What we had for St. Patty's Day

Happy Green Day, St. Patrick's Day comes just once a year, so why not make it a fun holiday? ;-) In case your kids want to know, here's a link describing what it's all about: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick%27s_Day

 Around here, we like the breaks of fun holidays throughout the year and won't miss an opportunity to celebrate. A few friends wanted to know how I cooked our corned beef this year, so here goes...

This is the finished cut up corned beef.

The first step that I took was to desalt the corned beef. I put the beef into a large pot of water with three cut up potatoes and brought it to a boil. Then I strained the meat and potatoes from the water in a colander, tossing the salt filled potatoes and started the same process again. I did this three times. Then, I let the meat soak in a mixture of water and one can of 7 Up.

Ingredients:

3 lbs of corned beef (found in a package)

17 whole cloves

2/4 Cup hot sweet honey mustard or sweet honey mustard w hot sauce or cayenne pepper. (Divide mustard into two 1/4 cup portions).

2 heaping Tbsp's of brown sugar

Brown Soda Bread is what I serve with this meal. You can make it homemade (ask me for the recipe if you want it) or ask for it at your bakery section. ;-)

Cabbage, onions, garlic (optional), potatoes, carrots and etc. ;-)

Instructions for cabbage:

To make your boiled cabbage, just simply cut up your veggies and add enough chicken broth to cover them, bring to a boil and simmer them until tender. During cooking, add garlic (optional), salt and pepper to taste.

*Note: do this when the meat has only 30 min's left to cook. ;-)

This year I took pictures of a new method of sauteing them and I did not like it nearly as well as this much easier way. It was many more steps and just not as good. If anyone wants that recipe just ask because I did snap a few images of the process. ;-)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Take the corned beef from pkg and discard the liquid it came in. (Save the spice packet for another meal, bc you will not need it for this recipe).

Lay corned beef, fat side up, on a folded heavy duty aluminum foil piece. Poke your whole cloves into the meat covering it evenly spaced.

3.Mix together your honey mustard and hot sauce if you did not purchase the hot honey mustard:

4. Spread the top of meat with the honey mustard mixture. (Remember you are only using half of your mustard for this first coat).

5. Add the brown sugar on top of the mustard.

6. Make a type of basket with the bottom foil:

The ends of the foil are simply folded toward the middle on each end.

Then just fold that piece down to seal the top side, making a rectangular bowl for the juice to rest in.

7.Take a second piece of foil and make a top lid to your foil bowl (no need to fold it in half making a double layer like the bottom one).

View of side of your rectangular foil bowl with lid:

8. Make sure you have a puff, you don't want the foil touching the top of your meat, or you will loose it's very yummy topping.

9. Now place this foil package into a shallow roasting pan, without a lid and bake for 2 hours.

10. Your timer rings, take out meat and separate your top from your bottom by preying up on one end. Be careful of the burning steam!

11. Spread your reserved honey on top of beef and broil it for 3 minutes. Do not leave, watch it carefully, because it could burn fast. You want a golden browned look.

Browned.

12. Meat before cut after tearing off foil.Let it rest 5-10 minutes. Then cut across the grain of the meat into 1/2 thick slices, cutting diagonal would have been preferred (Patrick cut it "acrossed" before I noticed; he did, however cut across the grain the meat).

13. Let your guests or family know to not eat the cloves; they can remove them prior to taking a bite. I like to leave them in because they decorate the meat nicely. ;-)

    Enjoy! ;-)     Not sure why                                                   these above photos look so bad (kinda green, or something). I just clicked in a hurry, as we were about to eat. ;0)

Beer:

Of course we had to put green food coloring into our beer. ;-D

Dessert:

To finish off the green theme, make yummy green velvet Woopie Pies! Just Red Velvet cake mix with green food paste added and icing in between (you can also use ice cream, or white custard; you can make the stuffing green as well).

Make green cake pops, Cake balls, or you can name them cakesicles! Starbucks has recently made these little tasty fellas the current rave. The thing is, they are so easy to make! Simply take a cake (out of a box mix, or your favorite recipe) tear it into small bits, add some icing and make little balls that fit into the palm of your hand. Poke sticks into them (I like the rounded ones. One long one can be cut into two. Or have them look like little truffles (like in picture below). Then dip them into icing! You can also sprinkle them with whatever you like: colored sugars, sprinkles, coconut, nuts, etc. Place on wax paper. They only look like they are hard to make!

