Get Your Irish On for St. Patrick's Day!
"Enough and no waste is as good as a feast," was an old Irish saying that was an apt description of Irish cuisine of former times, when plain but plentiful was the most you could hope for in a meal. But eating in Ireland these days is anything but boring and predictable; Ireland is now one of Europe's top eating destinations with cooking that honors its culinary traditions, but is fresh, light, and sophisticated with multicultural influences everpresent. Whether you're having a curry at the local pub or a special occasion meal at a critically acclaimed restaurant, you will feast in Ireland.
Many claim that the Irish tech recession forced Irish chefs to stop relying on expensive British & French imports as the cornerstone of their cuisines. Necessity forced them to discover what had been ignored for too long: the abundance of Irish produce, seafood and artisan products that could replace imports as core ingredients. A great byproduct of a bad period!
With St. Patrick's Day coming up, we thought we'd share some recipes typical of modern Irish cooking, made easy with Pinwheel products. Try them out on the holiday, or any time you want to put a delicious, healthy, easy meal on your table! As the Irish say, "What butter and whiskey won’t cure, there is no cure for!"
Pork Chops in Irish Whiskey Cream Sauce
It’s hard to go wrong with juicy Duroc pork chops, mushrooms, and a Whiskey-laced creamy sauce.
serves 2; prep time: 35min.
Ingredients
2 Duroc pork chops, bone-in (thawed & patted dry)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 medium onion, chopped
7 oz cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cup Irish whiskey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup heavy/whipping cream
Pinch of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp mixed peppercorns or to taste (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400F and move the rack to the middle position. Season pork chops generously with salt and pepper.
2. Add the olive oil to a large, oven-proof skillet on medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, sear the pork chops for 4-5 minutes on each side (don't move them around until it's time to flip them) until they're nicely golden/browned. Turn the heat down if they start to splatter a lot. Remove chops from the pan and set aside.
3. Add the butter and onions to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the whiskey and garlic; cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add the cream, nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce, and peppercorns (if using). Put the pork chops back in the pan.
5. Place the skillet in the oven until the pork chops are cooked through and reach an internal temperature of 145F in the thickest part (10-15 minutes is typical for 1" thick chops.) Season with extra salt & pepper if needed. Serve immediately.
Green Mac & Cheese (or “Lucky Leprechaun Stew”)
Rich, cheesey, and delicious, but also full of veggies- don’t worry, we won’t tell!
Serves 4; Prep & Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
2 cups Pinwheel Local Chopped Spinach (partially thawed under running water or in microwave)
1.5 cups Pinwheel Broccoli Florets (partially thawed under running water or in microwave)
1 cup Pinwheel Local Sweet Peas (partially thawed under running water or in microwave)
½ cup fresh parsley
2 ½ cups milk, divided
5 qt water
1 tablespoon salt
1 lb. di Martino fusilli or good quality elbow macaroni
¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1 lb white cheddar cheese (shredded)
½ cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)
Instructions
1. In a food processor, combine the spinach, broccoli, peas & parsley with ½ cup milk, and process until evenly blended.
2. In a large pot, bring water and 1 tbsp salt to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, roughly 6-7 minutes. Rinse with cold water and drain.
3. In a large pot, combine the butter and flour on medium-high heat, and stir until the mixture has become golden brown. Add 2 cups milk, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, pepper, and salt to the pot and stir until well incorporated.
4. Add in the cheddar cheese and mix until well incorporated.
5. Add in the veggie mixture and stir until fully incorporated and the green color is consistent.
6. Mix in the pasta and pour into a casserole dish. Top the macaroni with mozzarella and broil for 5 minutes.
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Shortcut Version: Preheat oven to 350F. While the pasta is cooking according to instructions, follow step 1 above and, when the mixture is blended, add in the cheese sauce from the package, garlic powder, onion powder & paprika and blend again. When the pasta is cooked, stir in the “green sauce” (and any additional grated cheese you would like to add) and add to a buttered casserole dish. Bake, covered, about 15 min. Optional: Top the macaroni with mozzarella and broil for 5 minutes.
Instant Pot Irish Chicken Stew
A classic, heartwarming dish, this one can be made creamy or brothy and takes no time using your Instant Pot.
Serves: 4 Preparation time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
• 1.5 lbs Pinwheel Roasted Root Veggies (frozen)
• 1.5 cups Pinwheel Local Sweet Peas
• 1 ½ cups (150g) cabbage cut into large chunks
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 3 oz Smoking Goose Pork Belly Bacon Bits or 4 bacon slices, crumbled (optional)
• 2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 1-1.5 lbs all-natural skinless boneless chicken breast, diced into ¾ inch cubes
• 3 Tbsp heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
• Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Season the diced chicken with ½ tsp salt and some fresh ground pepper. Add all ingredients into the Instant Pot insert EXCEPT the parsley & cream, then top with the diced chicken. Do not mix the ingredients.
2. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, turn the valve to the sealing position, and set to high pressure, pressure cook/manual cook for 6 minutes.
3. When done, allow for a natural pressure release of 4-5 minutes, then do a quick manual pressure release.
4. Open the lid. If the stew is too liquidy, set pot to SAUTÉ function (low) and allow to gently simmer until any excess liquid is evaporated. Gently stir in cream, add parsley, adjust seasonings as needed, and serve.
Minty Green Pea & Pistachio Soup
You’ve never had a pea soup like this before: so flavorful, with amazing depth. See if anyone can identify the “secret ingredient” giving the soup its unique texture and character (pistachio)!
Serves: 4-6; Preparation time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
• 2 lbs. Pinwheel Local Sweet Peas (frozen)
• 1 Tbsp butter or olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 cups veggie or chicken stock
• 1 jar Bella Cucina Mint & Pistachio Pesto
• ½ lemon
• 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Half & half cream, to finish (optional)
• Croutons (optional)
Instructions
1. Heat the butter/olive oil in a stockpot on medium until hot; add the onion, carrot, and celery; cover and reduce to low. “Sweat” the veggies until softened, but not browned.
2. Add the frozen peas and stock and heat on medium it comes to a boil (3-5 min.) Reduce heat and cook 1-2 more minutes until peas are softened.
3. Take the pot off the heat and use and immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth (you can leave it a little lumpy if you prefer that texture). If too thick, add a bit more stock to thin it a bit.
4. Stir in ½ jar of the pesto; add more to taste, if you wish. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and then add cream gradually, 1 Tbsp at a time until you reach the desired level of creaminess. Reheat on the stove gently if the soup has cooled down too much, then adjust for salt & pepper, top with parsley and serve!