Irish Shake Ups!

 Instead of that boiled cabbage, try Colcannon. Instead of corned beef, try lamb stew. Instead of soda bread try Irish Cheddar Bread. There's a little bit of Irish in all of us.


Traditional Irish Colcannon
1 1/2lbs (about 4 medium) russets of yukon gold. I used 2 of each
    washed, peeled, and cut in to quarters
1 tsp salt + 1 bouillon cube (if you're gf, watch ingredients)
1 bay leaf
4 tbsp butter
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup cream
4 strips of cooked bacon
2/3 cup cabbage, chopped or shredded
1 leek, whites cut into sliced, separated and rinsed
4 green onions, chopped 
salt and pepper

Fill a stock pot with water, add salt, bay leaf, bouillon and cook on medium until tender. 

In another stock pot, melt butter and add half of your green onions, and cabbage. Put a tiny bit of your potato water in and season the greens with salt and pepper. Put a lid on top. Let the green wilt, but not over cook.

Drain potatoes, mash lightly so that there are some good chunks. Add cream and milk, season with more salt and pepper and then put the contents of your pot of greens in the potatoes and lightly turn the potatoes. Add bacon and remaining onions and you're set.





This next recipe is not gluten free, sorry.

Irish Cheddar Bread
2-1/2 cups all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with a knife
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch chunks, plus more for greasing the pan
4 ounces extra sharp Cheddar cheese
2 ounces white cheddar cheese (Dubliner)
1-1/4 cups low fat buttermilk
1 large egg

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Toss in the cold butter. Using a pastry cutter or two butter knives, "cut" the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture is crumbly, with some pea-size clumps of butter within. Mix in the grated cheese.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and the egg. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until everything is just moistened. Do not over mix.
Transfer the sticky dough to the prepared pan. Dust your hands with flour and press the dough to the edges of the pan. Bake the bread for 40-45 minutes, until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool. Cut into wedges and serve warm with softened butter.

This next recipe comes from Panning The Globe, they have some yummy recipes.  I adapted this recipe. The original recipe is here.

Lamb Stew
4 pounds lamb shoulder chops with bone or 2⅓ pounds boneless lamb stew meat, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 to 1½ inch pieces. Meat that clings to the bones is fine - it will come off easily after cooking.
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
½ cup all purpose flour (1/4 cup GF brown rice flour blend + 1/2 tsp cornstarch)
Olive oil or other cooking oil
1 large onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced (1½ cups)
1 cup Guinness Stout or 1/3 cup unsweetened cranberry juice 
           (if you can find a GF beer, use it)
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
4 cups low salt beef or veggie broth, divided
A 6-inch sprig of fresh rosemary or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
8 medium carrots, sliced on the diagonal into wedges
5 boiling potatoes - yukon gold, red or white potatoes (2-2½ pounds) cut into wedges (set aside in a bowl of cold water to prevent browning)
1¼ pounds green beans, trimmed
1 cup frozen green peas, defrosted

Brown meat Pat the meat dry. Spread it onto a wax paper-lined baking pan in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss. Sprinkle with flour and toss to coat. Shake off excess flour by tossing meat in a mesh colander or strainer before browning. Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat in a large skillet until hot. Brown lamb on all sides in two or three batches, 3-4 minutes per batch, adding more oil if necessary. Transfer browned lamb to a large stew pot.
Assemble Stew Add onions to the skillet and sauté, stirring, for a few minutes, until lightly browned. Add them to the stew pot. Pour the Guinness into the skillet and de-glaze, stirring with a wooden spoon to get off any browned bits of meat or onion. Pour the liquid into the stew pot along with the garlic, tomato paste, 3 cups of chicken broth, and rosemary. (ingredients should just barely be covered with liquid) Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 1 hour.
Blanch Green Beans Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Drop the beans in and cover to help bring the water back to boil quickly. Remove the cover and boil beans for about 3 minutes, until just crisp tender. Drain and plunge beans quickly into a big bowl of ice water to keep them crisp and green. You can also use the bagged micro beans.
Finish the Stew Remove bones (if using) and degrease cooking liquid by letting the fat rise to the surface for a few minutes and skimming it with a spoon or by cooling the stew in the fridge for several hours or overnight, and scraping the fat off the top. Stew can be made ahead to this point and stored in the fridge for up to two days.
Bring stew back to a simmer before continuing. Season broth with salt and pepper, to taste. Bury carrots and potatoes in the stew, adding 1 extra cup of broth if necessary. Bring to a boil. Quickly lower to a simmer. Cover and cook for 25-30 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Drain beans and bury them in the stew along with the peas. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, until beans and peas are hot. Correct seasoning.

