Irish Fried Cabbage with Bacon

Irish Fried Cabbage with Bacon

(6 servings)

Ingredients:

6 oz. Thick-cut Bacon, chopped

½ small Yellow Onion, diced

½ head Green Cabbage, shredded

1 tbsp. Light Brown Sugar

¼ tsp. Salt

¼ tsp. Black Pepper

Directions:

In a 4-6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crisp.  Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.  Now add onion to the bacon drippings and cook (1-2 minutes) or until translucent.  Add the cabbage and toss to coat.  Add brown sugar, salt and pepper cooking cabbage until tender (5-7 minutes).  Add the bacon back to cabbage mixture, toss and cook 2-3 more minutes.  Serve hot and season with more salt and pepper if necessary.

Note:               Try adding some toasted caraway seeds if you like them.  It will add another dimension to the taste.   

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Irish Potato Pie

Irish Potato Pie

(6-8 servings)

Ingredients:

1 sheet Puff Pastry, thawed

4 tbsp. Unsalted Butter

7 slices Thick-cut Bacon, chopped

4 large Russet Potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

1 large Yellow Onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1 tbsp. Fresh Dill, chopped

½ cup Heavy Cream

½ tsp. Salt

¼ tsp. Black Pepper

Directions:

In a 9-inch tart pan, place puff pastry and push into corners.  Cut excess dough leaving a ½-inch to crimp along the edge.  Place prepared pan in the refrigerator until ready to fill.  In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter and sauté bacon until crispy.  Now add potatoes, onions and dill.  Season with salt and pepper.  Gently stir mixture to coat everything in the fat.  Cook mixture for about 5-10 minutes.  Potatoes do not have to be cooked through.  Spoon mixture into prepared tart pan, smoothing it out.  Next add drizzle the cream over it evenly.  Bake on the low rack, in a pre-heated 350-degree oven, until potatoes are fork tender and the crust is golden brown.  Rest for 10-minutes before cutting into 6 or 8 wedges.

Note:               I’m partial to red potatoes, so you might give them a try in this recipe.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Some Irish Dishes for St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick’s Day is coming up Saturday (March 17^th) for those not in the know.  It’s a national holiday in Ireland.  But they don’t celebrate the day of green as we do here in the USA.

For us, it’s a BIG party all day and that’s even if you’re not Irish.  Green beer and corned beef are consumed at very high rates.  They even dye the river in Chicago green that day.  Many a city have St. Patrick’s Day parades too.

In honor of the upcoming event, I have a couple of Irish dishes for you to give a taste.  We have “Irish Potato Pie” on Wednesday followed by “Irish Fried Cabbage with Bacon” on Thursday.  These are both side dishes to accompany an Irish entrée.

If you are looking for other Irish dishes, check the recipe tabs above.  I have several more there.

Now I’m Irish and so I need to start preparing for the big day, Saturday.  So, I’m keeping this short today.  “Happy Cooking” and may the wee people grant you one wish on St. Patrick’s Day.

Please share the post and link with others.  Thanks.

Maple Salmon (GF)

Maple Salmon (GF)

(3-4 servings)

Ingredients:

¼ cup Real Maple Syrup

2 tbsp. Soy Sauce (GF)

1 clove Fresh Garlic, minced

¼ tsp. Garlic Salt

1/8 tsp. Black Pepper

1 lb. Fresh Salmon

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix syrup, soy sauce, garlic, garlic salt and pepper.  Place salmon in a shallow glass baking dish, coat with the maple syrup mixture, cover and refrigerate 30 minutes turning once halfway through.  Remove from refrigerator and uncover.  Place in a pre-heated 400-degree oven and bake for 20 minutes or until easily flaked with a fork.  Divide into portions and serve.

