JRochelle Designs: It's Not Easy Being Green

For as long as I can remember, St. Patrick's Day has always been my favorite holiday, because it is the only time my mother would make her corned beef and cabbage. It wasn't until I was a little older (and had to ask my grandmothers about family history for various school projects) that I found out that I am part Irish from both sides of the family, so I embrace my Irish culture as best as I can. I've not yet been to Ireland, but it is certainly on my bucket list.

So back to corned beef and cabbage. For the past two or three years my mother has been giving up beef for Lent, so she hasn't made corned beef and cabbage until after Easter sometime. This year I finally decided to make my own, so I was able to make some small adjustments... I used my brand new crockpot to boil the meat until tender, and then added the potatoes. Once the potatoes were finished , I mashed them, added half& half and Earth Balance. I also boiled the cabbage separately and added tons of dried red chili flakes. I have never been a fan of vegetables cooked with meat because they always end up a little greasy to me, and if I'm gonna eat vegetables I prefer that they are light and fresh.

Horseradish Cream

We've never put any condiments on our corned beef, but I think this might be a good choice. My corned beef turned out a little saltier than I like (no I did not add any salt to the water), so the horseradish cream might balance things out a bit.

Corned Beef and Cabbage Grilled Cheese

This is pretty much a Reuben on pumpernickel bread without Russian or Thousand Island Dressing, which is great since I don't eat mayonnaise anyway. The only problem is that my corned beef is too tender to make an attractive or easy to eat sandwich...