Monday, March 12, 2007

St. Patrick's Day Meal

Top o' the morning to you!  St. Patrick's Day is coming up, so here are a few St. Paddy's Day dinner recipes.  I hope you find one to make.  I think it's fun to make a meal for a certain day.  Especially when you have young children.  What a great way to add another family tradition for your family.

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 I made the slow cooker meal last year.  It was really good.  I'm not particularly fond of corned beef, but it was good.  The potatoes and cabbage were so yummy.  Speaking of the cabbage...you might want to pick up a bottle of beano and use that as an appetizer before eating this meal.

 
I also made some soda bread with our meal.  Although, to be perfectly honest...I used a package.  It's a dry bread, great for sopping up all that juice on your plate.  Mmm!
 
I haven't tried the Killarney cake recipe yet, but it sounds really good.  I may make it this year for the rest of the family.  Ugh, it is so hard to make desserts and then not eat them.  But I hate to deprive everyone else just because I'm restricting my own sugar intake.
 
Corned Beef Brisket with Cabbage
 
3 lb. corned beef brisket
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 medium head of cabbage, cored, cut into wedges
1 cup maple-flavored or pancake syrup
1/2 cup KRAFT Pure Prepared Mustard
1 Tbsp. KRAFT Prepared Horseradish
 
PLACE meat in large saucepan. Add onion, garlic, bay leaves and enough water just to cover all ingredients. Cover with lid. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 1 hour. Drain, reserving meat in pan. Remove and discard bay leaves.
COVER meat with fresh water; cover with lid. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer an additional 2 to 3 hours or until meat is tender. Remove meat from pan, reserving liquid in pan; place meat in shallow baking pan. Add cabbage to reserved liquid in pan; cook until tender. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Mix syrup, mustard and horseradish; spoon half of the syrup mixture over meat. Reserve remaining syrup mixture for brushing onto cooked meat.
BAKE 20 minutes or until meat is well glazed, brushing frequently with the remaining syrup mixture. Place meat on serving platter. Spoon pan drippings over meat. Serve with cabbage.
 
Slow-Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
 
The slow cooker is the perfect way to go for this traditional dish, since it must bubble away untended for hours, in any event. Be sure to serve with crusty bread, and Dijon mustard and horseradish on the side.
 
Ingredients
 
4 cups hot water
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 large or 2 medium onions, cut into wedges
1 3-lb. corned beef round or brisket, packaged with spices
8 small white or yellow potatoes, scrubbed and cut into quarters
1 head of green cabbage (about 1 1/2 lbs.), cored and cut into 10 wedges
 
Directions
 
1. In a 6-quart electric slow cooker, combine the water, vinegar, sugar, pepper and onions, mixing well. Place the corned beef in the mixture. Scatter the potatoes over the top and along the sides.
2. Cover and cook on the High heat setting 4 hours. Remove the lid and scatter the cabbage wedges over the top. Cover and continue cooking on High 3 to 4 hours longer, or until the beef is tender. To serve, carve the beef into slices and serve with the cabbage and potatoes, with some of the cooking liquid spooned on top of the beef to keep it moist. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
 
Corned Beef & Cabbage in Ale
IRELAND
Irish Ale and Stout Party:
Serves 4
2-3 pound cut of corned beef
24 ounces ale (Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale)
2 carrots, cut into chunks
12 small red potatoes
4 onions, peeled and quartered
1 teaspoon dry mustard (Coleman's)
1 large sprig thyme (optional)
1 head cabbage, quartered
Place the beef in a large pot with the ale, carrots, potatoes, onions, mustard and thyme (if using). Add just enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer gently 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Halfway through, check the vegetables: when they are tender, remove them and set aside. Add the cabbage quarters and cook until tender, about 15 to 30 minutes. When the meat is tender, return all vegetables to the pot and reheat. Serve the meat in slices, surrounded by the vegetables and broth.

Corned Beef and Cabbage
 
Ingredients   
1 3-pound corned beef brisket   
1/2 cup sliced onion (1 small)   
1 bay leaf   
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns   
3 cups water   
1 1-1/2-pound cabbage, cut into 6 wedges 
 
Directions   
1. Trim any visible fat from the meat. Set aside.    
2. Place rack in a 4- to 6-quart pressure cooker. Add the meat, onion, bay leaf, black peppercorns, and water.    
3. Lock lid in place. Place pressure regulator on vent pipe (if you have a first-generation cooker). Over high heat, bring cooker up to pressure. Reduce heat just enough to maintain pressure and pressure regulator rocks gently; cook for 50 minutes.    
4. Allow pressure to come down naturally. Carefully remove lid. With a slotted spoon remove the meat and onions to a serving platter; set aside.    
5. Place the wedges of cabbage in the pressure cooker. Lock lid in place. Place pressure regulator on vent pipe (if you have a first-generation cooker). Over high heat, bring cooker up to pressure. Reduce heat just enough to maintain pressure and pressure regulator rocks gently; cook for 2 minutes.    
6. Quick-release the pressure. Carefully remove lid. With a slotted spoon remove the cabbage wedges. Serve with meat and onions. Makes 6 main-dish servings.  