Here are some great ideas of desserts using green tea. I will be looking into making some of these ideas myself:
http://cookingwithjapanesegreentea.blogspot.com/2011/03/matcha-tea-mousse-pies-and-japan-in-our.html

Bring Spring In w Creativity; the Outdoors in, Flowers, and FlowerPot Cupcakes! How to cook kid's cupcakes.

How to have spring fun with Cupcakes. ;-)

I love to have fun with spring; I like to bring in flowers, grasses, bulbs, and I make food that is fun springtide!         Daffodils, don't you just love them?The sure sign of spring...

Or, you can take carnations, or roses and simply add food color to their water to get them any spring color you desire. Green is great for St. Patrick's Day or Spring. (But,for earlier in the year, you can even go red for Valentine's Day!) How about red, white and blue on July 4? The options with using food coloring are endless!  Or use this idea to be just another creative way to bring in the green! Use fancy when deciding on what vases or containers to hold your flowers. Aren't tea cups so adorable?

(dislaimer: pic from lookiloos)

Another very simple way to bring in the green.                    

Simple black retangular vases look great w grass.

Now for the CuPcaKeS:

I love to make various springtime cupcakes this time of year. The kids love them too!

Can you think of anything more kid-friendly-spring, than FlowerPot Cupcakes?

                               Silicone flower pots make kid friendly cupcakes. I bought these at Michaels. I have also filled them w chocolate pudding and gummy worms, lol. ;-)

 I love to play w colors of icing!

 I found this idea too cute to not share! I am always looking for a cupcake that is more boyish for my sons. How about these? Dain loves argyle.

So, have fun with the simple cupcake:

 Or you can always dye your dog green for the Spring. ;-)

 Lol, Not serious, just joking. ;-)

Corned Beef, Cabbage & Irish Bread for a Traditional St. Patrick's Day

Beef brisket makes corned beef by being salt and pickle cured. Beef brisket can come packed in a brine and with a small pickling spice packet. Remove the thick brine and rinse the brisket. A brisket can be used; however, if you use Corned beef, you will want to add a few extra steps. Corned beef is cured in a salt mixture, so it can be very salty. Bring the corned beef to a boil in plain water, discarding the water; you may want to do this 3 times before proceeding with the Guinness beer to cook it. Serve this dish with horseradish and Irish Soda Bread (*See recipe at the end).

Corned Beef, Cabbage & Irish Bread

Ingredients:

For the Corned Beef:

3 1/2 Lbs Uncooked brisket for corned beef

2 bottles Guinness beer (or any dark beer)

10 whole cloves

1/4 C hot sweet honey mustard

2 Tbl dark brown sugar

1 Tbl pickling spice in a cheeseclothe, end tied

1 onion

1 halved head garlic

2 Bay Leaves

For the Vegetables:1 head cabbage
4 Tbls cooking oil, bacon grease or lard
5 carrots, cut into thick sliced chunks
10 small red potatoes

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley at the end for color

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300F.

2.Prepare brisket by washing well as stated above; Insert the cloves into the top of the slab of beef, evenly spaced. Spread the top with the hot sweet honey mustard. Sprinkle 1 Tbls brown sugar over the top of meat.

3. In a large pot, whisk together the beer and the other Tbls brown sugar. Snuggle in the brisket, it should almost be completely covered by the beer. Add the pickling spice cheeseclothe bundle, onion and the garlic.

4. Bring to a simmer on the stovetop, uncovered is best so you can keep an eye on it. Boiled-over beer is no fun to clean.

5. Once it begins simmering, cover the pot and place in oven to roast for 4-6 hours, flipping meat once during halfway point. Remove from oven.

6. Spoon out 2 cups of the corned beef braising liquid to cook the cabbage.

7. While the meat is roasting, cut up the vegetables, cut the cabbage into 8 wedges.

8. In a separate large, wide pot, heat up the lard/bacon drippings/oil on medium-high heat. When hot, swirl the pan around to get the fat to evenly coat the pan.

9. Add the cabbage wedges, carrots and potatoes and cook until browned, about a 3-4 minutes. Turn to brown the other side. Take the cabbage out with tongs and set aside.

10. Pour in the reserved corned beef cooking liquid, bring to a simmer and cover the pot. Turn the heat to low and let cook for 5 minutes. Continue cooking all the vegetables, add the cabbage back in, another 10-15 minutes or cooked though (pierce with fork to check doneness). *Note the cabbage cooks quicker than the carrots and potatoes.

11. Slice up the corned beef against the grain and serve with the cabbage and vegetables. Garnish with a sprinkling of parsley. Pour a bit of the sauce over the corned beef just before serving. Serve the extra sauce on the side with the dish so more can be added, if desired.

