Roasted Pepper Soup

This soup can be prepared with store-bought roasted red bell peppers or, if you wish, you can roast your own red, orange or yellow peppers and use them. Or, mix them as you wish if the color of the soup is important to the overall feeling of the event. This will require about three home-roasted peppers (see the note below about roasting peppers.)

INGREDIENTS

1          tablespoon olive oil
1          medium white onion, chopped
4          cloves garlic, minced
2          jars (7 ounce) roasted red bell peppers
1 ½      cups dry white table wine
1          teaspoon dried sage
½         can (15 ounce) cannellini beans (white kidney)
1          tablespoon butter or butter substitute

METHOD

In a large sauce pan, heat the tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and add the onions. Simmer until translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes, and add the garlic. Simmer for 1 minute and add the white wine, bell peppers and sage. Cook uncovered for about 5 minutes and add the beans.

Continue cooking for 5 more minutes and remove from the heat. Working in batches if necessary, place into a blender or food processor and process to a puree. Return to a clean sauce pan and reheat, adding the butter. Serve immediately accompanied by a dollop of goat cheese or ricotta.

Pairs well with TRE Chardonnay.

NOTE: To roast bell peppers, place them on a baking sheet and broil them on the top rack of the oven. Use tongs to turn them as each side becomes partially blackened. When thoroughly blacked on all sides, remove from the broiler and place them into a brown paper bag. Close the bag and let them sweat there for 10 to 15 minutes. Once cooled, remove the skin on the outside, remove the seeds and stem and cut to the desired size.

Potato Cabbage Hash

While I could not find any Irish connection for this recipe, it should be Irish because the main ingredients are cabbage and potato.

INGREDIENTS

½    head green cabbage, cored and sliced thin
1     medium white onion, sliced thin
2     medium Yukon Gold or white potatoes, grated with skin on
2     tablespoons butter
2     tablespoons Dijon mustard
1     tablespoon dried sage

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 325 F.In a baking dish with cover, mix the cabbage, onion and grated potatoes. Melt the butter and mix the mustard with it and pour over the vegetables. Sprinkle the sage over the whole thing and mix it in. Place into the oven and cook, covered, for 35 to 40 minutes.  Remove from the oven, toss slightly and serve immediately. Will serve 2 to 3.

Boxty - Irish Potato Pancakes

A traditional Irish dish, similar to Latke, grated potato pancakes.

INGREDIENTS
1    cup uncooked, grated white or Yukon potatoes
1    cup leftover (or made fresh) mashed potatoes
1    cup all-purpose flour
2    teaspoons baking powder
2    teaspoons salt (optional)
2    large eggs, beaten
¼   cup low fat (2%) milk
2    tablespoons butter or butter substitute

METHOD

Place the grated potatoes in cheesecloth and squeeze them to remove as much liquid as possible. Place them into a large mixing bowl and add the mashed potatoes. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in to the bowl with the potatoes. Add the eggs and mix well. Add enough milk to make a batter.

Place the butter into a skillet over medium heat. When melted, add the batter by tablespoons (or more) to the skillet over medium heat and cook about 4 minutes per side, until golden brown. This dish can also be cooked on a griddle. Serve hot and well-buttered with or without sugar. Boxty is a traditional dish for Shrove Tuesday.

Based on a recipe at “IrishAbroad.com”

Parknasilla Pork Chops

Beautifully situated in the midst of sea, woods and mountains, Parknasilla is on the scenic Ring of Kerry overlooking the Kenmare River. Because of the Gulf Stream and the sheltered location, the area has a delightful climate where subtropical vegetation can flourish.

INGREDIENTS

4    center cut boneless pork chops, ¾ inch thick
2    tablespoons olive or canola oil
3    tablespoons Dijon mustard
3    tablespoons light brown sugar
¼   cup honey
½   cup mead

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease the bottom of a baking dish large enough to hold all four chops. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil and brown the pork chops on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to the baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine the mustard and sugar and then spread it evenly over the pork chops. In another bowl, combine and mix the honey and mead. Spoon this over the chops, cover, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the cover and continue to bake for 15 more minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately with a little of the sauce spooned over them.

Adapted from a recipe at “IrishAbroad.com.”

Irish Soda Bread

INGREDIENTS
3 ½   cups all-purpose flour
1    teaspoon sugar
1    teaspoon salt
1    teaspoons baking soda
6-7 ounces buttermilk

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Sift together all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add half of the buttermilk and begin to stir together. Add more liquid sparingly, if you need to – the dough should be raggy, soft and dryish. Blend the ingredients and then, with floured hands, knead the dough briefly, 1 or 2 minutes.

Form into a flat disk and place onto a lightly floured baking sheet. With a sharp knife, cut a cross into the top of the loaf. Bake for 10 minutes and then lower the heat to 350 and bake until golden brown, about 4 to 6 minutes. Do not over-bake.

Based on a recipe from  “IrishAbroad.com”

Irish Lamb Stew

This dish was probably originally made with mutton instead of lamb because the source recipe asked for 8 hours cooking time. Not for me – mutton.

