Colcannon / Better than Cabbage!

A real treat for St. Patrick's day and far nicer than regular cabbage (which can be lovely when done correctly).

Use REAL BUTTER in this recipe. You need three pots on the go to bring this all together at the same time - one with the cabbage, on with the spuds and one with the leeks.

Ingredients

• 1 pound cabbage
• 1 pound potatoes
• 2 leeks
• 1 cup milk
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pinch ground mace
• 1/2 cup butter

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, boil cabbage until tender; remove and chop finely. Set aside and keep warm. Boil potatoes until tender. Remove from heat and drain.
2. Chop leeks, green parts as well as white, and simmer them in just enough milk to cover, until they are soft.
3. Season and mash potatoes well. Stir in cooked leeks and milk. Blend in the kale or cabbage and heat until the whole is a pale green fluff. Make a well in the center and pour in the REAL melted butter. Mix well.

Watercress Soup / Nice and Green for St. Patrick's Day

Ingredients

• 20g/1oz unsalted butter
• 100g/3½oz white onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 300g/10½oz watercress, tough stalks removed
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 100g/3½oz spinach leaves
• 500ml/17½fl oz boiling water
• 500g/17½ ice cubes
• 100ml/3½fl oz crème fraîche

Method

1. In a large saucepan on a medium heat, melt the butter and gently cook the chopped onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes, or until soft and translucent but not coloured. This gentle sweetening of the onion and garlic will transform the natural starches present into sugar giving that lovely sweetened onion flavour as opposed to the harsh raw onion flavour.
2. Increase the heat to high, add the watercress and a pinch of salt, cover with a lid and cook for 30 seconds. Add the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until wilted. The spinach will round up the strong peppery qualities of the watercress.
3. Pour in the boiling water and simmer for 2-3 minutes, then remove from the heat and add the ice. This quick cooking of the vegetables and cooling with the ice will not only retain the colour and the flavour, but also maximise the vitamins and minerals.
4. Pour half the soup into a food processor, and blend until smooth. Transfer the soup into a clean pan, then repeat with the remaining soup.
5. When ready to serve, reheat the soup and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper if required. Serve the soup in a large tureen with the crème fraîche swirled through.

Got my Patty's Day tee

March 17th tee arrived today and delighted with it - glad I got the fridge magnets too.  To celebrate I baked some brown bread last night using my new fangled foolproof recipe.  This is a good news day.

Best ever - Irish Brown Soda Bread

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day; Sure where you be without it?

After much trial and tribulation here it is, tried and tested.


Ingredients:

• 1lb / 450g coarse wholemeal flour
• 6 oz / 175g self raising white flour (or use plain flour and add a teaspoon of baking powder)
• 2 oz  / 60g wheat germ
• 1 rounded teaspoon bread soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
  
• ¾ pint / 450ml buttermilk (approx.)
• 1 tablespoon of Olive oil

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 360 °F / 180 °C.
• Mix the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl taking care to sift in the bread soda - lumpy bread soda causes burnt yellow spots in your bread.
• In a well in the centre add the oil and stir in enough buttermilk to make a fairly soft dough.
• Turn on to a work surface dusted with wholemeal flour and lightly pull together; no heavy kneading required.
• Form into a circular shape, about 3" thick, and place onto a baking sheet. Mark a deep cross in the top with a knife.  No need to be precise with this as any shape/design will do.
• Bake for about 15 minutes and then turn the heat down by 10 degrees and bake for a further 30-40 minutes until bread is nicely browned and sounds hollow when tapped on the base. 
• Cool on a wire rack and optionally wrap in a clean towel if you want to keep the crust on the soft side.

This recipe scales well so adjust as needed to make smaller or larger cakes [yes, Irish Brown bread is often referred to as a cake].

Getting ready for St. Patrick's Day

Got myself a new tee and a couple of fridge magnets at http://www.cafepress.com/fightinirish - now to start thinking about what to cook for the day, hmmm.