Grab yourself a pint of Guinness and don your best green outfit, St Patrick's Day is on the way!
Celebrated by people of Irish descent all over the world, St Patrick's Day is traditionally spent with a feast and a national holiday in Ireland to celebrate the patron Saint of the country, Saint Patrick.
The annual event is full of green clothing, food, drink and fun. St Patrick's Day this year falls on Thursday March 17.
And if you want to celebrate with loads of brilliant food, here are some great Ireland-inspired recipes to try out on the day. Enjoy!
Tesco: Guinness burgers (serves six)
Ingredients
50g of bread without crusts
Three tablespoons of Guinness
One teaspoon of Dijon mustard
One egg yolk, from a large egg
600g pack of beef steak mince
One tablespoon of sunflower oil
Quarter of a cucumber, thinly sliced
Six seeded burger buns, halved
Lettuce, optional
Two whole pickled gherkins, sliced, optional
Guinness sauce, optional
Method
1) Break the bread into small pieces and put in a large bowl with three tablespoons of Guinness. Leave to soak for 10 minutes, then add the mustard and egg yolk and mash with a fork.
2) Add the mince and season with salt and pepper. Mix with your hands until just evenly mixed - don't mix more than necessary.
3) Rinse but don't dry your hands and shape the beef into six burgers. Put on a tray lined with clingfilm and cover with more clingfilm. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
4) Remove the burgers from the fridge 10 minutes before cooking - so that they will cook evenly. Brush the burgers lightly on both sides with oil, then cook in a non-stick griddle pan or frying pan, over a medium heat, for about five minutes on each side.
5) Cut the buns in half and fill with lettuce, burgers, dill, cucumber and the sauce.
Aldi: Irish Wholemeal Brown Bread (makes one loaf)
Ingredients
330g of wholemeal flour
170g of white plain flour
100g of porridge oats
One flat teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
One teaspoon of salt
25g of butter
500ml of full fat milk
Two teaspoons of lemon juice
Method
1) Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2) Mix the lemon juice and milk together in a bowl and stand it somewhere warm.
3) Put the flour, bicarb and salt in a large bowl - rub in the butter, then stir in the porridge oats. Pour in the soured cream and lightly mix together with your hands - form into a ball. Place the bread dough onto the baking sheet. With a sharp knife cut a cross in the top of the bread.
4) Bake for 30/35 minutes - take care to check that the top doesn't get burnt - cover loosely with foil if it gets too brown, test it's cooked through by tapping the base of the bread - if it sounds hollow it's cooked.
Tesco: Black Velvet Cocktail (serves seven to eight)
Ingredients
One 75cl bottle of Tesco Finest Premier Cru Non Vintage Champagne
880ml of Guinness, chilled
Method
1) Half fill the Champagne flutes with Guinness.
2) Slowly top up with the Tesco Finest Champagne taking care not to make too large a head. Serve immediately.
ASDA: Irish Stew (serves four)
Ingredients
Two tablespoons of sunflower oil
700g of cubed lamb shoulder fillet
One onion, halved and sliced
One teaspoon of dried mixed herbs
One vegetable stock cube
Two 300g cans of sliced carrots, drained
One 540g can of new potatoes, drained
One to two teaspoons of cornflour
Soda bread, to serve
Method
1) Pre-heat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3.
2) Heat the sunflower oil in a pan and brown the lamb in batches. Put the lamb in a casserole dish.
3) Add the onion to the pan and cook until soft. Add to the casserole dish with the herbs and the stock cube, dissolved in 600ml hot water. Cover and cook in the oven for one hour and 15 minutes.
4) Add the carrots and potatoes and cook for 30 minutes.
5) Mix one to two teaspoons of cornflour with a little cold water to make a paste and stir in. Cook for another five minutes and serve with soda bread.
Tesco: Guinness Cupcakes (makes 12)
Ingredients
For the cake
125g of butter, softened
175g of light muscovado sugar
One tablespoon of malt extract or black treacle
Three eggs
35g of cocoa powder
175g of wholemeal flour
One teaspoon of baking powder
100ml of Guinness
For the icing
75g of butter, softened
180g of full-fat cream cheese
150g of icing sugar
One tablespoon of Irish cream liqueur, whisky or Guinness
Green sugar sprinkles
Method
1) Heat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C.
2) Beat the butter, sugar and malt or treacle together until light and creamy. Gradually stir in the eggs, adding a little flour if the mixture starts to separate.
3) Sift the cocoa powder into the mixture, then add the flour, baking powder and Guinness and beat lightly until evenly mixed.
4) Divide the mixture between the wells in a 12-hole muffin tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until risen and firm to the touch. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
5) For the icing, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Then beat in the icing sugar and the alcohol until the mixture forms soft peaks. Chill for 30 minutes, if necessary. Then spread over the cupcakes and scatter on some green sugar sprinkles.
Why not visit one of these great Irish pubs in west London this St Patrick's Day?
