Karina's Kicked Up Colcannon Recipe

Kicked Up Colcannon.

Traditional colcannon is an Irish potato recipe thick with cream and sticks of butter. If served for the Celtic New Year, a bowl of colcannon might include a lucky coin hidden in its pillowy depths; the charmed recipient- if she didn't break a tooth on it- kept the buried treasure for a New Year's worth of kind fortune.

My version of colcannon is anything but traditional.

Although I love the simplicity favored by my Irish ancestors, after living in New Mexico (twice) roasted green chiles became- forever- a staple in my pantry. And a flavor I add to many a dish, even Celtic inspired ones. Perhaps because their spicy-sweet vibe cozies up to creamy potatoes like cheese to macaroni. Snow days to hot cocoa. Peanut butter to chocolate.

And when it comes to this windy, almost-spring-but-not-quite time of year nothing beats a good potato recipe.

Karina xo

Karina's Kicked Up Colcannon Recipe

My favorite comfort foods are those that stir together the soft cloud comfort of potatoes with bites of spice and heat. How about you?

Ingredients:

Fruity extra virgin olive oil, or butter, as needed

3 cups of warm cooked potatoes- leftovers work beautifully for this

3/4 cup warm milk, or unsweetened non-dairy milk

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 rounded cups thinly shredded cabbage- I used both green and purple cabbage

1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded thin

5 scallions (spring onions), sliced- reserve a few slices for garnish

3/4 cup chopped roasted green chiles- mild or spicy

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

In a large mixing bowl, mash and whip the warm potatoes with the milk until creamy smooth. Drizzle with olive oil or butter, to taste; and season with sea salt and ground pepper. Stir in. Taste test for seasoning. Set aside.

In a skillet, heat a dash of olive oil over medium-high heat and add the garlic. Stir for less than a minute. Add the shredded cabbage, carrots and scallions. Cook and stir for a few minutes- just until the cabbage has wilted and softened a bit, but still tender-crisp. Stir in the green chiles and remove from heat.

Add the cabbage skillet mixture to the smashed potatoes and stir together. Spoon the colcannon into a casserole dish and cover. Bake at 350ºF for 20 to 30 minutes, until piping hot.

Serve with a garnish of sliced scallions or chives.

Serves 4-6 as a side dish.