The Luck of the Irish

Continuing with the St. Patty's Day theme....

We enjoy holidays in our house, and I like to make special meals for each one. It is a tradition from my childhood that we eat corned beef and cabbage, and I'm continuing it with my husband. I crave this dish all year long.

I cook mine on the stove top, boiling it all (beef, cabbage, onions, carrots, and potatoes) in a big pot, but my brother prefers to braise it in the oven.

My husband is very keen on sauces, and because I couldn't bear to watch him dip corned beef in ketchup and hot sauce, I created some special sauces just for him.

Guinness Mustard

This is just what it sounds. I took a hearty brown mustard and added a bit of garlic and a few splashes of Guinness beer, and stirred briskly. Then, I sat down and drank the rest of the beer.

Horseradish Cream

Take one cup of sour cream, add prepared horseradish to taste (I used about 4 Tbsp.), and a splash of dill pickle juice, then stir briskly. Top with chopped dill and chives. Creamy and a little spicy...

I think next year I will try to create corned beef from scratch. Stay tuned...

Top O'the Morning To You...

I wanted to start our St. Patrick's Day off right, so I baked a loaf of lovely Irish Soda Bread.

This recipe was inspired by a friend's grandmother, and it makes one loaf.

Ingredients:

4 cups flour

3 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

4 Tbsp. butter

1 cup raisins

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 cups of buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Sift together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda into a large mixing bowl.

Add the butter and use a pastry cutter to blend until it resembles coarse meal. Then, stir in raisins.

Add beaten egg and buttermilk and mix until it is stiff. You may need to add a bit more flour. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead slightly. Shape into a round loaf.

Transfer dough to a large, lightly greased cast-iron skillet. Score the top of the dough with an "X" shape. Bake the bread until golden and sounds hollow when tapped. It took at least 40 minutes.

I prefer it warm, so what we didn't eat right away, I toasted and spread with butter. Delicious!