Colcannon Twice Baked Potatoes with crispy Dillisk Flakes!

So I’m sure you are all familiar with twice baked potatoes right? Delicious, creamy, cheesy mashed potatoes cradled in their crisp, salty skin. Well, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day I’ve actually given the twice baked potato a bit of an Irish make-over. Yup! These savory little devils you see here are Colcannon Twice Baked Potatoes.

I shared a recipe for Colcannon with you a few St. Patrick’s Days ago. It is without a doubt, Irish comfort food at its finest! Buttery mashed potatoes whipped up with cabbage, leeks and bacon.

Mix that divine concoction just described with some lovely Irish Cheddar and that is the filling in these show stopping Colcannon Twice Baked Potatoes. And since I had picked up some Dillisk on my last trip to Ireland, I chopped that up and sprinkled it over the top! Sheer magic I tell you!

Turns out the nutty salty Dillisk is the perfect flavor enhancer for these potatoes. Dillisk (duileasc in Irish) or dulse, as it is also known, is an edible seaweed which has been harvested along the shores of the North Atlantic for generations. The earliest mention of it being harvested comes from 1400 years ago. St. Columba and his monks gathered it for food as well as medicine. It is an excellent source of protein, fiber, calcium, iron, potassium, vitamin A, iodine and zinc. You can often find it in health food stores in the US. It can be eaten dried or rehydrated to use in soups, stews, breads or salads.

Since we’re talking about potato dishes, I’ve gotta bring up Cheese & Onion pies! One of the things I was most excited about on our most recent trip to Ireland was taking The Husband to visit Cork. I went to college at University College Cork and wanted to show him some of my old haunts.

Quad at University College Cork.

Stunning Street Art!

It had changed quite a bit since I’d been there, but I was very excited to see that my favorite chipper…no wait….the best chipper in Cork – no…Hands down the best chipper anywhere – Jackie Lennox’s was still going strong!

I love Jackie Lennox’s. There is no substitute. Back in the day, myself and the college friends, filled to the brim with pints would stop by to get a little something to help us soak up that booze. And Lennox’s never failed us! Perfectly cooked fish and chips, great burgers and batter sausages.But the thing I crave, the thing I almost always got was – Lennox’s Cheese & Onion Pies! They served this crispy, crunchy, deep fried ball of cheese, onions and mashed potatoes with plenty of chips and a hearty lashing of salt and malt vinegar. YUM! I tried to recreate it once. But there is nothing like the original.

The cutest puppy in the world and my version of a Cheese & Onion pie!

I had talked about it so much over the years that The Husband couldn’t wait to get his hands on one and let me just say it did not disappoint!

College friends, Cheese & Onion Pies, Batter Sausages & Chips!

Once we’d gotten our Lennox’s fix. We strolled by St. Finbar’s Cathedral

Strolled through the English Market. And stopped for a few pints. Perfect day!

But let me get back to these awesome Colcannon Twice Baked Potatoes! You can make these babies ahead of time. Just complete the recipe through filling the skins. Refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 4 days ahead of your shindig. On the day you want to serve them, just pop them in a 375 F oven and bake for 30 – 40 minutes. How easy is that?!!

With crispy, salty flavorful skin and savory creamy cheesy filling, these exquisite Colcannon Twice Baked Potatoes go well as a side next to any meat dish you might wish to serve. Or you could even just chow down on this hearty stuffed spud as your dinner, full stop! I have no doubt folks will go wild for this dish at your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Heck they will go wild for it on any day that it appears on the table.

Colcannon Twice Baked Potatoes

• Servings: 8
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe adapted from: The kitchn

Ingredients:

• 4 large russet potatoes
• 2 Tablespoons salt
• 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
• 6 strips smoky bacon
• 1/2 small savoy cabbage, shredded (approx. 12 ounces)
• 2 leeks, white and light green portions, halved lengthwise, rinsed well and thinly sliced
• 4 ounces Irish cheddar cheese, shredded
• 8 Tablespoons/ 113 grams unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon dried mustard powder
• 1 bay leaf
• freshly ground pepper
• handful of chives, chopped
• sea salt flakes
• handful of dillisk, chopped – to sprinkle over the top

Directions:

Set the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil.

Scrub the four potatoes and prick all over with a fork.

Dissolve 2 Tablespoons of salt in 1/2 cup of water. Dip the potatoes in the water covering all sides and then set on one of the prepared baking sheets.

Arrange the bacon in a single layer on the other prepared tray.

Place both baking trays in the oven. Bake until the bacon is browned and starts to ripple, or to desired doneness, 10 to 20 minutes. (Because the cook time depends on the thickness of the bacon and how you like it cooked, start checking doneness at the 10-minute mark.) I usually bake my bacon for 13 minutes.

Remove the bacon from the oven and transfer to paper towel lined plate to drain. Reposition the baking tray with the potatoes so that it is centered in the oven and continue to bake, turning after about 30 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 205 degrees F – about 45 minutes to 1 hour total baking time.

Once the potatoes have reached 205 degrees F, remove from oven and brush all sides with olive oil. Return to oven for 5 more minutes. Remove and set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling ingredients. Cut the core from the cabbage and finely chop. Slice the leeks. Grate 4 ounces of Irish cheddar cheese. Crumble the bacon. Finely chop the dillisk.

