Colcannon-Stuffed Cabbage Leaves with Irish Cheddar Sauce for St. Patrick's Day

So here's my ultimate vegetarian delicious menu item for St. Patrick's Day!

Colcannon (made from mashed potatoes and sauteed leeks and dino kale), stuffed into steamed cabbage leaves, with an Irish Cheddar Cream Sauce.

I have to admit, I've been musing about this recipe for a few days and the incredible result was everything I imagined. Forgive the "night time" photos, but I just couldn't leave the Nadal-Nalbandian match at Indian Wells.

Colcannon is a delicious combination of mashed potatoes and kale (see recipe link below). I made the mashed potatoes ahead of time and then sauteed a finely chopped leek and chopped dino kale in butter with salt and pepper. I steamed the savoy cabbage leaves until tender, then stuffed them with the colcannon:


I then wrapped the cabbage leaves around the colcannon into little bundles of veggie joy:


The cheese sauce was a simple roux of butter, flour, milk and Kerrygold Irish cheddar cheese (a sharp,dry cheddar). Poured this over the cabbage bundles and broiled for 3 minutes. Per two cabbages leaves, melt 1/2 TBS butter, 1/2 TBS flour and stir until well combined. Add 1/3 cup of milk and stir until there are no lumps. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 1/3 cup grated Irish cheddar cheese.

The result was one of the most delicious dishes I've had in a long time and very simple to make. Need a further shortcut - buy premade mashed potatoes and this fab recipe can be completed in 20 minutes!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you.

If this recipe doesn't tickle your fancy, here's some other St. Patrick's Day recipes from Albion Cooks:



Colcannon


Parsnip Pancakes


Cheddar & Chive Buttermilk Scones


Vegetarian Pot Pies


Irish Buttermilk Scones



Irish Chocolate Whiskey Cakes


Irish Framhouse Soup

Pesto Quiche with Mushrooms & Spinach

While it may not be that super low-fat quiche recipe you're dreaming of (I'll work on that one), this recipe is just the perfect blend of flavor combinations - eggs, pesto, cheese, mushrooms and spinach!

In addition to using Farmers' Market fresh eggs, the custard includes a tablespoon of pesto, in this case, a non-nut formula by a new local vendor, CoBee's Cuisine. Their pesto ingredients are fresh basil, garlic, salt, olive oil & Parmesan cheese. I discovered them at our local Corte Madera Farmers' Market and this product is seriously fresh and delicious - a really outstanding pesto!

This is so good, I've made this six times in the last three weeks!

Here's the recipe:

Pesto Quiche with Mushrooms & Spinach

1/2 tsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp olive oil
1-2 large portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced and cut in half
A few drops of balsamic vinegar
1 TBS wine
1-2 cups fresh baby spinach
salt & pepper
1/2 cup Emmental cheese, grated
2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
Half & half - with the eggs to get to 1.5 cups
1 TBS favorite pesto
1 frozen deep dish pie crust

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Melt the butter in a skillet and add the minced garlic. Cook until just starting to brown. Add the olive oil and add the portobello mushrooms. Coat the mushrooms in the oil and cook for 3-4 minutes until the mushrooms start to release their juices. Add the balsamic vinegar and wine and season with a little S & P. When the mushrooms are almost tender, add the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes, until wilted.

Whisk the 2 eggs plus 1 yolk together in a measuring container. Add enough half & half to make 1.5 cups. Whisk in 1 TBS of your favorite pesto.

Grate the Emmental cheese. Take the frozen pie crust out of the freezer and sprinkle the bottom with some of the grated cheese. Add the sauteed mushrooms and spinach, making sure they are evenly distributed over the crust. Top with most of the remaining cheese, reserving a little for the top. Rebeat the pesto-egg-custard and pour over the pie. Top with a little grated cheese.

Bake for 35 minutes. Serve with your favorite salad.