Boiled Dinner

I make this dish every St Patrick's Day - and this year was no exception. Something about corned beef makes me think Irish. Apparently, many of us in America think the same thing. However, I have it on good authority that this is another of those dishes that is more American in origin and isn't regularly eaten in the country that we associate it with. Well, I do know that many in Great Britain boil lots of foods, so I'll take some comfort in that. Regardless of origin, this is a tasty way with corned beef. If you're fortunate enough to be home while it cooks all day, you'll be salivating and ready for dinner long before it's ready!

Ingredients:

3 pound corned beef brisket, with spice packet
1 onion, quartered
water
1 head cabbage, quartered
1 pound small carrots
1 pound red or yellow potatoes, quartered

Directions:

Place corned beef and the onion in a crock pot or slow cooker and cover the meat and onion with water. Add contents of spice packet. Cook for 8 to 10 hours, the corned beef will be very tender. About 30 minutes before serving, fill a large pot half full with water. Place on stove top and bring to a boil. Add the cabbage, carrots, and potatoes to the pot, and cook for about 20 minutes until done. You should be able to pierce the cabbage and potatoes easily with a fork. Drain the vegetables, and place on a serving platter. Remove the corned beef and onion from the crock pot, adding them to the serving platter. Pour a tablespoon or two of the cooking liquid over the vegetables. Slice the corned beef, and serve.

Serves 4

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Cooking in a slow cooker or crock pot fills the house with a delicious aroma. Your whole family will be ready to try a bit of everything! Pouring a small amount of the cooking liquid over the vegetables gives them the spicy flavor of the corned beef. Cooking them separately solves the problem of overcooked, mushy vegetables!