St. Patrick’s Day Recipes

Peg Rasmussen, former owner of Countryside Cafe in Medina, is here to share some Irish-centered dishes in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.

 

Guinness Bread – Compliments of Kathleen McCarthy

Ingredients:

3 cups self-rising flour
½ cup cane sugar
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup molasses
12 oz bottle Extra Stout Guinness

Directions:

Mix the ingredients together in the order listed. The batter will be heavy. Transfer into a greased bread tin and bake at 350 for 50 minutes – test by piercing middle of loaf with a knife.

 

Shepherd’s Pie – Kathleen McCarthy

Ingredients: Filling

1 lb beef – ground or small diced
1 medium yellow onion – diced
3 t dried parsley
1 t dried Rosemary
1 t dried thyme
Salt & Pepper
1 T Worcestershire Sauce
2 cloves garlic -diced
2 T flour
2 T tomato paste
1 cup beef broth
½ cup each – peas, corn & diced carrots

Directions:

In a Dutch oven

Brown the beef and onions together – add the garlic during the last 5 minutes.

Add all of the seasonings , flour and tomato paste and mix well. Add the bef broth and adjust salt & pepper and then simmer on low heat for 25 -30 minutes. Add the vegetables and continue to simmer until carrots are tender.

Topping:

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs of russet potatoes peel & boil
1 stick butter
1/3 cup half & half
1 T garlic powder
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 T horseradish
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Mash the potatoes and add all other ingredients

Adjust the salt & pepper and consistency if necessary

Drop the potato mixture on to the top of the stew

Bake at 400 until the top is browned 15-20 min

 

Cake (for Rainbow Cake Layers)

Regular cake mixes are great, but I usually want a cake that is a bit denser. That can easily be achieved by adding a bit of butter, sour cream or yogurt and additional eggs. I also add a bit of vanilla for white cake and substitute chocolate syrup for water with chocolate cake. You can add other flavors as you like – like almond or maple.

White Cake:

Ingredients:

Box of white cake mix
½ cup butter – room temp
1 cup sour cream (or vanilla yogurt)
3 eggs
1 t vanilla
½ cup water

Directions:

Beat butter, sour cream and vanilla together on medium speed until incorporated

At low speed add eggs, one at a time – then cake mix – then water.

Scrape down bowl and increase speed to medium for 1 minute

Pour into sprayed /floured pan

Bake at 325 until the center pops back

Add food coloring for each layer to make it a rainbow