Making Irish Potatoes for Saint Patrick’s Day is one of those things I look forward to every year. Not only does it mean that Saint Patrick’s Day is coming (when everyone becomes Irish for a day), but it means that Spring is right around the corner and the winter snow and cold weather is moving out for a while. We make these every year and often make extra to share with family and friends. It’s a classic recipe and so easy to make.

Here is the recipe for Irish Potatoes, which is our Featured Recipe:

Servings: 6-10

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8oz. cream cheese, soft
• 16 oz. coconut, shredded
• 2 lbs. confectioner’s sugar
• 3 tbs. vanilla extract
• Ground cinnamon for topping and garnish or melted chocolate

Instructions:

• Mix together all of the ingredients, except the cinnamon, thoroughly.
• Roll into 1 to 1 & ½ inch balls (potatoes!)
• Roll in ground cinnamon, or melted chocolate according to taste!

This is our featured recipe on Professional Recipes, please vote if you like it!

You can print the recipe here: Irish Potatoes.

My wife loves my variation on the classic Chicken a l’Orange recipe and the other night I decided to whip it up for dinner. There was one problem; I was out of white wine! I know, I couldn’t believe it either. It was Sunday though and the liquor store was closed, unfortunately, so I looked around and bam! We had champagne! Champagne is a good substitute for white wine being similar in flavor and infuses quite well. We both love mimosa’s and I figured, what the hell, let’s make it a little different tonight. Out came the champagne and voila, Mimosa Chicken was born. Here’s the recipe:

Serves: 2

Time: 5 minutes prep, 30 minutes cooking time.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken breast, split and trimmed. If you wish, to cut the cooking time down, you can use a tenderizer to flatten the chicken some, reducing the cooking time in the oven.
• 1/2 cup champagne
• 1 cup orange juice, not concentrated
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• A pinch of fresh rosemary
• 2-3 drops of vanilla extract
• Salt and pepper to season the chicken, if desired
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil or whatever oil you desire (other oils add different flavors).

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 350° F.
• Season the chicken with the salt and pepper.
• In a medium skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium to medium-high heat.
• Add the chicken breasts to the pan and sear 5 minutes per side.
• Remove the chicken from the pan and place onto a baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.
• Using the same pan, over medium heat, add the champagne to deglaze the pan. Reduce by half.
• Add the orange juice, vanilla extract and rosemary and bring to a low simmer.
• Stir in the brown sugar until it dissolves. Simmer for 5 minutes.
• Remove the sauce from the burner and strain out the rosemary with a sieve.
• Return the sauce to the pan and bring it back to a low simmer.
• To thicken the sauce, use a tsp of corn starch mixed with water and slowly stir into the sauce to desired thickness.
• By this time the chicken should be cooked throughout. Serve the chicken over a bed of rice pilaf, or plain white or brown rice, and pour the sauce liberally over the top.

And there you have it. Simple, easy and it really does taste delicious! Feel free to omit the rosemary or vanilla extract, they just add a little extra, interesting flavor to the dish.

Being an avid fan of the Philadelphia Phillies, I follow a number of other Phillies fans on Twitter and I came across a particular tweet from a blogger who runs Phillies Nation putting together a cookbook for tailgating at baseball games. That’s right up my alley and I know I have some killer grilling recipes that are sure to be a hit with tailgaters everywhere. With spring training in full swing and baseball season fast approaching, this cookbook will be in the hands of tailgaters everywhere in the Philadelphia area and possibly beyond. What a great way to get some free publicity.

I submitted my Steak and Shrimp Kabobs recipe for inclusion into the cookbook. The way it works is the cookbook authors are going to try out each and every recipe submission and decide whether or not it’s worthy. I have a feeling they’ll be pleasantly surprised with this one. If not, I have a few more I might submit as well. Once I hear back, I’ll post an update here on the blog and pass along any information I find out about when it will be published.

Do you have a recipe that you think might make the cut? Send it in here: Philly Tailgate Cookbook.

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and it’s not always about how much money you spend for this day, but more often about the thoughtfulness of a gift or idea. One way to surprise your special someone is to bake them a delicious cake to enjoy after a romantic dinner. Here’s a hint guys, women really love it when a man can cook!

