Time to get ready for St. Patrick's Day! Patty and I are both Irish so we revel in the St. Patrick's day festivities. Patty's grandmother was 100% Irish, though she was raised in the U.S., and I have a lot of Irish in my bloodline. We celebrate as most of us do in the U.S., with food and fun gatherings. We aren't throwing a party this year, but we ARE enjoying the food.

This year we're playing with the Reuben sandwich. It's normally made with corned beef, but did you realize you can also use Pastrami? Both meats are cured, but the biggest difference between corned beef and pastrami is that pastrami is seasoned with a dry rub afterward and smoked, while corned beef is boiled. You can make this recipe with only turkey for a nice Turkey Reuben, but I wanted to keep some of the traditional flavor so opted to include some pastrami. The flavor certainly comes through.

We also made our own Thousand Island Dressing this year. Oh yes! Of course you can pick some up from the store, but if you have the time and inclination, I say make it yourself. It really is so much better than a store bought version, so fresh, so silky and thick. Here is a link if you're interested: Homemade 1000 Island Dressing. 

Patty's Perspective - I'm not a big fan of corned beef, so I asked if we could do an alternative. Mike came up with this version with turkey and pastrami. I really loved it and it saved a few calories.

OK, we both hope you enjoy it. Let us know. Go enjoy some green beer!

Turkey-Pastrami Reuben

Ingredients

• 4 pretzel buns
• 4 ounces sliced pastrami
• 8 ounces sliced turkey
• 4 ounces sauerkraut (or use my concoction below!)
• 4 slices Swiss cheese
• 4 slices Gruyere
• 1000 Island Dressing to serve (Here is a link to our homemade 1000 Island Dressing)

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Set the bun bottoms onto a large baking sheet.
3. Over each bun bottom, layer over pastrami, turkey, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and gruyere cheese.
4. Set the bun tops onto the baking sheet, open side up (not on top of the sandwiches).
5. Bake 3-5 minutes, or until sandwiches are warmed and the cheese is melted.
6. Remove from heat.
7. Top with the 1000 Island Dressing and bun top. Serve!

Not a fan of sauerkraut? How about some sautéed cabbage? Here’s a simple recipe.

Sauteed and Pickled Cabbage

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ¼ head of cabbage, shredded
• 1 small onion, chopped
• ½ cup vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon celery seed

Cooking Directions

1. Heat a large pan to medium heat. Add oil and warm.
2. Add cabbage and onion. Cook about 5 minutes to soften.
3. Add vinegar, sugar, salt and celery seed. Toss to coat.
4. Reduce heat and allow vinegar to reduce, about 4 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.

Serve them up with some rutabaga fries!