Irish Colcannon & Apple Cupcakes with Whiskey Glaze

This weekend, we celebrated St. Patty's Day with a number of close friends. It started as a casual afternoon get-together and somewhere throughout the course of the evening, the living room exploded into a raging dance floor. Leave it to us to help the Irish celebrate with some damn good song and dance. Luckily, we had filled up on Irish favorites earlier in the day, including bangers and Colcannon, and apple cupcakes with whiskey frosting. Give these recipes a try for an easy jump start to your St. Patty's Day! 

Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish of mashed potatoes stuffed with cabbage. My version uses kale and green onions along with thyme butter. It's hearty and comforting and a perfect way to kick off St. Patty's day. 

8 Russet Potatoes, skin on
1.5 C. Kale, stems removed
1 T. Olive oil
6 green onions, diced
3/4 C. Sour cream
1 stick of Butter, at room temp
1/4 C. Milk
2 T. Thyme
S&P

Place the potatoes in a large pot filled with enough water to cover the potatoes. Place the pot over high heat and bring to a rapid boil. When a fork can easily be inserted into the potatoes, carefully remove them and transfer them to a large boil. 

Bring the pot of water back to a boil and add the kale. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the kale is a bright green. Remove from the heat and drain. 

In a small boil, combine the butter and thyme. Set aside until ready to serve. 

Using a potato masher, crush the potatoes until they are a smooth consistency. (Don't use a hand mixer or you'll end up with gummy potatoes). 

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Drizzle with olive oil and when it glistens, add 3/4 of the green onion. Sauté until lightly browned. Add to the potatoes, along with the sour cream and kale. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. 

To serve, form a nest with the colcannon with a well in the center. Add a tablespoon of thyme butter into the well and allow it to melt. Garnish with the remaining green onion. Serve with bangers. 

Apple Cupcakes with Whiskey Glaze

Your favorite white or yellow cake batter (shh...I used a box)
1.5 apples, cored and diced
1 T. Cinnamon
1 pinch of nutmeg
2 C. Powdered sugar
3 T whiskey
Preheat the oven to 350.
Add the apples, cinnamon and nutmeg to the cake batter. Toss to combine.
Fill the cupcake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Allow to cool before removing the cupcakes from the pan.
In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar and whiskey. Stir with a fork until smooth. You may need to adjust the amount of sugar or whiskey. Just remember, a little bit of liquid goes a looong way!
Drizzle the cooled cupcakes with the glaze. 

Veggie Chili and Cast Iron Cornbread

Nothing quite hits the spot like a big pot of rich, bubbling chili on a cold, wet day.  My friend Kelsey gave me this recipe with the promise that it can stand up to carnivorous chili any day.  She wasn't kidding.  This vegetarian chili is flavorful and robust, hearty and healthy with just a hint of smoke from the paprika.  And the sprinkle of citrus on top adds just the right amount of brightness.  Take a chance and go down the veggie route, with Kelsey’s’ Veggie Chili. 

This recipe is adapted from Leslie Sansone's cookbook Eat Smart Walk Strong.  

2 t. olive oil

1 bunch green onions, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 cans of fire roasted tomatoes

2 cans of black bean

1 C. corn

1 T. chili powder

1 T. Smoked paprika

1 t. sugar

Juice of ½ lemon

Salt & Pepper

1 avocado

Monterey Jack cheese

Heat the oil in a large pot.  Add the green onion and garlic.  Cook until soft.  Add the remaining ingredients save the avocado and Monterey Jack cheese.  Cook over medium-low heat for at least 30 minutes, or as long as you like. Garnish with avocado and cheese or a roasted lemon. 

Serve with corn bread.  

BONUS Recipe:  Lois Skaggs' Cornbread

Sean’s mom, Lois, makes some of the best cornbread I’ve ever eaten.  She makes it in a cast iron skillet, too, which adds even more authenticity to its down south country style!  This cornbread is light and moist with a crunchy outer edge.  It’s the perfect vessel to soak up any hearty soup or chili. 

2 C. Cornmeal

1 Egg

2 C. Buttermilk

¼ C. vegetable oil

Tip:

Try these other versions of cornbread.  Just fold any combination of these ingredients into the batter:

2 T. sugar + 1 bag of frozen corn = sweet cornbread

2 jalapenos (seeded, diced) + shredded cheddar = Mexican cornbread
1 T. smoked paprika + 1 T. chili powder = smoky cornbread

Preheat oven to 450.

Heat an enameled cast iron skillet on the stove over medium heat.  Add the ¼ C. of vegetable oil to the skillet to warm. 

In a large bowl, mix the cornmeal, egg and buttermilk.  When it’s thoroughly combined, add most of the warm vegetable oil, leaving just a bit in the skillet.  Stir to combine again.  Fold in the corn, jalapenos and cheddar cheese.  Add the mixture to the hot skillet and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top. 

