corned beef and cabbage

one of my food bloggie friends made this a few weeks ago

in celebration of her friend

an actor

and his new show

mike and mollie

which is adorable, by the way

if you watched it

did you happen to notice paula deen's possible future daughter-in-law... as the trampy sister?

bless her heart

back to the point..if i can find one

cooking underwriter's post

(she makes a roasted version)

reminded me that i really like cabbage that is cooked with corned beef

soft and buttery, it is truly perfect

the best part?

hubster will eat my portion of the beef in hash and sandwiches

i thought i would be really fancy and corn my own brisket

and found a great recipe from alton brown

but then saw that i had to find saltpeter

huh?

 yeah...i thought the same thing

i didn't want to buy it

so i purchased an already corned beef

which probably has some very bad things in it

but i closed my eyes and soldiered on

Corned Beef and Cabbage
(printable recipe)

3-4 lb corned beef or brisket if you are d.y.i.-ing it

1 large head green cabbage--cut into thin wedges, leaving the core intact

7-9 small yukon potatoes

cold water to cover the brisket

little packet of pickling spices that come with the corned beef (optional)

this is so simple. take a large pot, place the corned beef in it and cover with water to about 2" above the top of the meat. bring the pot to a boil and then immediately, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover.  the meat will take approximately 50 minutes per pound.  about 45 minutes before the meat is planned to be finished, layer top the corned beef with the cabbage wedges and potatoes. make sure the potatoes get immersed in the liquid.  when the meat is fork tender, remove from the liquid and let sit covered for 30 minutes.  you can continue to cook the potatoes and cabbage if they aren't done to your liking.  

slice the corned beef against the grain and serve with the veggies and hot and spicy mustard.

and perhaps some irish soda bread

i am linking to tuesday night supper club

and 

tasty tuesdays

had i made my own corned beef, i would link up to

hearth and soul which has some amazing food, you should check it out 

Tuesday Night Supper Club--Coconut Shrimp

a couple of weeks ago we were in san francisco

for my mom's birthday

and we ate at the most amazing restaurant

called The Slanted Door

the food is fresh and delicious

and i have found myself craving it daily

one of my favorite dishes they serve

is a cabbage and jicama salad

i had it for the first time a couple of years ago

and i talked about it so much

that a friend of mine tracked down the recipe 

and left it on my doorstep

tonight

i share the recipe with you

with my little twist

coconut shrimp

now pardon me

while i lick my plate

Cabbage and Jicama Salad
(printable recipe)

adapted from The Slanted Door Restaurant

1/2 red cabbage--shredded

1/2 medium jicama--cut into matchstick size julienne

1 medium carrot--cut into matchstick size julienne

1 grapefruit--supreme

1/2 cup fresh mint--chiffonade

1/4 cup candied walnuts or pecans

Dressing

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 Tbs seasoned rice vinegar

1 Tbs cider vinegar

1 Tbs agave syrup (the recipe calls for sugar, i substituted the agave)

1 tsp minced garlic

1 thai chili minced (or 1/2 tsp chinese chili paste)

1 tsp fresh lime juice

2 tsp oil

salt and pepper

cover the shredded cabbage with salted water and let sit 30 minutes or so.  Drain and fully dry. Add to all other salad ingredients, with exception of the nuts. Stir together all ingredients for dressing and mix into the salad.  Toss in nuts and serve.  

Tonight I am serving our salad with coconut shrimp which is really simple

Coconut Shrimp
(printable recipe)

peeled and deveined shrimp

2 eggs--lightly beaten

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 cup shredded coconut

oil for frying

mix the cornstarch and coconut together in a shallow bowl.  dip each shrimp into the egg and then into the coconut mixture.  Drop in oil heated to 350.  Cook until the coconut is nicely browned.

EAT UP!