Recipe(tried): Happy St. Patricks Day Menu!!

Good Morning Everyone!

What a beautiful St. Patrick's Day it is...it rained a bit yeterday and we sure needed it. It is going to rain some more today and that will make the grass greener around here, hurray!!

Our menu today will reflect the celebration of St. Patrick's Day, patron saint of Ireland. We will be enjoying Cottage Pie, (that's a Shepherd's Pie made with ground sirloin instead of lamb), Greens Beans, Irish Soda Bread and a delicious Glazed Irish Tea Cake.Cottage Pie

1 1/2 lbs. potatoes, peeled
1/4 cup skim milk
black pepper, to taste
1 lb. lean ground sirloin
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
1/2 cup green peas
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 tsp. salt
black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. cold water

Boil potatoes until tender. Mash together with skim milk and pepper until smooth; keep warm.

Preheat oven to 350. Heat a heavy, nonstick skillet, at least 10 inches in diameter, over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and saute, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink. Pour contents of pan, add onion and cook until onion are translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add bell pepper, carrots, peas, tomato, parsley, chicken stock, salt, pepper and Worchestershire sauce. Simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes.

Dissolve cornstarch in water and stir into meat mixture. Spoon into an ungreased 9x11x2-inch baking dish. Spread mashed potatoes over the surface, using a fork for texture. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until lightly browned.

NOTE: Assemble this easy entree ahead of time and bake it just before serving.Irish Soda Bread

3 cups Bread flour
1 cup graham flour
1/2 cup Sugar
1 1/3 TBSP Salt
1 1/3 TBSP Butter
1 cup Raisins
3 TBSP Caraway seeds
1 1/2 tsp Baking soda
1 1/2 cup Buttermilk
2 tsp Dry yeast

In large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut in cold butter with pastry blender or two knives until fine. Stir in raisins. In bowl beat eggs, stir in buttermilk and soda. Make well in dry ingredients and add liquids all at once, mixing lightly with fork until blended. Turn dough on to floured surface and knead lightly for 10 seconds. Shape dough into ball and place on buttered baking sheet. Flatten ball into 8 or 9-inch loaf. Grease sharp knife with butter and cut 1/4-inch deep cross from edge to edge to mark into quarters. Brush top with melted butter and sprinkle with caraway seeds ; bake in preheated 375F oven 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from baking sheet and cool to lukewarm.Tammy McNamara's Mother's Glazed Irish Tea Cake

3/4 cup butter- room temperature
1 cup Sugar
2 tsp pure Vanilla extract
2 lg Eggs
3 oz Cream cheese- room temperature
1 3/4 cups Cake flour
1 1/4 tsp Baking powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1 cup golden raisins
2/3 cup Buttermilk

Glaze:
1/2 cup Confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tsp Fresh lemon juicePREHEAT OVEN TO 325F, with rack in center of oven. Generously grease a 9-inch (7-cup capacity) loaf pan. Dust with flour; tap pan over sink to discard excess flour. Cut piece of parchment paper or waxed paper to fit bottom of pan. Set aside. FOR CAKE, use mixer to cream butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating each until fluffy. Add cream cheese. Mix until well combined. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Put raisins in small bowl. Add 1/4 cup of flour mixture to them and stir until well coated. Add remaining flour to batter, alternating with buttermilk. Mix until smooth. Use wooden spoon to stir in raisins and all of the flour. Stir until well combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Smooth surface with spatula. Bake until well-browned and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour, 25 minutes (time will vary with individual ovens). Cake will crack on top. Let cake rest in pan for 10 minutes. Use flexible metal spatula to separate cake from sides of pan. Carefully remove cake from pan to cooling rack. Spread glaze on warm cake. Let cake cool completely. Cake can be stored 3 days at room temperature in foil. Cake can also be frozen up to 3 months, wrapped airtight.

FOR GLAZE, combine sugar and lemon juice in small bowl. Stir until smooth. Drizzle all over on top until soaked.