Every St. Patrick’s Day I make the same four Irish recipes and I always look forward to them. The leftover corned beef is great for sandwiches and breakfast hash. Are you making anything special tomorrow night? Here are my four St. Patrick’s Day dishes…

(these first three are straight from my sister in law, Erin)

CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE serves 6

3-4 lbs. corned beef brisket (You usually find two different cuts of raw (don’t use pre-cooked in this recipe), corned beef in the grocery store: round cut and brisket cut. The round cut is leaner, but because in this recipe you cook the meat slowly for a long period of time it’s better with the fatter brisket cut. They usually come vacuum packed with pickling spices.)
2 onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 whole cloves
2 bay leaves

Place the corned beef (and any spices that came wit it) in a dutch oven or large pot. Cover with water. Add all the rest of the ingredients. Cover, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer about 3-4 hours or until for tender. Remove meat from water. Place fat side up in a shallow roasting pan. Spread the top with prepared mustard and sprinkle with 1/4 c. brown sugar and 1/4 t. ground cloves. Bake a 350 for 15-20 minutes. To carve, slice thinly across the grain.
While the corned beef is baking, bring corned beef water to boil. Add 1 medium head of cabbage cut into 6 wedges. Cook 10-15 minutes. Remove from water and drain thoroughly.
Serve with pickles and mustard.

ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES

parsnips
carrots
sweet potatoes
beets
potatoes (new or small yukon)
turnips

Place in 1 or two large roasting pans or large cookie sheets with high sides. The vegetables should all be pretty small, shouldn’t be too crowded on the tray, and be one layer. Drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil and sprinkle with a generous amount of salt. Roast at 300 for 1-2 hours (depending on the size of the vegetables and desired doneness). I love them when they are very soft and slightly caramelized. Sprinkle with more salt before serving.

IRISH SODA SCONES

Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1 tsp. soda
2 t. cream of tartar
2 T. sugar
1/4 c. butter
2 oz. currents or raisins
about 1/2 c. milk

Whisk dry ingredients together, cut in butter, add dried fruits. Add enough milk to give a soft dough. Place on floured board and pat or roll to desired thickness about 3/4 to 1 inch. Cut out and put on greased tin (cookie sheet), well spaced out. Brush with one slightly beaten egg. Bake at 475 degrees for 7-10 minutes.

GRASSHOPPER ICE CREAM PIE

Graham cracker crust
Mint chocolate chip ice cream
Whipped cream
Chocolate sauce

Take a graham cracker crust (homemade or store bought) and fill it with softened mint chocolate chip ice cream, then a layer of whipped cream, and a drizzle of chocolate sauce on top. Freeze until serving.

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