If you like this recipe, check out my other chili recipes too!

Sue's Chili

White Chicken Chili

Mom's Meatloaf

I think every man has at least one dish that his mom makes that he can’t live without.  This one’s mine.  This was my favorite Sunday meal growing up.  I remember being a child, walking inside from a day of winter sledding, peeling off my layers of snow clothes, cheeks all rosy, and sitting down to a meal of my mom’s meatloaf and potatoes.  I don’t think there’s much left in this world as real, unpretentious and wonderfully abiding. 

It’s light and dense at the same time, filled with concentrated tomato and smothered in caramel ketchup, bacon and bruléed onions.  Serve this on a cold day with roasted vegetables and horseradish potatoes for some hands-down, hug me hard, wrapped in a blanket, delicious comfort food.

Mom's Meatloaf

2 lbs lean ground beef

¾ Onion, finely diced

¼ Onion, in rings

1 Egg

½ C. bread crumbs

2 Cloves of garlic, minced

1 Can tomato soup

¼ C. Ketchup

2 T. Brown sugar

Bacon

Preheat the oven to 350.  Combine the beef, diced onions, egg, bread crumbs, garlic and tomato soup in a large bowl, mixing with your hands until it is thoroughly combined.   Form the mixture into a large loaf and place in a large baking dish. 

In a small bowl, stir together the ketchup and the brown sugar.  Smear this sauce on top of the meatloaf.  Add the onion rings and top with a single layer of uncooked bacon.  Bake until the meatloaf is cooked through, about 1 hour.  Serve with roasted veggies, your favorite potatoes and extra ketchup. 

*Thank you to Morgan Webb who suggested meatloaf sandwiches.  Each time I make mom’s meatloaf, I’m sure to reserve a few slices for the next day.  Come back to Natural Sugar tomorrow for a killer meatloaf sandwich.  

BONUS Recipe:  Oven Roasted Veggies

You can't go wrong with this side dish.  It's classic, rustic and it seriously couldn't be easier!  Use your favorite veggies or whatever you have in the fridge.

Your favorite veggies, roughly chopped (I use potatoes, onion, carrots & something green)

Olive oil

Salt & Pepper

Your favorite dried herbs (I like thyme or herbs de provence)

Preheat the oven to 375.  

Add all of the chopped veggies to a big bowl.  Drizzle them with olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs.  Toss them so they are all evenly covered in flavor.  Dump them onto a baking sheet and spread them into an even layer.  Bake for 30-45 minutes, turning once or twice, until they are beautifully roasted.  

Pasta Bianca

I don’t know about you, but sometimes, I just really need some comfort food.  And when I crave comfort food, I throw caution to the wind.  Calories are shoved out the door (as they should be) and then I’m alone and able to curl up next to a big bowl of something yummy.  Today, it’s creamy, cheesy pasta.  Pasta Bianca, that is.  C’mon, it still has to have a fancy name – we’re not animals! 

Pasta Bianca is Campanelle pasta, (which is my new favorite kind of pasta that looks like a flower or cornucopia) tossed in a sinful and rich sauce made from bacon, onion and cream.  Campanelle is perfect for this dish because its shape protects and envelops all that delicious sauce.  This Pasta Bianca is the perfect comfort dish on a cold winter’s night.  Serve it with golden thyme biscuits and your evening just got a whole lot more comfortable.  

Campanelle Pasta - try it!  You'll love it.

This is what you'll need:  pasta, bacon, onion, cream, Parmesan & thyme.

½ lb. Campanelle Pasta

4 Slices bacon, cut into chunks

1 Medium onion

¾ C. cream (if I don’t have cream, I just use whole milk)

½ C. grated Parmesan

15 Sprigs of thyme (or 1 t. dried thyme)

Salt & Pepper

In a large pot, bring salted water to a bowl and throw in the pasta.  Cook until al dente, about 12-15 minutes.  Drain, but do not rinse. 

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat.  You want the bacon to be browned, but not too crunchy.  For this dish, chewy is better.  Remove the bacon from the skillet and set it on a paper towel to drain.  Leave the bacon grease in the skillet and add the onion.  Cook until the onion earns just a bit of color.  You don’t want them caramelized.  When you have reached that perfect stage just after translucence, add the cream and Parmesan.  Stir until its has formed a thick and luscious sauce.  Add the thyme and season with salt and pepper.  If it tastes grainy from the Parmesan, cook it a few minutes more. 

If there is enough room in your skillet, add the pasta right to it.  Toss to combine.  If not, just pour all that scrumptious sauce right into your pasta pot.  Garnish with more thyme and bacon and serve with thyme biscuits. 

*If you want even saucier pasta, splash some milk over the coated pasta and toss until it’s smooth.  

Try this new twist on biscuits.  Open a can of flaky biscuits and sprinkle them with fresh thyme.  Bake until they're golden brown.  The thyme gives them subtle flavor and rustic charm.