ONLINE EXTRA — ST. PATRICK'S DAY FARE: Potato and Leek Soup . . . Murphy’s and Bailey’s Cheesecake . . . Shepherd’s Pie, etc.

Potato and Leek Soup

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 large leeks, white and pale green parts only, washed well

1 medium onion, peeled, diced

1 large clove garlic, peeled, minced

4 carrots, peeled, diced

4 cups fat-free reduced-sodium chicken stock

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 bay leaf

2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced

2½ cups heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water

Salt to taste

Crispy fried onions, optional

¼ cup fresh chopped parsley

In a large stock pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Slice the leeks into 1/8-inch thin slices. Add the leeks, onion, garlic and carrots to the pot and saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, black pepper and bay leaf. Add the potatoes and simmer until they are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and continue simmering another 5 minutes. Add the cornstarch mixture a little at a time to the soup and heat over medium heat until the soup has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season with salt to taste. Serve in bowls topped with fried onions and sprinkling of chopped parsley.

Yield: Serves 12.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 289 calories, 65 percent of calories from fat, 21 grams fat (12 grams saturated), 24 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams protein, 192 milligrams sodium, 68 milligrams cholesterol, 63 milligrams calcium, 3 grams fiber.

Murphy’s and Bailey’s Cheesecake

CRUMB CRUST:

1½ cups crumbs from gingersnaps or Irish digestive biscuits, such as Carr’s or McVitie’s brand (6 to 8 biscuits)

3 tablespoons unsalted Irish butter, melted

SYRUP:

4 cups Murphy’s stout

2 cups dark brown sugar

FILLING:

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 cups heavy whipping cream

¾ cup Baileys Irish Cream liqueur

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

1 cup boiling water

Fresh berries for garnish

To make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine the crumbs and melted butter. Press the crumb mixture onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch round springform pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

To make the syrup: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together the stout and brown sugar. Gently bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and syrupy and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and let cool. It will continue to thicken while it cools. It should be the thickness of molasses.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth with an electric mixer. Add the cream and beat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until smooth. Stir in half the Murphy’s syrup and all of the Baileys.

In a small bowl, combine the gelatin and boiling water. Stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes. Stir 2 tablespoons of the syrup into the gelatin, then stir the gela-tin into the cream cheese mixture. Pour the filling over the crust. Refrigerate about 4 hours, or until firm. Set aside the remaining syrup at room temperature.

When ready to serve, release the sides of the pan and cut the cheesecake into wedges. Drizzle some of the remaining Murphy’s syrup around each slice and garnish with fresh berries.

Yield: Serves 12.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 514 calories, 48 percent of calories from fat, 28 grams fat (17 grams saturated), 58 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams protein, 174 milligrams sodium, 83 milligrams cholesterol, 80 milligrams calcium, no fiber.

Shepherd’s Pie

3 tablespoons canola oil, divided

2 pounds ground lamb

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 medium onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and diced

2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups canned low-sodium beef broth

TOPPING:

2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

½ cup 2 percent milk

2 tablespoons unsalted Irish butter or regular butter

3 tablespoons cheddar cheese, preferably Irish, grated (optional)

In a large skillet over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add lamb and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until browned. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat, and with a slotted spoon, transfer meat to a large bowl.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Stir in the onion and cook for 3 to 5 min-utes, or until the onion is soft but not browned. Add the carrots, parsley and thyme, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the vegetables are coated with oil. Stir in the flour, cook for 1 to 2 minutes then add the beef broth. Bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bot-tom of the pan. Add the meat, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, stirring occa-sionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the lamb is tender and the sauce is thickened. Season again with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Meanwhile, make the topping: In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 12 to 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and mash. Add the milk and butter and stir until smooth.

Transfer the stew to a large casserole dish or individual ovenproof casserole dishes. Deco-ratively spread or pipe the mashed potatoes over the meat mixture and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the mixture is hot. Preheat the broiler for just a few minutes and sprinkle the potatoes with the grated cheese, if using. Place the pie under the preheated broiler, 4 inches from the heat source, and broil for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the potatoes are lightly browned and the cheese is bubbling.

Yield: Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 565 calories, 52 percent of calories from fat, 33 grams fat (12 grams saturated), 35 grams carbohydrates, 32 grams protein, 152 milligrams sodium, 113 milligrams cholesterol, 77 milligrams calcium, 3 grams fiber.

Leek and Potato Tart

Favorite pie crust for a one-crust pie

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 large leeks, white and light green parts only

3 tablespoons unsalted Irish butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups 2 percent milk

1 cup Cheddar cheese, preferably aged Irish Cheddar

Salt and pepper to taste

2 medium cooked potatoes, peeled, sliced into 1/8-inch thick slices

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom with the pie crust. Trim off the excess. Using a fork, prick the bottom of the crust all over. Line the crust with foil and add pie weights or dried beans — this keeps the crust from puffing up. Bake for 15 minutes or until just lightly browned. Remove from the oven.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Saute the leeks until they are just softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside. In a saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk. Continue heating over medium heat until the sauce is thickened. Stir in the cheese and allow it to melt. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.

