Recipe for Broccoli and Cheese Muffins

I’ve always preferred the savory over the sweet, so the “muffins” I’ve made almost always are cheese muffins or mini pot pies. For the upcoming St Patrick’s day I decided to go for something green, so today I’m sharing how I made Broccoli and Cheese Muffins. They only require a handful of ingredients and I prefer if I have to make something green to use something already naturally colored green like broccoli rather then food dyes. I’ve also shared other recipes that would be perfect for St Patrick’s day and are naturally green previously plus a mini Reuben recipe to get bites of your corned beef perfect for a party.
Recipe for Broccoli and Cheese Muffins, a natural green food for St Patricks Day or any day. You can make muffin sized ones which are nice and portable snacks, or do mini muffin ones for a party. Recipe for Broccoli and Cheese Muffins, a natural green food for St Patricks Day or any day. You can make muffin sized ones which are nice and portable snacks, or do mini muffin ones for a party.

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Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Nuts

It’s March, so besides Portland Dining Month as I wrote about earlier, I was also inspired to look forward to St Patrick’s Day. Though I’m not a fan of green beer or over-drinking, or food with green dye (in fact I intentionally wrote a post last year promoting recipes for food that is naturally green).

Green Food for St Patrick's Day with no need for food dye or food coloring, plus suggestions for fun ways to incprorate corned beef and pastrami

Last year I also made Reuben Sliders

Reuben Sliders Recipe from Pechluck.com, great for a party and the next day as leftovers for lunch too!

This year I was inspired by the Vegetarian Times recipe for Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts. It is completely vegetarian, and ok, maybe doesn’t really have anything green in it either that stands out except for the parsley – but hey it uses cabbage for those of us who don’t want the corned beef. With the red and green colors, I would consider making this for Christmas too.
Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts

Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts with Butter Tomato Sauce

Serves 4-6. It’s important to remove as much liquid as you can from every part of the dish before you assemble them in the casserole. My trick to doing this is by baking it in a foil lined 8″ by 8″ pan. Then after baking, I can pour any extra liquid out and since it’s on foil easily lift and transfer the casserole onto a serving platter.
Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts

In many ways, this is essentially a kind of eggless lasagna that uses cabbage instead of pasta for the layering.
Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts

The original recipe makes a tomato sauce using just chopped tomatoes, minced garlic, and parsley. However, I made my own version with a butter tomato sauce that utilizes just tomatoes. To keep this vegan follow the original recipe instead, and then swap the low fat ricotta with a cashew ricotta or tofu ricotta. By using my version with the butter tomato sauce I was trying to add a little extra flavor then their simple tomato sauce, but the original version, I admit, is healthier.

Ingredients:

  • 1 can crushed tomatoes in its own juice (28 ounces)
  • 1 whole onion, peeled and cut in half
  • 5 tablespoons of butter
  • 12 large leaves of savoy cabbage
  • 3 teaspoons of olive oil, divided
  • 1 cup of chopped leeks (about 1 leek)
  • ½ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1/2 of a lemon, cut into slices
  • 2 teaspoons of minced garlic
  • 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 1/2 cup of low-fat ricotta cheese, drained of liquid
  • 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Directions:

