#8 – Colcannon and a lower-carb option!
#8 – Colcannon and a lower-carb option!
Earlier this week, we had a maple-focused recipe since it’s Maple Festival time – but this weekend is also St. Patrick’s Day – So this is our bonus edition for the holiday.
St. Patrick’s Day is full of fun culinary things – as a kid, it was the one time we were guareenteed to have Lucky Charms cereal with green milk. But it’s also a great time to try your hand at some Irish standards like soda bread, shepherd’s pie, and corned beef. Today we’ll be talking about my favorite side dish – Colcannon. Potatoes are essential to Irish cuisine, and Colcannon does not disappoint on this front. This recipe is a great to switch up your standard mashed potatoes, or you could used it a your crust for shepherd’s pie.
Here are the ingredients, though the amounts can vary based on your personal tastes:
4-5 Potatoes – russet potatoes work well, but any potato will work.
1 Onion, small slices, potioned into halves
1-2 sticks of butter
2-3 loose cups of kale, or other greens
1 cup of milk, cream, or half and half (may take less)
2 cloves of garlic, crushed or grated
3 scallions, finely sliced
Black pepper and salt to taste
Bacon (optional)
- In a large pot, boil the potatoes, chopped into manageable pieces, and half of the sliced onions, until tender.
- At the same time, melt about ½ a stick of butter in a large pan over low heat. Once mostly melted, sautee the rest of the onions and the garlic with a few pinches of black pepper on medium heat. When the onions begin to become translucent, slowly stir in the kale and cook until softened and bright green.
- In a large bowl, mash the boiled potatoes and onions with a ½ stick of butter, slowly incorporating your dairy liquid of choice until mixture begins to look uniform and somewhat smooth.
- Slowly fold in the sauteed kale mixture, butter.
- Sprinkle with chopped scallions, more butter, and bacon if so desired.
Healthful Hint – If you are watching your carbohydrate intake(specifically starch) but you still want to enjoy Colcannon, you can substitute 2 heads of cauliflower for the potatoes. They may take a little bit longer to boil, but they really are something!