Irish Lace Crumbles

Long ago, if you were a poor Irish peasant, you could usually be found digging up potatoes, sheering sheep or wondering when the property barons were coming for the rent. However,  every once in a while on special occasions, you could make these beautiful, little crumble/cookies with the few ingredients on hand in your nearly bare cupboards.

The beauty of the Irish is making do with what they have. Well, maybe not so much nowadays but I'm thinking if you weren't royals back in the day, you were poor as dirt. The survivors who didn't starve to death from the potato famine left for America and with them came their simple recipes.  Irish Lace Cookies are a bit trickier than I expected but the Crumbles taste rich and cookie-ish so what's not to like?  Me thinks a Pooka or a Changeling got into me kitchen and crumbled me cookies!

Irish Lace Crumbles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1 stick (1/2 c) softened butter
3/4 c brown sugar
Cream until light and fluffy.

2 TBSP flour
2 TBSP milk
1 TBSP vanilla
1 1/4 c old fashioned oats--not quick cooking
Mix together and stir into butter/sugar mixture.

1 apple cored--sprinkle with cinnamon and pat of butter--microwave for 2-3 minutes until tender.

Drop dough by teaspoonful onto Pam'd cookie sheets, at least 3" apart and cook for 10-12 minutes--watch carefully so not to burn.  They will be flat.  Remove from oven and let sit on cookie sheet for 1 minute. These are very difficult to remove (if you forget to spray the sheets with Pam) and as such, what was to be cookies turned into crumbles.  If you are very careful and skilled, you can now do one of two things: for flat cookies--with thin, metal spatula, carefully move to cooling racks and let completely cool. Or: remove cookie from sheet and immediately roll up around wooden spoon handle and place on cooling racks until completely cooled. If you try to handle the cookies before they are cool, they will fall apart--I promise--so let them cool.

Place cooked apple on dish, top with crumbles and serve with cookies (if you were able to get a cookie off the darned cookie sheet).

These are delightful, delicate, buttery bites. Impressive enough to serve at tea on a pretty tray if you make the cookies or as a topping for vanilla ice cream, apples or just stuffing into your mouth with a glass of milk.  Just watch out for that Pooka.

Bon The'

No Blarney--A Complete Irish Dinner

OK, so an Irishman walks out of a bar...yes, it is possible.

If you're not lucky enough to be married to an Irishman (Italian), I'm here to help you celebrate St. Paddy's Day with the one you love or like or are just trying to impress by cooking a complete Irish meal, start to finish, with your crockpot and very few ingredients.

St. Patrick's Day is a big enough deal around our house and even non-Irish humans use it as an excuse to wear green, drink green, dance in the street and talk with a bad Irish brogue.  We Scot/Irish lassies love the pinching part (nicely, please) and find the color green a welcoming change of attire from the drab tartans of winter.

In case you ever wondered where all this o'celebratin' came from (and if you didn't wonder, I'm telling you anyway), legend has it there were too many snakes slithering all over creation and St. Patrick arrived just in the nick of time, ordered everyone into the pubs, dancin' and singin' until the noise made the snakes jump into the icy cold waters of the nearby sea, never to be seen again.  Unfortunately, in return, the Irish had to eat potatoes three times a day and even make their ale from the lowly spuds.  I promise it's true.  Swear on a leprechaun and me lucky charms.

Let's move onto some true Irish cuisine: Corned Beef and Cabbage, Colcannon and Irish Soda Bread. Nothing could be simpler than Corned Beef--buy the package of beef that has the little seasoning packet tucked right inside or you can buy a brisket and season it yourself but I truly don't think the trouble is worth it when it's already done for you.  Colcannon may seem like a strange combination--potatoes and cabbage--but it is amazingly good.  The first time I hesitantly made it, I felt sure it would taste really cabbagey but it is a lovely hint of buttery, wholesome goodness you will like--unless you just hate cabbage and you should just go straight to dessert.

Soda bread couldn't be easier but it can also be rather bland and because there is so little fat in it, it will turn into an Irish rock you could kill a snake with.  My little mini breads are tastier because I don't just put together flour, baking soda and buttermilk.  And, fortunately, you do not have to do as our ancestors and bake it in a 'bastible'--cast iron pot with a lid--placed right in the coals of the fire because in the 1800's hardly anyone but the French had a chef's oven to cook in and soda bread delivery never really took off.

St. Paddy's Day Dinner

1 corned beef brisket with seasoning packet
1 can or bottle of beer or ale (any brand)
1 can beef broth
1 head cabbage
1 package baby carrots

Open package of corned beef, place in large crockpot.  Sprinkle contents of seasoning packet on top of brisket.  Pour beer, broth and an additional 12-14 oz (can) water.  This may seem like a lot of liquid but when you add the cabbage and carrots in the end, you want to be sure there is enough to slightly cover the contents so they will cook.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours. About two hours before serving, add carrots.  About one hour before serving, cut whole cabbage into wedges and put all but two wedges into crockpot.  Set aside cabbage wedges that remain to make the Colcannon.  When brisket is done, carrots are tender and cabbage is wilted, remove brisket to serving platter and let rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. Surround brisket with carrots and cabbage on platter.

St Cabbage

Colcannon

4-6 medium sized potatoes, peeled or not--your choice
2 wedges cabbage
1/2 stick butter
1/4 tsp nutmeg
milk or buttermilk

Cover potatoes and cabbage with water in medium saucepan.  Cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender.  Drain and add 1/2 stick butter and enough milk to make mashed potatoes.  Sprinkle nutmeg and stir in, topping with another pat of butter before serving.