  1. In a small pot, simmer the can of crushed tomatoes with the peeled onion halves (cut it lengthwise so it will stay intact) and 5 tablespoons of butter for about 30 minutes, stirring once a while to distribute the flavor.
  2. Meanwhile, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of oil in a small skillet. Add the 1 cup of chopped leeks and saute until they are bright green. Now pour in the 1/2 cup of low sodium vegetable broth, add lemon slices on top and let everything simmer until there is essentially no broth left, probably about 30 minutes. Remove lemon and set aside the lemon and broth flavored leeks – again, keep in mind there should be no liquid.
  3. While those two pots are reducing, boil some salted water and blanch the 12 large savoy cabbage leaves by letting them soften in the boiling water for about 5 minutes or so and then immediately plunge each leaf in iced cold water. Remove each leaf from the cold water and pat dry on both sides and set aside for layering your casserole shortly.
    Blanched cabbage leaves that will be the foundation of layers for Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts, similar to a lasagna but can be vegan and doesn't use pasta
  4. By this point, your tomatoes should have absorbed most of the flavors from the onion and butter. Discard the onion,  or set aside for another dish. In a medium sized skillet over high heat, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of  oil. Saute the minced garlic for about a minute and then add about 1 cup of the crushed tomato only using a slotted spoon to use up the chunky tomato flesh parts – you can use the leftover of your sauce for spaghetti that is left in the other pot. For now, after adding the 1 cup of tomato to the minced garlic in the skillet, stir for a few minutes and then stir in the 3 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
  5. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Now it’s time to assemble the cabbage casserole. Coat an 8 inch square baking dish with cooking spray – or do what I did which is I used a foil layer inside the baking dish, and then sprayed that with cooking spray so that I could easily lift the casserole out later and serve it on a platter.
  6. Place 3 of the large blanched cabbage leaves on bottom to start the layers.
    Place 3 of the large blanched cabbage leaves on bottom to start the layers for the Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts
  7. Spread 1/4 cup of your tomato garlic parsley mix over the cabbage leaves layer.
    Spread 1/4 cup of your tomato garlic parsley mix over the cabbage leaves layer in assembling the Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts
  8. Top with 1/3 portion of your lemon vegetable broth flavored leeks (1/3 because you will need to do 3 layers of this in assembling the cabbage casserole).
    Next, top with 1/2 of your lemon vegetable broth flavored leeks in assembling the Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts Next, top with 1/2 of your lemon vegetable broth flavored leeks in assembling the Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts
  9. Now spread 6 generous tablespoons of the low fat ricotta, and sprinkle 1 tablespoons of the toasted pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper.
    spread 6 generous tablespoons of the ricotta, and sprinkle 1 tablespoons of the toasted pine nuts to finish the layer filling of the Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts
  10. Now repeat these steps, adding 2 more layers. At the end, top with your fourth layer of 3 cabbage leaves and last of the tomatoes mixture.
  11. Bake in the oven 30 minutes.

If there is a lot of liquid that comes out of the casserole, drain the liquid.
Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts

Then serve in slices, just like you would any lasagna or casserole!
Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts

Are you doing anything for St Patrick’s day, or making any special green or Irish inspired food? Are you too looking forward to the evenings when you come home and there is still some sunlight / natural light to enjoy now that we’ve gone through Daylight Savings time change and leapt forward?

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Cauliflower Colcannon

How I celebrated St Patrick’s Day this year, part 2. This is the vegetarian part.

The traditional Irish song… hear the famous Mary Black version here at Youtube

“Did you ever eat Colcannon, made from lovely pickled cream?
With the greens and scallions mingled like a picture in a dream.
Did you ever make a hole on top to hold the melting flake
Of the creamy, flavoured butter that your mother used to make?”

The chorus:

“Yes you did, so you did, so did he and so did I.
And the more I think about it sure the nearer I’m to cry.
Oh, wasn’t it the happy days when troubles we had not,
And our mothers made Colcannon in the little skillet pot.”

Cauliflower Colcannon

This Cauliflower colcannon recipe can still be served the traditional Irish way with a crater of melted butter in the middle
Usually this is made with potato and cabbage, but I decided to switch it out to cauliflower instead of potato  because well, I love cauliflower, and I thought it was a better alternative with nutrients. We’ve used mashed cauliflower before instead of potato so it seemed natural it could be used in colcannon also, which is really just a variation of mashed potato with cabbage. This serves 4-6.

