Have the Luck of the Irish at Dinner!
Celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day by trying out something new for dinner. Test out these Irish favorites to get in the spirit!
Whole-Wheat Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole-wheat flour
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/4 cups buttermilk
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and sprinkle with a little flour.
Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in buttermilk. Using one hand, stir in full circles (starting in the center of the bowl working toward the outside of the bowl) until all the flour is incorporated. The dough should be soft but not too wet and sticky. When it all comes together, in a matter of seconds, turn it out onto a well-floured surface. Clean dough off your hand.
Pat and roll the dough gently with floury hands, just enough to tidy it up and give it a round shape. Flip over and flatten slightly to about 2 inches. Transfer the loaf to the prepared baking sheet. Mark with a deep cross using a serrated knife and prick each of the four quadrants.
Bake the bread for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400° and continue to bake until the loaf is brown on top and sounds hollow when tapped, 30 to 35 minutes more. Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and let cool for about 30 minutes.
Easy Corned Beef and Cabbage
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 head green cabbage, coarsely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 can corned beef
Directions
Cook the bacon in large pot over medium heat until almost crisp. Remove the bacon from the pot and set aside. Melt the butter in the pot with the bacon grease. Add the cabbage, stirring well to coat the cabbage in fat. Add about 1/3 cup water, and salt and pepper, to taste. Cover pot with a lid, and cook over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the bacon into small pieces.
Remove the lid from the pot, and scatter chunks of corned beef and chopped bacon over top of the cabbage. Cover and cook until desired doneness. I personally like a little bit of crunch left to the cabbage.
Tip: Cabbage is one of those vegetables that naturally contains water in its leaves. Begin by adding just a small amount of water. As cabbage cooks, if it needs more liquid, then add more water.
Bailey’s Irish Cream Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 cup flour
- 1 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 t. vanilla
- 1/2 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 t. salt
- 3 t. baking powder
Directions
- Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Add Bailey’s, vanilla, egg. egg yolk & continue to blend.
- *Optional: add food coloring for extra spunk.
- Add flour, salt & baking powder. Mix with hands and knead until well formed.
- Allow to refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Then roll out and cut into shapes.
- Bake 6-8 minutes on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. (I found 7 minutes to work just fine.)
- Remove from cookie sheet and allow to cool. Frost at your leisure or leave plain.