Mini Irish Soda Breads

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2 c whole wheat flour
1 c all purpose flour
1/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
Whisk together.  Add 1/4 c butter cut into pieces.  Rub into dry ingredients until pea-sized crumbles.
1 c chopped walnuts - add to mixture.

1 large egg
1 c buttermilk
2 TBSP molasses
Stir liquids and egg  together and gradually add to flour mixture until you have a medium firm dough. Turn out on floured surface and knead LIGHTLY about six turns.  Don't overdo and stop before you think you need to.  Flatten dough into round 2" thick disk.  Cut into 6 wedges.  Shape wedges into balls.  Place on baking sheet, flatten into rounds and with a sharp knife cut a cross on top of each to 'let out the demons steam'.  Bake until golden and tester comes out clean--about 30 minutes.  Transfer to rack.  Serve warm.

All in all, this Irish dinner will fill your belly with a hearty meal.  You might even get that Irish Leprechaun you live with to promise you a rainbow and a pot of gold.  Or maybe he'll just make your fairy tale come true like mine has.

Bonnie Ireland!

Oh, no! Not Drunken Scampi

   
Hubby has left the building. Because? There is someone cooking shrimp--and just the mention of shellfish, lobster, crabs (especially), frog legs, bass or crawdads sends him running. Not, mind you, that he is allergic to said swimmers of the sea. He just hates anything of the fish sort. That's OK. More for me.

To try and redeem this dish as a 'not on my diet' calorie-ridden meal, I have lightly sauteed the little shrimpsters in olive oil/butter. I served (myself) the scampi over low-carb spaghetti to further reduce the calories. You will be pleasantly surprised at the subtle sweetness left from the wine cooler reduction. It's delish.

Oh, no! Not Drunken Scampi

If cooking pasta or rice, prepare according to package directions. Set aside and keep warm.

1-1.5 lbs peeled shrimp--I'm using thawed salad shrimp, tails removed
2 TBSP olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 TBSP butter/divided
1-2 tsp Old Bay Blackened Seasoning

1/2 bottle Seagram's Fuzzy Navel Wine Cooler


Rinse shrimp and dry well.
Heat 2 TBSP olive oil , 1 TBSP butter and garlic in skillet. When garlic begins to soften, add shrimp, sprinkle Old Bay (generously) and stir for 3-4 minutes until cooked through. Do not overcook shrimp. It only takes a couple of minutes on each side to be done.

Remove shrimp to bowl and keep warm while you make Drunken Sauce.

In same skillet with leftover juices, butter and garlic, pour in 1/2 bottle of the wine cooler. Turn heat to high and let cook for approximately 5 minutes or until reduced to about 1/4 cup of thickened, delicious sauce.  Stir in 1 TBSP butter until melted.

Place pasta in bowl, top with shrimp and pour sauce over all. Slice fresh tomatoes for garnish.  Pour the rest of the wine cooler in a glass and pretend you are somewhere on a beach with Jimmy Buffet singing "Cheeseburger in Paradise".




When I got through cooking and eating, opening the windows and disenfecting all surfaces in the far-reaching kitchen corners that harbor that deadly shrimp odeur, Hubby amazingly returned just in time for a good ole Sabrett Yankee hot dog.  He just doesn't know what he's missing.

Bon crevette!

Breakfast Cheddar Bites

Instead of that bowl of cereal or bagel or donut, whip these little mini muffins up in less than 20 minutes--total time.  Serve them warm out of the oven with a piece of fruit, some cherry tomatoes, a cup of coffee and you'll be out the door getting those spring projects done. These are similar to those holiday cheddar/sausage appetizers but with less calories and more flavor.

First, you need a Mini Muffin Pan ("MMP").  If you don't have one, go buy one but it has to be non-stick because they are a bitch nightmare to clean. I Love my MMP (even if it is Rachel Ray but it was free so I will ignore the orange handles and her presence in my kitchen).   These pans are wonderful for snacks and bite-size, Low(er) Calorie Eating Portion Control.  This recipe can be made, put in the freezer and reheated in the oven all through the week.  They are great for kids and grown-ups. If you want to use light cheese, the calories go down even more and Canadian Bacon can be used in place of ham or forget the meat and go vegetarian. I'm guessing these are probably about 30-40 calories per bite and it would take 3-4 to count as a WW point but I don't really know. I just like to speculate.

If you are a hoarder, at least be organized. You can put all kinds of junk stuff in your MMP--earrings, paper clips, cat food--your cat may not find the humor in having to eat from a dozen little cat bowlettes.  Head games with cats are always good in my opinion. 

Breakfast Cheddar Bites

(makes about 2 dozen mini-bites)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

1.5 c Pioneer (or Bisquick) Baking Mix (Pioneer is just so much better in my opinion)
3/4 c buttermilk (or make your own by adding 2 TBSP lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to milk)
2 TBSP sugar, optional
1 c grated cheddar cheese
2 eggs
1/2 c chopped ham, optional
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp pepper
splash of vanilla
Optional add-ins: chopped green peppers, diced onions, mushrooms--think omelettes or pizza toppings

Mix all ingredients.  Spray your MMP with Pam.  Fill pan with about 1 heaping teaspoon batter, bake for 10-12 minutes until tops are golden brown.  Serve warm.

Now, take a few minutes to think about Spring--it's coming and my Daffodils are blooming their crazy little heads off with big smiles on their happy little Daffodil faces.

Bon Printemps!