St. Patty's Day Pies!

Good ole Snoopy says it all:

 

If Sophie woulda been a boy, and if I got to name her, (she was a shelter doggie and already knew her name) then I could see her being a Snoopy!  Maybe that's what I'll name her future husband, not that I have plans for that or anything.  :)

Speaking of plans, do Ya'all remember a few months ago when I had planned to be able to do 4 chin-ups in a row by mid-March?  Yeah, that isn't happening.  I can still only do one, and almost two.  I feel like I made a little progress despite having sore hands for a month or so.  :(  Oh well, I'll keep working at it and see if I can get closer to my goal by the end of summer.

Us Irish Gals, O'Jeanelly" and I, made authentic Irish fare for supper last night-- Shepard's Pie.  We started this dish, by searing a beef chuck roast. You're going to want a nice crust to form on the meat (known as the Milliard reaction).  This is created by not moving the meat around much while searing.  The crust will create the deep caramelized flavor that helps to make this dish so yummy. 

Did I mention this beef is braised in wine?  After searing, add in veggies, then pour in two cups of Cabernet red wine, plus beef broth, and simmer for a couple of hours.  Meanwhile finish off remaining wine...  noooo wait, at least put something green on and pretend to be Irish first.  ;) 

Take care to keep your kitchen windows closed while cooking this, or anyone that gets a delightful whiff will be attracted to your house like leprechauns to gold. 

When the meat is done cooking it should fall apart easily.

Next, I made a mistake and poured everything into a baking dish.  I don't know why I did that-- must have been the wine.  I could have just added the mashed potatoes directly to the pot the rest of this was in, and topped it with cheese.

Whoever had dish night last night is probably cursing me right now.  Anyways, neatly top with mashed potatoes, (oops-- wine again), and cook until the cheese is all melted.

Yumm, this cheesy, bubbly, beefy dish was so delicious!  Even though I was sloppy with the taters, it still got ohhhs and ahhs from the family.

This Irish dish was a winner!

Shepard's Pie

Ingredients:
2-3lb chuck roast, cut into big hunks
salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 large onion
2 Tablespoons flour
2 cups red wine (I used Cabernet)
15oz  beef broth
1-1/2 cups mixed veggies (I used frozen)
For the cheesy mashed potatoes: 
2lbs potatoes, peeled and chopped (about 3 medium-sized potatoes)
4 Tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup milk (may need more)
salt and pepper
Cheddar Cheese (however much you'd like)
Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Season beef on all sides liberally with salt and pepper then place inside Dutch Oven and sear for 3-4 minutes on the top and bottom, until a golden brown crust has formed. Add garlic, celery, and onion then cook until vegetables are tender, 6-8 minutes. Sprinkle in flour then stir and cook for 1 more minute.
2. Pour in wine and beef broth, then bring to a boil. Place a lid on top then turn heat down to medium-low and simmer for 2 – 2-1/2 hours, or until beef can be easily shredded, turning beef over halfway through. Remove meat then shred. Add veggies and cook till tender.
3. Add potatoes to a large pot of cold water then bring to a boil and cook until fork-tender. Drain then mash with butter milk, salt and pepper. Spread on top of meat and veggie mixture then top with cheese.  Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

But wait-- there's more!  Dessert!

I made a St. Patrick's Day Grasshopper Pie!!!

It's super easy to make and low in fat-- Yay!  

All I did was poured chocolate pudding made with lowfat milk, mixed with !/2 a brick fat free cream cheese, into an Oreo pie crust.  Bottom layer completed!

The top layer is marshmallow fluff mixed with the other half of fat free cream cheese.  Plus, some Andes mints chopped up, and a few drops of food coloring.  Top layer completed!

 
I garnished it with grated Andes candies and a sprinkle of green sugar.

They ate it up like no body's business!

Try saying Irish Wrist Watch!  :)