A while back I had made this yummy Cauliflower & Hominy Smash as a lower carb and lighter alternative to mashed potatoes, and trust me... it is so sooo good. So, when I was trying to come up with a way to make a traditional Irish colcannon healthier, I knew exactly what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it.
Don't know what Colcannon is? Colcannon is basically an Irish dish that's made out of smashed potatoes with green cabbage and/or kale with cream, butter, salt and pepper. For this recipe, I basically used the same idea of the Cauliflower & Hominy Smash, but added in some kale and green cabbage to sort of combine the two ideas into one.
When I originally made this, I certainly didn't intend for it to turn green, but... in the end I decided that the green color was way more festive than the traditional white that I'm more familiar with. A happy little accident to make St. Patrick's Day all the more jolly and green.
I had my Colcannon with some chicken 'bangers' to have a loose and lighter Irish play on 'bangers and mash'. I was a little skeptical about serving this to my mom for lunch, since she was sort of starting to question the idea of cabbage and kale being in a cauliflower and hominy smash, but in the end she was saying just how good it was. Though of course, she had to poke some fun at my uniqueness.
Try this served with just about anything, Irish stew, steak, chicken... the possibilities are pretty endless. My mom was even just eating it cold out of the fridge like it was a potato salad!
This would definitely be a great dish to have for St. Patrick's Day. It's light. It's fun. And most importantly, it's super delicious!
Skinny Lean & Green Cauliflower Colcannon
TheSkinnyFork.com
The Skinny:
Servings: 4 • Size: About 1 Cup • Calories: 108.8 • Fat: 0.1 g • Carb: 19.7 g • Fiber: 4.8 g • Protein: 4.9 g • Sugar: 5.8 g • Sodium: 198.6 mg
Ingredients:
1 (14.5 Oz.) Can White Hominy, Drained & Rinsed
4 C. Fresh Cauliflower Florets
2 C. Green Cabbage, Chopped
1 C. Kale, Chopped
1/2 C. Fat Free Milk
1 Tbsp. Light Butter
Salt & Pepper to Taste
Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add in the hominy, cauliflower, cabbage and kale.
Cook for 10-15 minutes or until all vegetables are tender.
Drain the vegetables and transfer them to a blender or food processor along with the milk and butter; blend until well combined.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm right away. Enjoy!
I had mine with some chicken bangers and a sprinkle of Irish cheddar and paprika. Yum!
