Colcannon and a brand new salad that's just to die for! Cabbage themed post!

Colcannon. Ever heard of it? Neither had I. It means white-headed cabbage, and it is glorious. Imagine creamy mashed potatoes with greens included. The texture is surprisingly refreshing! It may look kinda strange, but trust me here. This Irish tradition is a new staple in our house, with us being huge mashed tater fans. I can't really say much else, other than you really need to make this.

And here we have a newly discovered salad courtesy of Food & Wine magazine. Hubby and I are big-time brussels sprouts advocates, like really big. I don't understand why people have such a problem with them! I think they're the most fun, little balls' o green that you can do so much with! Therefore, when we discovered this brussels sprouts salad with pomegranate seeds and hazelnuts, we knew it was a must-try. Easter was around the corner when we found it, so we decided to try it for our Easter dinner at his uncle and aunt's home. Risky? Yep, but we were both happy to report it was a major hit at dinner!

The pomegranate seeds were a bright addition adding a pop of tart flavor and a yummy juiciness. The shaved parmesan added a creamy nuttiness, and the hazelnuts were probably my favorite part. The crunch and toastiness were sooooo delish, I can't even tell you. FYI, Hubby and I  brought everything in separate containers so the salad wouldn't get soggy. We mixed it right before dinner.  Everyone was asking about what was in, how to make it, and unlike usual family get-togethers where there are leftovers of just about everything, there was probably only a cup of this salad left. Even that was reserved by a party-goer to eat later. We're super happy we found this recipe bc sometimes it's a challenge to shake up a salad into something different and fun!

To make your own Brussels Sprout Salad...

Ingredients

1. 1 cup hazelnuts
2. 2 tablespoons hazelnut oil (we subbed in veggie oil)
3. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4. 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
5. 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
6. 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
7. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
8. Salt
9. Freshly ground pepper
10. 1 pound brussels sprouts, finely shredded
11. Seeds from 1 small pomegranate (3/4 cup)
12. 1 loose cup shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (2 ounces)

1. ) Preheat the oven to 350°. In a pie plate, toast the hazelnuts until the skins blister, about 15 minutes. Transfer the nuts to a clean kitchen towel and let cool, then rub to remove the skins. (The recipe says to chop the hazelnuts, but we left them whole and they were awesome!!)
2. ) In a bowl, whisk the hazelnut oil with the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, lemon zest and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Add the shredded brussels sprouts, pomegranate seeds and shaved cheese and toss well. Serve right away.

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2. To make your own colcannon...

Ingredients

1 medium bag of potatoes (or 6 large potatoes)
8 oz. blanched Kale
Bunch of chives (couple tablespoons)
1/2 stick butter (or sub margarine)
1/2 cup  of half & half
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.) Boil potatoes until tender in a large pot
2.) While they boil, simmer the cream with chives in a small or medium pot
3.) Add 1/2 the butter and all the kale; allow to get hot
4.) Mash the potatoes
5.) Add the creamed mixture of kale, butter, cream, and chives to the potatoes
6.) Mix along with remaining butter
7.)Mash some more if you like, but that's it.


ENJOY!