2011 St. Patrick's Day Menu {Recap}

For St. Patty's Day we like to get all festive with dinner and dessert. For dinner we've done a few things but usually stick with corned beef and cabbage. I think we found a winning recipe this year in the slow cooker. (victory!) Then for dessert I just do something springy or green.

I rarely get any pictures of the night but did manage to get some this year.

Here's our menu:

Irish Soda Bread
Corned Beef & Cabbage
Mint Chocolate Brownies with Vanilla and Pistachio Frozen Custard

I have always wanted to make Irish Soda Bread but been very intimidated and figured I didn't want to spend any more time on a week day. But this year after reading the King Arthur Flour blog's post on American Irish Soda Bread, I decided um...this is going to be easy!

So I did it, and I even had King Arthur AP Flour on hand (instead of my usual and local Lehi Roller Mill Flour). I'm telling you friends, the combo of freshly opened caraway seeds and plump dried currants in this just-sweet-enough batter was the ultimate. I was shocked at how much I loved this and how impressed I was with its ease.

 

This American-Irish Soda Bread will be on our menu every year from now on!

 Next up is the main course: Corned Beef and Cabbage. My husband usually makes this dish with potatoes and carrots. I roll-in on the assist by steaming the cabbage. This year he found a recipe on Food Network's site that has you do it all in the slow cooker. Pretty sweet. 

The part I really liked about it was at the end when you take the meat out to have it rest, you stick the cabbage in all the meat juices and cook it there.

For dessert I had knew I had to plan ahead since I work full-time and we didn't want to eat late, especially with company coming over. So I set out to make Dorie Greenspan's Creamiest Lime Meringue Tart...turns out I really didn't plan well enough and was only able to finish the filling and crust.

So I had a back up plan and just grabbed some dessert from a The Chocolate Dessert Cafe and Coneys Frozen Custard. Chocolate Mint Brownies (The Chocolate Dessert Cafe) and Pistachio and Vanilla Frozen Custard (Coneys Frozen Custard) It was perfect.

Hope you all had a wonderful St. Patrick's Day full of good friends, great food and lot of fun. What do you like to make?