Irish Treats to Celebrate With
This week, we will again focus on St. Patrick’s Day and some family-friendly meal options to help you celebrate this holiday.
St. Patrick’s Day is a great way to bring more veggies into your meals!
Broccoli-Ham Puff Pancake
Prep: 20 min.
Cook: 25 min.
Servings: 6
1/4 C. butter, cubed
1 C. all-purpose flour
4 lg. eggs
1 C. whole milk
Filling:
3 T. butter
3 T. all-purpose flour
1 C. plus 2 T. whole milk
1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1-1/2 C. cubed fully cooked ham
1/3 C. sour cream
1-1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. hot pepper sauce
Preheat oven to 425°F. Melt butter in a 10-in. ovenproof skillet. In a small bowl, beat the flour, eggs and milk until smooth. Pour into prepared skillet. Bake until puffed and golden brown, 22-25 min.
Meanwhile, for filling, in a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 2 min. Reduce heat; add the remaining filling ingredients. Cook until heated through, about 10 min.
Spoon into center of puff pancake. Cut into wedges; serve immediately.
Leprechaun Lime Drink
Prep: 5 min.
Servings: 6
1 qt. lime sherbet, softened
1/2 C. thawed limeade concentrate
2 T. sugar
2 cans (12 oz. each) lemon-lime soda, chilled
1 to 2 C. crushed ice
Lemon slices and lime peel strips, optional
In a large bowl, beat sherbet, limeade and sugar until blended. Stir in soda and ice. Serve in chilled glasses. If desired, top with lemon slices and lime peel.
Pistachio Quick Bread
Prep: 20 min.
Cook: 35 min.
Servings: 2 loaves
1 pkg. white cake mix (regular size)
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) instant pistachio pudding mix
4 lg. eggs, room temperature
1 C. sour cream
1/4 C. water
1/4 C. canola oil
1/3 C. sugar
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine dry cake and pudding mixes. Add the eggs, sour cream, water and oil; beat until blended (batter will be thick).
Combine sugar and cinnamon. Spoon half the batter into 2 greased 8x4-in. loaf pans; sprinkle each with 2 T. cinnamon sugar. Top with remaining batter; sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35-40 min. Cool for 10 min. before removing from pans to wire racks.
Shepherd’s Pie
Prep: 30 min.
Servings: 6
1 lb. ground beef
1 C. chopped onion
2 C. frozen corn, thawed
2 C. frozen peas, thawed
2 T. ketchup
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 T. cornstarch
1 tsp. beef bouillon granules
1/2 C. cold water
1/2 C. sour cream
3-1/2 C. mashed potatoes (prepared with milk and butter)
3/4 C. shredded cheddar cheese
In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, breaking it into crumbles; drain. Stir in the corn, peas, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and garlic. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook for 5 min.
Combine the cornstarch, bouillon and water until well blended; stir into beef mixture. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir until thickened, 2 min. Stir in sour cream and heat through (do not boil).
Spread mashed potatoes over the top; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and cook until potatoes are heated through and cheese is melted.
Zucchini Meatballs
Prep: 25 min.
Cook: 15 min.
Servings: 16 meatballs
3 C. shredded zucchini
1 C. Italian-style panko bread crumbs
1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
1 lg. egg, lightly beaten
2 T. grated onion
1 T. minced fresh basil
3/4 tsp. salt, divided
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
Place zucchini in a colander over a plate; sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. salt and toss. Let stand 10 min. Squeeze zucchini to remove excess liquid. Pat dry.
In a large bowl combine zucchini, bread crumbs, Parmesan, egg, onion, basil, remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, garlic powder and pepper.
Shape zucchini mixture into 2-in. balls; place 1-in. apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake until edges are golden brown, 15-18 min.
Zucchini Noodles
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 10 min
Servings: 4
2 lg. zucchini
1 T. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
Gather all ingredients. Trim ends of zucchini. Using a spiralizer, shave zucchini into thin strands. In a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add zucchini; cook until slightly softened, 1-2 min., tossing constantly with tongs (do not overcook). Sprinkle with salt. Serve as-is, or with sauce of choice.
