St. Patrick’s Day is coming up on March 17th. I have been curious about what the most famous dishes are for this ultimate Irish holiday. It includes, but is not limited to, corned beef and cabbage, Irish soda bread, Irish stew, beef and Guinness pies, potato leek soup and Irish apple cake. Most people think of Irish food as being heavy, but I was happy to discover that corned beef and cabbage have health benefits. Corned beef is not only high in protein, but also in zinc, Vitamin B and thiamin. Cabbage is an excellent source of fiber, vitamin C and folic acid. But because corned beef is high in fat, a reasonable portion is considered the best idea. However, the fat content is why it tastes so good!
So what do you do with your leftover corned beef? This month I decided to feature one of my favorites, which is Corned Beef Hash. Even if you don’t have any corned beef in the house, buying corned beef slices from your local deli or butcher works very well. I recommend using frozen hash browns that are shredded Yukon gold potatoes as they hold up well. Not only for frying but also boiling and baking.
The second recipe this month is Parsley Potato Dumplings. This is easy to make because I also use frozen hash browns. I like the recipe because, depending on when you want to use them, they can store short term in the refrigerator or for several months in the freezer. This transitions well to my last new recipe, which is Chicken and Dumplings. Comfort food doesn’t get better than this. A creamy, hot stew of chicken, carrots, celery and onion coupled with dumplings does the trick. But where did this recipe originate? My research suggests the south in the United States and also Quebec, Canada. During the Civil War and when economic times were tough, cornmeal dumplings were cooked in a broth with turnip greens. The Canadian story is that during the Great Depression, this was a cheap meal made in French Canada of meat scraps and dumpling boiled in some type of meat broth. It sounds like the recipe changed depending on what meat was even available.
You have been hearing this statement from me now for three years, and here we go again. It’s almost the start of sailing season. Our boat will be launched in a few weeks, and then I can get back to making new recipes for you from both home and onboard!
From my table to yours.
-Your Galley Guide
PS You can find these recipes and other tips by clicking this link www.cookingaboardwithjill.com