Vitamin Rich Veg

Food trends are funny things. You hear a lot about one ingredient for about a season and then it's on to another. I swear farmers and food co-ops get together and decide which vegetable should be pushed, who knows. Kale is one of those such vegetables. Over the last year it was quite big, it seemed everyone had kale on their menu or was passing new recipes around. It's now seen a bit of a dip in interest, but that doesn't bother me, I never ate it for a trend in the first place. 

As I had mentioned in a previous post here about kale, it's a super-food. It's chocked full of vitamins and minerals and is one of those leafy greens that is good cooked and raw, it's very versatile.

There are different types of kale. Curly kale is the most common. I personally like it best cooked. For salads, I prefer lacinato kale (also known as "dinosaur" kale), which has dark green smoother, less fibrous leaves, making it both easier to chop and to eat. Baby kale is conveniently packages in the produce dept in plastic boxes, it's sweet, easier to convince children and picky husbands to consume.  


Winter Greens Salad 4 servings

Dressing:
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup pecans
4-5 leaves dinosaur kale, stems removed and leaves cut into thin strips
1 Cup of Spinach leaves
1 cup roasted diced butternut squash (see note below)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 tart-sweet apple peeled, cored and diced- granny smith or jonagold, even jazz
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
                                *you could easily add diced chicken to make it a full meal

You can grab cubed butternut squash from your local whole foods or trader joe's store already cleaned and cubed which is what I did, but if you'd like to roast your own...

To roast butternut squash, preheat oven to 475 F. 1. Toss 2 cups cubed butternut squash with 1 tbsp. olive oil and a pinch of salt and spread in an even layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes, stir squash and roast an additional 15 to 20 minutes until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients and set aside, you can even refrigerate it. 
Heat a small frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the pecans and toast until fragrant, tossing occasionally, about 5-7 minutes. Set aside to cool, then coarsely chop.
Combine pecans, kale, spinach, squash, cranberries, apple and blue cheese in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss to coat.

Now if that recipes doesn't sit well with the kids, this next one will. 
This recipe I adapted to be gluten free (see notes) and it comes from one of my favorite sites The Little Epicurean

Brown Butter Spaghetti with Baby Kale and Roasted Squash serves 4

6 oz spaghetti ( I used ancient harvest GF Quinoa)
2 cups butternut squash, cut into cubes
1 or 2 Tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter ( used vegan butter)
3 cloves of garlic, smashed or minced
2 small onions, sliced, about 2 cups
4 packed cups of baby kale (by lettuces in a plastic box)
1/4 cup Romano cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan
salt and pepper, to taste
additional Romano or Parmesan, for serving
finely sliced chives, for serving 

You'll roast the butternut squash as listed above, just adding salt and pepper.
Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Toss to combine.
Bake for 30-40 minutes until squash is soft and can be easily pierced with a fork or knife. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook spaghetti according to package details. When draining pasta, reserve a 1/2 cup of pasta water.