Place 2 Tablespoons of the butter into a deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the cabbage, leeks and 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt. Cook until cabbage begins to wilt, 5 -6 minutes.

Add the milk, dried mustard powder and the bay leaf to the pan. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce the heat. Cook for 20 -25 minutes.

Once the potatoes are ready, cut them in half lengthwise and carefully scrape the potato flesh out of the skins into a bowl, leaving 1/4 inch thick shell. Try to keep the skins intact as you will be refilling them. Place the skins on the baking sheet and place in a warm oven while you are finishing the filling.

Pass the potato flesh through a ricer into the bowl of a stand mixer. You can just mash with a potato masher if you wish, but a ricer will yield and much more creamy mash. Add two tablespoons of the butter and mix on low. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cabbage and leek mixture to the potatoes, discarding the bay leaf. Again mix on low to combine. Slowly add the reserved milk from the cabbage mixture until your mash achieves the desired texture.

Add the cheese and 2/3rd of the crumbled bacon and mix until combined. Taste and season with kosher salt and black pepper.

Remove the warm potato shells from the oven and spoon the potato mixture into them. Dot each stuffed potato skin with 1/2 Tablespoon of butter. Turn the oven back up to 375 F and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the edges are browning and the filling is hot.

Remove from oven. Transfer to serving platter and top with reserved bacon, chopped chives, flaky sea salt and the chopped dillisk.

Enjoy!

Useful links for Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Colcannon Twice Baked Potatoes:

Dillisk

Travel Planning Guide:

Getting there: Icelandair! We love Icelandair and have always had great experience with them. Icelandair flies to Dublin, Ireland. Take advantage of their Stopover program on your next flight to Europe.

Car Rental: New Way Car Hire – Love the all-inclusive pricing on these cars as well as the Dublin Airport pickup!

The English Market – Don’t visit Cork without stopping by The English Market! This 18th Century covered market is chock full of fresh local produce as well as many international delights! A must see!

Pubs & Grub:

Jackie Lennox’s Chip Shop

An Spailpín Fanac – great pub. Take note of opening hours. Doesn’t open until 6 -7 pm.

Hotels:

The River Lee Hotel – I didn’t actually stay overnight in Cork on this trip. But when we visit in the future – I’ve my eye on the River Lee Hotel. Looks awesome and is in a great location!

Balmoral Chicken & Creamy Whisky Gravy with Clapshot (Tatties & Neeps)

Here we are in January already! The end of January actually. Seems all I’m thinking about is “I better start on a diet, as well as those taxes?” Sheesh! That’s no fun at all. But there is something that cheers me up every year without fault. At this time of year my thoughts always turn to Scotland. That’s right- January 25th, which is coming soon, is the birthday of Robert Burns. Robert Burns was born in 1759 and is regarded as the National Poet of Scotland. On January 25th folks throughout the world, though especially in Scotland, will be remembering him with a Burns Night Supper. And ya’ll. This year I pulled the trigger. Seriously. I did it. I ordered a Haggis!!! What is a Burns Night Supper without a wee Haggis? So this year I am thrilled to share this recipe for Balmoral Chicken! What you’ve got here is a moist tender chicken breast wrapped up in salty country bacon and stuffed with haggis. This succulent dish is served with a lovely Cream Whisky Gravy and a side of Clapshot. (An Orkney spin on Mashed Tatties and Neeps.)

When I was prowling around the internet looking for this years Burns Night offering, I came across many dishes featuring haggis. I was under the false impression that I would not be able to source a haggis here in Virginia. For those of you who might be thinking “What the heck is a haggis”? Well, haggis, the national dish of Scotland, is a savory pudding which contains sheep heart, liver and lungs along with oatmeal, suet and spices. Traditionally it was cooked within a sheep stomach but now artificial casings are often used instead. Authentic Scottish Haggis has been banned from import to the United States since 1971 as the USDA objected to the sheep’s lungs ingredient. This has led to a select group of American firms producing lung free haggis. And what do you know, but one of those firms is located just one state away from me. The Scottish Gourmet USA is located in Greensboro North Carolina. They import everything from Scotland from shortbread to smoked salmon to sweet heather honey ANNND…since they can’t legally import haggis, they taught a French sausage maker to make a crumbly delicious haggis from American lamb, onions, Scottish oats and a special blend of spices. Woohoo! I ordered it online and they shipped it right out to me. I can not tell you how priceless the look was on the Husbands face was when he saw the box and asked “Scottish Gourmet?” and I simply replied “My haggis has arrived!”

Now for those of you feeling a bit queasy, all I can say is “Man up!” Don’t knock it til you try it! Have you ever eaten a hot dog? Bet some of those ingredients can be a bit suspect. How about scrapple, hmmm? For many, haggis is an integral part of a Burns Night Supper. According to custom, the haggis should be placed upon a silver platter and paraded into the room with a bagpiper before Robert Burns’ poem Address to a Haggis is recited and the dish is theatrically cut with a ceremonial knife and served as the main course. Yes, Robert Burns will be forever linked with the haggis which he refers to as “the great chieftain of the pudding-race”. Clearly he was quite fond of it. I’ve actually eaten haggis in Scotland, well I had a Haggis Hot Dog once as well as some haggis on a pizza and definitely enjoyed it. And this Balmoral Chicken, wrapped in bacon and stuffed with haggis is very tasty if I do say so myself!

