IRISH DINNER

Corned Beef with Carrots, Potatoes and Cabbage
St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Thursday this year, which happens to be a very busy day for our family. So when we came across this crock pot recipe for the Corned Beef, we knew we found a winner. Not only are the reviews excellent, assembling the dish in the morning to ease up my evening duties is a total selling point.

Ingredients
corned beef brisket
1 quart apple juice
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared mustard

8 small red potatoes
2 medium carrots, pared, and cut into chunks
1 onion, peeled, and cut into eighths
1/2 head cabbage, cut into chunks

Directions
1 Place all ingredients in a large crock pot (cut meat in half if necessary); stir to mix.
2 Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours.
3 Remove meat and vegetables and some of the cooking liquid.
4 Slice meat thinly across the grain.
5 Serve with vegetables and some of the liquid.

Horseradish Sauce
As for the Horseradish Sauce, it’s quite simple. I like to eat raw horseradish on many dishes, yet I realize I’m in the minority on that one. Since we are having guests at our St. Patrick’s Day dinner, I will add sour cream to the horseradish. Simply stir sour cream into your horseradish until you reach the heat level of your choice. I’m thinking a tablespoon or so of horseradish mixed into a couple tablespoons of (light) sour cream ought to tone it down enough.

Irish Soda Bread
This is the recipe my Mom has used for years. She recommends cutting deep when you cut the X on top of the bread. It will aid in cooking the bread throughout. My Mom serves the bread with just butter. She claims it’s so delicious; we won’t need any other bread condiments.

Ingredients
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened + ¼ cup butter, melted
1 cup buttermilk + ¼ cup more
1 egg

Directions
1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
2 In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and butter.
3 Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg.
4 Set dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on prepared baking sheet.
5 In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture.
6 Use a sharp knife to cut an ‘X’ into the top of the loaf.
7 Bake at 375 for 35 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Irish Apple Cake
Our dinner menu sounds a little on the heavy side, so I’m opting for this lighter dessert.

Ingredients
3 egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups sliced, cored and peeled Granny Smith apples

Directions
1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2 Beat egg whites until slightly foamy; add sugar, applesauce and vanilla.
3 Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in separate bowl; add to applesauce mixture.
4 Spread apples in 13 x 9 inch pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
5 Spread batter over apples.
6 Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean; cool on wire rack.

Tortellini Sausage Soup

Brown: 1 lb. sausage (you can use Jimmy Deans hot or mild, or sweet, depending on what your family likes)
6 cloves of garlic
1 onion diced

Add and cook for ½ hour: 2 c. water
2 cans chicken broth
1-8 oz. tomato sauce
2 tsp. chicken buillon
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. oregano
½ tsp. garlic powder
3 c. apple cider
28 oz. diced tomatoes
1 c. shredded carrots

Add and cook for 15 min.: 2 med. Zucchini shredded

Add and cook until done: Tortellini (15 oz. or so. The fresh kind from Costco is REALLY good) and 2 Tbsp of parsley

BASIC ROLL RECIPE

Scant 1/2 cup sugar
1 T. salt
1 T. yeast
2 eggs, beaten
1 stick melted butter
6-6 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups warm milk

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water and 1 T. sugar.  In large bowl put in milk, sugar, eggs, butter, and salt.  Gradually add about 1/2 of the flour.  Mix in yeast mixture.  Finish adding enough flour until dough is too stiff to stir.  Knead dough adding enough flour to make a soft dough (about 1/2 cup more flour).  Put into greased bowl and let rise until double or triple (1-2 hours).  Punch down.  Make into desired type of rolls.  Let rise again until about double.  Bake at 350* for 11 min.  9-12 rolls per sheet.  1 1/2 inches apart.  Make sure they are golden brown on bottom and barely brown on top.

For crescent rolls, form dough in half.  Roll into two flat pizza like circles.  Brush softened butter over whole circle.  Cut into 16 pieces (see illustration).  Roll each piece from fat side to small side. 





For cinnamon rolls, use above recipe and divide in half.  Roll each half into a rectangle approx. 10X12 inches.  Brush each rectangle with softened butter.  Sprinkle about a 1/3 cup brown sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon on buttered surface.  If desired, add nuts or raisins.  Roll and cut into 1 inch slices.  Put into greased cake pans.  Makes approx. 24 rolls.  Let raise until double (cover while raising).  Bake at 350* approx. 20 min.