Matcha Crepes with Nutella Granache

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Veggie Shepherd's Pie and Memories of Ireland

My husband and I just recently visited Ireland.  We had an amazing experience there!  First of all, it's GORGEOUS.  Every direction you look, you see a magnificent, green-hued feast for the eyes.  Pictures don't do it justice...you must go there and see it for yourself to understand what I mean.  Also, Irish people are very friendly and fun.  

Cliffs, rolling clouds, ocean and beautiful green farmland.  Ireland is full of views like this one.

Oh to be walking down that road right now!

I'm not sure that Ireland is the first place that comes to mind when you think of culinary travels.  Italy is probably the place for that.  But we ate some wonderful food in Ireland!  The Irish breakfasts we had at B&Bs were divine.  Fish and Chips and Mushy Peas were also common and delicious.  Seafood is fresh and abundant.  

I remember a pub in Donegal where we had the best Shepherd's Pie.  That is what I am making for my family and friends to celebrate this St. Patrick's Day.  I wanted to make a healthy version of it, so I stuck to a blend of veggies with sweet potato topping.

Recipe:

4 small Sweet Potatoes (peeled and chopped)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 small Onion (diced)

1 clove Garlic (minced)

2 Parsnips (peeled and diced)

1 Zucchini (diced)

1 Squash (diced)

3/4 cup canned Diced Tomatos (juices drained)

1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

a sprinkling of Nutmeg

a sprinkling of Cayenne Pepper

Salt and Pepper to taste

1/4 cup Cottage Cheese

1 cup shredded White Cheddar Cheese

handful of fresh Oregano

Instructions:

1.  Put Sweet Potatoes in a large microwaveable bowl with a little bit of water and cover with Cling Wrap.  Microwave for 8 minutes.

2.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees and heat the Olive Oil in a large pan over medium heat.

3.  Add Onions, Parsnips and Garlic.  Cook until tender (about 8 minutes), stirring often.

4.  Add Zucchini and Squash and cook stirring for a couple more minutes.

5.  Add the Diced Tomatoes, Worcestershire Sauce, Nutmeg, Cayenne, and Salt and Pepper.  Stir well and cover and cook for 20 minutes.  Turn heat down to medium-low halfway through.

6.  Meanwhile, pour any excess water off of the Sweet Potatoes.  Add the Cottage Cheese and beat with an electric mixer until smooth.

7.  To assemble:  Grease a medium-sized casserole dish.  Add the Veggie mixture and spread evenly.  Spread the Sweet Potato mixture evenly across the veggies.  Top with the White Cheddar and place in the oven.

8.  Bake for about 20-25 minutes.  If the cheese does not bubble and brown, turn on low broil for about 8 minutes.

9.  Top with fresh Oregano leaves and serve.

Print this Recipe: Veggie Shepherd's Pie

*Note:  I used Parsnips in this recipe because I was thinking back to a roasted Parsnip bisque we had in Northern Ireland.  If you're not a parsnip fan or can't find them, use carrots instead.

Cliffs of Moher in Doolin, Ireland...Sigh!

No matter what part of the world you live in, St. Patrick's Day is the perfect time to try cooking Irish food.  It's even more fun to have some friends over and celebrate all things green and lucky!  I hope you'll try my Shepherd's Pie and have thoughts of Ireland.  Happy St. Paddy's Day, friends!

St. Patrick's Day Collaboration: The 30s Club Cocktail

I'm so excited about today's post!  I have collaborated with a friend and fellow blogger.  Meet Laurel Donahoo.

She is the owner and designer of The Lovely Bee Stationary and Paper Company.  She blogs about life and all things interesting and beautiful at The Hive.  Check her out here:  http://thehiveblog.com.  Laurel and I knew we wanted our blog collaboration to have a St. Patrick's Day theme.  Today she is serving up the perfect cocktail to make for your Shamrock celebration!

Hey everyone! I am so excited to have the opportunity to guest post over here on my friend Lauren’s blog! When thinking about what I wanted my post to be about, my mind immediately went to cocktails, since they compliment food so nicely! (And we know Lauren is a master in the kitchen when it comes to food!)

Here’s how this cocktail started: I was in a local liquor store and saw a really pretty bottle that I wanted to have on my bar at home, so I bought it. It was Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao. When I got home, I started looking for recipe ideas that involved the lovely liqueur! I found a great one that I slightly modified to fit my personal tastes, so here she is!