In a large nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Once butter is melted, continue to cook over medium low heat until butter has browned and is fragrant (should smell nutty). If you are using vegan butter, do not brown it, it will still taste nutty without browning it. Add minced garlic (I like to also use jarred garlic sometimes) and sliced onions.  Cook until onions are almost translucent.  Add baby kale in two additions.  Cook until kale begins to wilt. Remove from heat.  Add Romano, Parmesan cheese, and roasted butternut squash. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add cooked spaghetti and toss to coat pasta. Add 1/4 cup of reserved pasta water at a time until pasta is well coated with sauce.  (I ended using 1/2 cup of pasta water).

Sausage Kale Soup serves 4-6 1 tablespoon olive oil (+ 1tsp rendered sausage fat)
1 cup chopped carrots
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt
1 1/2 cups french green lentils, rinsed

1 can garbonzo beans drained and rinsed
28 ounces canned chopped tomatoes 
2 sprigs thyme
1 sprig rosemary
4 chicken sausages (or substitute another kind of sausage like chicken)
1 1/2 cups chopped kale
You can slice your sausage into half moons or you can squeeze the sausage out of the casings, it's up to you. Brown the sausage on the bottom of your stock pot. If you're using chicken sausage, you'll need a little more olive oil. Once the sausage is browned, remove to a paper towel lined plate. Keep about 1tsp of the sausage fat.

Heat fat and the olive oil and add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic. Add a big pinch of salt. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the lentils, tomatoes and 4 cups water. Add the thyme and rosemary and a couple more pinches of salt. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook until the lentils are tender, 15 to 20 minutes, adding more water if necessary to cover the vegetables.
When the lentils are just tender, add can of garbonzos and taste the soup and add more salt if necessary. Add the kale and cook for about 3 minutes, until the kale is tender but still green. Stir in the sausage, make sure everything is heated through, and serve.

*optional top off with a little parm, my little one loves it that way.

Kale, Kale, Kale...So Great, You Wont Need To Sneak Them In!

 Kale...what can we say about it. It's green, it's traditionally decorated salad bars everywhere, but it's much more than that. It's one of the worlds healthiest foods. It is a very good source of vitamin B6, dietary fiber, calcium, potassium, vitamin E, vitamin B2, iron, magnesium, vitamin B1, omega-3 fatty acids phosphorus, protein, folate, and niacin. Kale can provide you with some special cholesterol-lowering benefits if you will cook it by steaming. Kale's risk-lowering benefits for cancer have recently been extended to at least five different types of cancer. 1 cup of Kale is about 36 calories. If you're juicing, toss in a handful after you've steamed it and you'll maximize the health benefits. For people like me who suffer from inflammatory/autoimmune diseases, this vegetable is a life saver. It's high Omega-3 properties help heal the gut and cleanse the blood. Just eating 1 cup a week boosts your immune system and sets you on the right track to receive the full benefits of this awesome food. I have never grown it in the garden. I hear it's really easy and worth it, but to make life easy, I love Glory brand from Trader Joe's. It's only $1.39 a bag. I don't enjoy kale chips, I think they're gross, but what I do like is fresh raw kale, sprinkled with lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper and onion powder. I sometimes put raspberry balsamic drizzle on it and it's amazing.

Okay, now the recipes. I previously did a quinoa, butternut squash and portobello recipe you can find under my flavorful paleo post. Check it out!

Kale Stuffed Squash
 You will need a medium sized butternut squash, washed and cut in half, or you could also use acorn squash (4) also cut in half, de-seeded and salted and oiled. Place it in the oven flesh side up at 350° for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and set aside. While the squash is cooking you'll need to start the sausage and kale mixture.



In a large skillet, add

• 8 ounces Italian turkey or pork sausage, casings removed (I used jimmy dean sage sausage)
• 1 large leek, white and light green parts only, halved and sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 4 cups tightly packed torn kale
• 1/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth (use veg, but season extra with herbs)
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans or pine nuts 
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs (gluten free panko is available. Kinnikinnik and Ian's makes a good tasting substitute.) 