Rainbow Cake with Clouds
Prep: 30 min.
Cook: 40 min.
Servings: 16
1 pkg. white cake mix (regular size)
Purple, blue, green, yellow, orange and red paste food coloring
1 C. heavy whipping cream
3 T. confectioners’ sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Sweetened whipped cream
Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a 10-in. fluted tube pan. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Transfer 1-1/3 C. batter to prepared pan; spread evenly. Remove an additional 2 T. batter to a small bowl; reserve.
Divide remaining batter into 6 separate bowls, tinting each with food coloring to make the following: 2 T. purple batter, 1/4 C. blue batter, 1/3 C. green batter, 1/2 C. yellow batter, 2/3 C. orange batter, and the remaining batter red.
Fill 6 small food-safe plastic bags with a different color batter. Cut a small hole in a corner of the red batter bag; pipe a wide ring onto white batter to within 1/2 in. of pan edges. Pipe a ring of orange in the middle of the red ring, leaving some red visible on each side. Repeat by piping remaining colors in the middle of the previous layer, in rainbow color order. (Each ring will be narrower than the previous layer.) Fill a seventh bag with reserved white batter; pipe over purple ring only.
Bake 40-45 min. or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
Remove cake from pan; place on a serving plate. In a bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla; beat until soft peaks form. Serve cake with whipped cream clouds.
Easy Mint Thins
Prep: 40 min.
Servings: 5 doz.
24 oz. milk or dark chocolate candy coating
1-1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
60 Ritz crackers
2 oz. white candy coating, melted
Optional decorations: Chopped Andes mint candies, crushed spearmint candies, assorted sprinkles and green colored sugar
In a microwave, melt chocolate candy coating; stir until smooth. Stir in extract.
Dip crackers in chocolate candy coating; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set.
Drizzle tops with white candy coating; decorate as desired. Let stand until set. Store in airtight containers.
Shamrock Cutout Pound Cake
Prep: 1 hr.
Cook: 50 min.
Servings: 1 loaf (16 slices)
2 pkgs. (16 ounces each) pound cake mix
10 drops green food coloring
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
Glaze:
1 C. confectioners’ sugar
1/8 tsp. peppermint extract
3 to 5 tsp. 2% milk
Preheat oven according to package directions. Grease a 9x5-in. loaf pan. Prepare one package cake mix according to package directions, adding food coloring and extract before mixing batter. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake and cool as package directs.
Cut cooled cake into 1-in.-thick slices. Cut slices with a 2-1/2-in. shamrock-shaped cookie cutter (save remaining cake for another use). Stand shamrock slices at an angle in a greased 9x5-in. loaf pan.
Prepare remaining cake mix according to package directions. Pour batter around and over shamrock slices. Bake and cool as package directs.
Glaze, in a small bowl, mix confectioners’ sugar, extract and enough milk to reach desired consistency. Pour glaze over cake, allowing some to flow over sides.
Tie-Dyed Cupcakes
Prep: 30 min.
Cook: 25 min.
Servings: 1-1/2 Doz.
1 pkg. white cake mix (regular size)
1-1/2 C. (12 oz.) lemon-lime soda
Neon food coloring
1 can (16 oz.) vanilla frosting
Colored sprinkles
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine cake mix and soda. Beat on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium 1 min. Divide batter among 5 bowls. Add a few drops of food coloring to each bowl; stir just until combined.
Drop a spoonful of 1 color of batter into each of 18 paper-lined muffin cups. Layer with spoonfuls of remaining colored batter until muffin cups are two-thirds full.
Bake 18-20 min. or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 min. before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
Frost tops and decorate with sprinkles.
Quote of the Week:
“May peace and plenty bless your world with a joy that long endures. May all life’s passing seasons bring the best to you and yours.”
~ A Classic Irish Blessing
