Monday, January 7, 2013

Rice cooker recipe: Eating their heritage

I've probably told you this story at least twice before (and if I haven't, Robert has) so I'll keep it short and sweet here. I first met Robert's mom after he and I had been dating for a year (she lives in Chicagoland and we lived in Santa Barbara, and that was the first time we were in the same state). One afternoon, while Robert was in class, she and I were sitting around our living room chatting and she asked me about my ethnic background. It's quite varied and I ended the litany by saying, "So X, and Y, and then pretty much most of Europe...except for Ireland. I'm not Irish at all".

"Well", said Robert's mother, whose maiden name was Donohue, "Your kids will be".

Anyway, the dinner I made tonight for my kids, who are indeed part Irish, was Colcannon. I'd never made it nor eaten it before, but I had potatoes and cabbage in the fridge so it seemed like a good idea.

Rice Cooker Colcannon

- Potatoes, cooked
- Cabbage, shredded
- Onion, minced
- Butter
- Milk
- Salt
- Pepper

(There aren't quantities given because as far as I can tell, you don't need them. I used roughly equal amounts of cabbage and potato (two smallish potatoes, half of a smallish cabbage) and one small onion. I did the rest to taste.)

First you need to cook the potatoes. If you live in one-rice-cooker land you can cut them into chunks, cover with water, and cook until they're soft. Drain them in a colander and leave them until you need them.

Next, heat oil in your rice cooker, and saute the onions until they're just slightly browned. Add the cabbage and a bit of water, and saute/simmer until the cabbage is soft, but not overcooked. Toss the potatoes in and squash them up until you have something that looks like mashed potatoes with cabbage, or in other words: colcannon. Add milk, butter, salt and pepper to taste, and eat!

If you're wondering why I made this for my kids, and not my entire family, well...I managed to marry a part-Irish guy who doesn't like potatoes! Since he wasn't home for dinner tonight it seemed like a good time to try colcannon out.  And I snarfed it down. It was damn tasty.

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