A little luck o' the Irish

Corned beef with mustard sauce is the traditional Irish-American meal for St. Patrick's Day. It is really good and so easy to make. It is usually served with cabbage, but we served ours with roasted asparagus, which we absolutely love. Mind you, asparagus isn't just for St. Patrick's Day. You'll want to mark this recipe and use it all through spring!

CORNED BEEF:

1 corned beef brisket, flat cut*
Seasoning packet that comes with the meat
Water

Put corned beef in slow cooker. Cover with water, then sprinkle with seasoning. Cook on high for 6 hours, or low for 8 to 10 hours. *There are two popular cuts of corned beef brisket, flat cut and point cut. I recommend the flat cut, even though it's more expensive. Every thread of meat on the point cut is laced with fat.

MUSTARD SAUCE:

1/8 c. mayo

1/8 c. sour cream
1 Tbsp. prepared mustard (I used spicy brown for half)
1 Tbsp. honey
1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. creamy horseradish

Mix ingredients well. Use as a dipping sauce for corned beef. Refrigerate leftovers.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS:

Asparagus spears, washed
1 Tbsp. olive oil or melted butter
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Break off woody ends of washed asparagus. Bend the end of the spear, and the asparagus will know what to do. It snaps where it needs to. Arrange spears on shallow baking pan or cookie sheet. Drizzle oil over all, then roll spears around so they are well-coated. Season with salt and pepper. Bake spears of medium thickness for about 10 minutes. Skinny spears may need less time, and thick ones may need more. Asparagus is best when it is still a little crisp. Don't make them mushy!

St. Patrick's Day dessert

My kids took St. Patrick's Day very seriously this year. They literally pinched me at least 100 times in the morning, until I put on a green shirt. I got with the program, and everything was green after that! We had a St. Patrick's Day dinner of corned beef and a bunch of yummy green sides.

We ended the night with the lime Jell-O cream cheese pie you see above. It is the easiest thing in the world to throw together, and its thick, creamy, Jell-O-y filling is delicious. You must serve it with fresh whipped cream. Plan ahead for refrigeration time.

THE RECIPE:

1 graham cracker pie crust
1 3-ounce package lime Jell-O
1 c. boiling water
8 ounces light cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. lime juice

Dissolve Jell-O into boiling water. Add cream cheese and beat with electric mixer until smooth and combined. Add lime juice. Pour into pie crust. Refrigerate at least four hours, until set.

Our compliments to the Irish

This recipe is a delicious twist on mashed potatoes. It's called colcannon -- a mix of potatoes and cabbage -- and it's a traditional Irish side dish, which made it a perfect choice for St. Patrick's Day. Our family loves to try new things, and this was a winner. It was a great complement to our corned beef. We will definitely make this again.

THE RECIPE:

8 medium potatoes (between 2 1/2 and 3 pounds)*
1 stick butter
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 head green cabbage, chopped
1 c. milk
7 green onions, white and green parts chopped

Scrub potatoes and cut into chunks. In a large pot, boil potatoes in water until they easily fall off after being pricked by fork. Drain, then mash with butter, salt and pepper. I use an electric mixer.

Mix milk and onions in small saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are tender and milk is frothy and has absorbed their flavor. Pour into potatoes and mash together.

In large pot, bring water to boil, then add chopped cabbage. Boil only about 2 minutes, so cabbage is just tender but NOT mushy. Drain well, then stir into mashed potatoes. Do not use electric mixer on this part.

*I used red potatoes and left the skins on.

Below you'll see a plate of our St. Patrick's Day feast.