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups of cauliflower florets – this was the florets from about a 2 1/3 pound cabbage
  • 1 cup of 2 percent milk
  • 4 tablespoons butter divided (3 tablespoons for the cabbage and 1 later for the combination into colcannon), plus more for serving. Ideally use Irish butter for serving!
  • 1/2 of a small green cabbage (about half a 1 pound cabbage)
  • 2 roasted garlic cloves, minced
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Bring cauliflower florets and milk to a simmer in large saucepan. Reduce heat to low. Cover pan and let the cauliflower soften, which might take 15 – 20 minutes depending on the size of your florets.
  2. Meanwhile, with your half a cabbage, with the cut-side down, slice it as thinly as possible into shreds, and probably cut it into thirds after that so they are not so long (think like cole slaw for inside a sandwich). Melt the two tablespoons of butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender and begins to brown. Season with the salt and pepper, to taste.
    1/2 small cabbage is all that is needed for Cauliflower colcannon for 4-6 Slicing cabbage into shreds for a Cauliflower colcannon recipe
  3. When the cauliflower milk mixture is soft enough that you can mush it, transfer contents of the pan a big bowl and then use a potato masher to mash it. After mushing the cauliflower, pour in the sauteed cabbage and butter from the skillet, add the minced roasted garlic, the last tablespoon of butter (this is optional depending on how much butter was left with the sauteed cabbage) and salt and pepper to taste, and mix until all is incorporated.
    Recipe for Cauliflower Colcannon that switches out potato for cauliflower but tastes just as good Recipe for Cauliflower Colcannon that switches out potato for cauliflower but tastes just as good
  4. To serve the colcannon in the traditional Irish way, after you put your serving of cauliflower colcannon on the plate like a small mountain, push the back of a ladle down in the middle of each portion to make a crater in the middle. Think Crater Lake, and Mt St Helens. Now add a 1 little pat of butter into each of those craters, which should melt. Now each person eating the colcannon can scoop a little butter into each spoonful of colcannon.
    This Cauliflower colcannon recipe can still be served the traditional Irish way with a crater of melted butter in the middle This Cauliflower colcannon recipe can still be served the traditional Irish way with a crater of melted butter in the middle

I have seen variations of this recipe that swaps out the sauteed lettuce for kale, or for leeks, or may sprinkle a bit of cheese in, or horseradish. Instead of Irishing it up into a Colcannon, leave out the greens to make simple mashed cauliflower instead of your mashed potato for any meal – you don’t need it to be a holiday or St Patrick’s to enjoy this side dish. Anything you can do with mashed potatoes you can do here!
This Cauliflower colcannon recipe can still be served the traditional Irish way with a crater of melted butter in the middle This Cauliflower colcannon recipe can still be served the traditional Irish way with a crater of melted butter in the middle
Have you had mashed cauliflower before? Or had or made colcannon?

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Reuben Sliders

How I celebrated St Patrick’s Day this year, part 1. This is my choice on how to have corned beef this way in an untraditional way, among the many ideas I mentioned in my last Green Food for St Patrick’s Day plus variations on a Reuben post

Reuben Sliders

Recipe for Reuben Sliders, I like these better then Reuben Sandwiches because they are smaller so better portion control and oh so cute, perfect for St Patrick's Day or any get together Recipe for Reuben Sliders, I like these better then Reuben Sandwiches because they are smaller so better portion control and oh so cute, perfect for St Patrick's Day or any get together
Serves 4-12, since these make 12 little rolls. I like these better than reuben sandwiches because although it is messy, they are small and mini so thus adorable!

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup of homemade Russian Dressing: you can make your own with mayo, sour cream, ketchup, and hot sauce, but I like the combination of the tang of Thousand Island Dressing along with the heat of Russian Dressing, so I like to use regular 1000 Island dressing and add hot sauce and horseradish to taste so I can get the best of both worlds. Russian Dressing is the traditional condiment though. You can do this to taste depending on how much bite you want.
    My combination of Thousand Island Dressing for the tang but added hot sauce to bring the heat of a Russian Dressing for my Reuben Sliders
  • 1 package party rolls or slider buns – I used a package of 12 Hawaiian Rolls
    King's Hawaiian sweet rolls, package of 12 King's Hawaiian sweet rolls, package of 12
  • 1 pound of Shredded corned beef or pastrami – I used half of each. I bought slices from my grocery deli (these are Boar’s Head) and shredded them myself
    Boar's Head Pastrami Boar's Head Corned Beef Boar's Head Pastrami
  • 8-12 slices Swiss cheese depending on size of your slices and how cheesy you want it. If you use aged cheese it has more flavor so you can use less of it, and/or use very thin sliced swiss
  • Sauerkraut (optional). I like to saute my sauerkraut in a tablespoon of butter so it browns a bit rather than just on its own. Another option is to use cole slaw, which I suppose makes this a “Rachel” instead of a “Reuben”
  • 1/4 cup of melted butter