But if you are terminally squeamish and just can’t stand the though of it, I do have some alternatives you might want to try. I’ve actually posted quite a few tasty Burns Night dishes in the past. Last year I told you about this amazing Ecclefechan Butter Tart. This rich, scrumptious delight is chock full of nuts and warm cinnamon spiced fruit all wrapped up in a buttery whisky caramel.

The year before, there was this gorgeous Cock-a-leekie Pie:

And remember my  Steak Auld Reekie served over Crispy Tatties & Neeps:

Or how about these Scottish Pies with Mushy Peas? This post is really fun because it is one of my travel postings telling you all about a fun trip that we took to Glasgow a few years ago.

And if you are intrigued by Scottish travel – just take a look at these Scottish Oat Cakes which are featured in my post about our journey to Lerwick in the Shetland Islands for their annual Up Helly Aa celebration, which is a Viking Fire Festival. How exciting it that?!! 

But back to more Burns Night recipes, how about some infamous Scotch Eggs:

Perhaps you would like your Scotch eggs deviled?

Or maybe nestled within a meat pie?

If pie is not your thing (and I have no idea what you’re like if it isn’t…), how about this Cock-a-leekie Soup:

which I served with delicious, crusty Struan. Struan, also known as Celtic Harvest Bread, is thought to have taken its name from a town in Western Scotland called Struanmoor, on the Isle of Skye. It was originally enjoyed once a year as a harvest bread, using whatever grains were available from the previous day’s harvest. This is my absolute favourite bread, so it is almost always available in my house. It toasts up particularly brilliantly.

And for dessert maybe you’d enjoy this Dundee Cake with Hot Whiskey Marmalade

I think you get the picture. My blog is chock full of inspirational tasty Scottish dishes! A Burns Night cornucopia if you will. And let me add another delicious tidbit to the list with today’s offering: Balmoral Chicken. This relatively modern Scottish dish takes its name from Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, a vacation home for British royalty since 1852. Though truth be told, I couldn’t find any direct connection between the recipe and the estate.

I’ve also seen this dish referred to as Highland Chicken. What ever you want to call it, this winner entree consists of a tender juicy chicken breast stuffed with haggis and wrapped in smoky salty bacon, served with lashings of creamy whisky gravy. As well as with a hearty helping of Clapshot on the side.

“Oh no…” I can hear you saying. First “haggis” now “Clapshot”. Clapshot is just Tatties & Neeps with some onions thrown in. Yeah, I can just imagine your eyes narrowing in frustration – “Tatties & Neeps?” you might query. Yup, that’s Potatoes and Turnips. Except…what the Scots are referring to when they say Neeps or turnips are not the white turnips we might think of here in the States. They mean Swedish Turnip, which is also called Swede, which we call a Rutabaga. So Clapshot, which hails from Orkney, is a marvelously delicious creamy dish of buttery mashed potatoes and rutabagas shot through and topped with fried onions and chives. This is the perfect side for this Balmoral Chicken but would also be stunning with any Burns Night main dish you choose to serve.

So on January 25th I hope you will make some of these fine Scottish dishes that I shared with you today and join me in raising a wee dram and toast to Robert Burns, Scotlands favorite son.

Balmoral Chicken with Creamy Whisky Gravy & Clapshot

recipe from: Balmoral Chicken from Scottish Gourmet, Creamy Whisky Gravy slightly adapted from Delicious Magazine and Clapshot from The Scotsman

Ingredients:

For the Balmoral Chicken:

• 2 large Chicken Breasts, pounded flat
• 1 lb. Haggis, thawed and divided in 1/2
• 10 Bacon Strips, uncooked

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place a 2 sheets of cling film or saran wrap on your work surface. Lay 5 pieces of the uncooked bacon side by side, just barely overlapping on the plastic wrap. Cover the bacon strips with the chicken breast which has been pounded flat. Transfer half of the haggis down the center of the chicken.

Roll one end of the bacon and chicken over the haggis and continue to roll it as tightly as you can. Place the roll in the center of the plastic film and wrap it up tightly. Twist the ends of the wrap and place the roll seam side down in the refrigerator. Repeat with the second bacon chicken roll.

Let the rolls chill in the refrigerator for at least thirty minutes to maintain the shape.

When you are ready to bake, remove the plastic wrapping and place both rolls seam side down in a baking dish.

Bake for 1 hour. Let cool for a few minutes and then slice and serve.

For the Whisky Cream Gravy:

• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 Tablespoon flour
• 150 ml chicken stock, warmed
• 200 ml heavy cream
• handful of thyme leaves
• 50 ml Scottish Whisky

Directions:

Melt two tablespoon butter in a sauce pan. Scatter the flour over the melted butter and whisk to combine. Slowly add the warmed chicken stock, whisking the entire time. Add the heavy cream and thyme leaves. Cook until the gravy thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and then add 50 ml (or more if the spirit takes you) good quality whisky.

