Recipe Of The Week: St. Patrick's Day

It's almost St. Patty's Day! It's a very special to-do at our house, because that's my Daddy's birthday. Also, we've got a lot of Irish in us, so we're big on traditional Irish dinners (or, at least, American Irish).  Every St. Patrick's Day, we serve Corned beef with cabbage, and cake (Dad always had angel food for his birthday, but since I've started my own family, I make a creme de menthe - because it's green!).  Here are the recipes for our menu.

Please note:  This corned beef recipe is nitrate free, but is supposed to brine for a week.  However, you can still make the slow-cooker meal using store-bought, pre-brined corned beef if you're up for it.  Sorry I didn't get this posted sooner!


Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

1 beef brisket (about 3 lbs)
2 quarts water
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
3 bay leaves
2 tsp pepper
1 tsp mustard seed
pinch of cloves or all spice

4-5 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
2 cups broth (beef or vegetable)
1 small cabbaged, wedged

One Week Before Cooking: Place brisket in a large bowl. In large saucepan, combine water, salt, vinegar, sugar, bay leaves, pepper, mustard seed and cloves. Bring to a boil. Allow brine to cool. Pour brine over brisket and cover well. Refrigerate for 7 days.

On Day of Cooking: Drain and rinse brisket. In slow cooker, layer carrots, potatoes, meat and onions in that order. Pour broth over all. Cook on high for 6 hours. Add cabbage on top and continue cooking on high for another 3 hours.



Chocolate Creme De Menthe Cake
 
4 squares baker's chocolate
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 2/3 cups flour (or 1 cup rice flour, 2/3 cup potato starch, 1 tsp xanthan gum)
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp water
3/4 tsp peppermint extract
4-5 drops green food coloring

2 cups chocolate chips
6 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp peppermint extract

In small saucepan, melt chocolate with water and 1/2 cup sugar. In mixer cream butter and 1 1/2 cup sugar. Add eggs and beat until well mixed. Add flour and baking soda alternately with milk, beating throughout. Add vanilla and cooled chocolate mixture and beat well. Pour into well greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 for 5o minutes. When cooled, place cake in freezer for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, in mixer, cream butter, powdered sugar, and water. Add peppermint extract and food coloring and mix well. Spread on frozen cake. Chill in fridge for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, melt butter and chocolate chips on low heat. Stir in peppermint extract. Spread over cake. Refrigerate until hardened.