Rustic Irish Soda Bread:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour & 2 Cups wheat flour (or you can just use 4 C's all purpose)
• 4 Tbl white sugar
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1 Tbl baking powder
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 c margarine, softened
• 1 c buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c butter, melted
• 1/4 c buttermilk

 Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.

2.     In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and margarine. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an 'X' into the top of the loaf.

3.     Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 30 to 50 minutes. You may continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes.

A St. Patrick's Day Alternative to Corn Beef & Cabbage, Pizza Fit for Leprechauns!

So, Patty's Day is approaching and you are not that crazy about the traditional Irish food:

Try taking the tradional ingredients and making something that your family likes. How about a Corn Beef and Cabbage Pizza?

 I am thinking even your neighborhood leprechauns will love it!

Corned Beef and Cabbage Pizza:
(Yield: 2 large pizzas)
Ingredients:
1 store-bought refrigerated pizza dough (2 crusts) or make dough from scratch. (See recipe below).
5 Tbls olive oil
3 C’s sliced green cabbage
1 teaspoon pickling spices, tied securely in a 6 inch by 6 inch square of cheesecloth
1 lg. potato, peeled and thinly sliced
Fresh ground pepper & sea salt
Corn meal
2 C’s shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 C shredded Monterey jack cheese
6 ounces sliced pre-cooked corned beef (I will be posting how I cook corned beef on a later post, as soon as I figure out what we will be having this year). --Post: on how to cook corned beef: http://lisakramerartlifestyle.blogspot.com/2011/03/corned-beef-cabbage-irish-bread-for.html
1/2 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1.      Preheat to 500˚F for  30 minutes.

2.      Place a pizza stone on a rack in the lower third of the oven.  Place the other rack in the top third of the oven. 

3.      Meanwhile, to prepare the toppings, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the cabbage, season with a pinch of sea salt (remember, corned beef is already salty) and cook until just soft, about 5 minutes. 

4.      Pour in enough water to just cover the cabbage then drop in the pickling spices (the cheesecloth keeps them from getting all over your dish, a coffee filter works too). 

5.      Cover and simmer over low heat until the cabbage is tender, about 20 minutes.

6.      While the cabbage is cooking, toss the potato slices with 2 Tbl’s olive oil and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. I did not specify the type of potatoes because you can play with various colored potatoes, this year I am growing puple ones in my garden. The standard is yellow or Idaho.

7.      Place the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. 

8.      Roast in the preheated oven on the top-third rack for 12 - 15 minutes (until golden brown, watch them so they do not burn); set aside to cool. 

9.      Drain the cabbage in a strainer or colander and discard spices; set aside.

10.      Form one pizza dough ball into a 12 to 14-inch round, lightly spread olive oil to coat a bowl, drop dough in bowl and then turn dough and drop on the other side.

11.      Now that your dough has a very light coating of oil on it, lay it on a surface that is scattered with yellow corn meal.

(As you get used to making pizza's, you can experiment with various cheeses). One of my favorite is goat cheese, and since I love pepper, arugula lettuce leaves are a wonderful addition to sprinkle on top of the finished pizza's.

12.      Sprinkle half of the Monterey jack and Mozzarella cheeses on the crust. 

13.  Next, layer the cabbage, the corned beef and then the potatoes. 

14.  Top with freshly shaved Parmesan. 

15.  Okay,  now your getting close to being done. However, if you have a large leprechaun crowd, you will need to repeat with the remaining dough and toppings to make the second pizza. ;-) 

16. Carefully transfer the pizza to the preheated stone and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden and crispy.

There, now you have a pizza, even an Leprechaun would eat!

Recipes for Pizza Dough from scratch:  

Ingredients:

1 pkg. active dry yeast

1 C. warm (not scalding hot) water

2 C’s whole wheat flour (I keep mine in the refrigerator to avoid bugs)

¼ C. wheat germ (extra fiber is always a marvelous thing)

1 tea. Salt

1 Tbl. Honey

½ C. Cornmeal (approx.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Dissolve yeast into a small bowl of warm water. Let stand for about 10 minutes, until it gets creamy and frothy.

Roll dough into the desired shape on a lightly floured and cornmeal surface. Lie out on pizza pan, preheated pizza stone, or even on a hot grill (without a pan; a heavy duty foil works well).  Bake in preheated oven for 5 to 10 minutes. 

I usually make a whole grain crust; however you can't lose by using one of The Food Network Batali's white flour recipes. This one is yummy!   http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mario-batali/pizza-dough-recipe.html#!