For the Clapshot (Tatties & Neeps):

• 1 small swede (rutabaga), roughly 500 grams
• 3 medium potatoes, roughly 500 grams
• 1 medium onion
• small bunch of chives
• butter (2 -4 tablespoons)
• creams or milk
• salt and pepper
• nutmeg

Directions:

Peel the swede and the potatoes. Cut them into even sized cubes. Place both vegetables in salted water in separate pans. Boil them until they are fork tender. Drain the water and let them sit for 5 minutes or so to cool.

While the vegetable are cooking, peel the onion and slice it as thinly as you can. Fry the onion in a couple tablespoons of butter until it is golden brown. Set aside.

Rice the swede and potato pieces into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. You can just place the whole pieces in the bowl of a stand mixer, but I always use a ricer as I like the creamy consistency it provides. Add a knob of butter as well as a bit of milk or cream. Mix on medium for one minute. Add more butter and/or cream until you reach the desired consistency. Add a pinch of freshly ground nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.

Mix 2/3 of the fried onions in to the potato/swede.

Place in serving bowl, top with chives and the remaining fried onion.

Enjoy!

Links for helpful Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Balmoral Chicken, Creamy Whisky Gravy & Clapshot:

Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer

Oxo Good Grips Stainless Steel Potato Ricer

Scottish Gourmet USA – your one stop shop for all things Scottish! They ship! If you hurry you might even be able to get that Haggis expressed shipped by Wednesday. Or be way ahead of the game for next year. Their haggis freezes quite well!

Golden Potato Cake

Woohoo! Here we go. Time to kick off my annual St. Patrick’s Day blog-a-thon. I will be posting one Irish-y recipe a day all the way up to March 17th – the big day! Now I think managing to publish one recipe daily for seven days is a pretty impressive feat. But, a few years ago I was completely mad and used to start on March 1st and do a new recipe each day until March 17th. That is why you can find over 100 delicious St. Patrick’s Day recipes on my blog. If you’d like to take a peek at my past St. Patrick’s Day posts, you can click Runcible Eat/Recipes up at the top navigation bar and scroll down to the St. Patrick’s Day category. That’s where you’ll find them! And stay tuned here for my latest additions this year. I’m going to kick this whole thing off with this fantastic recipe for Golden Potato Cake.

Although the potato is not native to Ireland, Sir Walter Raleigh introduced it there in 1585, when one thinks of Irish cuisine, the good old spud comes quickly to mind. The potato is very nutritious, calorie dense and chock full of minerals and vitamins. It grew very well in Ireland, until it didn’t that is. The Great Famine occurred when the potato crop failed several years in a row starting in 1845. The result was that over 1 million people in Ireland starved to death. Just before the blight took hold, the average adult male in Ireland ate 13 pounds of potatoes a day! Thirteen pounds is around 65 potatoes. That is a whole lot of potatoes. Keep in mind, they didn’t just sit down to a plate of 65 boiled potatoes. They were eating potatoes in some form, ie. in soups, bread, etc., for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I do love spuds, but wow!

But back to this Golden Potato Cake. You won’t find a lot of special ingredients here – just potatoes, butter, salt and pepper. It is the preparation and presentation that makes it memorable. The potatoes are sliced thinly and layered in a cast iron pan with lashings of butter, salt and pepper. The result when you turn it out of the pan is a beautiful golden brown cake. Crispy on the outside with a soft buttery tender middle. Simple & delicious. Perfect as a side to any main you might be cooking up. So there you have it! One recipe down – six more delicious Irish inspired recipes to go in this count down to St. Patrick’s Day. Remember to check back every day until the 17th for the latest!

• Servings: 4
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe from: Bon Appétit

Ingredients:

• 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter or 6 Tablespoon ghee
• 2 pounds small russet potatoes, peeled, very thinly sliced
• Flaky sea Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°. If using unsalted butter, heat in a small saucepan over medium, skimming off white foam that rises to the surface, until butter is melted and milk solids have settled to the bottom of the pan. Spoon clear (clarified) butter into a small bowl. Discard milk solids.

Heat 1 Tbsp. clarified butter (or ghee) in a medium skillet, preferably ovenproof nonstick or cast iron (you will need to cover it; use a baking sheet if you don’t have a lid), over medium-high and add half of potatoes, tossing to separate slices and coat in butter. Cook, tossing often, until some of the slices are browned around the edges, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with another 1 Tbsp. butter and remaining potatoes; transfer to same bowl. Let cool slightly.

Arrange some potato slices in an overlapping pattern in a single layer in bottom of skillet. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with some of the remaining clarified butter. Repeat with remaining potatoes, building a layer at a time, seasoning with salt and pepper and drizzling with clarified butter as you go. When you are finished layering the potatoes, pour any remaining clarified butter over top and cover skillet.

