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until marshmallows melt. Chill until thickened; blend in liqueurs. Beat cream until stiff. Fold marshmallow mixture into whipped cream; fold in food color. Pour into cooled crust. Chill at least 3 hours. Garnish with chocolate curls.
Chocolate Cookie Crust
1 ½ cups cookie crumbs
¼ cup butter, melted
Crush cookies in food processor until fine crumbs. With processor running, add melted butter through feed tube until mixture comes together. Press mixture against bottom and sides of 9” pie pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool before filling.
Chocolate Wafers
1 ½ cups flour
½ cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 stick butter, softened
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup melted and cooled butter
1 large egg
1 ½ tsps. pure vanilla
Preheat oven to 375. Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in medium bowl; set aside. Put first amount of butter and sugar into bowl of a mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high until pale and fluffy. Mix in additional melted butter. Add egg and vanilla; mix until creamy. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture and mix until combined. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are firm, 12-15 minutes.
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