Irish Pub Grub

Happy St. Patrick's Day! My mum gave me this Irish Pub Cookbook and so of course I had to make an Irish meal on St. Patrick's Day. I figured everyone else is making corned beef and cabbage so I will make a different meal. On my Irish Pub Grub Menu is Fish Cakes and Beef in Stout with Herb Dumplings. Enjoy and Have a Great Cooking Day! P.S. You don't just have to cook Irish food on St. Patrick's Day!



First up is Fish Cakes:
Ingredient List:
1 pound of  potatoes, peeled and cut into evenly sized chunks
1 pound of mixed fish fillets such as salmon and cod, remove any skin (I used both and try to get fresh)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or dried
1 lemon for squeezing on fish cake
2 tablespoons of  heavy cream
1 tablespoon of all purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
2 cups of  fresh breadcrumbs or substitute
4 tablespoons of vegetable oil
salt and pepper for seasoning

Directions:
1. Cook the potatoes in a large pan of boiling salted water for 15-20 minutes. Drain and mash the potatoes smooth.
2. Place the fish in a skillet and just cover with water. On medium heat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes or when done.
3. Remove from the heat and place fish onto a plate. When cool enough flake the fish into chunks. Make sure to remove any bones, if any.
4. Mix the potatoes with the fish, tarragon, and cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Shape into patties. You can make 4-6 large or 8 smaller.
5. Dust the patties with flour and use a brush to coat with beaten egg on one side, then flip over and brush with beaten egg. Coat thoroughly in the breadcrumbs. Place on a baking sheet or platter. Chill the patties in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
6. Heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat. Fry the patties for 5 minutes on each side. Use a spatula to flip gently over.
7. Serve with lemon and enjoy!

Up Second is Beef in Stout with Herb Dumplings
Ingredient List:
For Stew
2 tablespoons corn oil
2 large onions, thinly and evenly sliced
8 carrots, sliced evenly
4 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 pounds of precut stew beef
1 3/4 cup your choice Stout (I used one bottle of Samuel Adams Cream Stout, I know it's not Irish but it was the only single bottle I could find to buy)
2 teaspoons of  brown sugar
2 fresh bay leaves or dried
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or dried
salt and pepper for seasoning

For Dumplings- Add in Beef in Stout during last 15 minutes of cook time (for this I used a simpler recipe not in my Irish Pub Cookbook)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon fresh oregano
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup milk

Directions for Beef in Stout
1. Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees. On top of your stove heat the oil in a skillet or a stove top casserole dish. Add chopped onions and carrots to the oil. Cook over low heat and stir occasionally for 5 minutes or until the onions are soft. Remove from heat and put the onions and carrots in a bowl until needed again.
2. In a Ziploc bag add the flour. Add as much or as little salt and pepper as you like. Place the beef in the bag, close, and shake until all the beef is covered.. If you have to coat the beef  in small batches.
3. Put the beef in the skillet or casserole dish and in batches brown the beef. Add a little liquid, it helps when stirring the beef. Make sure to stir frequently. You are only browning not cooking.
4. Place browned beef, onions, and carrots in a casserole dish. Pour your choice of stout into casserole dish. Next add the brown sugar, bay leaves, and thyme. Cover casserole dish and cook for 1 hour and 45 minutes.
5. Add dumpling mixture during last 15 minutes of cooking time.

Directions for Dumplings:
1. In a bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, parsley, thyme, and oregano. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add milk, using just enough to form a thick batter.
2. Drop by rounded tablespoons into your Beef in Stout, recover casserole dish, and allow to cook 15 minutes.

Recipes from Irish Pub Cooking Cookbook pages 30 and 40.
Herb Dumpling Recipe from All Recipes,

Summer Cream of Tomato Soup

I am finally getting around to posting this recipe for Cream of Tomato Soup. I made this Friday for our dinner. I am trying to ween us off canned soups and other premade food as much as I can and since it was a cold day I decided to make tomato soup and grilled cheese (please if you make use real cheese and not the processed cheese slices the sandwiches taste soooo much better!). There are a couple of mental hurdles to get over in this homemade tomato soup especially if you grew up on canned tomato soup. One is the flavor it actually tastes like tomatoes. Two this is a summer cream of tomato soup and is not the thick creamy soup you probably have in your mind, but it still has a light creamy texture and taste. Enjoy and Have a Great Cookin' Day!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
3 or 4 sprigs fresh thyme or a pinch of dried thyme
6-8 ripe tomatoes (about 2 pounds), coarsely chopped
3 cups chicken broth (I used a premade broth, but homemade would be better)
about 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
ground pepper
a little sugar
chopped chives (optional for garnish)

Gather ingredients.

Don't forget anything!

Wash and chop 2 pounds of tomatoes.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in 2-3 quart pot.

Add tomatoes, 3 cups chicken broth, and thyme (fresh or dried) and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes.

