Kenyan Irio

This Operation Rice Bowl recipe for Kenyan Irio, an appetizing vegetable dish, was highlighted in the March 18 issue of The Visitor. Give it a try during Lent and you’ll likely be preparing it during other times of the year, as well.

That issue of the paper also featured a CRS worker involved with education for marginalized children in Kenya. And, two central Minnesota sisters related their experience with penpals in the Kenyan Diocese of Homa Bay. CJK

Kenyan Irio

(Operation Rice Bowl)

Photo courtesy of Operation Rice Bowl

6 white potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled

1 cup watercress,* chopped

1 cup peas, cooked

1 cup corn, cooked

2 tbsp. butter

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cube the potatoes and place in a large pot. Cover them with water and cook until tender. Drain the water and mash the potatoes. Stir in watercress, peas, corn and butter. Mix until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

*Other fresh leafy greens can be substituted for watercress.

Yield: 4 to 5 servings

A note from Carol:  This is really tasty! Ole and I truly enjoyed it and plan to make it again soon. We substituted fresh spinach as *watercress is not readily available in Minnesota in the winter months.

I also have a confession to make — and this may help others who are running late, as I was the day we sampled this recipe — I purchased refrigerated mashed potatoes and heated them in the microwave, as directed on the package, spooned them into a serving dish and mixed in the fresh, chopped spinach.

I microwaved frozen peas only to the point of being hot, but not overcooked. They were still refreshingly bright green. (It seems that often companies who sell frozen vegetables suggest too long of a cooking time and that, if followed, the veggies are way too overcooked — for my taste, anyway.) I also heated canned corn, separately, in the microwave and combined both with the potatoes. With an added “tad” of butter and some salt and pepper, it was yummy.