ST. PATRICK'S DAY MENU

 
New England Boiled Dinner

New England boiled dinner is a classic dish to serve on St. Paddy's Day.  I first made this as a young bride.  I worked at a company in Sacramento, CA that made the most delicious corned beef and so when the first St. Paddy's Day arrived I brought home some corned been and turned to my 1955 edition of "Big Red" as it is known in the industry, Betty Crocker cookbook to see how to fix this yummy dinner.  My husband had come from a family who liked to eat  cabbage and turnips and me not so much. I remember he was thrilled that I had made this for him.  This dish made me love both of those vegetables. Since this is a one pot meal it really is quite easy.  I always try and find corned beef in the bag that has already been seasoned and follow their instructions for cooking.  About mid-way through the cooking of the corned been taste the broth and if it is too salty, pour out the broth and put in fresh water.  Sometimes it can be way too salty. At this time add the carrots and potatoes.  After 30 minutes add the cabbage, after 15 or so minutes when the cabbage is done the other veggies will be done too. Some people like to add onion as well as caraway seeds.  We happen to like parsnips so I will add them when I add the carrots and potatoes. When it is done scrape off the fat and cut the meat across the grain and serve slices of the corned beef with the veggies. I like to serve it with a creamy horseradish sauce.

Heart-Healthy Potato Leek Soup

Makes 2 servings

2-3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 medium leek, white part only, washed and diced
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped, I use 1 tsp
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped, I use chopped parsley
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp canola oil
salt and pepper (to taste)
Directions
In a saucepan add the canola oil. Under medium heat, sauté the potatoes for 3 minutes. Add the leek and stir together. Do not burn. Cook for 8 minutes. Add the onion, garlic and ginger, and stir for about 2 minutes. De-glaze with the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Set aside to cool down.

Pour mixture into a blender and mix. Sieve mixture and transfer back into the saucepan. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Adjust seasonings and serve immediately. Garnish with diced cilantro and drizzle with the olive oil. Enjoy!

Creamy Horseradish Sauce

1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup prepared horseradish 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 3/4 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

peaks 1 pinch white sugar, or to taste salt and black pepper to taste

Stir the mayonnaise, horseradish, and Dijon mustard in a bowl until evenly combined. Fold in the whipped cream, then season to taste with sugar (I use artificial sweetener), salt, and pepper. This is great with prime rib too. Sally Lunn Bread  1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast 1/2 cup warm water (110° to 115°) 1 cup warm milk (110° to 115°) 1/2 cup butter, softened 1/4 cup sugar 2 teaspoon salt 3 eggs 5-1/2 to 6 cups all-purpose flour Directions In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, butter, sugar, salt, eggs and 3 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Do not knead. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Stir the dough down. Spoon into a greased and floured 10-in. tube pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Bake at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool. This is such an easy homemade bread and only takes a few minutes to make.  My boys grew up with this bread served with homemade soup on cold nights in Pioneer, CA! Individual Raspberry Trifle This is a recipe that I just sort of wing it - to make a much lighter version of a classic trifle - Instead of pound cake I use crushed graham crackers and instead of whipped cream low fat Cool Whip. 12 Graham crackers, crushed 1 tablespoon of butter 8 oz reduced fat, softened cream cheese 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup sugar replacement 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup of frozen raspberries, drained in a colander  small carton of Cool Whip Melt the butter and add it to the crushed graham crackers, to the cream cheese add the sugar and sugar replacement and the vanilla, mix together and gently fold in half the Cool Whip and the  raspberries. To assemble start with graham cracker crust, then the raspberry mixture, Cool Whip, repeat. Since it is St. Paddy's Day I will probably put some green food coloring in the half of Cool Whip that is layered in the dessert. Put in the fridge until ready to serve. Irish Coffee Ingredients 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 jigger Irish whiskey (1 1/2 ounces or 3 tablespoons) Heavy cream, slightly whipped Directions Fill footed mug or a mug with hot water to preheat it, then empty. Pour piping hot coffee into warmed glass until it is about 3/4 full. Add the brown sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Blend in Irish whiskey. Top with a collar of the whipped heavy cream by pouring gently over back of spoon. Serve hot. Note: Some bars in the East will run The Quite Man continually on St. Paddy's Day - it can be rented for $2.99 on Amazon for streaming to your Smart TV or other device.  Just a thought! Recipe Resource Healthy Leek Soup, Dr. Oz Sally Lunn Bread, Taste of Home Irish Coffee, Food Network from the Four Seasons in Dublin, Ireland The other two recipes are from my recipe collection Thank you for stopping by.