TheVineyardMom

I love making lamb and this is a simple recipe for anytime of the year.  I usually plan on 2-3 ribs per person when I plan on making it as an entree. You can find rack of lamb in any grocery store.  Make sure before you even start marinating the lamb, the ribs are cleaned or "frenched".  If your not sure what that means, ask the butcher for help.  I love either a Petite Sirah or a Merlot with lamb.  Cheers!   1 or more Frenched racks of lamb each being 1 1/2  to 2 lbs. For each rack: 2 tsp. Chopped fresh rosemary 1 tsp. Chopped fresh thyme 2 finely minced cloves of garlic Salt and pepper 2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil Marinade for each rack of lamb: Rub rack all over with chopped rosemary, thyme and garlic. Rub rack with salt and pepper and place in a large plastic bag that seals.  Drizzle the olive oil over the rack in the bag. Seal bag tightly. Marinade in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours or overnight. Remove racks from the refrigerator 1-2 hours before cooking.  It’s importan

  This is not only a beautiful dish, but it's delicious and healthy! Carrots have a natural sugar in them that when they are roasted at a high heat, they release these sugars and make the carrots sweet. I love these carrots as a side dish anytime of the year, but spring is when I can get them at my local farmers market. Depending on what you are serving the carrots with, a red or white wine works. Cheers! 2 lbs. Of tri-colored carrots, trimmed, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices 2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil 2 tsp. Chopped fresh rosemary 1 tsp. Chopped fresh thyme 1 tsp. Salt and pepper 3 tsp. Freshly chopped Italian parsley Preheat oven to 450 degrees Place chopped carrots into a bowl and add extra virgin olive oil, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper.  Mix well. Spread carrot mixture evenly on a baking sheet lined with foil. Roast for 30 or until carrots are caramelized and fork tender in the center. Place carrots into a bowl and sprinkle parsley over the top.  Add more salt an

  Corned Beef Hash 3 Tbs. butter 1 medium onion finely chopped  1/2 green bell pepper finely chopped 2-3 cups finely chopped cooked corned beef 2 cups peeled, diced and cooked russet potatoes Salt and pepper to taste 2 eggs cooked to your preference Chopped parsley for garnish Heat butter in a large skillet on medium heat.  Add onions and bell peppers and cook for a few minutes until soft and translucent. Mix in the chopped corned beef and potatoes.  Spread all the ingredients evenly in the pan. Turn heat to high and press down on the hash with a spatula. Do not stir ingredients.  Let the hash ingredients brown. Once browned, flip and brown the other side.  This will take about 10 minutes. Put the hash on a plate and top with your favorite eggs.  Garnish with parsley.

  Creamy Corned Beef and Potato Soup 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil 1 cup diced yellow onion 1 14 oz bag of either shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix 2 cups diced and peeled russet potatoes 6 cups chicken broth 2 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper 2 tsp garlic powder 1 cup heavy cream 2-3 cups diced leftover cooked corned beef Heat extra virgin olive oil in a large dutch oven or soup pot medium heat. Add onions and cabbage and cook until the onions are translucent and the cabbage is wilted. Add diced potatoes, chicken broth, salt, pepper and  garlic powder to the pot.  Stir and bring to a boil.  Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Blend the soup using a stick blender or allow to cool and use a regular blender in small batches.  Blend until smooth. Add cream and corned beef.  Heat until it is warmed through. Topping: Mini Rueben Bites 1 sheet puff pastry 1/4 cup Thousand Island dressing 1/2 lb. swiss cheese 1/2 lb. thinly sliced pastrami 1 egg and 2 tbs. Water mixed together 1/2 flour for the rolling p

  Boxty is super versatile and can go with any meal. Who doesn't love a potato pancake? They are perfect for breakfast with eggs or by them self with butter and syrup. I love to put sour cream and some chives on mine with a salad for lunch. Any white wine goes great with Boxty. Cheers to the potato! 2 cup all purpose flour 1  tsp. Baking powder 2 tsp. Salt 1 cup mashed potatoes 1 1/2 cups  peeled and grated raw potatoes 1 cup or more if needed buttermilk   Butter for griddle or heavy pan In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt.  Put aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine mashed potatoes, grated potatoes and flour.  Mix well. Slowly add in the buttermilk to the mixture.  Do not over mix. The mixture is firm, almost like a dough.  If too firm, add a little more buttermilk. Heat a griddle or nonstick pan over medium high heat. Add a pat of butter just before you scoop in some of the batter.  I use an ice cream scoop for this. Flatten into a nice round pancake s

 St. Patrick's Day Mimosa 1 bottle of either sparkling white wine or Prosecco Orange juice Blue Curacao Fill champagne flute or stemless champagne flute 1/3 of the way with Orange Juice. Add 1/2 tsp. of Blue Curacao and stir with a straw. Fill the glass  the rest of the way with sparkling wine.

Irish Soda Bread Pudding  1 loaf of Irish soda bread cut into cubes (preferably one day old) 1/3 cup raisins 1/3 cup golden raisins 3 cups half and half 4 large eggs 2 large egg yolks 1/2 cup melted butter 1/4 cup sugar 1 Tbs. vanilla extract 1/4 tsp. Nutmeg Butter a 2.5 quart baking dish or a 9x13 pan. Tear bread into bite size chunks. Layer torn bread and raisins into pan.  I usually do this in 3rds. Keep doing layers until 3/4 of the pan is filled. In a medium mixing bowl combine the half and half, eggs, yolks, butter, sugar, vanilla extract and nutmeg.  Mix well to combine. Pour over the layered bread chunks and raisins.   Allow bread mixture to soak up custard for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and bake for 50-60 minutes. Check after 45 minutes if using a 9x13 pan.  The mixture will be gold on top.  Allow pudding to rest 5-10 so the custard is set.  Serve and top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

 Irish Coddle This is a traditional Irish stew made of potatoes and sausage. It is a recipe that is common in Dublin, Ireland. It’s great for St. Patrick’s Day or anytime you need comfort food. Though most people make corned beef and cabbage with potatoes on St. Patrick’s Day, coddle is more authentic and what you should be having. Coddles vary from each region and from each household . The recipes below are typical of an Irish dinner or St. Patrick’s Day dinner. 8 slices of bacon 1 lb. of sausage like bratwurst or polish sausage 3 tbs All purpose flour 1 bottle of Guinness beer 2 lbs of potatoes peeled and cut into small bite size pieces 2 large onions sliced 4 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tsp dried thyme Salt and pepper to taste 2 cups beef or chicken stock Chopped Parsley for garnish Preheat oven to 300 degrees Heat a large oven safe dutch oven to high heat. Add the bacon and cook until it's crispy. Remove the bacon, but leave the renderings in the pot. Cut sausages into 1 inch sl