Irish Colcannon for St. Patrick's Day

 

On March 17, St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is celebrated and in many cities around the world people dress in green and toast with beer of this color. In Chicago, the river has been dyed green for more than 50 years. The ironic aspect is that St. Patrick actually dressed in blue. So where does the tradition of greenery come from?

St. Patrick used clover to explain to the Irish, the mystery of the Holy Trinity when he tried to convert them to Christianity. The green color then recalls this plant and the meaning of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as a single reality. Ireland is also known as "The Emerald Isle" for its verdant landscapes, and historically speaking Catholics are identified with this color while Protestants are identified with the color orange. For this reason, the Irish flag has a band of each of these colors with another white in the middle to symbolize peace and coexistence between the two creeds of the north and south of the country.

Traditional Irish Dish “Colcannon” is one of the recipes that is served everywhere in Ireland. It is mashed potatoes enriched with kale or cabbage, common ingredients in the Land of Clover. Colcannon is usually enjoyed in the colder season and is the perfect accompaniment to the Irish Stew. There are some variations of colcannon within various households and regions. What seems to be common in all of them is the presence of generous amounts of Irish butter, potatoes, and cabbage or kale as the vegetable of choice to add volume and flavor to this tasty preparation. Accompany this dish with an excellent Irish beer, and you will have an evening of joy and delicious Irish Cuisine.

Colcannon 

4 pounds russet potatoes (7-8 large potatoes), peeled

1 head of green cabbage (I use Savoy Cabbage)

1 cup of milk or cream

1 stick unsalted Irish butter, divided into 3

Salt and black pepper

Fresh Parsley or chive, minced  

The Potatoes: In a large pot of cold water, add the potatoes and a tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil first, then simmer until soft in the middle when pierced with a skewer. 

The Cabbage:

1. While the potatoes are cooking, remove the core from the cabbage, slice the leaves thinly, and put into a large saucepan of boiling water. Keep at a slow rolling boil until the cabbage is just wilted and has turned a darker green, about 3-5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the cabbage. Test it, it should be slightly undercooked.
2.   When the cabbage is cooked, drain it well, squeeze to get any excess moisture out, then return to the saucepan. Add one-third of the butter and cover. Leave it covered and in a warm place, but not on a burner, with the butter melting gently.

Assembly: 

1.      When the potatoes are soft, drain the water and return the potatoes to its pot. With the drained potatoes in, set the burner to low, leaving the lid off so that any excess moisture can evaporate. When they are perfectly dry, add the milk and a third of the butter. Allow the milk to warm, but not boil. The butter should be fully melted, and the pot should be starting to steam.
2.  With a potato masher or a fork, mash the potatoes thoroughly. Do NOT beat or blend the potatoes or they will become gluey.
3.  Mix the cabbage thoroughly through the mashed potato. Before serving, taste and season with a little salt and pepper, as needed. Top with sprinkle of fresh parsley or chives. Most significantly, make a well in the center of the mound of potato and put the last third of the butter there to melt.

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Spice It Up Tzatziki

Tzatziki spices and Feta 

Tzatziki is a traditional Greek dish using thick Greek Yogurt and refreshing cucumbers. There are some variants of this recipe depending on the region of Greece. It is usually served as an accompaniment with gyros, kebabs, or pita bread. I created my own version because that’s what I like to do with recipes that interest me.  Since I love hummus so much, I used spices that I thought would go well with my version of Tzatziki. I served it with grilled Italian meatballs and grilled peppers and onions.  Ottimo we say in Italian!

3 small Persian cucumbers, divided

1 ½ cups full-fat Greek yogurt, strained

1 large clove garlic, mashed and minced

Pinch Sea salt

Black pepper to taste

Red pepper flakes to taste

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons minced fennel greens (or fresh dill)

1-2 ounces Greek feta, cut in small cubes

Ground coriander for decoration

Ground cumin for decoration

Ground paprika for decoration  

The cucumber: Finely chop 2 cucumbers, no need to remove the skin. Transfer to a sieve, sprinkle with sea salt, and allow to drain about an hour in a bowl.  After an hour push down with a spatula to squeeze out any additional excess liquid.

Note: I used small Persian cucumbers because they have much fewer seeds and are tastier. You can also drink the cucumber juice, no need to throw it away.

The Yogurt: Place the yogurt in a small sieve over another bowl and allow to drain about an hour in the bowl.

Note: I used grass fed full-fat Greek Yogurt, more delicious!

Combine: in a larger bowl, combine the cucumbers, yogurt, minced herb, garlic, a tablespoon of olive oil, tiny pinch of salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes; mix well. Refrigerate for a few hours so the flavors will combine well.

Serve: Transfer the tzatziki to a round bowl, not too deep. Add a few kalamata olive in the center of the dish.  Then thinly slice 1 cucumber and place around the bowl. Add feta pieces on top, and sprinkle the top with paprika, cumin, and coriander. Lastly, adorn with a thread of excellent olive oil to finish the dish. 

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Lentils-Rice in Caramelized Onion and Aged Balsamic

Rice Lentils Caramalized Onion Feta and Aged Balsamic 

This dish has been in my heart for a long time, from the first time I tasted it.  Prepared with simple ingredients and techniques, it’s the perfect combinations of an exotic main or side dish. Originally a Middle Eastern recipe, and since I love fusion cooking, I added Feta for a touch of Greek, and aged Balsamic for a touch of Italian. Try it with your favorite spices and maybe even dried fruit or toasted nuts!   

2 large sweet onions or red onions, thinly slided
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

Sea salt

Black pepper

Red pepper flakes

1 ½ cups brown lentils, rinsed

2 bay leaves

2 cups basmati or jasmine rice

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2-3 ounces Feta cheese, crumbled (optional)

3-5 tablespoons aged balsamic

2 tablespoons minced fresh Mint or Italian Parsley

Caramalizing the Onions: In a large skillet add the sliced onion and cook for 5 minutes on medium-low without oil.  Stir occasionally.  Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and cook until they soften and become golden to golden brown.  Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Wait until the rice and lentils are cooked to add the balsamic so the onions will be hot.

Caramalizing the onions

Cooking the Lentils: In a medium size pan, add the lentils and cover with about 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil, add the bay leaves and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Simmer until the lentils are done.  Season with salt toward the end of cooking. Taste for doneness.  Remove bay leaves before draining.Drain the lentils and reserve in a bowl.  Save the broth to cook the rice, measure the liquid according to package directions, usually for 2 cups of rice = 4 cups of water.  It may depend on the rice you use.

Cooking the lentils