Solitude, Low-Carb Diets, and Irishness

This past Sunday, I woke up, made coffee, cut an apple and fixed a bowl of yogurt, and took my breakfast to the couch. There I sat and read and journaled for a bit while music played in the background. This used to be how I spent almost every Sunday morning when I was single. Since the advent of life with Jer, however, Sunday mornings usually involve long periods of snuggling, making breakfast together, reading to each other, and lots of laughter. I have to say, as much as I valued those quiet mornings back in the day, I missed my Sunday morning with Jer something fierce.

Jer being off in Vegas means I am back to my single life for a few days until I get to take vacation and go join him. Perhaps some people would enjoy the break, the chance to experience a little solitude, but I am going slightly insane. I planned a lot in five days just to keep myself out of the house, spending time with my old roommates and friends and scheduling appointments after work to delay heading home to an empty house.

I also find it’s much less satisfying cooking an excellent meal for just yourself. All the books with fancy titles like Alone In The Kitchen With An Eggplant can’t change the fact that food is best experienced as a communal endeavor. So while the following recipe is amazing, and I enjoyed eating it, I am more looking forward to making it for a friend tomorrow night, and for Jer when he is back.

Cauliflower Colcannon

I got this idea while listening to a Splendid Table podcast (they are free on iTunes and my favorite thing to listen to on the way to work). Lynne said that she steamed cauliflower and kale with garlic and then pureed them together. I looked up a few colcannon recipes and found that I preferred the idea of sauteing the cabbage and kale and then adding it to the pureed cauliflower. It turned out intensely flavorful and filling, while still being fairly healthy. It’s also low carb, which I like and makes it the perfect dish to take to a little St. Patrick’s Day get-together with a friend who keeps a strict low carb diet.

1 head cauliflower

1-2 tablespoons butter

1-2 tablespoons milk or cream

1/2 head green cabbage

small bunch kale

2-3 cloves garlic or 2 stalks green garlic*

2-3 scallions

2-3 tablespoons olive oil or butter

salt, pepper, paprika to taste

optional: mojave garlic pepper, roasted garlic salt, or any other spicy/savory seasoning mix you enjoy

 

 

Cut up the head of cauliflower into uniform pieces and boil or steam until tender. Drain well, then allow to sit in hot pan for a few minutes so water evaporates off the vegetable-this will keep them from getting soggy. Puree with butter and a little milk or cream.

 

While cauliflower is cooking, chop cabbage and kale into one inch pieces. Finely slice garlic and scallions. Heat up a wok or large skillet with oil or butter and a little salt and pepper. Toss in cabbage and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Then add kale, garlic, and scallions. Saute over medium high heat until tender (another 5-10 mins), adding salt, pepper, and spices to taste.

 

Mix half a cup of mashed cauliflower with half a cup of sauteed greens for each serving.

 

 

 

*Green garlic is simply garlic before it has developed the bulb. It looks like a miniature leek. The entire stalk can be used and has a milder, nuttier flavor than regular garlic.

 

This post is part of Real Food Wednesday

(Note: Our blog used to live elsewhere. What follows are comments this post received on the old site:)