St. Patricks Day is just around the corner and to give you a head start on getting recipes for your holiday event or get together here are several Irish recipes and my favorite recipes for sharing the Bit O' Luck (or should I say Pot Luck) on your special day. To find out more about St. Patrick Visit www.st-patricks-day.com/about_saintpatrick.asp and see how St. Patricks Day started. For wonderful food check out these delicious recipes!


Leprechaun Lemon Punch
2 containers frozen lemonade
1 container frozen limeade
water as directed
1 envelope lime softdrink mix

Combine lemonade, limeade and water as directed. Stir in the package of lime koolaid mix and serve over ice.

A Bit O' Green Sherbet Punch
1 container frozen lemonade concentrate
1 box lime sherbet
2L bottle of ginger ale soda

Combine lemonade concentrate and lime sherbet in punch bowl. Add ginger ale and mix well. Serve immediately.

Irish Pound Cake

½ lb of Butter
½ lb of Sugar
9 oz of flour
4 large eggs
Half a lemon rind, grated
¼ teaspoon of baking powder
½ lb of sultananas
½ lb of currants
2 oz of red cherries
2 oz of chopped almonds
2 tablespoons of Irish Whiskey

Mix 1 egg and the sugar in a bowl and then add the lemon rind.
Add the other eggs, mixing very well.
Sieve the flour and baking powder into the mixture and then add the fruit, mixing well.
Transfer the mix into a cake tin coated in butter.
Garnish the top with the chopped almonds.
Bake for 2.5 hours in moderate oven heat.
When cooked (the cake will begin to shrink away from the side of the tin) remove from oven and coat the top with the whiskey - leave to cool completely before serving.

Irish Potato Farls

1 1/4 lbs of Potatoes (approx. 4 med. potatoes)
2 Teaspoons of Melted Butter
1 Cup of Flour
½ Teaspoon of Salt
4 Teaspoons of Vegtable Oil

Peel and half the potatoes and boil in water for 20 minutes or so until soft.
Drain and then add the butter and mash thoroughly.
Add the flour and salt and mix.
Divide the mixture in half and put the first half on a lightly floured surface.
Knead until flat - approx 1/4 inch thick.
Divide into 4.
Repeat the process for the other half of the mixture.
Fry/Griddle using the oil for approx 2 minutes or until crispy brown on each side.
Serve warm. Makes 8 Farls.

Dublin Coddle

1 pound bacon slices
2 pounds pork sausages
Some bacon fat or oil
2 large onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic
4 large potatoes, thickly sliced
2 carrots, thickly sliced
1 small bunch of fresh herbs (thyme is great with this), tied with string
black pepper
hard cider (apple wine) or apple cider
fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
4 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced (optional)

Lightly fry the bacon until crisp.
Place in a large cooking pot.
Brown the sausages in some bacon grease or vegetable oil.
Remove and add to pot.
Soften sliced onions and whole garlic cloves in fat, then add to pot with potatoes and carrots (add apples if desired).
Bury the bunch of herbs in the middle of the mixture.
Sprinkle with pepper.
Cover with cider.
Cook 1 1/2 hours over moderate heat, do not boil.
Garnish with chopped parsley.
Serves 6

Parsnip & Apple Soup

1 tbsp Butter
1 lb Parsnips - thinly sliced
1 lb Apples - peeled/cored/sliced
1 Medium onion - chopped
2 tsp Curry powder
1 tsp Ground cumin
1 tsp Ground coriander
½ tsp Cardamom
1 Large clove garlic - crushed
1¼ l Beef or chicken stock
150 ml Cream
Salt & pepper
Chopped chives or parsley

Heat the butter, and when foaming, add the parsnips, apples, and onions.
Soften them but do not let them color.
Add the curry powder, the spices and garlic; cook for about 2 minutes, stirring well.
Pour in the stock slowly, stirring until well mixed.
Cover and simmer gently for about half an hour, or until the parsnips are quite soft.
Taste for seasoning.
Sieve or blend in blender, and if it seems too thick, dilute with a little stock or water.
Add the cream and reheat, but do not let it boil.
Serve garnished with chopped chives or parsley.

Irish Stew

1 pound lean mutton pieces
1 pound carrots
1 pound onions
1 pound potatoes
salt & pepper
pinch of thyme

Place the mutton with thyme in a saucepan and add cold water to cover.
Bring slowly to the boil and simmer for one hour.
Add onions, potatoes, carrots, all peeled.
Season with salt and pepper.
Continue cooking until vegetables are tender.
Adjust seasoning to taste.
May be served alone or with cooked green cabbage or sprouts.

Colcannon

2 lbs Potatoes
1 large 'Curly Kaye' or Cabbage
1 large Onion
4 oz of butter or margarine
Pinch of Pepper & Salt
Half pint Milk

Peel and divide the potatoes, chop the onions and cabbage.
Layer a saucepan with the potatoes and add the pinch of salt and pepper.
Layer the onion and cabbage on top of the potatoes and add enough water to cover the mixture.
Boil and then simmer for 15 to 20 minutes untl the potatoes are cooked.
Mash the mixture thorougly adding the butter and milk to ensure a good consistency.
Serve with meat, steak, sausages, etc.

Steak and Guinness Pie
Makes 1 pie - 4 servings

12 inch Pie pastry
1 or 2 pounds of Round Steak
1 tablespoon of Flour
1 tablespoon of Brown Sugar
1 tablespoon of Raisins
5 medium size Onions
1 bottle of Guinness Stout (not the 'draught' variety)
8 slices of Bacon
3 tablespoon of Shortening/Butter
Some chopped Parsley

Dice the steak, cover with flour and brown, with the bacon, on a medium heat using the butter.
Peel and chop the onions and brown over a good heat.
Add to the meat in a caserole dish.
Add raisins and brown sugar and Guinness.
Cover the dish, simmer and cook over a lowish heat for 2.5 hours.
Add water if the gravy mixture starts to thicken excessively.
Coat a pie dish with half of the pastry and bake.
Add the Meat and Gravy mix when cooked and place the remaining pastry on top and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve with potatoes and vegtables.

Irish Bread Pudding

3 eggs
2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp sugar
butterscotch sauce
½ loaf of good-quality white bread
2 tbsp raisins
1 tbsp Irish whiskey

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Combine eggs, milk, vanilla, and sugar in a mixing bowl.
Break bread into chunks or cut into cubes.
Add bread to egg mixture along with raisins and whiskey (optional).
Pour mixture into a buttered 1 ½-quart baking dish.
Bake until top is golden-brown and puffy (Approximately 40 minutes).
Serve warm with a dab of butterscotch sauce.