Irish Soda Bread
 
Ingredients   
2 cups all-purpose flour   
1 teaspoon baking powder   
1/2 teaspoon baking soda   
3 tablespoons margarine or butter   
1/4 cup raisins (optional)   
1 egg white, slightly beaten   
3/4 cup buttermilk   
Nonstick cooking spray   
1/4 teaspoon salt 
 
Directions   
1. In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Cut in margarine or butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in raisins, if desired. Make a well in the center of the mixture.    
2. In a small mixing bowl combine egg white and buttermilk. Add all at once to dry mixture. Stir just until moistened.    
3. On a lightly floured surface knead dough 10 to 12 strokes until nearly smooth. Shape into a 7-inch round loaf.    
4. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray Place bread dough on baking sheet. With a sharp knife, make 2 slashes in the top to form an X.    
5. Bake in a 375 degree F oven about 30 minutes or until golden. Serve warm. Makes 1 loaf (16 servings).  
 
Killarney Cake

(1) package chocolate fudge cake mix
1/4-cup crème de menthe or 1 tsp peppermint extract
1/2-cup chopped green maraschino cherries
1 1/2-cups heavy cream
3-tbsp crème de menthe or 1/2 tsp peppermint extract and 2 tbsp powdered sugar
1/4-cup whole green maraschino cherries
Chocolate curls

Prepare cake mix following package directions, substituting 1/4 cup crème de menthe for 1/4 cup water. Stir in chopped cherries. Pour into 2 greased 9-inch layer cake pans; bake as directed. Cool. Whip cream with tablespoons crème de menthe. Spread 1/3 of whipped cream between cake layers. Heap remaining whipped cream on top. Arrange whole cherries and chocolate curls over whipped cream.

Or you could make an adult cake...lol.

Tipsy Irish Whiskey Cake
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow or chocolate cake mix
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla or French vanilla or chocolate pudding and pie-filling mix
3/4 cup Irish whiskey or bourbon, divided
1/2 cup cooking oil
4 jumbo or extra large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon lemon juice

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, 1/2 cup Irish whiskey, and oil, add eggs and beat at medium speed of an electric mixer for 4 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Spoon into a greased and floured 10-inch Bundt or tube pan. Bake in a preheated moderate oven (350 degrees F) for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the cake comes out clean. When cake is almost done, prepare syrup.

Combine sugar, butter, water, and lemon juice in a small heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil slowly, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in remaining 1/4 cup Irish whiskey or bourbon.

Turn cake out onto two large sheets of aluminum foil placed together to form the shape of a cross. Let cake cool for 10 minutes, top side up for tube cake and upside down for Bundt cake. Using a skewer or long bamboo pick, make holes all over top and sides of hot cake. Drizzle syrup very slowly over cake, being careful that too much does not run into any cracks on top of cake. Bring foil up around cake and wrap securely. Cake may be served when completely cool, or store in an airtight container overnight. Cake may be wrapped securely in foil and stored in the refrigerator for several weeks or in a freezer for up to six months.

If you have a recipe of your own that you make for the holiday, please share it with me.  I love trying new recipes.  As usual, if you try one of these here, please come back and share your thoughts on it. 

The really great thing about celebrating these holidays is getting the kids involved.  That's what I really like about the Killarney cake recipe.  It would be easy to let the kids help.  Especially with the icing since the recipe is so easy, and since it doesn't have to be iced all over or real smooth, the kids will have a blast decorating it and you don't have to worry what it looks like.

While the cake is baking you could give them some green construction paper and ask them to make some decorations or color some St Paddy's day placemats.  They'll really get into helping you out with these things and may surprise you with some of the ideas they come up with.

If your kids are a little older, old enough to use the computer, ask them to go online and see if they can find out where the tradition of St Patricks day comes from and then have them share the history of it with the whole family at the dinner table. 

Have a good day!
Hugs!
Preview

PS~ If you really can't stand corned beef and cabbage, you may want to substitute my cheating method of a St Paddy's day dinner.  What I used to make before I found a REAL recipe, lol.

Open a container of sauerkraut and pour it into the bottom of your crockpot, sprinkle a wee bit of sugar into it.  (a teaspoon or two, depending on how you like your sauerkraut).  Put a pork roast on top and top that with some peeled potatoes.  Turn on the crockpot and let it cook all day on low.  Viola!  When you get home from work you have a yummy pork roast dinner. 

I loved it, but Ray isn't a fan of sauerkraut so we do the corned beef dinner now.

 

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

On your last recipe, I add sweetened applesauce on top of the sauerkraut, then I make with either short ribs, spare ribs, pork roast or pork chops. It give the sauerkraut more of a sweet and sour cabbage flavor. I just made this last night for friends (with ribs) and they loved it!

Kimberleigh

Anonymous said...

sounds yummy
em