Dublin Coddle

Thank god it is St. Patrick's Day because I am ready to move on to eating food that isn't mainly cabbage and potatoes. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy such dishes, but I like a lot of diversity in my food and a lot of color. My Irish themed dishes as of late have been so beige and starchy, leaving me with that after Thanksgiving dinner stomach feel. On to lighter and brighter meals! (tomorrow that is)
In the meantime, a Dublin Coddle was on the table for dinner tonight with a few different twists of my own to spice up an otherwise boring dish. Traditionally this dish is boiled then steamed. That just seems like an incredibly boring and flavorless way to eat a meal! Here I added a different cooking technique that takes the same amount of time but really adds much more flavor.

Potatoes, turnips, vegan sausage and caramelized onions slow simmered in vegetable broth and apple cider until tender. Serve with some crusty bread or Irish soda bread for dipping in the juices.

Dublin Coddle
serves 2-3
3 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced halves
2 vegan sausages, medium slices ( I used Tofurkey Kielbasa)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbl chopped, fresh rosemary
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups vegetable broth
1 medium sized russet potato, 1/4" slices
1 medium sized turnip, peeled, 1/4" slices
1 cup sparkling apple cider
3 tbl chopped, fresh chives

Preheat the oven to 425.
Heat the oil in a dutch oven or a deep sided saute pan that can go in the oven. Add the onions and pan fry until soft with golden brown edges, 7-10 minutes. Add the sausage and garlic and cook 5 minutes more to crisp up the sausage. Season with rosemary, cayenne, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add the vegetable broth and deglaze the pan, scraping up any bits off the bottom. Add the potato, turnip and apple cider and bring to a simmer. Cover and place in the oven for 45 minutes. Check after 30 to make sure the pot has not dried out. If so add more broth. You don't want it soupy, just enough moisture so the bottom doesn't scorch.
Taste and season with more salt and pepper and garnish with chives.

Irish Stew with Colcannon Dumplings

Vegan Irish food is few and far between but is not impossible and certainly does not need to be boring. This stew has a deep, rich flavor that is enhanced by using your favorite lager. Don't know which beers are vegan and which aren't? Here is a comprehensive list to help you out.
Colcannon is traditionally an Irish dish composed of mashed potatoes and kale. Here I made dense, yet soft dumplings studded with potato and greens that cook in the stew, soaking up all the flavor of the broth.

Colcannon Dumplings
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbl vegan butter, cold
1/4 cup packed, shredded russet potato
1/4 cup packed kale, very thinly sliced strips
1/4 cup almond milk

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Crumble in the butter and use your hands to break the butter into tiny bits. Add the shredded potato and kale and mix to combine. Pour in the almond milk and stir to combine in a somewhat wet dough. Set aside and make the stew.

Irish Stew
5 tbl extra virgin olive oil, divided
8 oz seitan, medium sized chunks
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, medium dice
dried thyme, salt and pepper
1/2 white onion, medium dice
1 carrot, medium dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 cup lager
1 bay leaf
2 tbl ketchup
1 tbl vegan worcestershire sauce
3 cups mushroom broth
3 tbl chopped, fresh parsley

Heat the oil in a dutch oven or large pot. Add the seitan and mushrooms and sear over medium-high heat until golden brown, 5-7 minutes. Season with 1/4 tsp thyme, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Cook 2 minutes more then remove the seitan and mushrooms from the pot. Add the onion and carrot to the pot along with 2 more tbl of olive oil. Season with more thyme, salt and pepper. Saute for 7 minutes until the onions start to soften. Add the garlic and toast for 2 minutes. Deglaze the bottom of the pot with 1/4 cup lager, scraping up any bits on the bottom. Add the bay leaf, ketchup, worcestershire, lager and broth. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
Scoop the dumplings with a small ice cream scoop or spoon (about the size of a large gumball) and place in the stew, a couple inches part from each other. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for 10 minutes. Flip the dumplings over and cook 5 minutes more or until the dumplings have cooked through.
Remove the bay leaf and garnish with parsley.