Add half the mixture to blender or food processor and puree.

Pour puree tomatoes a little at a time through a fine mesh sieve and push mixture through with a spoon. When done with first batch then repeat above step and this step again with second half of batch of cooked tomatoes.



This is what mixture looks like after pushing it through sieve. It collects the seeds which you don't want in the soup. You will have to rinse off a couple of times during the process.



Wipe out your pot to remove any tomato seeds. Return mixture to pot, gently heat it and stir in the 1/2 cup of heavy cream a little at a time. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and a little sugar if the soup tastes a little acidic from the tomatoes.

Garnish with chives (optional). We just topped with pepper and served with grilled cheese sandwiches (made with mild cheddar cheese). Enjoy!

Turkey and Spinach Lasagna Rolls

My husband Andy loves lasagna and I thought I would treat him tonight to one of his favorite meals. Well almost his favorite meal...I made this lasagna with lean ground turkey and spinach. It was a hit with him and has already asked when I will make it again. Enjoy and have a Great Cookin' Day!

Ingredients:
8 ounces lean ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 minced garlic cloves (I used organic garlic paste)
1 cup water
1 7 1/2 can (2/3 cup) tomatoes, cut up (I used fresh tomatoes)
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons dried crushed oregano
1 teaspoon crushed dried basil
8 packaged dried lasagna noodles
1 beaten egg
1 15 ounce carton ricotta cheese
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (fresh would be better but for convenience I used frozen)
1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Gather ingredients.



Prep onions, garlic (I used organic garlic paste) and tomatoes.

Place turkey, garlic(I used organic garlic paste), and onion in skillet. Cook on medium heat until turkey is no longer pink. Drain any fat.

Stir in water, tomatoes (undrained if using canned), tomato paste, oregano, and basil. Bring to boil, reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile cook 8 lasagna noodles according to directions on box. When done drain noodles, rinse with cold water, and then drain again.

While sauce and noodles are cooking prep filling. In mixing bowl stir beat egg. Then stir in ricotta cheese, spinach (thawed and drained), 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Mix well.

Spread about 1/2 cup filling on each lasagna noodle.

Roll up each lasagna noodle.



Place lasagna rolls into a 2 quart rectangle baking dish. Pour sauce over lasagna roll. Cover dish with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.



 

Remove foil sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for 5-10 minutes or till heated through. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.



Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. I served with a romaine salad. Enjoy!

Directions:
1. For sauce, in a large skillet cook turkey, onion, and garlic till turkey is no longer pink; drain any fat. Stir in water, tomatoes (undrained if you use canned), tomato paste, oregano, and basil. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles according to the directions on package. Drain noodles; rinse with cold water. Drain again.

3. For filling, in a mixing bowl stir together egg, ricotta cheese, spinach, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, and 3/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese.

4. Spread about 1/2 cup of the filling on each lasagna noodle. Starting from a narrow end, roll up each lasagna noodle. Place lasagna rolls in a 2-quart rectangle baking dish. Pour sauce over lasagna rolls. Cover dish with foil.

5. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes more or till heated through. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.

This recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens cookbook Pasta Cooking for Today page 57.

Apricot Chicken

I am a fan of Chinese takeout and my husband Andy not so much, so I searched for a recipe that would please us both. My criteria for the recipe was that it have elements of a Chinese takeout meal like cashew chicken but a totally different flavor. I came across two recipes on All Recipes website and both were apricot chicken. One recipe you cooked in the microwave (no way am I cooking chicken in the microwave) and the other had a Caribbean flair to it (made with rum which I omitted). So I did the best I could with the two and took ingredients from both recipes, subtracted ingredients from both, and made up the directions as I went. It actually was easy to make and very flavorful. Enjoy and Have a Great Cookin' Day!

Ingredients:
1- 11/2 pound baked chicken cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup apricot preserves (use more for more apricot flavor)
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon chicken broth
1 tablespoon organic garlic paste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Mixture of veggies (I used red, yellow, and green peppers, onion, carrots, broccoli, green beans, and sugar snap peas from the frozen section to save time)
1/2 cup unsalted cashews (you can use salted, I just prefer the unsalted)
Sea salt
Lemon
Rice (I made 1 1/2 cup plain white rice, but jasmine rice would be good too)

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the cooked chicken into the skillet and squeeze lemon juice over chicken. Put as much or little as you want. Warm up for about 2-3 minutes. Stir occasionally.
2. Stir in apricot preserves, chicken broth, organic garlic paste, brown sugar, ground ginger, and sea salt (I just sprinkled a little). Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally so sauce doesn't burn to pan.
3. Add veggies. Simmer until veggies are cooked thoroughly but still have a slight crisp.
4. For the last 2 minutes of veggies cooking add cashews and stir. Then remove from heat.

Gather ingredients.

Heat olive oil in pan on medium heat. Add baked chicken and squeeze lemon juice over chicken. Stir occasionally.

