Cottage Pie with Garlic Butter and Irish Apple Cake

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, mashed
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 pound beef, freshly ground
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 cup dry white or red wine
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

Roux

• 8 tablespoons Kerrygold Irish butter
• Scant cup all-purpose flour
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the Topping

• 3 pounds baking potatoes, unpeeled
• 1 cup whole milk, boiling
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons Kerrygold Irish butter
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives (optional)
• 1/4 cup grated Dubliner cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Kerrygold Aged Cheddar

Garlic Butter

• 8 tablespoons Kerrygold Irish butter
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 3 to 5 cloves crushed garlic
• A few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add garlic and onion and fry until soft and slightly brown. Increase heat, add ground beef and thyme and fry until beef changes color. Add wine, half the stock, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste. Simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, boil the unpeeled potatoes, then peel them. Add boiling milk and mash potatoes while they are still hot. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, and add butter and chives, if using.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
4. Bring the rest of the stock to a boil and thicken it well with roux. Stir it into beef - it should be thick but still juicy. Taste and correct seasoning.
5. Put meat mixture into one large or six individual pie dishes. Pipe or spread mashed potato mixture over the top. Sprinkle with grated cheeses. Bake for 30 minutes, until top is golden and slightly crispy. Serve with garlic butter and a green salad.
6. Roux - Melt butter in a pan and cook flour in it for 2 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally. It will keep for two weeks in the refrigerator.
7. Garlic Butter - Whip butter, then add in parsley, garlic and a few drops of lemon juice at a time. Roll into butter pats or form into a roll and wrap in parchment paper or foil, twisting each end. Refrigerate to harden.

Irish Stew

 

Ingredients

• 2 medium-sized onions, chopped
• Oil, for frying
• 1-ounce butter
• 1 sprig dried thyme
• 2 1/2 pounds best end of lamb neck, cut into large pieces
• 7 carrots, chopped lengthways into 2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons pearl barley
• 5 cups chicken stock, recipe follows
• Salt (recommended: Fleur du Sel)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bouquet garni (parsley, thyme, and bay leaf)
• 12 medium potatoes
• 1 bunch parsley, leaves finely chopped
• 1 bunch chives
• Serving suggestion: herb butter, recipe follows

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

• 6 tablespoons white wine vinegar or unseasoned rice vinegar
• 6 to 12 large eggs
• 2 pounds medium asparagus spears, trimmed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto

Croque Monsieur

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 8 slices whole-wheat bread
• 4 teaspoons light mayonnaise
• 2 ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced (canned pears may also be used)
• 8 ounces leftover ham slices
• 4 ounces Swiss cheese (4 to 8 slices)
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup water

A B.A.D sandwich from Iron Chef Marc Forgione

Bacon:

• 1 (1/8-ounce) slab fresh pork belly(bacon)
• 2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, skins on
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf

Apples:

• 2 tablespoons pickling spices (or a mix of coriander, mustard seed, turmeric, and salt)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 1 cup vinegar
• 1 cup apple cider
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 Honeycrisp apple
• 1 jalapeno
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 ciabatta sandwich roll
• 2 tablespoons grainy mustard
• 1 handful mustard greens

Italian Pork and Vegetable Sauté

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 large red bell pepper, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 10 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 3 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
• 1 pound boneless pork sirloin chops, cut into 1-inch cubes
• Coarse salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio, or non-alcoholic varietal grape juice, such as Chardonnay
• 1/2 cup water

Paula Dean's Crab Cakes with lemon dill

Lemon Dill Sauce:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Crab Cakes:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 green onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
• Cayenne pepper
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 pound white or claw crabmeat, picked free of any bits of shell
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil