Home Cooking with Habs Tweetup: One Potato, Two Potato...

by Amy, HabsTweetup.com (AllHabs.net)

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- In case you've missed all of the shamrocks, leprechauns and assorted other common symbols of a certain holiday in mid-March...congratulations! It seems you can't escape the sea of green everywhere you look right now - including when you're shopping for NHL gear. Thanks Mr. Merchandiser, I'll save my hard-earned cash for some real apparel...what's next, purple Easter shirts with bunnies and painted eggs on them? I'll pass.

So in honour of St. Patrick's Day, we're taking an Irish approach to the Home Cooking column this week. But with the holiday falling on a weekday this year (and with a Habs game starting at 7:30 that night), who has time to slave over corned beef and cabbage after work? Well, we're also gonna celebrate Daylight Savings Time with a time saver of our own - something a little less traditional, but just as tasty.

Our meal includes a traditional Irish side dish called "colcannon", which is a hearty mixture of mashed potatoes and kale or cabbage. Paired with winter vegetables and broiled lamb chops, you'll have a delicious St. Patty's meal on the table in just under an hour.

Loin Lamb Chops with Braised Root Vegetables and Colcannon
adapted from "Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals 2"

BRAISED ROOT VEGETABLES
2 tbsp butter
1 pound baby carrots
1 medium rutabaga, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper, to taste

LAMB CHOPS
8 loin lamb chops
Salt and pepper, to taste

COLCANNON
4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 cups chicken stock
1 head kale, chopped (stems removed)
2 tbsp butter
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground thyme
2 scallions, sliced
Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat a skillet on medium to medium-high heat and melt butter for vegetables. When hot, add carrots, rutabaga, and onion. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add chicken stock, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, preheat broiler to high. Place oven rack on top shelf, 6 to 8 inches from heat.
3. Boil potatoes in a pot for 15 minutes in salted water. Drain, return potatoes to pot and mash.
4. Add salt and pepper to vegetables and transfer them to a serving bowl. Bring the broth back up to a simmer. Add kale and simmer, covered, for 10 to 12 minutes.
5. Broil lamb chops for 5 minutes on each side. Remove and season with salt and pepper. Set aside and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
6. In the meantime, melt butter for potatoes in a large skillet over medium heat. Add milk, nutmeg, thyme, and scallions. Stir ingredients together. Transfer kale out of simmering broth and into the milk. Add mashed potatoes and stir for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture thickens and becomes creamy. (You could also sprinkle in a handful of crumbled cooked bacon too!) Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all of our readers - enjoy!