St. Patrick’s Day Recipes

The luckiest day of the year is almost upon us! If you happen to be cruising the warm waters this St. Patrick’s Day, you’ll need to get in the spirit with some Irish-inspired fare! For a quick and easy-to-make St. Patrick’s Day Recipes, consider the following menu. Serve along Kale Caesar and green beer!

Guinness-Glazed Lamb Chops

8 oz. Guinness or other dark beer
1/4 cup sugar
1Ž4 tsp. each black pepper and salt
1/4 tsp. ground coriander or cumin or nutmeg (optional)
8 lamb chops

Bring beer, sugar, and spices to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then reduce heat and simmer until glaze is thickened, syrupy and reduced to about 1/4 cup 10-15 minutes. Pat chops dry and sprinkle with a few pinches of salt and pepper, brush both sides of chops with glaze. Grill or broil about 3 minutes per side for medium rare or to preferred level of doneness. Serve with leftover syrup on the side or mint jelly.

Glazed Carrots

1lb. carrots cut into 2 inch lengths
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. orange marmalade or other preserve (apricot jam, apple jelly)
1 tbsp. honey
a pinch each of dried rosemary and thyme
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, cook the carrots in salted boiling water for about 10 minutes or until tender. Drain and return to saucepan. Combine the butter, marmalade, and honey. Cook for 3 minutes or until melted and smooth. Stir in the rosemary and thyme and then stir into the carrots. Season with salt and pepper and heat through.

Irish Coffee

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 jigger Irish whiskey (1 1/2 ounces or 3 tablespoons)
Heavy cream, slightly whipped

Fill footed mug or a mug with hot water to preheat it, then empty. Pour piping hot coffee into warmed glass until it is about 3/4 full. Add the brown sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Blend in Irish whiskey. Top with a collar of the whipped heavy cream by pouring gently over back of spoon. Serve hot.

Host a colorful holiday cocktail party during your local boat parade of lights. All holiday recipes serve 6.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from everyone at Southern Boating!

Christmas Cocktail Meatballs

¼ cup each, vinegar and hoisin sauce
2 tbsp. each, oil and soy sauce
1 tbsp. honey
2 garlic cloves, chopped (or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder)
1 tsp. minced ginger (optional)
24 prepared frozen cocktail meatballs
Salt and pepper

In a small saucepan, combine the sauce ingredients. Add meatballs and heat on medium-low until meatballs are warmed thoroughly, about 20-30 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm with toothpicks and enjoy this simple holiday recipes.

Herbed Goat Cheese and Grapes

4 4-oz. logs of goat cheese, each sliced into 6 rounds
¼ cup olive oil
2 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves (or pinch of dried)
Pepper
2 cups red grapes, halved
1 cup walnuts or sliced almonds
2-3 tbsp. honey
1 French baguette, sliced into rounds, toasted

Arrange sliced goat cheese in one layer on platter. Drizzle with olive oil, then strew with rosemary and pepper. Scatter grapes and nuts over platter, then drizzle honey over all. Serve with toasted bread.

Salmon Tortilla Spirals

4 large tortillas (green spinach or red flour look the most festive)
8 oz. cream cheese
1 lb. smoked salmon (substitute tuna, smoked fish or crabmeat)
4 scallions trimmed and halved lengthwise or a small onion (diced)
1 medium cucumber, seeded and sliced lengthwise into long thin batons
½ cup cream
1 tbsp. lemon juice
¼ tsp. salt

Lay one tortilla on a flat surface and spread a thin layer of cream cheese up to the edges. Layer with 1/4 of salmon in a thin layer, 1/4 of scallions, then 1/4 of cucumber batons. Roll the tortilla up tightly and slice into 8 pieces. Repeat for each tortilla. Arrange spirals cut side up on a festive platter. Mix cream, lemon and salt, and drizzle a little over each slice.

Winter Solstice Shrimp

24 large shrimp, shelled, tailed and deveined
16 slices bacon cut into 2-3-inch sections
2 tbsp. ground black pepper

Heat broiler or grill. Wrap each shrimp in a section of bacon, sprinkle with pepper and secure with a toothpick (or slide several shrimp on longer skewers). Sauté shrimp in large frypan, or place the shrimp on grill or under broiler until bacon is crisp, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Chocolate Truffles

2/3 cup heavy cream
12 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (you may substitute finely chopped almonds or finely grated coconut)

Warm cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When bubbles appear around the edges of the pan, remove pan from heat, pour chocolate into the warm cream and stir until the chocolate melts. Add butter and vanilla until incorporated. Place the mixture in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours.

To form truffles, place cocoa powder in a bowl. Scoop out a heaping teaspoon of the chocolate mixture and roll it into a ball between your palms. Roll the ball in cocoa until it is completely covered. Roll it lightly in your palms again to make sure the cocoa sticks, then re-roll the truffle in cocoa. Repeat with the remaining chocolate mixture.

To store truffles, place in single layers separated by wax paper in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Place two or three truffles in each of 6 mini-cupcake liners for a pretty presentation.

Christmas Punch

1 cup vodka
3 cups cranberry juice
1 cup apple juice
4 cups club soda
2 cups frozen cranberries or other berries
1 lemon, thinly sliced

Mix vodka, juices and soda in a pitcher or punch bowl. Add frozen berries. Pour into glasses over ice and garnish with lemon slice.