By By Lisa Tindell – news writer
For some reason when I think of recipes for St. Patrick's Day, the only thing that came immediately to mind was corned beef and cabbage.
As I began pilfering through some recipes for some ideas on how to prepare this dish, I came upon a few recipes that are somewhat different.
I don't usually throw a St. Patrick's Day bash, but some folks do. I have a button that says &#8220Kiss Me I'm Irish”, but I don't plan on wearing that this year. I think I may have a little Irish blood in me, but not enough to make me want to kiss a blarney stone or anything.
I do like corned beef hash and have been known to eat some corned beef and cabbage. I have even eaten a Reuben sandwich and I liked it a lot. I may even have another one.
At any rate, if you're planning a St. Patrick's Day get together, this week's column should get you in the mood. You only have a little over a week to plan your menu. I hope these recipes give you a heads-up on getting your grocery list written.
Corned Beef and Cabbage Dip
1 head cabbage
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tbsp. chopped parsley
2 tsp. dried dill weed
1 and one-half cups chopped cooked corned beef
One-half cup sour cream
Hollow out the center of the cabbage. Coarsely chop the removed pieces of cabbage and measure out 1 cup. Combine with remaining ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until blended. You want some texture to remain in the spread.
If the dip recipe is not something you think you would use, how about a salad? I found this recipe in a book produced by the Junior Service League of Panama City. It doesn't contain any cabbage, but it does have corned beef.
Corned Beef Salad
12 oz. can of corned beef
1 small onion
1 slice of bread
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
one-half cup cold water
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 cup boiling water
1 cup finely chopped celery
4 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
Worcestershire sauce to taste
1 cup mayonnaise
Grind the corned beef, onion and bread. Dissolve gelatin in cold water; dissolve bouillon cubes in hot water. Mix all ingredients, pour into a six-cup ring mold and chill for six to eight hours, preferably overnight.
The person who submitted the salad recipe, Madelyn (no relation to Al) Gore, said the salad is also good bread on crackers or rye bread, but use only a half cup of celery. The salad recipe, prepared as directed above, serves 10 to 12 people or makes about 24 appetizer servings.
Now on to more cabbage and corned beef recipes. Unless you use the canned corned beef, making traditional Irish corned beef and cabbage takes several hours to prepare. For that reason I decided to give you a choice of some easier recipes.
This next one is a sandwich that sounds easy and tasty.
Corned Beef and Cabbage Sandwich
8 slices whole wheat or rye bread, toasted
8 tsp. grainy mustard
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
One-half lb. thinly sliced deli corned beef
1 cup deli coleslaw
4 slices baby Swiss cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread each of four slices of toasted bread with 2 teaspoons mustard. Spread the other slices of toasted bread with 2 tsp. mayonnaise each. To form each sandwich, layer 1 slice bread, 2 slices corned beef, one-fourth cup coleslaw and 1 slice cheese.
That recipe sounds a little bit like a Reuben sandwich with a few exceptions. If you're interested here's the recipe for the Reuben.
Reuben Sandwich
2 slices rye bread
One-fourth pound thinly sliced corned beef
3 ounces sauerkraut, drained
2 slices Swiss cheese
One-fourth cup thousand island dressing
Place bread on baking sheet or broiling pan. Layer corned beef, sauerkraut and cheese on top of bread slices. Broil on high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until cheese has melted. Serve hot with Thousand Island dressing.
This last recipe is one for the traditional corned beef and cabbage. I tried to cut some of the work out for you and was able to find a recipe that is made for the crock pot. Most of the work will be done by the crock pot, but you still have to put it together. Now, if you don't mind working a little extra, you can buy the corned beef brisket in the grocery store and bake it yourself before making this dish.
Easy Corned Beef and Cabbage
2 medium onions, sliced
2 and one-half pounds corned beef brisket, trimmed of fat
1 cup apple juice
One-fourth cup brown sugar, packed
2 tsp. grated orange peel
2 tsp. yellow mustard
6 whole cloves
1 head of green cabbage, cut into 6 wedges
Arrange sliced onions evenly over the bottom of the crockpot. Place corned beef on top of the onions. Arrange cabbage wedges evenly over the top of the meat. Mix apple juice, brown sugar, grated orange peel, mustard, and cloves. Pour evenly over corned beef brisket and onions. Pour liquid mixture over the cabbage and meat.
Cover crock pot and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours or high for 5 to 6 hours.
I hope that you enjoy these recipes that may get you in the mood for a little Irish Jig next week.
If you have any recipes you'd like to share with me, I'll be glad to pass them along. As a matter of fact, next week I plan to share some recipes that readers of this column have shared with me over the past few months. Some are a little seasonal, but some are just plain good. If you'd like your recipe included in next week's column, you can drop it by the office, give me a call or you can email it to me at lisa.tindell@brewtonstandard.com.
I love getting new recipes and I love sharing them with others. Every cook I know is usually very happy for some new ideas.
Until next week Happy Cooking!