wearin' the green

​Although I am not of Irish decent, I do have special recipes that are perfect to be enjoyed during the month of March. I’ve have made these recipes many times and never tire of them.
 
The first is Irish Soda bread, a recipe that I shared with my readers last year. The recipe uses pantry staples, plus the addition of seedless raisins, caraway seeds and buttermilk. Another recipe that I enjoy making is from America’s Test Kitchen and their version of British-Style Currant Scones. This recipe, too, uses pantry staples, the only thing you need to source are currants.  However, I’m sure if all you had were raisins, they would be an adequate substitute. 

​If you happen to be having, or going to, a St. Patrick’s Day celebration, Bacon-Cheddar Scones are wonderful. These tasty scones are flavored with cheddar cheese, scallions and bacon. I once brought these to a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day watch party in Manhattan and they were a big hit. Other scone varieties can be found on my recipe page and include mushroom pâté, double chocolate or a giant cinnamon roll scone.
 
Not into scones, how about shamrock shaped sugar cookies? Deb Perelman, of Smitten Kitchen, recipe is so easy to make. She even has a recipe for icing that you can flavor, if you so desire, and green food coloring to make the cookies more festive. Cookie cutters can be purchased at Shore Cake Supply in Ocean, NJ.
 
Some people may feel it’s not St. Patrick’s Day unless they’ve had Sheperd’s Pie. I take the easy way out by using Colman’s Recipe Mix for Sheperd’s Pie. I find it in the international aisle at my local Wegmans. For the recipe you’ll need ground meat (I use beef or turkey), a chopped onion, frozen peas and carrots and mashed potatoes that I make fresh. It’s done in a snap and is delicious.
 
Slainté!