By Sherrie Norris
Another fun observance is upon us and it’s something we’ve celebrated for centuries, whether we know its origin, or not.
St. Patrick’s Day honors the memory of Ireland’s patron saint for which the day is named. And, what was originally intended as a religious observance has, through time, become a fun, if not rousing secular celebration of Irish heritage.
Wearing of the green as part of the tradition of Irish culture is accompanied by festive music, parades in larger cities, along with shamrocks (which St. Patrick used to illustrate the Holy Trinity to the Irish) and lucky leprechauns, too.
Those little men in green clothing, and with a love for treasures, are credited with standing guard over the gold at the end of rainbows. Their “escape” from having their gold discovered has always been a huge part of the celebration, especially for the young at heart.
And, did we mention that the day is all about food and drink? Well, of course, it is. And, we’re here to help.
Corned beef, cabbage, meat pies, soda bread and ale are among the more traditional items on the menu for St. Paddy’s Day, but in modern times, anything green is acceptable and part of the fun. So here we go as we try to toss a little luck your way.
Savory Shepherd’s Pie
1 pound ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
2 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. beef bouillon granules
½ cup cold water
½ cup sour cream
3 ½ cups mashed potatoes
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, breaking it into crumbles; drain. Stir in corn, peas, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and garlic. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Combine cornstarch, bouillon and water until well blended; stir into beef mixture. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir until thickened, 2 minutes. Stir in sour cream and heat through (do not boil).
Spread mashed potatoes over the top; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and cook until potatoes are heated through and cheese is melted.
Grilled Cabbage
1 medium head cabbage
1/3 cup butter, softened
¼ cup chopped onion
½ tsp. garlic salt
¼ tsp. pepper
Optional: Minced fresh parsley and salad dressing of choice
Cut cabbage into 8 wedges; place on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 24×12 in.). Spread cut sides of cabbage with butter. Sprinkle with onion, garlic salt and pepper.
Fold foil around cabbage and seal tightly. Grill, covered, over medium heat until tender, about 20 minutes. Open foil carefully to allow steam to escape. If desired, garnish with parsley and dressing.
Lucky Charms Treats
4 Tbsp. butter, plus extra to butter the pan
1 ½ bags mini marshmallows, 15 oz bags
6 cups Lucky Charms Cereal
1 (12 oz.) bag white chocolate chips,
4 drops green food coloring
With a paper towel, butter the bottom of a 9×13-inch pan with extra butter. Melt 4 Tbsp. butter in a large microwave safe bowl. Pour marshmallows over the butter; mix to coat.
Place bowl in microwave and heat for 30 seconds, then stir; heat for another 30 seconds and stir again until marshmallows are completely melted.
Pour cereal over marshmallow mixture a little at a time and mix well. Spoon mixture into the prepared pan, pressing evenly with buttered spatula or clean hands. Cover and cool in the fridge for at least an hour.
Cut treats into 20-24 squares and place upside down on wax paper. Melt white chocolate 45 seconds, then stir; melt for additional 45 seconds and stir again to melt the chocolate. Add food coloring and stir to combine.
Dip bottom of each treat into the green chocolate. Place upside down on the wax paper to allow chocolate to cool.
Pretzel Shamrocks
Bag of mini pretzel twists
Bag of pretzel sticks
White chocolate melting wafers
Green food coloring
Green and gold sprinkles
Place a piece of parchment paper on a couple of cookie sheets.
In a microwavable bowl, melt white chocolate wafers for 30 seconds at a time until completely melted and smooth, stirring between times.
Stir in a couple drops of green food coloring .
To make the shamrock stem, dip a little more than half of a pretzel stick into melted chocolate and carefully place it on parchment paper.
Next, dip one mini pretzel twist at a time into the chocolate. Lay the first one on the parchment paper so that the bottom of pretzel twist touches the top of the pretzel stick dipped in chocolate. Then dip the second and third pretzel twists in chocolate and lay them on either side of the first one, so the bottoms also touch the top of the dipped pretzel stick. Fill in any space between the bottoms of the pretzel twists and the stick with chocolate to make sure that they all stay together when chocolate sets.
Decorate the shamrocks with sprinkles and let them set for about 30 minutes at room temperature or place them in the refrigerator to set for about 10 minutes.
Leprechaun Lime Drink
1 quart lime sherbet, softened
½ cup thawed limeade concentrate
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 cans (12 oz. each) lemon-lime soda, chilled
1 to 2 cups crushed ice
Lemon slices and lime peel strips, optional
In a large bowl, whip sherbet, limeade and sugar until blended. Stir in soda and ice. Serve in chilled glasses. If desired, top with lemon slices and lime peel.