When the cat's away…

…the mice will watch tragic Scottish movies and read even more tragic Scottish novels…

Rob Roy and Diana Gabaldon's Dragonfly in Amber

Seriously, have you people read the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon? Outlander, the first novel, is my favorite book ever. The rest of the series will make you laugh, cry, rage and generally tear your guts out. Jamie and Claire, the main characters, just feel so real. It’s incredible. I could go on forever…

Anyway, Jonathan went on a camping trip this weekend so I did what I love best: I wrote, I watched movies and I read. The theme to the last two just happened to be Scottish heartbreakers. Did I mention I really love melancholy, tragic books? If a book can make me cry, it’s usually a sucess…

Tonight, on the Gaelic theme,  I made colcannon for supper.

Irish comfort

The recipe is super easy.

Colcannon, Meagan Style

1.5 lbs. potatoes, cubed

2 leeks, sliced

6 oz. cooked ham, I used a package of Applegate Organic Cured Ham, found at Whole Foods

1 small head cabbage, chopped

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 c. shredded cheese,  I used Kerrygold’s Dubliner

Directions

1. Cube potatoes and place in pot to boil. Proceed making mashed potatoes how you normally do, only no garlic or anything fancy…just salt, pepper, cream, butter or whatever you use. Keep them lumpy.

2. Add the leeks and ham to a warm skillet or pot and let cook until some of the ham juices run and the leeks become a little soft.

3. Add cabbage and cook until tender but still a bit crunchy. Add a sprinkle of nutmeg and stir so it becomes fragrant.

4. Add to the prepared mashed potatoes

5. Top with cheese and bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until bubbly.

Voila! Colcannon. I didn’t follow a recipe; I just used the general idea that I’ve had to make it over the past few years.

Bedtime! Jonathan and I are going to read a chapter of Outlander tonight and then hit the hay.