What is the color we all wish to see this time of year? Tired of all the drab browns of winter, we eagerly await the days when we look out our windows and behold – green!
It is exciting to see the earth put forth shoots that herald spring. Lawns that lay dormant through the winter begin to brighten up and become lush and green once again. (We are not going to ruin the mood with thoughts of having to mow it.) In the not too distant future, the bare trees will send out their own signs of a warmer season as they start to unfurl their new wardrobe. Most of them will wear different shades of – green!
Just so you know, I will state that green is NOT my favorite color. I have always loved red, but I never really had an issue with green until after the first years of my marriage. Bob and I were fresh out of college (he graduated, I didn’t) when we married. The small apartment we rented was decorated in green. Then we found a small house that would allow us to have pets, so we moved to it. My generous in-laws gave us hand-me-down furniture – green. The house had lots of windows in the front; the drapes were – green.
When the landlord informed us we needed to find another place to live (our house was supposed to be moved to another lot), we purchased a home in a different part of town. The carpets in it were green. Some friends were getting new furniture and gave us their old living room chairs. You know the color.
By this time, I was sick of green. As time went on, we began to replace furniture, and you can know for certain what color it was not. Blue, mauve, burgundy, brown, tan – but never the color I was so tired of. I refused for a long time to have anything green in my wardrobe; I have relaxed a bit on that, and there are a few green articles of clothing in my closet.
My disgust with green does not extend to nature. Green is wonderful outside, especially since the sight of it this time of year indicates that Spring is close at hand!
Seeming to be right in season comes the St. Patrick’s Day celebration and all the green it brings with it. I chose this week’s recipes with an Irish theme in mind. The Reuben Casserole is from a prior column. I tried Cabbage Steaks a few weeks back because they sounded intriguing; they tasted as good as I thought they would! Lucky Charm treats are for the leprechaun hiding inside you, and Spotted Dog (no Dalmatian involved) is a traditional Irish fruit bread. When I tried the recipe, I realized I did not have any of the fruits suggested, so I used dried cherries instead. It was a good choice, although not very Irish.
Reuben Casserole
1 cup Thousand Island dressing
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon dried minced onions
12 slices rye bread, cubed; divided
1 can sauerkraut, well-drained
1-1/2 pounds corned beef, sliced and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 cup butter, melted
In a mixing bowl, stir together dressing, sour cream and onions; set aside.
Arrange half of bread cubes in greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish, setting aside remaining cubes for topping.
Top bread with a layer of sauerkraut, followed by a layer of corned beef.
Spread dressing mixture over corned beef. Sprinkle with Swiss cheese. Top with remaining bread cubes. Drizzle with melted butter.
Cover; bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for about 10 more minutes or until bubbly.
Crispy Roasted Cabbage Steaks
1 head cabbage , dark loose leaves removed
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons light-tasting olive oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Slice cabbage into 1/2-inch thick steaks
Brush with oil on both sides and place onto cookie sheet.
Season to taste with Kosher salt and black pepper.
Roast for 17-20 minutes or until caramelized. Yield: 6 servings.
Lucky Charms™ Treats
4 tablespoons butter
6 cups miniature marshmallows
6 cups Lucky Charms™ cereal
12 ounces white chocolate (I used candy melts)
In a large pot, melt butter over low heat. Stir in marshmallows until completely melted. Remove from heat.
Use a buttered spatula to stir in cereal until fully coated.
Press mixture into a greased 13-by-9-inch pan. Cool.
Cut into squares and remove from pan.
Over a double boiler, melt white chocolate. Remove from heat.
Dip bottom of cereal treat into melted chocolate; place on a wax paper covered baking sheet.
Allow chocolate to cool; enjoy!
Spotted Dog
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup raisins, currants or sultanas
1-1/4 cups milk or buttermilk
1 egg (optional, you may not need all the milk if you use the egg)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Sift dry ingredients together, add fruit; mix well. Make a well in the center; pour most of the milk in at once with the egg. Using one hand, mix in the flour from the sides of the bowl, adding more milk if necessary. The dough should be softish, not too wet and sticky. When it all comes together, turn it out on to a floured board and knead lightly for a few seconds, just enough to tidy it up. Pat the dough into a circle about 1-1/2 inches deep and cut a deep cross on it. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn down the oven to 400 degrees and continue to cook for approximately 30 minutes. If you are in doubt, tap the bottom: if it is cooked, it will sound hollow.
Serve spotted dog freshly baked, cut into thick slices and generously slathered with butter.