Happy St. Patrick's Day!

We had a fantastic time at our little St. Pattie's Day/board game party this weekend. Every one enjoyed the food, company and hysterical games. If your old Taboo box is gathering dust, be sure to bust it out the next time you have company over.

On to the menu! To start, I set out a plate of mini-shepard's pies, an Irish cheese plate (with green grapes, of course) and a zucchini carpacio. The shepard's pies were a big hit, and even ended up getting reheated once the party dragged into the wee hours. For the main course we had this lamb stew and a side of my grandma's cabbage and noodles. I tend to use a light hand with the salt when we have guests over, since I don't know their preferences, but I think these both could have used a little more seasoning. For dessert we munched on the Oreo truffles, which everyone LOVED. We also had tons of Irish beer and this green punch. The punch is dangerous, since you can't taste the alcohol at all, so be warned!

Also a big thanks to Debby over at A Feast for the Eyes, for this very sweet award:

I always enjoy Debby's blog and her comments. She has been a great friend! This award is for the following:

"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated."

I want to pass this along to Foodie with Little Thyme. She is a mom, wife, runner, and of course, is always full of great recipes and delicious food. Please go check her out!

Hope you all have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day! Go kiss someone Irish!

Lamb Shank Stew with Russet Potato Top

Slightly Adapted from Tyler Florence

1 cup AP flour

salt and pepper

3 lamb shanks (appx. 24-oz.), cut into pieces

2 tablespoons EVOO

4 garlic cloves, chopped

4 carrots, peeled and cut into coins

1 large onion, roughly chopped

1 bay leaf

1/4 bunch of thyme

2 cloves

3/4 bottle (750ml) red wine

4-5 cups low sodium beef broth

1 cup barley

6 russet potatoes

Garlic-Parsley Butter:

10 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt

1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley, leaves chopped

1 stick unsalted butter

• Preheat oven to 350℉.
• Place flour and a liberal amount of salt and pepper on a plate.
• Dredge lamb pieces in flour and shake off excess.
• Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat.
• Brown lamb pieces on all sides, the set aside.
• Add garlic, carrots, onion, bay leaf, thyme and cloves to pot, and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until veggies are slightly browned.
• Add beef stock, wine and barley.
• Add lamb back to pot, cover and roast in oven for 2 hours.
• Garlic-Parsley Butter: Make while stew is cooking.
• Using the back of a knife, mash together garlic, salt and olive oil, to form a paste.
• Mix with parsley.
• Melt butter in a sauce pot and add garlic-parsley mixture.
• Cook over low for 5 minutes, then set aside.
• Peel potatoes and cut in half lengthwise (submerge in cold water if not ready to use immediately, to keep from turning black).
• After stew has cooked for 2 hours, remove the lid and place potatoes on top (you may have to cut the potatoes to make them all fit).
• Place pot back in oven to cook for 45 minutes.
• Baste the potatoes with the garlic butter, and return to oven to cook for an additional 15 minutes, or until potatoes have cooked through.

Green Punch

2 (12-oz.) cans frozen limeade concentrate

2 (12-oz.) cans frozen lemonade concentrate

3 liters sprite

1 (750ml) bottle rum

2 quarts lime sherbet (All I could find was rainbow, which didn't affect the flavor, but I did add in a few drops of green food coloring to intensify the color)

• Combine first 4 ingredients, then stir in sherbet.
• Serve cold.

Festive Oreo Truffles

How fun and adorable are these?! I got this idea last year from Barkerella (I'm sure you all already love her site, but if you haven't visited, be sure to!), and thought they would be perfect for our little get together this weekend. They are made with mint Oreos (which taste just like thin mints), which are ground up and combined with cream cheese, then dipped in colored candy coating. You could really make them for any holiday depending on what color candies you used. 

These would be fantastic to make with your kids. They are a lot of fun, and you use your hands for most of the work. Mine weren't dipped perfectly, but when you pile them all together, I doubt anyone would care. And they are so good! Really sweet, really addictive. The little ball form makes them way too easy to just eat one right after another. And if you aren't a mint fan, go ahead and use the plain Oreos. I'm sure those would rock as well.

I still have more recipes for the 17th to come, including a kicked-up lamb stew and a fun green punch. Who knew St. Pattie's day could be so much fun, even before the drinking starts?!

Mint Oreo Truffles

Courtesy of Bakerella

Makes appx. 4 dozen (So be sure to share!)

1 package Cool Mint flavored Double Stuffed Oreos

- use 22 whole cookies

- use 10 cookies with cream centers discarded

8-ounces cream cheese, at room temp

chocolate bark or candy coating (I used Wilton's Brand, which you can order online)

• Place all cookies in a food processor and pulse to a fine crumb. You could also put them in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
• Stir together crushed cookies and cream cheese. I found it easier to get in there with my hands like you are making meatloaf.
• Roll into 1-inch balls (I used a mini-melon baller gadget) and place on wax paper lined baking sheet.
• Place balls into the fridge or freezer to slightly harden.
• Melt candies according to instructions.
• Dip chilled balls into melted candies, then place back on wax paper to dry. (You might need to stick balls back into fridge for a few minutes to keep them chilled, which will make them easier to work with).
• Once candy coating has hardened, you can drizzle or decorate with a contrasting color.
• Keep refrigerated.

