Colcannon (Irish: cál ceannann, meaning "white-headed cabbage") is a traditional Irish dish. Colcannon is traditionally made from mashed potatoes, kale or cabbage, butter, salt, and pepper. It can contain other ingredients such as milk, cream, leeks, onions, chives, garlic, boiled ham or Irish bacon. At one time it was a cheap, year-round staple food, though it is usually eaten in Autumn/Winter, when kale comes into season.
An old Irish Halloween tradition was to serve colcannon with prizes of small coins concealed in it, as the English do with Christmas pudding. This is still done today and small amounts of money are placed in the potato.
The dish of course, is the inspiration behind the traditional Irish song by the same name, "Oh weren't them the happy days when troubles we knew not and our mother made colcannon in the little skillet pot". This is the basic recipe, but you could also stir in a little bit of wholegrain mustard to add an extra bite to it!


Serves 4 portions
1 pound potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup savoy cabbage, finely sliced
1 bunch of spring onions, finely sliced
2 tablespoons of butter
1/3 cup of milk
A good pinch of sea salt and black pepper


1. Add the peeled and diced potato to a pot of cold water, cover, place over a high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the potato is tender when pierced with a fork.
2. Place a metal steamer into another pot, add a little water and bring to the boil. Place the cabbage into the steamer and steam cook until it is tender.
3. When the potatoes are cooked, remove from the heat, drain into a colander, then add back into the pot with the butter and milk. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until smooth and creamy. You may want to add a little bit more or less milk and butter, it is up to you!
4. Add in the spring onion, steamed cabbage, sea salt and black pepper and stir through with a spoon until evenly combined. Serve the colcannon straight away with a little extra butter and sea salt if you want.

Posole

Posole (Indian Stew)
(Yields 4 servings)

Ingredients
1 ½ Cups dried Posole (Hominy) Corn
5 Quarts Chicken Stock
2 Cups Pork Loin, diced into 1” cubes
2 Dried red New Mexico Chiles, seeded, stemmed and torn into thirds (6 pieces)
1 small onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tablespoons oregano, chopped
2 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 Tablespoon Cumin seed, toasted & ground
1 pinch Saffron
1 Pound Kale leaves, with midrib removed and torn into strips
Cilantro, chopped for garnish
Red Radish, julienned for garnish

1. Cover the posole with water and soak overnight.
2. Drain and discard water, rinsing posole 3 times.
3. Add 5 quarts of chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for approximately 4 hours, until the kernels pop and are puffy and tender.
4. Add more water if necessary to cover the kernels.
5. Add pork loin, red chiles, onion, garlic, oregano, cilantro, cumin & saffron and simmer for another 1 ½ hours.
6. Add Kale leaves; continue simmering for 10 minutes until kale has wilted.
7. Season with salt & pepper as desired.
8. Garnish with cilantro and red radish.

Sunday Cupcakes ...

After visiting Georgetown this weekend with my family and seeing the buzz at Georgetown Cupcake, I decided to throw my hat into the ring. As much as I hate to admit it, this is based upon a Martha Stewart recipe. They turned out fabulous!




Chocolate Mint Cupcakes
Makes 9 Large Cupcakes or 18 Regular Cupcakes

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
Mint Buttercream Frosting (Recipe Follows)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, water, and peppermint extract, and beat with a mixer on low speed until smooth.

2. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cupcakes cool in tins on wire racks for 10 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to racks, and let cool. Undecorated cupcakes will keep, covered, for 1 day, or frozen for up to 2 months.

3. Spoon buttercream into a pastry bag fitted with a large, plain tip. Pipe small mounds on tops of cupcakes. Flatten mounds with an offset spatula.

Mint Buttercream
Makes 3 1/2 cups.

2 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup milk
1/3 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract

1. Whisk together yolks and 1/4 cup sugar with a mixer on high speed until pale and thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

2. Prepare an ice-water bath. Bring milk, vanilla, and mint leaves just to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Whisk about 1/3 of milk mixture into yolk mixture. Pour yolk mixture back into pan with remaining milk mixture, and whisk to combine. Place over medium heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until custard registers 185 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from heat; strain through a fine sieve into a bowl. Set bowl in ice-water bath, and stir until cool.

3. Beat butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add chilled custard to butter, and beat until incorporated.

4. Heat whites and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a heatproof mixer bowl set over a pan of simmering water, whisking constantly by hand until mixture is warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved (the mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed between your fingertips). Attach bowl to mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Starting on low, and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, whisk until stiff peaks form.

5. Add egg-white mixture to butter mixture, switch to paddle attachment, and beat on medium-high speed until smooth. Beat in peppermint extract. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months. (Before using, bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth.)