This Valentine’s Chocolate Heart Cake is sure to do the trick. It’s the Featured Recipe and a nice way to say Happy Valentine’s Day to your special someone:

Servings: 12

Preparation: 30-45 minutes / Cooking: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
* 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
* 1 cup less 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 ¼ tsp baking soda
* 1/8 tsp salt
* ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) butter
* 2/3 cup granulated sugar
* 2/3 cup, firmly packed, brown sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 2 tsp vanilla extract
* 1 ¾ cups buttermilk

For the Frosting:
* 2 cups prepared frosting
* 2 cups whipped cream
* 1 pint fresh raspberries

Tools:

* 9-inch heart-shaped cake pan
* 2 pastry bags with small star tips
* Waxed paper

Instructions:
* Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of the pan with waxed paper. Grease the paper and all sides of the pan, and then dust with flour.
* In a medium bowl, mix flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
* Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla; mix until blended.
* At low speed, alternately beat flour mixture and buttermilk into butter mixture just until blended. Pour batter in prepared pan.
* Bake the cake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to wire rack; cool for 10 minutes.
* Turn out and remove the waxed paper. Turn the cake topside up and cool completely.
* Frost the cake evenly with chocolate frosting. Run the tines (forks) of a fork across the top of the cake to form a wavy pattern south-to-north across the cake (from the bottom of the heart to the top).
* Spoon any leftover frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Starting an inch from the edge, pipe out stars in a heart shaped pattern, following the edges of the cake. To make a star – squeeze the bag and lightly lift the tip to form the star.
* Fill another pastry bag with the whipped cream, fitted with a small star tip. Pipe around the top, outer edge, and along the bottom of the cake, forming a scroll pattern.
* Garnish with the raspberries!

You could substitute the chocolate frosting with white chocolate frosting or whipped cream!

Serve this dessert as a romantic finale to your Valentines’ Day with your sweetheart. If fresh raspberries are not available, use fruits in season or what is available like strawberries or blueberries.

Print this recipe here.

Be sure to check out the Featured Recipe page on the main site and place your vote for the Valentine’s Day Chocolate Heart Cake!

I’ve successfully moved the blog and all of its content to a new server and integrated it with the website, including a sleek new design! I hope everyone likes the new look of the blog and, when it’s finished, the new version of the main site. Check there for more recipes: Professional Recipes.

The blog has been reorganized by Topics and there is a Topic menu on the right side in ABC order for easy browsing. You can find the Latest Recipes from the website are also listed on the left with an RSS icon where you can subscribe to the Latest Recipes Feed! And lastly the blog is integrated with our Twitter account and Facebook page as well.

If you have any comments or suggestions for the blog or the new site coming soon, please leave a comment!

This is a nice recipe from Gordon Ramsey recipe with some personal touches added by our friends at Real Food Direct: Roast Leg of Lamb with Apples and Cider.

Enjoy!

A friend of mine asked me for some advice for making french fries as every time she tries to make them in her fry daddy, they come out soggy and do not crisp up no matter how long she cooks them. I gave her some advice on making french fries from fresh potatoes and decided to share them.

Making the Perfect French Fry:

1. Use Russet potatoes as these make the best fries in my opinion. Russet Nugget potatoes also make excellent fries. The Russet variety has less moisture and will crisp faster.
2. The first step is to thoroughly scrub the potatoes to remove any dirt and deposits. This should be common knowledge for any dish when using potatoes.
3. Peel the potatoes. Some people like to leave a little skin on, but I recommend taking off the skin as the oil does not penetrate well. This is more of a personal preference though.
4. Soak the potatoes overnight in water. This will remove the the starch from the potatoes, allowing them to cook faster and makes them crispier.
5. Cut the potatoes lengthwise about a half an inch in thickness to make a steak fry cut. Cut thinner if you want the typical Shoe String french fry, but be careful how long you cook them. Most importantly, make sure to keep your cuts even so that all of your french fries cook evenly.
6. Pre-heat the oil in a deep pan or a deep fryer (if you have one) to 325° F and use a thermometer to make sure the temperature reaches this point. This is the most important step – if the oil is not hot enough, the water cannot escape from the potatoes and will not crisp up, leaving them soggy.
7. Some time before serving, blanch in oil at 325° F until slightly firm. Allow the potatoes to drain and dry and keep them in the fridge.
8. When ready to cook, drop in oil at 325° F until golden brown. Do not overload the pan or fry basket!

You might be wondering what the best kind of oil to use for deep frying and this can be more of a personal choice due to taste but here are my suggestions:

• For the highest heat and best flavor, use Peanut Oil or Grapeseed Oil (expensive).
• Soybean Oil also will provide a lot of heat, but can add a different flavor.
• Canola Oil will fry well, but it leaves a distinctive taste that some do not like. It is the healthiest type of oil to use however, so if you are going for healthier french fries, use Canola, but try it with a small batch first to make sure you like the taste.
• Vegetable Oil and Corn Oil are fine to use, but has a lower smoke point than Peanut Oil and might make your fries come out browner than you’d like.
• Whatever oil you use, do not use Olive Oil!
• Make sure to change your oil often if you use a deep fryer. Dirty oil will result in darker fries and more of a burnt flavor.

I hope these tips help you make the best possible French Fries! Enjoy!

Here are some more tips I found on cooking temperatures, times and potato facts: French Fry Cooking Guide for Potatoes