Line the bottom of the prebaked pie crust with the potato slices. Sprinkle the leeks all over. Pour the white sauce to cover the ingredients. It will come to the edge.

Bake the tart about 20 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes before slicing into wedges. Serve with a crisp green salad for a complete meal.

Yield: Serves 8.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 282 calories, 55 percent of calories from fat, 17 grams fat (8 grams saturated), 25 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams protein, 223 milligrams sodium, 31 milligrams cholesterol, 200 milligrams calcium, 1 gram fiber .

Miniature Fruitcakes

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1½ cups chopped walnuts

1 cup chopped dates

¾ cup chopped mixed candied fruit

2 eggs, separated

½ teaspoon vanilla

Halved candied cherries

Heat oven to 275 degrees. Combine the sugar, flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the walnuts, dates and candied fruit. Whisk together the egg yolks and vanilla in a small bowl; stir into the dry ingredients.

Beat the egg whites in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form; fold into the batter. Fill greased and floured muffin cups two-thirds full; cover the muffin tin tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Bake 1 hour; uncover. Top each fruitcake with 2 or 3 cherry halves; bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 5 minutes longer. Cool 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of each cup. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 246 calories, 37 percent of calories from fat, 11 grams fat (1 grams saturated), 35 milligrams cholesterol, 37 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams protein, 68 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.

Whole Wheat Bread

2 cups each: all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon each: baking soda, baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1½ cups buttermilk

½ stick (¼ cup) butter, melted

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together the flours, brown sugar, baking soda, baking pow-der and salt in a large bowl; stir in the egg, buttermilk and butter. Mix with a wooden spoon just until the dough forms a ball.

Press into in a greased 9-inch-round cake pan. Bake until deep brown, about 50 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Yield: Serves 8.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 345 calories, 19 percent of calories from fat, 8 grams fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 43 milligrams cholesterol, 61 grams carbohydrates, 10 grams protein, 396 milligrams sodium, 4 grams fiber.

Scones

1¾ cups flour

¼ cup sugar

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

½ cup each: dried currants, chocolate chips

½ cup milk plus 1 tablespoon

¼ cup sour cream

1 egg

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender until it is in pea-sized pieces. Stir in the currants and chocolate chips.

Mix together ½ cup of the milk and the sour cream; pour into the dry ingredients. Stir mix-ture gently until ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Pat dough into an 8-inch circle on a floured board; cut with a pizza cutter into 8 or more wedges. (Alternatively, flatten the dough and cut out circles with biscuit or cookie cutter). Place scones on a greased baking sheet at least 1 inch apart; set aside. Whisk together the egg and remaining 1 tablespoon of the milk. Brush the tops of the scones with the egg wash; let rest 10 minutes. Bake until the tops are golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Ballymaloe Irish Stew

10 small shoulder lamb chops

12 each: baby carrots, pearl onions

1 tablespoon each: butter, flour

2 14½-ounce cans beef broth

12 small red potatoes, halved

1 sprig thyme

1 teaspoon salt, plus more if necessary

Freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon each: chopped parsley, chopped chives

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Trim lamb chops; place fat in a Dutch oven. Remove meat from bones; reserve bones. Cut meat into 1-inch pieces.

Heat the lamb fat over low heat until rendered, about 5 minutes; discard browned pieces. Increase heat to medium-high; cook meat in batches until browned, about 4 minutes per batch; set aside. Add carrots and onions to Dutch oven; cook, stirring, until onions soften, about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the roux, melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat; stir in flour until smooth. Cook, stirring, until thickened and tan, about 3 minutes. Stir in ½ cup of the broth until smooth. Stir remaining broth into the Dutch oven, scraping up browned bits. Stir in the roux, lamb, potatoes, thyme, 1 teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste.

Heat mixture to a boil over medium heat. Cover with foil; top with lid. Transfer to oven; bake until meat is fork-tender, about 1½ hours; skim off fat. Stir in chopped parsley, chives. Adjust seasoning.

Yield: Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 686 calories, 20 percent of calories from fat, 15 grams fat (7 grams saturated), 85 milligrams cholesterol, 74 grams carbohydrates, 60 grams protein, 1,004 milligrams sodium, 6 grams fiber.

Irish Stew with Tomatoes and Peppers

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 pounds lean lamb, cut in medium chunks

1 teaspoon each: salt, pepper, dried oregano

1 14½-ounce can beef broth

1 16-ounce can tomato sauce

2 cups water

1 bay leaf

3 russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 each, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces: carrots, parsnips

1 onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 each, cored, seeded, sliced: red bell pepper, green bell pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; season lamb with salt, pepper and oreg-ano. Brown lamb in batches in Dutch oven, about 3 minutes per batch. Return lamb to Dutch oven; stir in the broth, scraping up browned bits. Stir in tomato sauce, water and bay leaf. Heat to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 30 minutes.

