St. Patrick's Day Dishes

St. Patrick's Day is tomorrow and I had these excellent recipes. I am not one who makes a big deal about this day but since some of you might like to make an Irish dish, I found these just for you. They are all pretty good recipes so I had a hard time picking 1, so I gave you all 3. 

And... recipes always look better with pictures.

Irish Beef Hand Pies

Ingredients

Makes 8

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 head green cabbage, shredded
• 1/2 pound red potatoes, scrubbed and diced
• 1 pound ground beef sirloin
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• All-purpose flour, for rolling
• 2 pie crusts (9 inches each), homemade or store-bought

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium; add cabbage and potatoes. Cook until beginning to brown, 7 to 9 minutes. Add beef; cook, breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, Worcestershire, thyme, and 1 cup water. Cover, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Lightly mash mixture with a fork. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool completely.
2. On a lightly floured work surface, roll each crust into a 14-inch square; cut each into 4 equal squares. Place 1/2 cup filling on one half of each square, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the filling. Brush borders with water; fold dough over filling to enclose. Crimp edges with a fork to seal. With a paring knife or scissors, cut 3 small vents in each.
3. Transfer pies to 2 foil-lined rimmed baking sheets; bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.
4. To Freeze: Prepare through step 2. Arrange unbaked pies on a baking sheet (they should not touch); freeze until firm, about 1 hour. Wrap each pie in foil. Place in a resealable plastic bag; freeze up to 2 months.
5. To Bake from Frozen: Proceed with step 3, increasing baking time to 28 to 30 minutes.

Irish Lime Squares 

Ingredients

Makes 16

• FOR THE CRUST
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for pan
• 2/3 cup shelled pistachios
• 1 cup (4 ounces) graham-cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoons grated lime zest
• FOR THE FILLING
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush an 8-inch square baking dish with melted butter. Line bottom with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides.
2. In a food processor, finely grind pistachios with graham-cracker crumbs, sugar, and zest. Blend in butter. Press mixture into bottom and 1 inch up sides of prepared pan. Bake until lightly browned, 8 to 12 minutes. Cool crust, 30 minutes.
3. To make the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and condensed milk. Add lime juice; whisk until smooth. Pour filling into cooled crust; carefully spread to edges.
4. Bake until set, about 15 minutes. Cool in pan on rack; then chill at least 1 hour before serving. Using parchment paper overhang, lift out of pan, and transfer to a cutting board. With a serrated knife, cut into 16 squares, wiping knife with a damp kitchen towel between each cut. To store in refrigerator, cover with plastic wrap.

Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

Serves 16

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 2 tablespoons caraway seeds
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 2 large eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, raisins, caraway seeds, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, eggs, and 2 tablespoons butter. Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients to form a dough.
2. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth, about 4 minutes; add more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Form dough into a 9-inch round; place on prepared baking sheet. Brush loaf with remaining tablespoon butter. Using a sharp knife, score an X on top of loaf.
3. Bake until skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool on wire rack before serving.