Adding to the Irish theme of this weekend...

Hey everyone. I am not sure what's happening with this blog site but it has been messed up since yesterday and so I have to post the other two recipes I was going to post yesterday to today's blog. *Sigh* technology....

Either way, here they are, two delicious traditional Irish foods! 

Irish Hand Pies:

Ingredients: 

1 tablespoon(s) vegetable oil

1/4 head(s) green cabbage, shredded

1/2 pound(s) red potatoes, scrubbed and diced

1 pound(s) ground beef sirloin

3 tablespoon(s) tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon(s) Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon(s) dried thyme

Coarse salt and ground pepper

All-purpose flour, for rolling

2  (9-inch) pie crusts, homemade or store-bought

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium; add cabbage and potatoes. Cook until beginning to brown, 7 to 9 minutes. Add beef; cook, breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, Worcestershire, thyme, and 1 cup water. Cover, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Lightly mash mixture with a fork. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool completely.
2. On a lightly floured work surface, roll each crust into a 14-inch square; cut each into 4 equal squares. Place 1/2 cup filling on one half of each square, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the filling. Brush borders with water; fold dough over filling to enclose. Crimp edges with a fork to seal. With a paring knife or scissors, cut 3 small vents in each.
3. Transfer pies to 2 foil-lined rimmed baking sheets; bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.
4. To freeze: Prepare through step 2. Arrange unbaked pies on a baking sheet (they should not touch); freeze until firm, about 1 hour. Wrap each pie in foil. Place in a resealable plastic bag; freeze up to 2 months.
5. To bake from frozen: Proceed with step 3, increasing baking time to 28 to 30 minutes.

 

 Traditional Irish Lamb Shephard's Pie:

Ingredients:

2 pound(s) freshly ground lamb

1 large onion, finely chopped

4  carrots, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoon(s) tomato paste

2 tablespoon(s) flour

1 tablespoon(s) Worcestershire sauce

Coarse salt and ground pepper

10 ounce(s) frozen peas, thawed

2 1/2 pound(s) russet potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 cup(s) milk

6 tablespoon(s) butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat a large skillet over high heat. In two batches, cook lamb until no longer pink, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer lamb to a colander set in a bowl; let fat drain off and discard.
2. Add 1/4 cup water to the skillet, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Reduce heat to medium; add onion and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste. Add flour; cook, stirring, 2 minutes.
3. Add Worcestershire sauce, 2 cups water, and lamb. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in peas; cook 1 minute. Divide among eight 8-ounce ramekins or two 9-inch glass pie dishes.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, cover potatoes with salted water by 1 inch; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until fork-tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain.
5. In pan, bring milk and butter to a simmer; remove from heat. Return potatoes; mash. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread over pies; use a fork to make peaks. Bake on a baking sheet until tops are browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool slightly; serve. 

Enjoy! 

Bitter mood makes bitter food! So fucking smile! :D