Traditional Irish Stew For Saint Patrick's Day Or Any Day!

This traditional Irish dish is so easy to make. You add the ingredients into one pot and let it cook. There is no adding broth, the ingredients you have here makes a very nice broth when it's finished.

2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder or beef, cut into 1 inch chunks
6 medium potatoes, cut into quarters
1 Large onions, sliced thick
2 celery stalks, sliced
6 carrots, cut into 1/2 slices
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups water
chopped parsley

Layer meat and vegetables in a large Dutch oven in the order listed. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme. Add water. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer 15 minutes, then transfer Dutch oven to preheated 325 degree oven. Bake for 2 to 3 hours until lamb is tender. Do not lift cover for first two hours. To serve, stir and sprinkle with parsley.

You can also do this on the stove top simmer until meat is nice and tender.

Serve with traditional Soda Bread ;)

Serves 6.

Left Over Ham Recipe: Navy Bean & Ham Soup

Navy Bean & Ham Soup:

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1/3 C. diced celery
• 1/3 C. diced onion
• 1/3 C. diced carrots
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 3 cans (16 oz.) white navy beans
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 Bay leaf
• Salt and Pepper
• 5 C. water
• 1 Can Chicken Broth
• 1 1/2 C diced Ham

Saute celery, onions and carrots for about five minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and you left over Ham, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Using a potato masher, mash some of the soup to help thicken. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes.

This is a quick easy version of Navy Bean and Ham soup! You can make the longer version with the dried beans just cook according to the package but, add these ingredients.

Serves 6 - 8.

Left Over Ham Recipe: Split Pea & Ham Soup

What to do with all that left over ham?

Make Split Pea and Ham Soup!

Ingredients:

• Package of Split Pea's from Supermarket (rinsed)
• 2 Quarts Water
• Ham Diced
• 1 Small Onion Diced
• 1 can diced Tomato's
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 Cup Diced Carrots
• 2 Garlic Cloves Diced
• 2 Bay Leaves

Sautee onions and Carrots in olive oil until Onions are opaque or almost see through. Add Garlic sautee for one minute. Add Ham, Tomatoes, Split Pea's and Water. Season with Salt and Pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 30 to 40 minutes until peas are nice and tender.

You can add some heavy cream before serving to make it a creamy soup also!

Split Pea and Ham soup is wonderful for a chilly Spring Day!

Clam Chowder

Clam Chowder for a brisk day or evening! This soup can be made a day ahead just do not add the clams until you are ready to eat it.

Ingredients:

(medium chop all vegetables)

• 2 Cups Onion
• 2 Cups Celery
• 2 Cups Carrots
• 4 Cups Potato's
• 1 to Quart Fresh Clam Juice (you can use canned if fresh is unavailable)
• 1 pint (or more if you prefer) Fresh Large Shucked Clams Cut up
• 1 1/2 Tablespoon Fresh Thyme
• 1 Tablespoon Salt
• 1/2 Tablespoon Pepper
• Butter
• 1 Cup Flour
• Fresh Parsley
• Oyster Crackers

Saute the onions with 1/2 stick butter in a large stock pot or soup pot until almost tender (this can be done while you are chopping the rest of your vegetables).

Add Celery, Carrots, Potato's, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir and cook for about 10 minutes or until almost tender.

Add Clam Juice, cook for another 10 minutes until vegetable are nice and tender.

While the soup is cooking make your Roux. Melt 1/2 stick butter in pan, when melted and hot add one cup of flour all at once. Whisk and cook for three minutes. This cooks out the raw flour taste.

Add to the Roux a cup of soup broth, whisk (this prevents lumps in your soup). Add Roux mixture to your soup and stir to thicken.

Hint: If you find your soup is too thick you can add a little at a time more liquid, water, chicken broth or more clam broth if you have it.

Add your clams right before you are ready to eat so they do not over cook and get tough. Add clams, cook long enough to heat the clams through.

Serve topped with Parsley and Oyster Crackers.

Enjoy!

Tomato and Broccoli Fishy Soup for the Kids:

Make this easy healthy soup in a snap. The kids love it and they get their vegetable serving too!

Ingredients:

• One can Condensed Tomato Soup
• Two handfuls frozen broccoli florets
• Goldfish crackers

In saucepan empty one soup can of water and two handfuls of frozen broccoli florets. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium cover and cook broccoli florets until tender. Mash up the broccoli with your potato masher or fork. Add the Condensed Tomato Soup. Stir until mixed and the soup is hot. Serve with gold fish crackers.

Serves (2)

Enjoy!