Add apricot preserves, chicken broth, garlic paste, brown sugar, ground ginger, and sea salt. Lower heat to simmer and stir occasionally for about 5 minutes.

Add veggies. Simmer until veggies are cooked but still slightly crisp.

Add cashews during last 2 minutes of veggies cooking. Keep stirring occasionally. When done remove from heat.

 

Serve over hot cooked rice. Enjoy!

 

Garden Burgers and Baked Fries

I love a good burger as much as the next person, but I sure do get bored with them. Today I was craving a burger but wanted something with a different taste and decided to make a garden burger and baked french fries. This was the first time I made these and "Wow" were these delicious! Enjoy the recipe and have a Great Cookin' Day!

Ingredients for Baked Fries

Idaho potatoes (I peeled 5, but used only 3)

Olive oil

Sea salt

Chives

Ingredients for Garden Burgers

1 egg (I did not use as I have an aversion to egg in ground beef)

1 tablespoon ketchup

1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed or fresh if you have it

1/2 teaspoon onion salt (I substituted this for organic garlic paste I used about 3 squeezes)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup chopped frozen broccoli

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1/4 soft bread crumbs (I did not use)

1 pound ground chuck

Cooking Directions

Gather ingredients. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash, peel, and slice potatoes in long slices about 1/2" wide. Pat dry with paper towel.

 

Place potatoes in bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, mix until well coated.

 

Place fries on baking sheet. Do not use wax paper like I did, I recommend a cooking spray to avoid fries sticking to baking sheet. Bake until golden brown. My stove took almost 40 minutes, yours might be different. So keep an eye on the fries so you don't burn them.

During last 3-5 minutes of baking sprinkle fries with snipped chives.

Gather ingredients for garden burgers. Pre-heat grill pan or Foreman grill (or equivalent to a Foreman)

Mix all ingredients in mixing bowl.

Make patties. Use a grill pan or Foreman grill or equivalent (I used my Foreman grill). Cook until desired doneness.

We had our garden burgers on whole wheat buns and topped with romaine lettuce and ranch dressing. Enjoy!



Grilled Chicken Pesto Pizza

Okay, I'll admit it: I am not a pizza fan. I will eat it, but won't go out of my way for pizza. When I seen this recipe for a chicken pesto pizza in my new Italian cookbook I actually got excited about pizza for the first time in my life. Then I found a recipe for a homemade pesto sauce (see bottom of this page for credit and link) which looked promising. Andy wasn't too keen on me making this and wanted to go to Pizza Hut for a meat lover's, but I refused and told him I will make this pizza if he goes to the grocery store for the ingredients. Of course he went (twice because he doesn't know how to answer his phone or a text message). Ingredients in hand  I got to work making this pizza which turned out awesome! Enjoy the pizza and have a Great Cookin' Day!
 
Original recipe for Basil Pesto: (I adjusted recipe to make 1/4 cup of pesto which is enough for the pizza. You can make full recipe and freeze leftovers for another meal)
 
3 cups fresh basil leaves
2-3 cloves garlic (I cheated and used organic garlic paste)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (block and then grate)
Splash of fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In a food processor or blender chop up the garlic (skip this step if you use garlic paste) until it is minced.
2. Add in the basil and cheese and start to blend. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while the machine is running. Blend until smooth.
3. Squeeze in a little lemon juice and add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Taste the sauce and adjust to your taste.
5. Set aside 1/4 cup of pesto for pizza. Freeze leftover pesto for future meal.

Chicken Pesto Pizza:
1 tube thin crust pizza dough (I used Pillsbury brand)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound chicken breast, grilled (I used my Foreman grill) and cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced (more or less to taste)
1/4 cup pesto sauce (see recipe above)
2 large plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 cup shredded pizza cheese blend or mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Follow instructions on pizza dough for pre-heat instructions and pre-baking dough.
2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add grilled chicken, heat and stir for about 1-2 minutes. Add onion and pesto sauce; cook and stir about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Then remove from heat. Let cool slightly.
3. Spread chicken mixture evenly over pizza dough to within 1 inch of edges. Sprinkle with cheese.
4. Cook 6-10 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cut into squares.

Gather Ingredients. I pre-grilled chicken, chopped onions and diced tomatoes while chicken was grilling. I let chicken cool while I made pesto sauce. Pre-cook pizza dough according to directions.

Heat oil on medium heat. Place chicken in pan. Heat and stir for 1-2 minutes.

Add in onions and pesto sauce. Cook and stir for about 3 minutes.

Stir in diced tomatoes. Then remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Spread mixture over pre-cooked pizza dough. Cook for 6-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Cut into squares and enjoy!

Credit for Pesto Recipe goes to two peas and their pod Original recipe here.
Original Chicken Pesto pizza page 32 in Favorite Brand name Italian 3 Books in 1 cookbook.