I’ve named this cocktail The 30s Club for several reasons! It is based on a 1930s recipe called the Pegu Club. Since I don’t know what Pegu is (do you?!) I decided to omit that word from my adaptation of the cocktail! (By the way, I once read that, when naming your own cocktails, if they are based on other recipes, you should give some sort of reference to the original name or creator of that recipe!)  Since I’m 30 and this is the best year of my life (since I just had my second child with my awesome husband!), I thought the number 30 in the title could have a dual meaning!

The recipe for this cocktail is really simple, so get your shaker and a coupe glass out, and let’s get started! 

You’ll need…

…. 2 oz. gin

…. 1/2 oz. dry curaçao

…. juice from 1/2 lemon

…. one shake of orange bitters

…. one shake of aromatic bitters

Combine all of this with some ice in a shaker and get your arm workout on. Then strain into a pretty glass, garnish with lemon peel, and start sipping! 

I hope you enjoy your 30s Club cocktail as much as I do. Cheers to life! 

-Laurel Donahoo

The Lovely Bee

http://thehiveblog.com

Irish Potato Pancakes with Chive Sour Cream

Welcome to St. Patrick's Day week and my week of Irish cooking!  I'm excited about St. Paddy's Day this year because my husband and I recently visited Ireland.  This holiday is bringing back fond memories as well as the opportunity to recreate some of the lovely food we had while in the motherland. :)

Castle ruins are everywhere.  Gorgeous!

When you visit Ireland, a lot of your meals might be in public houses (pubs).  These are basically gathering places to eat a meal, socialize and maybe enjoy a Guinness.  Traditional Irish fare is available at the pubs.  Today's recipe is definitely something you might find there.

Potato Pancakes

with Chive Sour Cream

Recipe:

4 medium Yellow Potatoes

1 Tbsp Kerrygold Irish Butter (or regular Butter)

3/4 cup Flour

1 cup shredded Dubliner Cheese (or Cheddar)

1/4 cup Milk

2 Tbsp fresh Chives (chopped)

1 tsp Garlic Powder

Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions:

1.  Peel all the Potatoes.  Roughly chop 2 of them and place in a microwaveable bowl with a little water and cover with Cling Wrap.  Microwave for 8 minutes.  Grate the other 2 potatoes with a cheese grater into a large mixing bowl.

2.  When microwaved potatoes are done, drain the water and use a potato masher to mash the potatoes along with the Butter.

3.  Mix all the ingredients in a bowl as you heat a pan over medium to medium-high heat.  Spray the pan with Cooking Spray.

4.  Form the batter into pancakes (about 4 inches across) and add to the pan.  Cook until browned and then flip and cook until browned on the other side (6-8 minutes on each side).

5.  Serve immediately with Chive Sour Cream (recipe follows).

Chive Sour Cream

1 cup Sour Cream

2 Tbsp chopped Fresh Chives

1 tsp fresh Lemon Juice

sprinkling of Garlic Powder

Instructions:  Mix all ingredients in a small, decorative serving bowl.

Print this recipe: Irish Potato Pancakes with Chive Sour Cream

Dublin Doors

BhamBurger Battle

There is an exciting event coming up in Birmingham that I want to tell you about today!  It's a foodie's dream...a Burger Battle!  Four top chefs in the metro area, are going to battle it out by making their best burgers in slider form for you to sample.  This is one party you don't want to miss!

This shindig is a fundraiser for Crestwood Day School (http://www.crestwooddayschool.org) and it just so happens that a dear friend of mine, Mrs. Virginia Brasher, is the planner.  We sat down and she gave me all the details....

For starters, it could not be at cooler venue!  Cahaba Brewing Company just relocated to the old Continental Gin Industrial Park between Avondale and Crestwood communities.  If you haven't been yet, this will be the perfect time to check it out!

There will be a silent auction, featuring contributions from: Wheelhouse Salon, The Edge Theater, A Bryan Photo,  JH Ranch, Seeds Coffee, Salon U, and more to be announced soon.

You can count on very entertaining entertainment (ha!) from the Gadsden State Community College Showband.  They play funk and other popular music.

