It has been a sweet forever since I’ve written anything other than a grocery or to-do list. It isn’t because I have nothing to say. The truth of the matter is that the business of selling a house and buying another house has left little time for housewife tales…unpaid or otherwise.
But, it’s Saint Patrick’s Day and my kids are happily playing at Sky Zone, so I thought I’d jump back in with one of my favorite things. Food.
I am not fond of the quintessential St. Patty’s food, corned beef and cabbage. It’s gross. Childhood trauma is to blame I’m afraid. When I was a young child, maybe 8 or 9 years old, Jane made corned beef for lunch and forced me to sit at the table for HOURS until I finished it. She was so mean that she didn’t even give me a green beer to wash it down. From that day forward I swore off corned beef like my life depended on it.
Until about 5 years ago that is, when I had my first Reuben sandwich. Holy deliciousness….how have I been missing out on this? A year later, I came across a recipe in a magazine for a Reuben salad. It was sooooo good; one of those foods that you think about for weeks afterward. But, corned beef is not one of those foods I have on rotation in the Harris Family menu, so I didn’t make it again. A few days ago, I thought about that salad, and went to work searching through hundreds of recipes that I’ve collected. I couldn’t find it anywhere.
Not to worry, I have a pretty decent incredible memory when it comes to food. So, I set out this afternoon to recreate this Reuben salad.
Now, because I did not get my shit together enough to cook the corned beef in the slow cooker as recommended on the package, I had to pull out the busy moms best friend….the Instant Pot. A little water, some beer, some garlic and Voila! 90 minutes later it was done. (NOTE: I did not use a Coors Light for this, as that would be a waste of a good beer).
This Reuben salad has all of the same components as the sandwich, plus the addition of Romaine lettuce. Because otherwise it wouldn’t be a salad. Add to that Rye croutons, sauerkraut, swiss cheese and a Thousand Island dressing and you’re in business.
First up, making the croutons. I used two slices of the seeded Rye bread, and that was plenty for a single serving salad. I cut them into cubes, doused them with olive oil and garlic salt and roasted them at 400 degrees for 12 minutes.
In a bowl, mix some chopped Romaine lettuce with some Cole Slaw mix for added crunch. Throw in some cubed Swiss Cheese and several spoonfuls of sauerkraut. Add as much of the chopped corned beef as you’d like and top with the baked croutons.
Next up, the most important component…the dressing. Most Reuben sandwiches have Thousand Island dressing on them. I am not a fan of the standard bottled dressing because it’s really sweet. So, I decided to make a version of my own with more vinegar and less sweetness.
I added all ingredients to a small bowl, eyeballing the amounts. The addition of the caraway seed (what you’d find in Rye bread) gives it a nice added crunch, and I used a dill pickle rather than the sweet pickle relish you typically find in Thousand Island dressing. Lastly, I added enough vinegar to give it tartness and a thinner consistency.
Grab yourself a Guinness, some Jameson Irish Whiskey, or whatever beverage you desire and Enjoy!!
MAY THE ROAD RISE UP TO MEET YOU. MAY THE WIND ALWAYS BE AT YOUR BACK. MAY THE SUNSHINE WARM UPON YOUR FACE, AND RAINS FALL SOFT UPON YOUR FIELDS AND UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN, MAY GOD HOLD YOU IN THE PALM OF HIS HAND.
-An Irish Blessing