Add potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onion, peppers and garlic. Cook until meat and vegetables are tender, about 2 hours. Remove bay leaf before serving. Skim off fat; adjust seasonings.

Yield: Serves 8.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 250 calories, 24 percent of calories from fat, 7 grams fat (2 grams saturated fat), 48 milligrams cholesterol, 29 grams carbohydrates, 19 grams protein, 836 milligrams sodium, 5 grams fiber.

Irish Beef Stew

1 tablespoon olive oil

1½ pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch chunks

2 large carrots, diced

1 rib celery, diced

1 small onion, diced

½ small leek, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

½ cup each: flour, stout or beer

2 tablespoons red wine, optional

2 14½-ounce cans beef broth

3 medium red potatoes, diced

½ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook meat in batches, stirring often, until brown on all sides, about 6 minutes per batch. Remove meat; set aside.

Add the carrots, celery, onion and leek into the Dutch oven. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic, tomato paste and flour. Cook, stirring, until very thick, about 2 minutes.

Stir in beer and wine, scraping up browned bits. Stir in beef broth, potatoes and reserved meat. Heat almost to a boil over medium heat. Cover; transfer to oven. Bake until tender, about 1½ hours; skim off fat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Yield: Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 351 calories, 28 percent of calories from fat, 11 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 70 milligrams cholesterol, 36 grams carbohydrates, 28 grams protein, 939 milligrams sodium, 4 grams fiber.

Irish Stout Lamb Stew

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

2 teaspoons salt plus more to taste

Freshly ground pepper

3 pounds cubed lamb shoulder

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 16-ounces can or 2 cups stout or dark beer

1½ pounds red potatoes, quartered

3 each, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks: parsnips, carrots

2 large yellow onions, coarsely chopped

4 ribs celery, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 14-½ ounce cans low-sodium beef broth

1 cup pearl barley

12 sprigs parsley

3 sprigs thyme

2 sprigs rosemary

Mix ½ cup of the flour, 1 teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste in a resealable bag; add lamb. Shake to coat lamb. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the lamb in batches, until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes per batch. Remove each batch to a plate.

Stir remaining 2 tablespoons of the flour into the Dutch oven. Cook, stirring, over medium heat, 1 minute. Stir in the stout, scraping up the browned bits. Add the potatoes, parsnips, carrots, onions, celery and garlic. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 20 minutes.

Return meat to the Dutch oven. Add the broth and barley. Tie the parsley, thyme and rosemary in a bundle with kitchen string; add to Dutch oven. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lamb is fork-tender, about 2½ hours. Skim off any fat. Season with remaining teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste.

Yield: Serves 10.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 477 calories, 24 percent of calories from fat, 13 grams fat (6 grams saturated), 54 milligrams cholesterol, 50 grams carbohydrates, 39 grams protein, 622 milligrams sodium, 8 grams fiber.

Corned Beef, Cabbage and Potato Soup

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 medium leeks, washed and sliced

1 medium onion, chopped

¼ small head green cabbage, cored and shredded

2 bay leaves

4 ribs celery, chopped

8 cups corned beef stock

2 pounds peeled potatoes, sliced

1 pound cooked corned beef, diced

Salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add leeks, onions, cab-bage, bay leaves and celery; saute 5 to 6 minutes until soft. Add stock and sliced potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and hard simmer 20 minutes until potatoes are well cooked and very soft. Remove from heat and remove bay leaves.

Place potato mixture in a blender or a food processor fitted with the metal blade; blend or process until smooth. This may have to be done in batches. Or use an immersion blender. Return puree to pan and to heat; bring to a boil. Add corned beef and season with salt and pepper; cook over medium heat until heated through.

Yield: 15 cups.

Approximate nutritional analysis per 1-cup serving: 169 calories, 47 percent calories from fat, 9 grams fat (4 grams saturated), 38 milligrams cholesterol, 7 grams protein, 16 grams car-bohydrates, 2 grams total fiber, 360 milligrams sodium.

Irish Corned Beef and Cabbage Salad

1 pound small new potatoes

Salt, to taste

Water

2 cups fine-shredded Savoy cabbage

1 onion, finely diced

1 carrot, grated

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

¼ cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

12 1/8-inch-thick) slices cooked corned beef

Cook new potatoes, skins on, in boiling salted water 25 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool; then chill. When cold, peel and slice. Place in a nonreactive bowl with cabbage, onions and carrots. Combine mustard, mayonnaise and horseradish. Add to potato mixture and toss gently to combine. Cut corned beef into strips and fold into salad.

Yield: Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 434 calories, 61 percent calories from fat, 29 grams fat (8 grams saturated), 116 milligrams cholesterol, 23 grams protein, 20 grams carbo-hydrates, 3 grams total fiber, 1,387 milligrams sodium.

Tags: online extra, st patricks day fare, st patricks day food, features, food, recipes