ArcaMax Recipes 03/17/2004

Potted Cheese
Corned Beef
Chocolate Emeralds

We hope you have a great St. Patrick's Day and will enjoy this menu
which serves 6 to 8.

We have a couple clarifications concerning previous recipes:

- The Parmesan dill rolls (from the Feb. 12 ezine) need
self-rising flour.

- The Lemon Meringue Pie in the Feb. 10 ezine requires a
half-cup of flour or 5 Tbsp. of cornstarch in the filling so
it will set up.

Appetizer

Potted Cheese

6 oz. Cheddar Cheese
1/3 cup butter
2 Tbsp. port or sherry
5 green onions, finely chopped
1 tsp. caraway seeds
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped

Finely grate cheese into a bowl. Add softened butter and
mix well. Stir in port or sherry, green onions, caraway seeds,
mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well. Scoop mixture
into a serving bowl. Cover with walnuts and press walnuts down
lightly. Refrigerate for at least three hours. Serve with crackers
and Melba toast.

The Skinny: You can probably get away with light cheese in this
recipe. If you don't want to use alcohol then just leave out
the port or sherry.

Main Course

Corned Beef

1 corned beef brisket (about 4 pounds)
Prepared mustard
1 Tbsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
2 Tbsp. vinegar
4 medium potatoes
1 large onion
1 medium head of cabbage

Trim excess fat from brisket. Spread mustard on top of beef.
Sprinkle pepper and parsley flakes over the mustard. In this
country a corned beef brisket usually comes with spices and
juices in the package. Add the spices and juices from corned
beef brisket package. Place meat in Dutch oven. Add vinegar
and just enough water to almost cover meat, but don't put in
so much water that you cover the mustard and spice topping.
Heat just to boiling and then reduce heat, cover pan and
simmer for 2 to 3 hours or until meat is tender. Quarter potatoes
and chop the onion and add both to pan. Cover and return to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Core the cabbage, cut it
into wedges and add to pan. Cover and cook for 20 minutes more
until veggies are tender. Place meat and veggies on a platter
and season with salt and pepper.

I like to serve this with a little extra vinegar to be sprinkled
on the cabbage.

The Skinny: Corned beef brisket has quite a bit of fat so take
it easy on the portion sizes.

Dessert

Chocolate Emeralds

1 and 1/4 cups butter
1/2 cup cocoa
3 and 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup green Creme de Menthe
1 and 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate pieces

Combine 1/2 cup of butter and cocoa in saucepan over low heat and
stir until blended. Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup sugar,
egg and vanilla. Stir in graham cracker crumbs. Mix well and press
mixture into the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch pan. Next, melt 1/2 cup
butter and pour into a small mixing bowl. Add Creme de Menthe
and mix at low speed. While mixing, add 3 cups sugar until smooth.
Spread this mixture over the first layer in the 13 x 9-inch pan.
Refrigerate entire dish for one hour. While the dish is chilling,
combine 1/4 cup butter and chocolate pieces in a saucepan over low
heat. Stir until melted. Remove pan from refrigerator and spread
chocolate mixture over the mint layer. Return pan to the refrigerator
for 2 hours. Cut into small squares and store in refrigerator
until ready to serve.

The Skinny: Use your favorite egg and sugar substitute.