Cook potatoes over low heat until barely tender, 10–15 minutes. Uncover skillet and transfer to oven. Bake until potatoes are very tender in the middle (if you have a cake tester, that’s a good way to check, or use the tip of a paring knife) and browned and crisp around the edges, 25–30 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Slide a rubber spatula underneath potato cake to loosen, then invert onto a platter. Season with more salt

Do Ahead: Potato cake can be made 3 hours ahead. Leave in skillet at room temperature. Reheat at 350° for 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Zucchini Tots

Wait….wait! I’ve got another delicious zucchini recipe to share before zucchini season is over. Zucchini Tots! Crispy on the outside and oh so tender on the inside, whether you serve them as a side, appetizer or the main event, these little nuggets are unbelievably addictive. The husband says he likes them better than regular Tater Tots. Now me…I don’t think I can go that far. Nothing against these zucchini tots, which are spectacular, but I love me some potatoes. Don’t really care how you make ’em…mashed, baked, scalloped – but fried can’t be beat. I think I’d categorize these little zucchini gems as a totally different thing. I probably should have called them zucchini bites. That being said, I certainly feel more virtuous having eaten Zucchini Tots rather than Tater Tots, so there is that.

Another great thing about these tots is that they are really easy and pretty quick to make. Just be sure you squeeze as much water out of the zucchini as you can before mixing it in with the other ingredients so that you can achieve ultimate crispiness. You see I love the crispy bit, that’s why I rolled these tots in a bit more panko before baking them. But you can skip the panko roll step if you aren’t that into crispy or simply can’t be bothered. No matter what, these Zucchini Tots will still knock your socks off – guaranteed!

• Servings: 20 tots
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe slightly adapted from: The Wimpy Vegetarian

Ingredients:

• 2 -3 small zucchini, shredded (you should have about 2 cups worth)
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup small-diced yellow onion
• ⅓ cup grated Asiago Cheese (feel free to use Parmesan, mozzarella, or even cheddar)
• ¼ cup Panko (bread crumbs) plus 1 cup additional for coating tots
• 8 oz. ricotta cheese
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400˚ F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Don’t use foil – the tots will stick to it like super-glue. Trust me. Place 1 cup of panko in shallow bowl and set aside.

Combine all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl using a large metal spoon.

Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop the zucchini mixture into mounds. Drop zucchini mixture into the middle of the panko bowl. Gently roll to cover will Panko and gently shape into a tater tot shape. Arrange on the parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes, gently flip over, and bake for another 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Serve warm.

Enjoy!

Zucchini Tots brought to you by: Runcible Eats (www.leaandjay.com)

Links to Useful Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Zucchini Tots:

Cuisinart Pro-Classic Food Processor

OXO Good Grips Medium Cookie Scoop

 

Irish Potato Bites

Goodness Gracious! Tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day! How time does fly! Here is a great little St. Patrick’s Day appetizer, Irish Potato Bites! These are little, one bite sized, twice baked potatoes stuffed with Corned Beef and Irish Cheddar and then topped with a little dollop of sour cream. They are completely addictive. And another fantastic thing about this dish is that you can make these little gems ahead of time and freeze them. Just pop them into the oven straight from the freezer to bake. Once they’re done, all that is left to do is garnish with the sour cream, chives and flaky salt just before you are ready to pass around the appetizer tray.

Truth be told, while it was great that these appetizers were small enough to just pop into your mouth, it did make them a bit difficult to work with. The smallest melon baller I owned was too big to scoop out the inside potato bit, so I had to resort to a teeny tiny dessert spoon. It was totally do able, but I also bet you could go with a slightly bigger potato and serve these as a side dish rather than an appetizer if you were a bit short on time…or patience…or both.

But if you don’t mind a little prep work, these appetizers are ahh…mazing! When I served them up, folks were delighted. Potatoes, Corned Beef & Irish Cheddar…you just can’t go wrong!

• Servings: 6 - 8
• Difficulty: easy - but a bit fiddly
• Print

recipe from: White Lights on Wednesday

Ingredients:

• 20 Baby Red Potatoes, small (golf ball size)
• 1/2 Cup leftover Corned Beef, chopped finely
• 1/4 Cup Irish Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• 1 Tablespoon Butter, melted
• Salt & Maldon flaky sea salt for serving
• Sour cream & chives for toppings

Directions:

Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil.

Add potatoes and boil until they are fork tender.

Preheat oven to 400°F

Once potatoes are cooked and have cooled cut each one in half and cut a small slice off of the rounded end so the potato will not roll over. Place the potato halves on a parchment lined baking tray.

Carefully scoop out the flesh of each potato half into a medium sized bowl.

Mash the potatoes with butter until it is smooth Add the shredded cheese and corned beef to the potato and mix well.

Salt and pepper mixture to taste.

Sprinkle some salt over the reserved potato skin halves.

Scoop potato/corned beef/cheese mixture into potato halves and then place them on a baking sheet.

Pop baking sheet in oven for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven. Pipe a small dollop of sour cream onto each potato bite and garnish with fresh chives and few flakes of Maldon Sea Salt.

Enjoy!