Brown sausage and drain excess oil. Saute leek, garlic and kale in skillet until the kale starts to slightly wilt. Add nuts, broth and continue cooking about 5 minutes or until the broth becomes concentrated. Remove from heat to a bowl and add breadcrumbs and cheese. 

Tightly pack into the squash cavity, drizzle with olive oil and bake in a 375° until golden brown and bubbly, usually about 15 minutes. Depending on the moisture in the mixture, you can add water on the sheet pan while backing to keep the squash and sausage mixture moist. You can also stabilize the squash with a tin foil ring.
*If you'd like to use a prepared gluten free bread in place of panko that works great too.





This is one of my favorites soups. I don't make it often enough, but as fall is creeping in, it's a perfect weekend soup to cook while you're in church.

Kale, Sausage and Potato Soup serves 6

1 lb ground sausage (I prefer Jimmy Dean Sage sausage, it's gluten free)
2 C. Coconut Milk (Unsweetened) + 1/2 C Coconut Creamer (Trader Joe's, Whole Foods)
                          you can also use Half and Half
2/3 C. sliced or cubes red potatoes
4 C. Low sodium chicken or veggie stock (check for gluten, it hides everywhere)
1 medium Onion, cubed or minced-I use a Cuisinart blender to make mine small
1/2 tsp. Oregano
Pinch of Salt
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. Red Pepper flakes to taste
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
2 C torn Kale
             *If you're vegetarian, omit sausage and add 2 cups northern white beans and 1/2 cup carrot rounds to fortify the soup and give it body.

In your stock pot, brown the sausage, leaving it in bite sized to large chunks, discard rendered fat.
Add onion to sausage and saute with oregano, salt and red pepper flakes and garlic. Add stock, coconut milk or half and half, potatoes and cook for 15 minutes, add kale and continue cooking for 10 min. Should be slightly boiling. You don't want to break up the potatoes. Before serving, add coconut cream and serve.

If you want to cook everything in a crock pot, cook sausage ahead of time or buy precooked sausage. You'll need to cut the kale in larger pieces, but you can then add all ingredients to pot all at once, excluding the coconut cream until the very end. Place the crock pot of low for 4 hrs.

Paleo Scrambled Eggs with Kale

recipe and photo courtesy of

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 avocado
• Handful of kale about 1 heaping Tbsp
• 1/2 tsp coconut oil
• ¼ cup mushrooms
• salt and pepper to taste

Cook mushrooms and kale in coconut oil on medium heat, add eggs and avocado, being careful not to brown the eggs or avocado.




Kale, Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry
2 Tbsp coconut oil
2 Tbsp mustard seeds
15 coriander seeds (seems funny to count such a small amount, but do it)
1 tsp cumin seed
1 medium onion, chopped small
2 tsp. garlic minced
1 large tomato or 1/2 C canned stewed tomato
1/2 C Chickpeas
1/2 tsp curry powder
3 C. Cauliflower florets
1/2 tsp Red Lentils, rinse 2 times
3 cups stock or water (I use veg stock)
Salt
1 bunch Kale (about 1 1/2 C.) *You could also use Spinach or Chard
1/2 tsp Turmeric



Before you saute the veg, add red lentils, water/stock and salt (1/2 tsp) to a pot and bring to a simmer, turn burner on low and continue cooking with lid on until you have prepared the veggies below.

Place cauliflower florets on a baking sheet sprinkle with 1 Tbsp melted coconut oil, curry powder and roast in oven at 375° about 15 minutes. Cauliflower can be brown around the edges. Remove and set aside.

In a stock pot, add 1 Tbsp coconut oil and toast the mustard, cumin seeds, coriander until they begin to pop and smell fragrant. Add onion and saute until softened. Add garlic and let it become fragrant, but make sure it doesn't burn. If it burns, you'll have to start over. Then add tomatoes, and kale and turmeric.

Add all ingredients together, now including chickpeas and continue cooking for about 10 minutes. Serve alongside white rice or couscous. Garnish with fresh diced tomato.