St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday known for parades, shamrocks and all things Irish. From leprechauns to the color green, thousands of Irish Americans gather to share a “traditional” meal of corned beef and cabbage, or even Shepherd’s pie. Try these traditional foods a new way for a tasty variety.
For a twist on the traditional Reuben — a savory snack of rye bread, corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Russian or Thousand Island — I recently tried a Hot Reuben Dip. It was a great hit!
Hot Reuben Dip
1/2 pound diced corned beef (I purchased thick sliced at a deli counter)
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup drained sauerkraut
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon ketchup
(You can substitute sour cream and ketchup with Thousand Island dressing.)
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
Cocktail rye bread
Combine corned beef, cream cheese, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, sour cream, ketchup and mustard, and spoon into a greased, 1-quart baking dish. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Serve warm with rye bread. (I slow toasted the rye bread so it was crunchy like a cracker).
Hometown Black-and-Tan Pork with Spicy Ale Slaw
Pork:
1 bottle pale ale (Mother Earth Second Wind Pale Ale)
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds pork tenderloin
Glaze:
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small sweet onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bottle stout beer (Mother Earth Dark Cloud Munich Dunkel)
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup honey
1 teaspoon minced peeled ginger
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
Slaw:
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon minced peeled ginger
1/2 head green cabbage, shredded
2 medium bell peppers (red, orange and/or yellow), thinly sliced
2 carrots, cut into matchsticks or shredded
1 large sweet onion, quartered and thinly sliced
Prepare the pork: Combine the ale, five-spice powder, cayenne, salt and black pepper to taste in a large resealable plastic bag. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade for the slaw. Add the pork to the bag and mix well. Refrigerate 2 to 6 hours.
Make the glaze: Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon each stout and brown sugar and cook 4 minutes. Add all but 2 tablespoons of the remaining stout, the honey, the remaining 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons brown sugar and the ginger. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring; lower to medium and simmer until reduced by half, 15 to 20 minutes. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons stout and cornstarch in a bowl; slowly stir into the glaze and boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
Preheat oven to 375F. Remove pork from the marinade and transfer to a baking dish. Bake until a thermometer inserted into the center registers 160F, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes.
Make the slaw: Whisk the soy sauce, honey, garlic and ginger in a large bowl. Whisk in the reserved 1/4 cup marinade. Add the cabbage, bell peppers, carrots and onion and toss. Refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 30 minutes.
Slice the pork and serve with the slaw. Drizzle both with the glaze.
Note: If you can’t find the Chinese Five Spice Powder, substitute with 1/8 teaspoon each of ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground ginger and anise seeds.
Low-fat Shepherd’s Pie
(No one will ever know the difference.)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
1 pound extra-lean ground beef
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs
1 cup fat-free, reduced sodium beef broth
1 cup frozen peas
Topping:
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 tablespoon light butter
In a large pot on medium-low heat, sauté onions and carrots in canola oil until softened. Increase heat to medium-high and add beef; cook until no longer pink. Add Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, herbs and broth. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Add peas; simmer 5 minutes more. (If sauce is watery, combine 1 teaspoon cornstarch into 1/8 cup water and stir into beef mixture.)
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add potatoes, reduce to simmer and cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes; drain. Add milk and light butter. Mash until smooth. Season if you like.
Pour sauce into an 11- by 7-inch baking dish and allow to cool slightly. Top with potato. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup reduced-fat cheese if desired.
Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.
Easy Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
3 pounds corned beef brisket with spice packet
2 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 medium onions, chopped
1 small head green cabbage, cored, roughly chopped
2 cups apple juice
1 cup water
Put carrots and onions in a slow cooker, with corned beef on top. Arrange chopped cabbage around beef. Add apple juice and 1 cup water with contents of the spice packet. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours until the beef is tender. Serve warm.
(Un)Stuffed Cabbage Soup
Meatballs:
2 pounds lean ground meat (or a pork/beef blend)
1 cup uncooked rice
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 medium onion, minced
Soup:
2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup coarsely minced onion
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes with juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium cabbage
1 bay leaf
Sour cream for topping
For the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine ground meat, rice, salt, pepper, cumin and onions. Form into 1-inch balls and set aside.
For the soup: In a 6-quart pot, sweat garlic in olive oil until white in color. Add onions and sweat until translucent. Add 1 1/2 cups water, carrots, tomato paste, brown sugar, ketchup and whole tomatoes with juice. Season with salt and pepper and simmer at a lively bubble for 10 minutes. Crush whole tomatoes with a potato masher or fork. Continue to simmer until carrots are tender, about 10 more minutes.
Transfer soup to a blender in batches and blend until smooth but not pureed. Return soup to pot. Remove cabbage ribs and cut leaves crosswise into 1/4-inch ribbons. Add cabbage to soup and stir. Add bay leaf and simmer over medium-high heat for 10 minutes more (the cabbage should be reduced in size). Thin with water to desired consistency. Add meatballs and simmer for 25 minutes.
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with sour cream.
Tammy Kelly is director, Lenoir County Cooperative Extension Center, 1791 N.C. 11/55, Kinston, NC 28504. Reach her at 252-527-2191 or Tammy_Kelly@ncsu.edu.