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a knife, cut the rolls in half horizontally so that all the tops are attached and are in one piece and all the bottoms are still attached and in one piece as well. Spray a pan with non-stick or with a bit of olive oil or butter, and then put the bottom piece of your rolls into the pan.
  2. Spread both sides of bread with the Russian Dressing so that there will be some sauce on the inside of the bottom and top.
    pread both sides of bread with the Russian Dressing so that there will be some sauce on the inside of the bottom and top for your Reuben Sliders
  3. Layer on top of the sauce layer at the bottom of the sliders the shredded corned beef, then the Swiss cheese, and repeat the layers. When I made mine, I made 4 rolls with the corned beef and 4 rolls with the pastrami. You can tell the pastrami apart from the peppered edges of the meat (it’s the one on the right side).
    Spread both sides of bread with the Russian Dressing and then the shredded corned beef or pastrami to the bottom half, then layer with Swiss cheese, repeat for your Reuben Sliders Spread both sides of bread with the Russian Dressing and then the shredded corned beef or pastrami to the bottom half, then layer with Swiss cheese, repeat for your Reuben Sliders
  4. I also used sauerkraut, but I don’t like too much of it so I put it as the 2nd to last layer, and then put a piece of cheese on top to melt on top of it.
    Spread both sides of bread with the Russian Dressing and then the shredded corned beef or pastrami to the bottom half, then layer with Swiss cheese, repeat for your Reuben Sliders Spread both sides of bread with the Russian Dressing and then the shredded corned beef or pastrami to the bottom half, then layer with Swiss cheese, repeat for your Reuben Sliders Spread both sides of bread with the Russian Dressing and then the shredded corned beef or pastrami to the bottom half, then layer with Swiss cheese, repeat for your Reuben Sliders, then add your sauteed sauerkraut
  5. Put the top of the rolls back on. And now spread the thin layer of melted butter over all the tops of the rolls. It looks nice and shiny on both the corned beef half and the pastrami half.
    Recipe for Reuben Sliders, I like these better then Reuben Sandwiches because they are smaller so better portion control and oh so cute Recipe for Reuben Sliders, I like these better then Reuben Sandwiches because they are smaller so better portion control and oh so cute
  6. Wrap tightly in  tinfoil, and bake in oven for 15 minutes. Remove and let the sliders cool slightly before cutting.
    Recipe for Reuben Sliders, I like these better then Reuben Sandwiches because they are smaller so better portion control and oh so cute Recipe for Reuben Sliders, I like these better then Reuben Sandwiches because they are smaller so better portion control and oh so cute

These are great for little snacks at a get together because of their size. SThey are so quick to make and warm up to melty meaty goodness too.
Recipe for Reuben Sliders, I like these better then Reuben Sandwiches because they are smaller so better portion control and oh so cute, perfect for St Patrick's Day or any get together Recipe for Reuben Sliders, I like these better then Reuben Sandwiches because they are smaller so better portion control and oh so cute, perfect for St Patrick's Day or any get together

Are you making anything special for St Patrick’s day? Do you like pastrami or corned beef, which do you like better (I confess to preferring pastrami).
Reuben Sliders Recipe from Pechluck.com, great for a party and the next day as leftovers for lunch too!

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Green Food for St Patrick’s Day plus Variations on a Reuben

Looking for some green food that doesn’t involve using food dye to help celebrate St Patrick’s Day? Here’s a round-up from previous posts I’ve done… there is so much green out there naturally, and in many delicious forms. I also have some suggestions for fun ways to use corned beef and/or pastrami besides a reuben sandwich towards the bottom of the post.

Green Food for St Patrick's Day with no need for food dye or food coloring, plus suggestions for fun ways to incprorate corned beef and pastrami

But, first, the green food.

For appetizers, of course you could go with guacamole– I did a face off with 3 different guacamoles, one recipe from Alton Brown, one recipe from Bobby Flay, and one from Rick Bayless

Guacamole from Food Network chefs:  The Rick Bayless Recipe- Sundried Tomato Guacamole Guacamole from Food Network chefs:  The Bobby Flay Recipe- a spicy guacamole and in the back The Alton Brown Recipe- a tomato guacamole

Or try edamame hummus for an option besides the obvious guacamole!