Featured chefs will be Trevor Newberry (Urban Standard),  Roscoe Hall (Knife Party), Victor King (Feast & Forest) and Will Drake (Knife Party).  They will be making 2 oz. sliders for you to taste.
Interested in Knife Party?  Click here: http://theknifeparty.com

Time and Date: 6:00-9:00 PM on April 15th

Your ticket includes: 1 Slider from each chef (4 total), 1 Cahaba Beer, Chips and entertainment.  Check out the website for ticket purchase and more details: http://www.bhamburgerbattle.com

Hope to see you there!!

4 Cheese Zucchini Boats

Throughout my growing-up years, I remember my mom always made Zucchini Boats.  Now as a mom myself, I'm so thankful that my kids enjoy this simple and healthy dish.  

I decided I wanted to add something extra to my Boats this time.

 Surely there can never be enough cheese in a cheesy dish, right?  

The lovely blend of Aged White Cheddar and Gruyere cheeses makes this classic an even more mouth-watering treat.

Recipe:

4 Large Zucchinis (uniform in size)

Heaping 1/2 cup each of: Cottage Cheese

                                              Shredded Parmesan

                                              Shredded Aged White Cheddar

                                              Shredded Gruyere

2 Eggs

sprinkling of Nutmeg

sprinkling of Garlic Powder

handful of fresh Oregano

Instructions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and bring water (enough to cover all zucchinis) to a boil in a large pot.

2.  Add Zucchinis to boiling water and boil for 8 minutes.

3.  Transfer Zucchinis to a cutting board and slice in half longways.

4.  Using a serrated spoon, remove the soft white insides, leaving a nice rim on the edges.

5.  Place Zucchini shells on a greased casserole dish and use a paper towels to soak up some of the moisture from them.

6.  Chop the Zucchini insides and pat with a paper towel to soak up some of the moisture.  Put into a large bowl with all the other ingredients.

7.  Stir well to combine.

8.  Fill each Zucchini shell with filling and bake for 20 minutes.

9.  Change the oven setting to Low Broil and broil for 8-10 more minutes, or until cheese gets bubbly and golden brown. 

10.  Top with fresh Oregano and serve immediately.

Print this Recipe: 4 Cheese Zucchini Boats

Matcha Muffins

My kids and I love having friends over.  Morning playdates are the best!  It's a time for imagination in the sunshine and dress-up clothes for the kids....coffee and a breakfast treat for the moms.

Today, I wanted to introduce my friends to one of my favorite things....Matcha!

 As you know, Matcha is finely ground Green Tea powder that is used in hot drinks, smoothies and baked goods.  

I decided Matcha Muffins would be the perfect breakfast treat for the moms, while the kids played.

Matcha Muffins

Recipe:

1 2/3 cup All-Purpose Flour

1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Baking Powder 

1 1/2 Tbsp Matcha

1/3 cup Butter (melted)

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Tbsp Honey

1 Egg

1 cup Milk

1/2 cup Powdered Sugar

Black Sesame Seeds for garnish

Instructions:  

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.

3.  In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the Butter, Brown Sugar and Honey until just combined.

4.  Add the Egg and then slowly add the Milk while mixing.  Beat until just combined.

5.  Add the dry ingredients and (you guessed it) beat until just combined. Ha!
6.  Pour batter into a muffin pan that has been lined with baking cups.  Fill to about halfway.

7.  Bake for about 20 minutes.

8.  Once they are done, allow the muffins to cool on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes.

9.  Use a flour sifter or small-net strainer to lightly dust the Powdered Sugar over the top.  Garnish each muffin with a few Black Sesame Seeds.

Print this Recipe: Matcha Muffins

I served them with a small bowl of melted Kerrygold Irish Butter mixed with Honey.  I thought it was the perfect compliment to the fresh tea flavor of the muffins.

If you're interested in ordering your own Matcha,  here is the link to my favorite brand:

As is often the case, I started out using a recipe that I found on Pinterest.  At some point during the process, I veered off on my own path and changed it up some.  I don't know that I can call it entirely original...but of course, there are only so many ways you can make muffins.  I mean, how many variations of the Flour/Baking Powder/Salt measurements can there be?  Some things have to be exact in baking.  But like I've said several times before, I'm no baker...so don't take my word for it.  Ha!

I can say from experience however, that this Matcha Muffin recipe is nonbaker-friendly.  You can quote me on that.  :)  Matchalove, until next time!