Corned Beef and Cabbage Salad with Mustard-Horseradish Dressing

I love St. Paddy's day (not Patty, that's an insult, Paddy is short for Padraig, the Saint's true name) the beer is green, the parties are good, but the corned beef and cabbage is just blah.  Not that it's not good, it's just the same thing over and over again every year.  This recipe is a bit lighter and less boiled than the heavy one pot meal traditionally served for St. Patrick, and it's a great alternative to the norm.  This makes enough for 4.  I have the tools and knives sharp enough to cut the cabbage real thin, but if you don't, no worries,  just buy the pre-packaged coleslaw kits, especially if your local grocer cuts them themselves like mine does. Another good alternative is to process all of the vegetables through a slicing attachment on you food processor if you have one.

2 bags Coleslaw mix or 1 medium head cabbage

Fancy conred beef and cabbage

1 small red onion, sliced thin

1 tsp chives, sliced thin

1 green bell pepper (Well, I'm not doing red for the Irish right?), thin julienne

1 lb corned beef (get your deli to slice it 1/4 inch thick)

2 tbsp. mayo

2 tbsp. cider vinegar

1 tbsp. sour cream

2 tbsp. Old Fashioned Whole Grain mustard or Creole Mustard (please don't use the yellow crap)

1 tbsp. prepared horseradish

1 tbsp. sugar

Salt and Pepper to taste

1.  Get a nice big mixing bowl and a whisk.  Whisk together your mustard, mayo, sugar, vinegar, and horseradish in the bowl.

2.  Add your onions and peppers next.  Stir them around and let them sit for about 5 minutes.  The sugar in the dressing is going to make the vegetables leech water, which is what we want.

3.  Add the cabbage, mix thoroughly with the dressing and season with salt and pepper.  Let this sit again for a few minutes.

4.  Take 1/4 of the sliced corned beef and julienne it.  Mix it through your salad.  Garnish with the chives.

5.  Now your ready to serve this.Take the salad out and put in on a platter, make sure to keep it nice and high.  I like to squeeze the salad a little bit to get the excess liquid off.  (Reserve it though, we'll use it in a minute).  Arrange your corned beef around the salad and drizzle just a little of that excess dressing you squeezed out on the salad. Garnish with the chives and you’re set. 

Yeah, I know, the picture doesn't look like what I describe, but you guys know by now My foods gotta look good too, not just my leisure suit. So where are the potatoes you're asking?  Well, you don't need them , but if you must, some roasted red potatoes are a nice change of pace.  I'll have a recipe up for that too, but in a nutshell, toss some small red potatoes with some oil, salt and pepper and roast them at 375 for about 45 minutes.   You got a question?  Just ask, and don't' forget to subscribe.

Happy Eating,

The Doctor.