St. Pattys day feast

A little feast for St Patricks day and beyond, way beyond...I wanted to make corned beef but didn't want to have all the nitrates and added yuck that sometimes gets put in it.  At the organic grocer I found this great grass fed, nitrate free brisket and it worker perfectly for this recipe. Added bonus, there is a ton left over for Reuben's, yum yum.  Super easy supper.

• 1 corned beef roast(if its not nitrate free, rinse it really well or soak it changing the water several times)
• 1 large bottle of beer, I used apple cider beer.
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 onion
• 1 head of cabbage

Throw everything in a dutch oven and cook at 300 for abt 4 hours, it appears to take about an hour per pound of meat.  Alternately, you can put it all in the crock pot.  Its done when its tender. When the meat is done, take it out of the pan and put it on a foil lined cake pan.  Turn the oven to high broil.

In small sauce pot, boil

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup whiskey
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp spicy mustard
• 1/4 cup ketchup

Boil just till thickened and spread on roast.  Put back in oven on broil just until a little crust starts to form.  Remove and tent with foil for 15 minutes or so. Slice her up and enjoy, I'm pretty sure you will agree, it is absolutely delicious.

Cajun shrimp and kale on bed of mashed sweet potatoes

Its Mardi Gras time so I was looking for a dish with a little Cajun kick.  This fit the bill perfectly.  I will agree it is not a beauty to look at but the way the flavors meld, oh MY!!  If you are not a seafood eater I don't see why you couldn't sub chicken for the shrimp.

1 lb sweet potatoes
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp cinnamon

4 ounces spicy breakfast sausage or andouille
2 Tbsp diced onion
2 Tbsp diced celery
2 Tbsp diced pepper
1 cup half and half or milk(I wouldn't use skim or fat free, your making a gravy)
1 tsp thyme
!/4 cup white wine
1 tsp Old Bay or other Cajun seasoning blend
1 Tbsp butter

1 lb deviened raw shrimp
1 tsp Old Bay

4 cups diced kale

Bake sweet potatoes at 350 till tender, probably about an hour.  Mash with butter and cinnamon.

While sweet potatoes are baking saute the sausage with the vegetables until tender and browned.   Add the thyme.  Deglaze the pan with the wine. After all the yummy bits are off the bottom of the pan, add the half and half and old bay.  Cook about 5 minutes or until reduced by half.  Stir in the butter.

Heat a non stick skillet sprayed with oil on med high and quickly cook the shrimp coated in Old Bay.

Boil the kale for 2 to 3 min.  You don't want it to soft just slightly wilted.  I actually put mine in the oven with some more Old Bay on it for about 20 min so they were a bit crispy and then crumbled it on top of the sweet potatoes.

OK the work is done now make your little pile of mush and enjoy every bite.  Sweet potato on the bottom, kale on top of that, shrimp next, and then finish it off with some of that spicy gravy.