Colcannon

Ingredients

• 1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks (I suggest using more)
• 4 cups finely chopped cabbage
• 2 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons caraway seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon anise seeds
• 1/4 cup butter
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Place the potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for a minute or two.
2. While potatoes are boiling, place the cabbage into a pot with several tablespoons of water; cover, bring to a boil over medium heat, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook the cabbage until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour off any excess liquid, and set the cabbage aside.
3. Place the sliced leeks, milk, caraway seeds, and anise seeds into a large saucepan over medium-low heat, and bring to a simmer. Cook the leeks until soft, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the butter, and season with salt and pepper; let the mixture stand off the heat until the butter melts.
4. Mash the potatoes with a masher in a large bowl, and stir in the leek mixture until the mashed potatoes are slightly chunky. Stir in the cooked cabbage, and serve.

(Though I eliminated the anise – princess haaaaaates licorice and the caraway was already almost too close for comfort …) It really came out well! And bonus, I made colcannon cakes with the leftovers! I took a handful of colcannon, shaped it into a patty, coated it with a little flour and then pan fried in a little oil (should have used butter …) – they were really tasty and a great way to use the leftovers.

Guiness Sausage

I pulled out the electric skillet (love using this for sausage and peppers!), brushed some olive oil on the surface and heated it to 350. I added 8 sausages and let them brown for a few minutes on each side, having poked them with a knife a few times before adding them. Once browned I added some Guinness to the pan and clamped the lid on (not a lot – probably about ½ cup, but I eyeballed it … wanted to save the majority of it for drinking!) It was amazing! The beer caramelized and really made those sausages stand out! I may use Guinness to cook sausage all of the time, that is how tasty they were!