Meat Soup

I was looking for something to do with all of this leftover corned beef and I think I found it. I figured split pea soup usually calls for ham, but corned beef is pretty similar cuz it’s salty and I think it tastes better than ham. I love big hunks of meat in my soup and haven’t had yellow split peas in a while so I came up this little number. And don't worry, there is still plenty left to make Reubens for days. And I'm not talking about Paul.

Yellow Split Pea Soup with Corned Beef and Carrots

1 cup yellow split peas, rinsed and discolored peas discarded

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into ½ inch thick half moons

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 cup cooked corned beef cut into bite-sized pieces

1 32 oz box free-range low sodium chicken stock

2 cups water

2 tsp cumin

A splash of olive oil

S+P to taste

Chop up the onions and garlic. Heat olive oil in large pot. Add onions, garlic, carrots and cumin and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add split peas and corned beef and stir to combine. Let mingle for another couple of minutes then add the broth and water. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer over med/low heat for about an hour. Add S+P to taste. Enjoy!

Excessive Meat

Last year when I made corned beef and cabbage it was gone immediately and I had no leftovers with which to make hash, sandos, ect... So this year I thought that I'd better make extra, plus I guess I assumed that everyone would eat more than they actually did. Irish car bombs are pretty filling, after all. Plus, we started out with an assortment of cheeses and salami, including Sharp Irish Cheddar, Toma Trifulera (a soft, creamy cheese with a hint of truffles), and an awesome raw cow's milk cheese from Virginia called Appalachian that had a mild, buttery flavor with a hint of mushroom. So after a healthy amount of booze and cheese, I brought out about 10 lbs of corned beef, along with 3 loaves of Irish Soda Bread, and a massive amount of carrots, red potatoes, and cabbage. Even the dogs had their fill, and I am still left with a crap-load of food today. I made a really tasty hash for breakfast. I am planning on making something corned beef inspired for dinner too, like maybe split pea soup with corned beef instead of ham. We'll see. Any ideas?

Corned Beef Hash

yields breakfast for two

4 red potato halves

1/2 cup cooked carrots

2 slabs cooked corned beef, chopped

1 tsp olive oil

In a bowl, mash up the potatoes, carrots well. Mix in the corned beef. On a cutting board, flatten half the mixture into a patty about 1/2 inch thick and about 6 inches in diameter. Heat the olive oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Using a spatula, carefully transfer the patty into the pan and cover. Cook over medium for about 7 minutes per side, or until brown and crispy. Do the same with the remaining mixture. Serve alone or with poached eggs. Enjoy!