Irish Potato Bites brought to you by: Runcible Eats (www.leaandjay.com)

Helpful Links to Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Irish Potato Bites:

Oxo Good Grips Melon Baller

 

 

Spicy Summer Tex-Mex Quinoa Salad

Wow! Last Wednesday was the first day of Fall and apparently for once the weather in the good old State of Virginia agrees with the calendar. Temperatures around here have been just glorious. The humidity has chilled out and the days are warm but the nights are just starting to get a bit of chill to them. I for one could not be happier, though it did seem a bit sudden. Usually summer lingers on around here for quite some time. I won’t say anything more about it though because I don’t want to speak too soon and “word” it. (Yup…I sure did word it. I wrote the last sentence about the great Fall weather over the weekend. On Monday the temperature crept back up to 80°, and was accompanied by remarkable Virginia swamp-like humidity. I knew it was too good to be true!)  I’ll just say, here’s one more great summer recipe which should carry over nicely into Fall…Spicy Summer Tex-Mex Quinoa Salad.

This salad can be served room temperature or even chilled if the mercury starts to creep up again. And it has a bit of a spicy kick to warm you up a bit if the chillier temperatures persist. If you have any leftover Spicy Grilled Corn from those Zucchini, Spicy Grilled Corn & Cheese Pancakes that I told you about a couple of weeks ago, this is a great way to put it to good use! The husband and I usually enjoy this dish on Meatless Mondays, and I serve it over a bed of lettuce. It gives it a taco salad-y kind of vibe. Another option, if you were feeling a bit more carnivorous, would be to add in some spicy chicken or grilled steak. And although we love it as a main dish, it would also be great as a side next to a big old burrito, taco or enchilada. So there you have it… all the healthful benefits of quinoa and all the fresh spicy tastes of summer. What a winner!

• Servings: 4
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe adapted from: Once Upon a Chef

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup pre-washed quinoa (if not washed, follow package instructions for rinsing)
• 1-2/3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or 1 cup chopped tomatoes, from 2 medium tomatoes
• 1-1/4 cups Spicy Grilled Corn – recipe to follow (can use canned corn if you don’t have fresh)
• 1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed
• 2 scallions, white and green parts, finely sliced
• 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons lime juice, from 1 large lime
• 1 avocado, cut into bite-sized chunks
• Cotija cheese, crumbled
• shredded iceberg lettuce (to serve Quinoa Salad over – if you desire)

Directions:

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minutes or so. Add the spices to the onion/garlic mixture and stir to combine

Add the quinoa to the onion/spice mixture and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 3-4 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Cover the pan tightly with a lid, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 17-20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is cooked. Transfer the cooked quinoa to a mixing bowl and chill in the refrigerator.

When the quinoa is cool, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, tomatoes, Spicy Grilled Corn, black beans, scallions, jalapeno, cilantro, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Right before serving, scatter the avocado chunks and Cotija Cheese over top.

Spicy Grilled Corn

Ingredients:

• 3-4 ears of fresh corn in husk
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 3/4 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 tsp light brown sugar
• ¼ tsp chili powder

Directions:

Combine olive oil, lime juice, garlic, salt, brown sugar and chili powder in small bowl and whisk together.
Preheat grill.
Peel back the corn husks, discarding all but a couple inner layers. Remove corn silk, then baste with dressing, and recover corn with remaining husk.
Grill on med-high for 20-25 minutes, turning 3-4 times during cooking time.
Remove the corn from grill and allow to cool a few minutes. Once it has cooled enough to handle, cut off stem end, place the flat cut end on bottom of large bowl, and use a corn zipper to strip the kernels from the cob. Or if you don’t have a zipper, run a small sharp knife down the length of the cob, slicing off kernels.

Enjoy!

Spicy Summer Tex-Mex Quinoa Salad brought to you by: Runcible Eats (www.leaandjay.com)

 

 

Zucchini, Spicy Grilled Corn & Cheese Pancakes

Keep the zucchini recipes coming? No problem! I’ve got a great one for you here – Zucchini, Spicy Grilled Corn & Cheese Pancakes! The husband says this may well be his favourite recipe of 2015. I must admit, I can see why. Moist, light and bursting with fresh summer garden goodness these savory pancakes are not only delicious warm from the frying pan, but are also great at room temperature or even cold right out of the fridge.

One of the things I love about these pancakes besides the fresh zucchini is the bit of spice factor. You know us and our penchant for hot and spicy by now. So I’ve added a bit of Spicy Grilled Corn to the mix. The zesty lime/chili combo of spices and the grilled flavour adds so much to this dish. And of course when I added the cheese in, I went with a Habanero Jack Cheese. The great thing here is that if you don’t want to turn up the heat like we do, just use fresh corn and maybe go with the parmesan or cheddar cheese option. It’s all up to you and your taste buds. We’ve eaten these pancakes as a main course with a fresh salad on the side, as a side dish paired with some grilled chicken, re-heated them for a quick savory breakfast and snacked on them between meals. They would be amazing as a summer appetizer as well. Just make them silver dollar sized and top them with a little dollop of sour cream and fresh chives. That versatility, along with ease of preparation makes them a winner in my book! So if your garden runneth over with zucchini, griddle up some of these mouthwatering pancakes. Folks will swoon!