Edamame Hummus

Last year I went with an Avocado Mac and Cheese from the Melt cookbook

Recipe of Green Mac and Cheese for St Patricks: Avocado Mac and Cheese, using cheddar and many green things like avocado, green jalapeno, lime, green onion, cilantro

But there’s a lot of avocado inspired recipes you could try, as I covered in this Avocado Pesto and more Avocado Awesomeness post that also shows some avocado inspirations from Chef Lisa of Mother’s Bistro

Vegetarian Hummus Avocado Greens Sandwich Buffalo Chicken Salad with Avocado and Microgreens Sandwich California Avocado Commission and the sticker for California Avocados California Avocado Commission and Chef Lisa Schroeder of Mother's Bistro & Bar celebrate June California Avocado Month with Guacamole-filled Cherry Tomatoes Avocado Pesto, vegetarian and easy to make, has a feel sort of like an alfredo or mac and cheese sauce but much healthier!

Another way to get in the green naturally is with broccoli, like this St. Norbert College’s Cheese Broccoli which is an awesome simple casserole that is nostalgically old fashioned. There’s also these homey Spinach and Cheese Pinwheels

 Spinach or Squash Cheese Pinwheels

Or go with Brussels Sprouts, either Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts or Mashed Brussels Sprouts.

Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts Mashed Brussels Sprouts

There’s green in these Creamed Kale or Creamed Cabbage Recipes.

Easy vegetarian side dish: recipe for Creamed kale with caramelized onions Easy vegetarian side dish: recipe for Creamed Cabbage

Green Gazpacho that celebrates the bounty of greens with green pepper, celery, scallions, jalapeno, parsley, cilantro, and chives
The Four Seasons Farm Gardener's Cookbook review Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman gardening farming recipes local produce Green Gazpacho recipe, green pepper, celery, scallions, jalapeno, parsley, cilantro, and chives, spring soup recipe

Asparagus Goldenrod evokes green as well as gold

The Four Seasons Farm Gardener's Cookbook review Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman gardening farming recipes local produce Asparagus Goldenrod recipe

Or combine beer with green but without going to the low of green beer by making Saison Beer Ricotta on Cucumber appetizers

Saison Beer Ricotta on Cucumber

If you’re not in the Northwest and enjoying a 60-70 degree weather like we are, you probably wouldn’t be out on the grill, but here in Portland with our 70 degree March 17 we could do a bbq and throw in Irish Whiskey into our burger as well by making Cheddar Whiskey Burgers that has a combination of beef and pork with a bit of whiskey, and then is stuffed and then topped with a cheddar whiskey sauce. Sorry everywhere else that is cold and has snow.
Recipe for Cheddar Whiskey Burgers

For more authentic food that is Irish inspired, you could enjoy a vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie courtesy of Moosewood

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Ok, this doesn’t qualify for meatless, but I dined out at Kenny and Zuke’s for this this Bagel and Egg and Cheese with Pastrami bagel and this dish of Pastrami Cheese fries and it seemed very celebratory to me. What I love about these ideas is taking corned beef or pastrami and doing more than just a sandwich. Shake it up by putting it into a breakfast sandwich with a bagel or croissant, make reuben dogs or make them mini and adorable slow cooked beef reuben sliders. Chop it up and add it to fries, nachos, make a reuben mac and cheese or any casserole (I like this one with layers), or even into a baked creamy reuben dip! I will be making one of these links this weekend- I haven’t quite decided which one yet. I’ll also be making a colcannon – but instead of making a potato colcannon, I’m doing a cauliflower colcannon. Stay tuned for the outcome on Monday’s post!

Kenny and Zuke Deli's delicious pastrami brunch with an Everything Bagel and Egg and Cheese (cheddar) with addition of Pastrami Kenny and Zuke Deli, Delicious pastrami brunch with pastrami cheese fries

Also, I’m heading to Bowery Bagels on Monday because they are celebrating with Corned Beef Bagel Sandwiches, available at their downtown shop the week of March 16th – 21st for $8. These corned beef bagel sandwiches are packed with house-cured corned beef and topped with cabbage slaw and spicy mustard, which you can get on Bowery March bagel special, the Light Caraway Rye Bagel. Get the fingerling potato salad as a side and have the full Irish corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes experience. I’ll update with a photo when I acquire the goodie bagel.

Are you making anything special in celebration of St Patrick’s Day?

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