Note:               You can have salmon portioned before baking.  Also, this recipe is easily doubled too for large group.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Salmon with Lime Cilantro Sauce (GF)

Salmon with Lime Cilantro Sauce (GF)

(4 servings)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. Canola Oil, divided

1 tbsp. Brown Mustard Seeds

1 tsp. Cumin Seeds

4 pieces Salmon Fillet (1-inch thick)

1½ tsp. Kosher Salt, divided

½ tsp. Black Pepper

1¼ cup Fresh Cilantro Leaves, divided, loosely packed

½ cup Green Onions, sliced

1 medium Jalapeno, chopped

3 gloves Fresh Garlic

1 cup Coconut Milk

3 tbsp. Fresh Lime Juice

Directions:

Put 1 tbsp. oil in a small skillet over medium heat.  Add mustard seeds, cover and cook until you hear first seed pop.  Add cumin seeds, cover and cook 1 minute.  Remove from heat and let cool 10 minutes.  In a food processor, pulse toasted seeds, 1 cup cilantro leaves, green onions, 1 tsp. salt, jalapeno and garlic until finely chopped, 10-12 times.  Add coconut milk and lime juice, pulse to combine.  Meanwhile, brush salmon on both sides with remaining oil.  Sprinkle fresh sides with a ½ tsp. of salt and pepper.  Grill on a pre-heated medium-high grill, flesh side down (close lid if using gas), carefully turning once with a wide spatula, until opaque but still moist-looking in thickest part (9-10 minutes).  Lift salmon off skin onto serving plates.  Top each fillet with ¼ cup of sauce and 1 tbsp. of cilantro leaves and serve.

Note:               On the jalapeno, you can chop it up with or without the seeds.  It just depends on how much heat you want.  If heat is not your thing, don’t use a jalapeno.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Gluten-Free Salmon Entrees

Seeing how it is still Lent, I thought I should do a couple more fish recipes.  This week is also my week for “Gluten-Free” recipes.  So these fish recipes are gluten-free but taste great to everyone.

They both also happen to be “Salmon” recipes.  I’m probably one of a few that don’t really care for salmon.  But this blog isn’t about my likes or dislikes, so I’m doing salmon this week.

Just a reminder for those that do need to be gluten-free.  Always check your ingredients.  The salmon recipe for tomorrow calls for soy sauce.  Not all soy sauces are gluten-free.  So make sure you get one that is gf.

The Wednesday recipe of “Salmon with Lime Cilantro Sauce (GF)” is a little more involved than Thursday’s “Maple Salmon (GF).”  So you have one very easy recipe and one needing a little more effort.

The recipe with the lime cilantro sauce is done on the outdoor grill.  It could easily be done indoors on a grill plate or even in the oven.  Use the one that works best for you and maybe the time of the year.

Enjoy and “Happy Cooking” until next week.  Remember to share the link to family and friends.  Thanks.

Apple Chicken Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

Apple Chicken Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms 

(24 mushrooms)

Ingredients:

24 medium Cremini Mushrooms

1 tbsp. Olive Oil

2 links Apple Chicken Sausages, diced

2 slices Thick-Cut Bacon, diced

1 small Yellow Onion, diced

3 cloves Fresh Garlic, minced

¼ cup White Wine, dry

1 small Honeycrisp Apple, diced

1 large Fresh Egg, lightly beaten

3 oz. Cream Cheese, softened

¼ cup Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs

¼ cup Flat-leaf Parsley, chopped

1 tsp. Kosher Salt

½ tsp. Black Pepper

¼ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

Directions:

De-stem mushrooms and clean.  Place on a rimmed baking sheet, cavity up and set aside.  In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm oil.  Add sausage and cook until golden brown and crisp (5-7 minutes).  Transfer to a medium bowl.  Now add bacon, onion and garlic to the skillet.  Cook until bacon is crisp.  Add wine and cook until evaporated.  Transfer to the mixing bowl.  Add the apple, egg, cream cheese, breadcrumbs and parsley to the mixing bowl.  Combine well and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Evenly fill each mushroom with the mixture.  Place in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and serve.

Note:               If you cannot find the apple chicken sausage, use your favorite one then.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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