ST. PATRICK’S DAY — Hello, it’s Vivian. Let’s let out a long, lengthy sigh and think of something good. Food is good. Vegan food is better than good. Vegan food is divine.
St. Patrick’s Day is coming up and few dishes are as Irish as colcannon.
I am of Scottish descent, hence the Grant, born in England which makes me English, transplanted in America (don’t know what that makes me — an immigant? uh, oh. But I did arrive with American citizenship thanks to my Dad), and married an Irishman, which is where the Farrell comes from.
I have spent many years in England and Ireland, mostly England — down south some, but most of all up north in Liverpool which is often called the capitol of Ireland because there are so many Irish. Colcannon is a common dish, eaten by just about everyone.
Colcannon is what you would call a working class dish. It is usually made from mash and boiled cabbage leftover from an earlier mean (mash being the common word for mashed potatoes).
The recipe we are about see is made from scratch substituting kale for the cabbage.
VEGAN KALE COLCANNON
Recipe Link »
Ingredients
- 4 medium sized russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
- ¾ cup unsweetened soy or almond milk
- 3 tablespoons Earth Balance or melted coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon salt (more to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 cups washed and finely diced kale, tightly packed
Instructions (reinterpreted by Vivian)
- Make mashed potatoes using the potatoes, unsweetened milk and Earth Balance or any non-dairy butter and season to taste with the salt, pepper and garlic powder. I typically go light on the garlic powder. The dish tastes just fine without it.
- Lightly steam the kale until slightly tender. Resist overcooking.
- Gently add the steamed kale to the mashed potatoes using a wooden spoon (my preference).
- Store it for several days in airtight container. We never have any left!
Oh She Glows has a lovely list of recipes for vegan drinks, sweets, a delish Shepherd’s Pie and more for St. Patrick’s Day.
How about some vegan Irish ‘Lamb’ Stew at One Green Planet? (wish lamb weren’t in the title; makes me feel squeamish). Or some vegan Hearty Stout Mixed Vegetable Stew also at OGP (that’s better).
How about something sweet?
Be the star of your St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations by creating the above.
VEGAN CHOCOLATE STOUT CUPCAKES WITH IRISH CREAM FROSTING
Soy free and vegan. Also from One Green Planet. Go there now »
It requires parchment paper. Why do I never seem to have parchment paper?
Ingredients
Chocolate Stout Cupcakes
1 1/2 c. organic whole wheat pastry flour
1 c. organic sugar
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder, aluminum-free
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/3 c. coconut oil, melted
1 tsp. vinegar
1 c. vegan Stout*
Irish Cream Frosting
1 c. organic non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
1/4 c. homemade Irish Cream (ingredients below)
4 c. vegan powdered sugar
Copycat Bailey’s Irish Cream (made vegan)
2/3 c. Irish whiskey
1 tsp. instant coffee
2 tsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. almond extract
10 medjool dates, pitted
3 c. almond milk, or other type of non-dairy milk
* Guiness is not vegan. It is purified using fish bladders. Here’s a list of vegan Stouts. Check out Barnivore for a list of all the vegan beer you could ever ask for.
Erin go Bragh!
Erin Go Bragh is the anglicisation of an Irish language phrase, Éirinn go Brách, and is used to express allegiance to Ireland (and said all day long on St. Patrick’s Day).
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