Low-Carb Colcannon

Colcannon is a tasty Irish dish made with potatoes and cabbage. Although it's traditionally served on St. Patrick's Day, it's not limited to special occasions and makes a great side to any roasts and slow cooked meat. It's easy to prepare, budget-friendly and you'll need just a few common ingredients. In this low-carb colcannon I used cauliflower, spring onions and green cabbage. I also added some crispy bacon for flavour boost but you can skip it if you follow a vegetarian ketogenic diet.

Preparation time:

Hands-on:    15 minutes
Overall:      25-30 minutes

Nutritional values (per serving):

Total Carbs	9.1	grams
Fiber	3.5	grams
Net Carbs	5.6	grams
Protein	8.6	grams
Fat	30.7	grams
of which Saturated	15.1	grams
Energy	337	kcal
Magnesium	33	mg (8% RDA)
Potassium	542	mg (27% EMR)

Macronutrient ratio: Calories from carbs (7%), protein (10%), fat (83%)

Ingredients (makes 6 servings):

• 2 tbsp lard or ghee (30 g/ 1.1 oz)
• 8 slices bacon, chopped (240 g/ 8.5 oz) - can be omitted
• 1 medium cauliflower (600 g/ 1.3 lb)
• 1 small green cabbage, sliced and tough stems removed (300 g/ 10.6 oz)
• 4 medium spring onions, sliced (60 g/ 2.1 oz)
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream (120 ml/ 4 fl oz)
• ¼ cup butter or ghee (57 g/ 2 oz)
• salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: freshly chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions:

1. Slice the bacon into thin strips. Grease a large saucepan or deep skillet with lard or ghee (I used leftover fat from last night's pork roast), and cook the bacon over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until crisped up. Take off the heat. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon into a bowl and set aside.
2. Clean the vegetables. Wash the cauliflower and cut into florets.
3. Place on a steaming rack inside a pot filled with 1-2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and cook for 8-10 minutes. Do not overcook.
4. Meanwhile, remove the tough stems and slice the cabbage. Place the cabbage into the saucepan where you cooked the bacon, stir to combine with the bacon grease and cover with a lid. Cook over a medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Add the sliced spring onions and cook for another minute. When done, take off the heat and set aside.
5. When the cauliflower is tender, take off the heat, remove the lid, and let it cool down for 5 minutes. Transfer the cauliflower into a bowl, add the cream and butter (you can reserve some butter for garnish). Using an immersion blender, process until smooth.
6. Add the cooked greens and combine.
7. Finally, stir in the crisped up bacon and season with salt and pepper to taste. Optionally, top with freshly chopped parsley and butter.

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