Corned Beef and Cabbage

Hello everyone!! This recipe is a dual-purpose one, and it's for both the book and Saint Patrick's Day!

I know a lot of you may not care as to why I think this recipe is also representative of the characters in Eldest, but I'm gonna tell you anyway!

It's hard not to reference The Lord of the Rings sometimes, but as such it becomes inevitable. I feel the only true meal of departure from Eragon and the dwarfish guards he has is this meal. To me dwarves always have seemed to be of Irish or Scottish heritage. It could be the way in which their temperaments are described, or the way they manage their beverage of choice, or even just some of the physical descriptions that get mentioned. Therefore I determined an American-Irish staple was in order, because let's face it - true traditional Irish staples do not contain just corned beef and cabbage…

Corned Beef and Cabbage

• Corned Beef (4 Pounds)
• Cabbage (Wedged)
• Baby Carrots (1 Cup)
• Potatoes (2, Cubed)
• Garlic Cloves (2)
• Cloves (2)
• Whole Peppercorns (10)
• Water (Enough to Saturate)

Instructions

• In a crockpot place in the Garlic Cloves, Cloves, and Whole Peppercorns. Lay in the Corned Beef, and pour in enough water to come up to the half way point. 
• Cook on low for the first 40 minutes.
• Swap the crock pot over to high for the next 5-6 hours. 
• Within the last 30 minutes of cooking add in everything but the Cabbage.
• During the final 15 minutes of cooking, add in the Cabbage. 
• Plate and Enjoy!

It may not be the prettiest picture, but I was too hungry to care much. One of the problems of blogging about food…

I love the way this style of corned beef comes out, I feel that the cloves add an extra depth of flavor. I personally am excited about the speciality sandwich I have planned for tomorrow though… Needless to say I purchased lots of corned beef to make more than one type of meal…

Considering where Eragon is going to be living now in Eldest I wanted to give a lot of meat dishes for Ricky. Pretty soon there is going to be a lot of vegetarian meals to reflect the ways in which the elves live… I'm also excited for those ventures though too.

Until tomorrow then!

Beer Bread

This is a staple in my household, and I love the ways that different beers can create unique flavors for the bread. It makes it unique every time you choose a new beer for the same recipe. As such I tend to use a black lager for it's strong flavor, and it's pairing with cheese and mustard. (We're also cheese-plate people around here…)

My last post was something I made in honor of Arya Svit-Kona from Eldest. This is something that represents the culture of a band of guards (specifically dwarves) on the move.
Mainly why I chose this beer bread to represent the dwarves first and foremost, is because of the heavy revelry that Eragon and Saphira had amongst them - with numerous kegs to boot as well. Plus this type of beer is just an excellent way to make a beer bread. It adds a lot of rich depth, and robust flavor.

Beer Bread

• Flour (3 Cups)
• Sugar (1/3 Cup)
• Baking Powder (3 Teaspoons)
• Salt (1 1/2 Teaspoons)
• Beer (12 Ounces, Any Kind)
• Shortening (1 Tablespoon)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 Degrees Fahrenheit.
• Grease a bread pan with the Shortening, and set aside.
• In a large bowl mix together the Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder and Salt. 
• Slowly pour in the Beer of your choice, and mix well. (The batter should be sticky.)
• After the batter has been well mixed, carefully pour into the greased bread pan, and let sit for 30 minutes.

• Bake between 45-50 minutes, or until the top is nice and crisp. 
• Plate and Enjoy!

I love beer bread… Honestly it's the simplest thing to make, and it's so quick and easy. It makes a great party snack with dip that complements the choice of beer you had.

Not to mention it makes a bland sandwich become amazing. 

So to wrap up this post I just want to prep people for some fusion food soon. I'll be cooking for Eldest but incorporating trademark Irish-American Saint Patricks Day food for Tuesday! Yippee for that one!

See you all tomorrow with a quick little post as well!

Traditional Cottage Pie

Hello all… Tonight's a late post - a reflection of a strange night here in Old Orchard Beach. To say the least…
I look at blogging as a way to free stress, and enable myself to just cook and melt the problems away. I'll admit though some nights I feel a lot like the meme over to the right. That's why I dumped about a cup of wine in this Cottage Pie.
If you can't beat it, drink it. If you can't drink it, bake it!

Traditional Cottage Pie

• Hamburger (1 Pound)
• Onion (Finely Chopped)
• Carrots (2 1/2 Cups, Finely Chopped)
• Peas (1 Cup)
• Thyme (4 Sprigs, Finely Chopped)
• Butter (1 Tablespoon)
• Beef Broth (1 Cup)
• Red Wine (1 Cup)
• Flour (2 Tablespoons)
• Worcestershire Sauce (2 Tablespoons)
• Tomato Paste (2 Tablespoons)
• Mashed Potatoes (3-4 Cups Worth)
• Parmesan Cheese (1/4 Cup)
• Paprika (A Dash)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 Degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a large skillet, melt the Butter, and sauté together the Onion and Carrots until tender.

• Add in the Hamburger and cook until mostly done. Strain out the excess grease carefully, and put back on the burner. (After you wipe the grease off the skillet's undercarriage of course - no kitchen fires around here please!)
• Add in the Peas, Tomato Paste, and Thyme. Cook for around 3 minutes.
• Add in the Wine, Broth, Worcestershire Sauce, and Flour. Let this sauce thicken at a slow simmer.

• Place the filling into a casserole dish, and cover with the Mashed Potatoes. Sprinkle with the Parmesan Cheese, and Paprika. 
• Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the top becomes a little crisped.

• Plate and Enjoy!

Commence my relaxation zone… A true comfort food of mine, and had I had lamb it'd make a delicious Shepherds Pie!

I really wanted to make this for myself, and not so much for the book Eragon, but it has a perfect connection - comfort in time of stress. Eragon braved many challenges, and high-stress situations before he reached a sanctuary where true meals were back in order. I find that meals really do bring about a certain sense of calm in us after a rough day.

It's almost like going overseas, or to another country and eating their food for a week. The one thing you can't wait to have when you arrive back home is something cooked from your own kitchen. (Or at least that's how I feel!)

So to Eragon and Saphira - I make a meal to help relieve your stress, just as much as my own. 

Till Friday folks! <3