• Servings: 20 pancakes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe slightly adapted from: King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:

• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or coarse black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup chopped chives or scallions; about 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and chopped
• 2 teaspoons salt, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
• 4 cups coarsely grated zucchini; about one 10″ zucchini
• 1 cup spicy grilled corn (recipe to follow, you can use regular corn if you can’t be bothered to grill corn – but I think the grilled corn option is the way to go!)
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, Cheddar, Monterey Jack or Spicy Habanero Jack cheese.
• sour cream & fresh chives for serving

Directions:

Preheat a griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat; if you have an electric griddle, set the heat to 400°F.

Beat the eggs with the oil, salt, and pepper until thoroughly combined.

Add the herbs, spices, scallions, zucchini, corn and cheese, stirring to combine.

Stir in the flour.

Grease the hot griddle lightly. Drop the batter in 1/4 cupfuls onto the griddle; a muffin scoop works well here. If necessary, spread the cakes to about 3 1/2″ to 4″ diameter.

Cook the cakes for 3 minutes, or until they’re brown on the bottom, and bubbles have appeared on their tops. The top surface will appear somewhat dry and set.

Flip the cakes, and cook them for about3 to 4 minutes on the second side, or until they’re as moist/cooked as you like when you break one open.

Repeat until you’ve used all of the batter.

Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold; with butter and grated cheese, or without. Store any leftovers, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator. Reheat in a toaster or toaster oven, if desired.

Spicy Grilled Corn

This recipe will likely yield more than the 1 cup you need for the zucchini pancakes. But having extra Spicy Grilled Corn around is not a problem! You can eat it cold, straight from the fridge, sprinkle it over salads or warm it up for a side dish.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 ears of fresh corn in husk
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 3/4 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 tsp light brown sugar
• ¼ tsp chili powder

Directions:

Combine olive oil, lime juice, garlic, salt, brown sugar and chili powder in small bowl and whisk together.
Preheat grill.
Peel back the corn husks, discarding all but a couple inner layers. Remove corn silk, then baste with dressing, and recover corn with remaining husk.
Grill on med-high for 20-25 minutes, turning 3-4 times during cooking time.
Remove the corn from grill and allow to cool a few minutes. Once it has cooled enough to handle, cut off stem end, place the flat cut end on bottom of large bowl, and use a corn zipper to strip the kernels from the cob. Or if you don’t have a zipper, run a small sharp knife down the length of the cob, slicing off kernels.

Enjoy!

Zucchini, Spicy Grilled Corn & Cheese Pancakes brought to you by: Runcible Eats (www.leaandjay.com)

 

 

Pan Haggerty

Winter just won’t let go. We’ve had freezing rain, sleet, an ice storm and 8″of snow this week, not to mention that I have heard that the temperature is going to plunge down to 11° F (-12°C) tonight. I don’t know about you, but I think that seems a tad chilly for March. I guess there’s nothing to be done. Winter won’t leave until it is good and ready. So in the meantime I guess I’ll have to keep those ‘warm you up” recipes coming. I’ve got a great one for you today. Pan Haggerty. This dish, cooked and served in the same pan, is made up of potatoes, sauteed onions, bacon and cheese. Sounds great huh?

Now there does seem to be some controversy whether it is an Irish dish or a British dish which hails from Northumberland. Seems everyone has a claim to it. I even read that sure it is associated with Northumberland, but that it was brought there by the Irish when they came to work in the mines. I don’t think it’ll ever be proven one way or another. But what I can tell you for certain is this rich, buttery, cheesy dish is definitely a winner! Served as a main dish or as a side, it is comfort food at its finest. And I think we could all use a bit of that right about now!

• Servings: 4 - 6
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe slightly adapted from: Seasons and Suppers

Ingredients:

• 3 – 4 sliced bacon, diced
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced or diced
• 3-4 sprigs of thyme, leaves only
• 5-6 potatoes, thinly sliced into rounds (White potatoes or Yukon Gold – not Russets)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 – 1 1/2 cups grated Dubliner cheese (or substitute in your favourite)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375° F.

In an oven-proof skillet, I prefer cast iron, over medium heat, heat a small amount  butter. Add the onions and a pinch of white sugar. Cook, stirring often, until onions are golden, about 10 minutes. Remove onions from pan and place in a small bowl. In the same pan, fry the bacon until browned and slightly crisp. Remove from the pan and combine in the bowl with the reserved onion and fresh thyme leaves.

In the same pan used to cook the bacon, arrange a layer of the sliced potatoes in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the onion/bacon mixture. Add another layer of potatoes and another 1/3 of the bacon/onion mixture. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add another layer of potatoes and the final 1/3 of the onion/bacon mixture. Top with a final layer of potatoes.

Cover the pan with a lid or a piece of tin foil and reduce the heat to a low. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the bottom layer of potatoes are golden.

Uncover the pan and place the skillet in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven and top with grated cheese.

Return pan to the broiler and heat until cheese is melted and and edges of potatoes are crisped, about 5 minutes more. To serve, cut wedges from the pan.

Enjoy!

Recipe brought to you by: Runcible Eats (www.leaandjay.com)

 

 

Smoky Bacon Cream Biscuit Dressing

Smoky Bacon Cream Biscuit Dressing. That’s right, what I’m talking about is a dressing in which Cream Biscuits are used in place of the run of the mill bread crumbs (croutons). You know, those decadent little gems I just mentioned in my last post? Although they are absolutely delicious on their own, truth be told I baked that batch up solely to use in this dressing.