Perfect St. Patrick's Day Appetizer

We are having a few friends over this weekend for a pre-St. Pattie's Day/board game night. I'm cooking up a bunch of Irish or green food and everyone else is required to bring a board game. There will be tons of food, Guinness and green punch. All that coupled with some corny games (and maybe a few Rock Band sessions) should make for quite the evening!

I'm hoping to do most of the cooking before anyone gets here, so that way I can enjoy the party as well. I decided to make these cute little shepard's pies before hand, refrigerate or freeze them, then throw them in the oven right before people get here. Since I hadn't made these before, Brad and I gave them a test run the other night, and they turned out fantastic! Really flavorful, and actually pretty easy to eat with your hands, which is a big sticking point I have for finger food.

These all start with canned biscuits, which you shape into muffin tins and partially bake, forming little biscuit cups. You then fill them with mashed potatoes and a delicious meat and veggie mixture, and top the whole thing off with cheddar cheese. They bake in the oven until the cheese is melted and browned and the biscuits are cooked through. Since there are a few steps and these would certainly need to be made before guests arrive, I'm quite happy to say that they are just as yummy after being in the fridge then heated in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 350℉. I also made bite-sized versions, using half a biscuit and a mini-muffin tin.

I could not think of a more perfect appetizer for a St. Patrick's Day celebration! Stay tuned for other Irish goodies coming later this week!

Mini Shepard's Pies

Slightly Adapted from Big Daddy's House - Aaron McCargo, Jr.

cooking spray

12 canned biscuits (I used Grands Homestyle)

1 pound ground beef

1/2 onion, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

2 tablespoons AP flour

1/2 cup beef stock

1 cup frozen mixed veggies

1/2 cup leftover mashed potatoes (I used the frozen version and just heated them up)

1 tablespoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons onion powder

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

• Preheat oven to 425℉.
• Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.
• Using your hands or a rolling pin, gently increase the circle size of each biscuit.
• Mold the biscuit into a cup shape inside each muffin tin.
• Partially bake biscuits for 6-8 minutes, then set aside.
• Brown beef in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add onions, salt, pepper and garlic, and cook for a few minutes, letting the onions soften.
• Stir flower into meat until a pastey consistency.
• Add beef stock and cook for a few minutes.
• Add vegetables and herbs and cook just until veggies have been warmed.
• Meanwhile, reheat potatoes in microwave for 5-6 minutes, or until warm, then stir in garlic and onion powder.
•  Spoon equal amounts of potatoes into the biscuit cups (it will look like it's filled to the top).
• Top with beef mixture and push down with the back of a spoon or hands.
• Top with mounds of cheese.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and browned.
• Let cool for a few minutes, then gently remove each cup, using a knife if necessary.

Irish Onion Soup

I made this the other night when our friends came over for dinner (and some very intense Rock Band sessions!). It's been really cold in nyc for the past few weeks, so soup has never been more appropriate. I'm a big fan of this one because it is a take on a classical French onion soup, but instead the onions are braised in Guinness and the bread topper is smothered in melted Irish cheddar. 

The soup was really flavorful and the cheesy crouton made it substantial enough to serve as a main course. I also love serving things in individual dishes. It just makes for a fun presentation. Unfortunately, I did have a few hiccups with the timing of the recipe. The onions took WAY longer to cook than the recipe called for (they said 15 minutes, I cooked them for like 40 and they still weren't as cooked as I would have liked). Aside from that, and the fact that my eyes are still watering from cutting up so many onions, the soup is a cinch to pull together and everyone seemed to really like it. Especially the men, this is definitely guy food.

Irish Onion Soup

Adapted from Easy Entertaining - Michael Chiarello

Yields 6 Servings

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

5 garlic cloves, minced

8 yellow onions, or about 8 cups, thinly sliced

salt

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

1 1/2 cups dark beer (Guinness)

6 cups beef stock

6 slices country break, cute 1/2-inch thick, lightly toasted

1/2 pound Irish cheddar, thinly sliced

• Heat olive oil in a pot over high heat and add onions and garlic.
• Season with salt and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
• Reduce heat to low and continue cooking onions, stirring occasionally, till they are golden brown, about 45 minutes.
• Add thyme, vinegar and beer and cook until beer is reduced by half.
• Add beef stock, bring to a simmer, and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the broiler.
• When soup is done cooking, ladle servings into individual, oven-safe bowls.
• Top each serving with the bread and cheese.
• Broil the soups until the cheese it totally melted and slightly browned.
• Serve immediately.