SAINT PATRICK’S DAY 2015 MADE EASY

I had written a post on slow cookers before I really looked at the calendar and saw Saint Patrick’s Day was here. So next week the slow cookers, this week we’re going Irish. I have a book on my blog bookshelf, SOME SAINT PATRICK’S DAY RECIPES, From Canapes to Coffee, which covers both traditional and slow cooker ways to prepare the favorite dish, Corned Beef and Cabbage as well as how to “corn” the beef at home—a money saver—and how to substitute ham for beef in the process. Of course also included is how to select the right cut of meat. So I’m not too far off track with this detour.

As the title suggests, the book covers other courses, sides and leftovers, but, hey, one can never have too many options. Being able to offer choices is part of the fun of cooking, financially strategic to planning, and can make an entrée’s encore seem new So, in this discussion, I’m going to add to the alternatives I’ve previously suggested to accompany the day’s favorite dinner or serve the leftovers. For even more ideas, please check this blog’s archives for posts from Mar.16, 2012, Mar.14, 2013, and Mar. 13, 2014.

 

Canapes before a heavy dinner should be limited and light. The old warning “Don’t spoil your appetite.” is valid. One always acceptable offering is a wedge of cheese. The Irish make wonderful cheese and as a change from crackers, present it with slim, toasted slices of Soda Bread cut in bite-sized pieces.

 

Soup again is filling, but it’s so versatile that it has to be included. It can introduce a meal be made into one or serve as a snack. Here are two recipes, in keeping with the day, which can easily do these things;

 

Cabbage and Potato Soup  Serves 4- 6
2 Tbs. oil

4 baking potatoes- unpeeled

14 ½ oz. can chicken or vegetable broth

3 cups water

2 small onions – diced
3 cups shredded green cabbage
6 cloves garlic-halved
1 Tbs. caraway seeds + extra for garnish

Salt to taste
Sauté the onion in the oil until soft (3-4 min.) Add the garlic and cabbage and cook for 10 min. stirring to prevent sticking. Add the potatoes, caraway, salt and liquid; bring to a simmer, then cook until the vegetables are tender. Puree, and serve warm with caraway seed garnish.

 

Cheese Soup Serves 6

1 carrot diced
1 small onion diced
1 stalk celery diced
4 Tbs. butter or margarine
4 Tbs. flour
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
½ cup Half and Half

¼ tsp. paprika
½ cup beer

8 oz. shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper
Melt butter in a pot. Cook vegetables in butter until soft. Add flour and mix until smooth. Add broth, paprika and Half and Half bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until thickened. Lower heat, add cheese and stir until melted, Add beer, salt and pepper, and cook until incorporated, but don’t boil. If too thick add more broth or cream. Serve warm.

 

Adding Extra Taste to Corned Beef
These sauces can be served with the beef, used as spreads with leftovers and one can be converted into a salad dressing.

Horseradish Sauce—Makes 1 cup.
Boil 1 cup cooking liquid from beef until reduced by half. Cool and stir in 1/3 cup sour cream and 1/3 cup drained, prepared horseradish. Serve chilled.

Cumberland Sauce – Makes about 1 ¼ cups. Melt over low heat 1 jar currant jelly. Stir in 3 Tbs. spicy brown mustard or to taste. I like to add a couple drops hot sauce. Serve room temperature or warm.

Lemon-Mustard Sauce: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in small saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot; cook and stir about 2 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat; cool 1 minute. Stir in 2/3 cup dairy sour cream, 1/3 cup Dijon-style mustard, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill and 1 teaspoon honey. Season with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cover; set aside.

*To use as a dressing with the leftover corned beef salad with roasted vegetables, stir ½ cup sauce with1 Tbs. sherry or white wine vinegar.

 

Sides

Roasted Red Beets and Carrots Serves 4

15 oz. can small whole beets, drained
½ lb. (bag) baby carrots
1 Tbs. oil
½ tsp. ground ginger
2 Tbs.balsamic vinaigrette dressing
Salt and pepper to taste
Toss beets and carrots, in separate pans, with ½ Tbs. oil each. Roast at 375 degrees .until tender and browned in spots. Combine vegetables and toss with ginger, vinaigrette and salt and pepper to taste… Serve warm.

 

Leftovers

Roasted Vegetable Salad Serves 4
12 ounces cooked corned beef coarsely chopped
5 cups thinly sliced savoy cabbage (about 1 pound)
5 cups torn Romaine (about 3-1/2 ounces)
3/4 cup roasted onion rings cut 1/2 -1 inch thick
3/4 cup roasted carrots
1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts reserved to garnish
Salt and pepper

Lemon-Dill Dressing (see above)

Toss all ingredients with the dressing. Garnish with nuts. Serve with artesian bread, Irish soda if possible.

 

Colcannon Serves 4
1 lb. small redskin potatoes halved
½ head of cabbage shredded as for slaw
¼ cup sliced green onions (scallions) white and light green parts—dark green ones reserved
¾ cup milk
1 tsp. chopped garlic
½ lb. corned beef cubed
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the cabbage in water to cover until tender- drain. Sauté the scallions and garlic in the melted butter, until soft. Boil the potatoes in water to cover until soft enough to mash. Mash potatoes in jackets, with the milk, salt and pepper. Stir in the onion-butter mixture, then the cabbage and finally the corned beef. Serve warm garnished with the chopped, green scallion tops

 

Desserts- Both the recipes below are easy and economical yet novel.. The liquor required can be purchased in “splits” or mini-bar bottles for about $1.00 each and 2 bottles of Guinness covers 4 servings.

 

Ice Cream Floats Serves 4-6

The technique is the same for both of these deserts. Soften 1 quart ice cream and stir in 1 oz. Bailey’s Irish Cream and 1 oz. Irish Whiskey until incorporated. Re-freeze. Per serving you will need one scoop of ice cream placed in a tall glass—stemmed present well.

• Guinness Float-Use vanilla ice cream. Pour over the Guinness, garnish with a few shavings of bitter chocolate and serve.
• Irish Coffee Float – Use coffee ice cream. Pour over strong black coffee or espresso, garnish with whipped cream and serve.

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Rum-Raison Rice Pudding Serves 4

To 4 portions of prepared rice pudding, either home-made or commercial, add-

¾ cup raisins soaked to plumpness in 2 Tbs. rum (several hours or overnight)

Serve warm or chilled

“Top ‘O the Mornin’ “ y’all! See you next week for a new look at slow cookers.