Now I might have had to have taken up a shotgun to stand guard over them for the two days leading up to Thanksgiving, but it was worth my vigilance to be able to make this essential Holiday dressing! ( By the way – Does anyone else have an issue with the term “dressing”. I really want to call this “stuffing”, but as I understand it, unless you actually stuff it into the bird, it is not stuffing. If it is cooked in a separate dish, it is dressing. Doesn’t sound right to me and I guess no one mentioned it to those folks over at Stove Top. 🙂 )

Now the Cream Biscuits aren’t the only fantastic thing about this dressing.  As you might have guessed from the title, there is also a bunch (1 lbs. worth) of crispy smoky bacon thrown into the mix. Along with some lovely mushrooms and fresh herbs. So savory, so moist… It is, without a doubt, the best dressing I have ever tasted.

At this point, I don’t know what the husband would do were we to have a Thanksgiving without it. Then I got to thinking, dressing isn’t only served at Thanksgiving and this dressing would certainly be welcome at any holiday meal (or any meal full stop for that matter). There are a lot of folks out there that serve turkey or goose for their Christmas Feast, so I thought I should go ahead and share this tasty recipe. Not to mention, Thanksgiving will surely turn up again next year and  you will be ready to go. I assure you, no matter when you happen to make this Smoky Bacon Cream Biscuit stuffing dressing, it will steal the show!

• Servings: 8-10
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe slightly adapted from: Williams Sonoma

Ingredients:

• Twelve 4-inch cream biscuits, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 lb. smoky bacon
• 2 yellow onions, diced
• 5 celery stalks, diced
• 8 oz. white button mushrooms, brushed clean and sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 4 to 4 1/2 cups chicken stock

Directions:

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 350°F.

Spread the biscuits out on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven until lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Set aside. Increase the oven temperature to 375°F.

Cook the bacon until crisp, 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Chop or crumble into 1″ pieces.

Pour off all but 3 Tablespoons of the fat from the pan. Set the pan over medium heat and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, mushrooms, parsley, sage and thyme and cook until the celery is soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl. Add the bacon to the bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the biscuits and 4 cups of the stock and stir gently to combine. (try not to break up the biscuit chunks) Let rest for 5 – 10 minutes or so and then add more stock if you think it looks too dry.

Transfer the dressing to a baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake until the dressing is lightly browned, about 20 minutes more.

Enjoy!

Smoky Bacon Cream Biscuit Dressing brought to you by: Runcible Eats (www.leaandjay.com)

 

Creamed Zucchini with Garlic & Basil

It’s getting to be that time of year where the folks with gardens are looking around and trying to figure out what in the world they are going to do with all the zucchini they have on hand. That’s right, we’re getting well into zucchini overload time. And if you’re one of those folks searching for fabulous zucchini recipes, some tasty options include zucchini bread, stuffed zucchini, zucchini fritters, Zucchini Parmesan and Cheesy Bacon Zucchini Casserole (the last two being particular favourites of mine). But I’ve got to tell you, I’ve got the one zucchini recipe you simply must make tonight!  The husband and I have found a new obsession with this Creamed Zucchini with Garlic & Basil.

Oh my stars! I mean I like zucchini. I am a fan. But it is a vegetable. And although veggies can be quite tasty, especially fresh right out of the garden like they are now, they are still vegetables. They aren’t say…cookies or cupcakes. I don’t really get obsessed with vegetables. That was until I took one bite of this spectacular summer side dish. Stopped me right in my tracks. It is just so savoury, so rich and creamy. The zucchini practically melts in your mouth – but don’t take that to mean it is mushy. I hate mushy vegetables. The grated zucchini here is almost like a puree. I am addicted!

I’ve made this dish using all zucchini and I have made it using 1/2 zucchini and 1/2 yellow squash – because that just happened to be what I had on hand. Unbelievably tasty every time (and there have been quite a few). I’ve served it with all sorts of grilled meats at this point and without fail it stole the show. It is very easy to prepare. You can even whip it up ahead of time and just reheat when supper time rolls around. So, if you find yourself with a few zucchini on hand…no wait….what I mean to say is – go get yourself a bunch of zucchini. Now! The backyard gardener around the corner from you will be relieved to find a good home for their excess. Treat yourself to this Creamed Zucchini with Garlic & Basil tonight!

• Servings: 4
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe from: Once Upon a Chef

Ingredients:

•  1-3/4 pounds zucchini (preferably smaller zucchini, as they are less watery)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 tablespoons heavy cream
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil

Directions:

Grate the zucchini by hand with a box grater or in a food processor fitted with the shredding disk ( the food processor choice is certainly my lazy self’s preference). Wrap the shredded zucchini in a clean kitchen towel and wring out as much excess water as possible. Repeat a few times, replacing the towel if necessary.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shredded zucchini and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the zucchini is tender, about 6 minutes. Turn the heat down to low; add the heavy cream, salt, pepper and basil and simmer until the cream is absorbed. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve warm.

Enjoy!

Creamed Zucchini with Garlic & Basil brought to you by: Runcible Eats (http://www.leaandjay.com )