By Julia Favaro, Cover Photo By Autumn Martin (Unsplash)

Enjoy some fun St. Patrick’s Day recipes, gathered from various food websites!

Irish Stew (Credit: The Daring Gourmet)

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs boneless lamb or beef stew meat

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 Tbsp all purpose flour

2 large carrots peeled and chunked

2 ribs celery sliced

1 yellow onion chopped

1 parsnip diced

2 lbs russet potatoes

3 cups beef broth

1 ½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

3 Tbsp fresh parsley chopped

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Heat oil in a large pan and brown meat on all sides. Remove meat from pan.

3. Melt butter and add the flour to the same pan. Whisk to combine until mixture turns brown. Whisk in broth and let simmer until slightly thickened and set aside.

4. In a heavy stock pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium high heat. Add all vegetables except the potatoes. Cook until soft for about 5 minutes. Add the meat, potatoes, parsley, bay leaf, salt, and pepper, Pour in beef broth and stir to combine.

5. Place pot on the middle rack of the oven with the lid on and cook for 2 ½ to 3 hours or until the meat is very tender.

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Irish Soda Bread (Credit: Natasha’s Kitchen)

Ingredients:

4 cups all purpose flour plus ¼ cup for dusting

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking soda

6 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, plus ½ Tbsp to grease pan

1 ¾ cups cold low fat buttermilk or kefir

1 large egg cold

1 cup raisins or dried cranberries

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 10 inch cast iron skillet with butter.

2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Cut the butter into small pieces and work it into the flour with your hands until crumbs form. Add in the raisins and make a well in the center.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg. Add this to the flour mixture well. Use a wooden spoon to mix until the dough comes together.

4. Transfer dough to a floured surface and shape it into a loaf. Do not overmix.

5. Transfer to buttered pan. Use a knife to score the top with a large “X.” Bake in the center oven rack for 50-55 minutes. When done, the bread should make a hollow sound when tapped.

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Crispy Potato Boxties (Credit: Donal Skehan)

Ingredients:

1 cup mashed potatoes

1 cup peeled, grated, raw rooster potatoes

1 ½ cups plain flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 ½ cups buttermilk

6 spring onions, finely sliced (optional)

4 oz Irish cheddar cheese, grated (optional)

Sea salt and ground black pepper

Butter to fry

Instructions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine mashed potatoes, grated potatoes, flour, baking soda, and spring onions. Add the milk little by little until its a wet consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Heat a frying pan over medium to high heat with butter. When butter begins to foam, spoon heaping tablespoons of the mixture into the pan. Fry for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Add grated cheese and allow to melt (optional).

3. Remove from pan and let cool on a plate with a paper towel. 

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Homemade Shamrock McFlurry (Credit: Joanie Simon)

Ingredients:

3 cups vanilla ice cream

½ cup milk

¼ tsp peppermint extract

4-6 mint leaves

2-3 oreo cookies

Whipped cream

Instructions:

1. Combine ice cream, milk, peppermint extract, and mint leaves in a blender and blend on high until smooth.

2. Serve with whipped cream.

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Irish Shortbread (Credit: Gav’s Kitchen)

Ingredients:

1 cup plain flour

1 cup salted Irish butter

¼ cup cornstarch

¼ cup caster sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a baking pan with butter and line with thin layer of flour.

2. Mix softened butter and sugar together. Slowly add the cornstarch and flour and mix until combined.

3. Transfer dough to baking pan and smooth over. Pattern the top with a fork. 

4. Place in the middle rack of oven and bake for about 30 minutes until slightly browned.

5. Let cool for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with caster sugar and cut into preferred shape (fingers or rounds).

Sticky Toffee Pudding (Credit: The Daring Gourmet)

Ingredients:

Toffee Sauce:

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup dark brown sugar

½ cup unsalted butter

Pinch of salt

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Pudding:

6 oz. pitted dried dates roughly chopped

1 cup boiling water

1 tsp baking soda

½  cup dark brown sugar

¼ cup unsalted butter softened to room temp

2 large eggs room temp

1 Tbsp avocado oil

1 Tbsp black treacle or dark molasses

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 ¼ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

2. Roughly chop dates and place them into a bowl. Pour boiling water over them and stir in baking soda. Let dates soak until cooled. In a blender, puree dates to a chunky-smooth mixture.

3. In a large mixing bowl, cream brown sugar and butter until smooth. Beat in eggs and oil. Add black treacle and vanilla and beat until combined.

4. In a small bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually mix flour mixture with wet mixture until almost combined. Add in the date puree and beat until combined. 

5. Butter a large muffin pan. Spoon the batter in until ⅔ full. Bake in the middle rack for about 25 minutes.

6. For the toffee sauce, place cream, sugar, salt, and butter into sauce pan on medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Once dissolved, increase temperature to medium high. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.