INGREDIENTS

1 ½  pounds lamb, cut to 1 inch pieces (3 cups)
1      pound white potatoes cut to 1 inch (about 1 cup)
1      large leek, washed and sliced thickly, white and pale green (1 cup)
2-3   carrots, peeled and cut to ½ inch (1 cup)
2      stalks celery, cut to ½ inch slices (1 cup)
1 ½  cups low sodium chicken broth
2      teaspoons fresh chopped thyme
2      teaspoons fresh chopped flat leaf parsley leaves
2      teaspoons dried rosemary

METHOD

Combine lamb, potatoes, leeks, carrots, celery, broth and spices in a large sauce pan. Cover and cook at a simmer for 40 to 50 minutes until the lamb is tender. Remove from the heat and serve immediately. Will serve 3 to 4 people.

This recipe can be doubled to serve more people.

Modified from  a recipe in the internet site “IrishAbroab.com.”

Corned Beef Potato Casserole

INGREDIENTS
1 ½   teaspoons Dijon mustard
¼      cup chicken broth
1 ¼   pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (2 cups sliced)
 ½     pound corned beef in small cubes
1+     cup shredded Dubliner cheese
2       cups shredded green cabbage (1/2 head)

1       thinly sliced medium leek, about 1 1/2 cups   
             (white and pale green parts)
½      teaspoon dried dill
         Paprika

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Grease the sides and bottom of an 8 inch baking dish with butter. Stir together the broth and mustard. Thinly slice the potatoes using a mandolin. Spread 1/3 of the potatoes in the bottom of the dish, slightly overlapping and leaving no gaps.

Add 1/3 of the cheese and 1/2 of the cabbage, leeks and corned beef. Pour 1/2 of the mustard mix over the layer. Repeat these layers and then top with the remaining 1/3 of the potatoes and add the remaining cheese.

Sprinkle the dill and a bit of paprika over the potatoes. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes. Uncover and cook for 8 to 10 more minutes to brown the potatoes on top. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for a few minutes before serving. Will serve 4 to 6 people as a main dish.

Red Cabbage and Apples

They just don’t make better side dishes than this. I can’t wait for St. Patrick’s day to have this with a pork dish and the Irish brown bread. A nice glass of ale will have to accompany it all since I don’t know of any Irish red wines to pair with it.

 

INGREDIENTS
1    large head of red cabbage
2    tablespoons cider vinegar
3    tablespoons granulated sugar
1/8  teaspoon cinnamon
½   cup water
3    Macintosh, Gala or Fuji apples

METHOD

Cut the cabbage into four pieces, remove the core and shred the cabbage. Place into a large steel skillet. Mix the vinegar, sugar, cinnamon and water and pour over the cabbage. Bring to a low boil.

Peel, core and cut each apple into 8 even pieces and put on top of the cabbage in the skillet, cover and cook for about 15 minutes until the cabbage is soft and the apples soft. Remove the cover and cook for about 5 more minutes to evaporate most of the liquid. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Bacon Mushroom Frittata

INGREDIENTS
2    strips bacon or 1 thick cut strip
½   cup chopped celery
1    leek, sliced, white and pale green parts (3/4 cup)
4    cloves garlic, minced
2    cups sliced mushrooms
½   cup roasted red peppers, chopped
1    tablespoon dried thyme
¼   cup soft cream cheese, cut into small cubes
6    eggs, beaten
2    tablespoons chicken broth

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease the sides and bottom of a 10 inch oven proof pie dish. Cut the bacon into ½ inch squares (about 1 cup) and place into a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the bacon slowly until fairly crisp, stirring now and then.

Add the celery, leeks and garlic to the skillet. Cook these for 4 to 5 minutes until crisp--tender and add the red pepper and mushrooms. Cook for 2 more minutes and remove the vegetables to the prepared pie pan baking dish, spreading them into an even layer.

Distribute the cream cheese evenly over the vegetables and mix the broth with the beaten eggs. Pour the eggs over the vegetables. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the frittata is puffed up and golden brown. Allow it to cool on a wire rack before serving. Chilled overnight and warmed again in the morning makes it taste even better.

Lentil And Brown Rice Soup

While the list of ingredients looks a bit long, this is not a difficult dish to make and the results are really great. Outside of taking three sauce pans it really is easy. It started out several different places all of which were not very good. After much sitting and thinking about it, the following plan came about and it tasted so good I ate it all one evening. It has a middle-eastern or Moroccan flavor but is not really spicy; a hearty and healthy soup for the cold winter days.
 
INGREDIENTS
½   cup brown rice
1    cup beef broth
1    cup water
½   teaspoon salt
 
¾   cup lentils, picked over and rinsed
1    cup red wine
1    cup water
1    teaspoon ground cumin

½   cup carrots diced to ½ inch

½   cup celery diced to ½ inch
1    small Yukon Gold potato diced to ½ inch
1    small white onion, chopped
1    cup chicken broth
1    cup beef broth
1    cup water
1    teaspoon each paprika, cumin, cardamom, turmeric and coriander
1    preserved lemon*, seeded, chopped, or 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1    pinch red pepper flakes
2    bay leaves

METHOD

In a small sauce pan, place the rice, broth, water and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 40 to 45 minutes until the rice is tender. If the liquid level gets low, add water ¼ cup at a time.

In another sauce pan, add the lentils, red wine, water and cumin. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until the lentils are tender. If the liquid level gets low, add water ¼ cup at a time.

In a large saucepan, add all the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 30 minutes until all the vegetables are soft. Remove the bay leaves and place the soup into a blender or food processor and blend to a puree. Rinse out the sauce pan and return the puree to it. When the rice and lentils are cooked, add to this sauce pan and reheat.

*NOTE: See the information about Moroccan Lemons in this blog