red cabbage and quinoa salad

 I saw this video with purple cabbage and quinoa salad which looks good and I want to try it.  She was pretty short on details but I will try to figure it out. NOte: this was pretty bland the first day, but the next day it was really good, ate two bowls of it for lunch and it was satisfying.  Worth making again. 

Ingredients:

• red cabbage (1 whole head, sliced)
• red onion, sliced
• salt
• olive oil
• dates 
• sumac - heaping tsp 
• garlic (2 cloves minced)
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• juice from one lemon 
• pepper, salt  
• (1 tsp honey, date syrup, etc.) 
• nuts (she seemed to have a mix; pistachios or cashews or almonds or anything seems fine)
• fresh herbs: chives, mint, parsley 
• quinoa (or farro, or other grain)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Slice cabbage and slice red onion and put onto baking sheet.  Add olive oil, salt, and massage.  Roast, stirring occasionally, for about 25 minutes.

Chop herbs, put into a bowl.  Add some dates (she just pulled them apart).  

Cook quinoa (she said a cup - raw or cooked, unclear), add to bowl.  Add roasted cabbage and onion, then season with lemon juice, sumac, salt, pepper, garlic, mustard, date syrup/honey, roasted nuts, mix well. 

easy summer garden dinner

 I have *so many vegetables* producing in my garden right now that it's a little overwhelming, and I need quick and easy ways to prepare them.  

I made this with ground beef, garlic, cabbage, and green beans - but it'd be equally good with zucchini (reduce cooktime), winter squash, tomatoes, or whatever else the garden grows.

INgredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 4 large cloves minced garlic (and/or chopped onion) 
• 1 small head cabbage, chopped
• 2-4 cups green beans, cleaned and trimmed and chopped 
• 4 T soy sauce or coconut amino acids or some other salty flavoring
• black pepper
• spices as desired (I just used onion powder and some salt because I want to eat it with different things and maybe freeze it, but a Cajun seasoning or other things like htat would be great)

Instructions:

- Brown ground beef, breaking into small pieces.

- Before fully browned, turn down heat and add in garlic.

- When fully browned, add in the cabbage and soy sauce and stir well.  Turn up heat to medium.  Cook a couple of minutes with lid on.  

- Add green beans, stir well, cook with lid on for 8-10 minutes (keeping green beans somewhat firm, but cooked).

 Goes well with sour cream.  Would go well with different seasonings, roasted potatoes and/or sweet potatoes, rice or another grain, etc.  

Chinese cabbage and egg stirfry

Just got some locally grown Chinese cabbage, and this looked like a good idea.

Ingredients:
- chopped (Chinese) cabbage
- 2 eggs, beaten
- fish sauce
- green onions (or garlic scapes)
- garlic
- carrot, grated
- (red) onion, chopped
- red chili
- sesame oil
- sesame seeds

Heat oil in wok.  Add garlic, stir a minute, add onion. Then add grated carrots. 

Stir in cabbage.

Add a bit of water (maybe 1/4 cup?).

Add chili, black pepper, (salt - do you really need it if adding fish sauce?), fish sauce, and green onions.  Stir and cook 2-3 minutes, until water evaporates. 

PUsh vegetables to side, add some more oil, then the eggs.  Let them cook in place a couple minutes, then stir eggs until cooked, then stir in vegs. Add sesame seeds.  Turn off heat and serve.

garbanzo cabbage peanut salad

This is pretty tasty!  From here.

Mix dressing in a large bowl:
2 limes, juiced (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 Tbsp sambal oelek or sriracha
1 Tbsp fish sauce (up to, optional; I couldn't find mine so used some oyster sauce)
1 tsp soy sauce (up to, optional, if it could use some more salt)
salt, pepper
honey or maple syrup to taste
water

Whisk together and add water for the right texture.  Taste and adjust.

Then add in:
a jar of chickpeas, drained
2 carrots, shredded
1/2 red cabbage, chopped finely

Top with
chopped peanuts
cilantro
green onions

savory cabbage pancakes

I love cabbage.  I eat it so many different ways and I am always happy because it's such a fantastic vegetable.  While I've had some misses with other foods, things I've made that I didn't really want to finish up, I can't think of a single time that has happened to me with cabbage. 

I got a beautiful head of locally grown cabbage yesterday which meant I needed to use up the old cabbage in my crisper drawer.  Because one of the things that I love about cabbage is that I can store it for a long time - use half for something and then wait even weeks to use up the other half.

I've been eating zucchini and scrambled eggs for breakfast and I'm liking starting my day with vegetables, so I was thinking of some kind of cabbage pancake when I came across this from Budget Bytes.

Oh. My. Goodness.  These aren't just good, they are FANTASTIC.  My only regret is that the sriracha mayo is so tasty that I want it, but it's so spicy that it sort of masks some of the other flavors.

I just followed the recipe as it is, so I'll just copy it. (Usually I make some changes based on what I have in my fridge and cupboard, but this was just straightforward and SO GOOD.)  I may sometime do some more research to find more authentic recipes.

Savory Cabbage Pancakes (Okonomiyaki-influenced)

Ingredients
2 extra large eggs
1/2 cup water
1.5 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
3/4 to 1 cup all-purpose flour
4-5 cups shredded green cabbage
1 carrot
3 green onions
2 Tbsp oil for frying

Toppings
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp sriracha
1/2 Tbsp sesame seeds
2 green onions

Instructions

• Remove any wilted leaves from the outside of the cabbage. Cut the cabbage into quarters and remove the core. Thinly slice or shred half of the cabbage, or until you have 4-5 cups shredded cabbage. Peel the carrot and shred it using a large-holed cheese grater. Slice the green onions.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, water, soy sauce, and sesame oil until smooth. Begin whisking in the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until it forms a thick, smooth batter (about 3/4 to1 cup total flour).
• Add the cabbage, carrots, and green onion to the batter and stir until the vegetables are mixed and everything is evenly coated in batter.
• Heat 1/2 Tbsp oil in a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add 3/4 cup of the vegetable and batter mixture. Press it down into the hot skillet to form a circle, about 6 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. Place a cover on the skillet to hold in the steam, which will help the cabbage soften as it cooks. Cook the pancake until golden brown on the bottom (3-5 minutes), then flip and cook until golden brown on the second side. Pile the cooked pancakes on a plate and cover with foil to keep warm until ready to eat. Add more oil to the skillet as needed as you cook the pancakes.
• To prepare the sriracha mayo, mix together 1/4 cup mayonnaise and 2 Tbsp sriracha in a small bowl. Drizzle the sriracha mayo over the pancakes just before serving, followed with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and sliced green onion.

 

curtido

I made some black bean patties and fried plantains for brunch, and I like condiments for simple foods like this so made some curtido. 

I followed this recipe because I was making it just a couple of days before eating it - so there's some vinegar in it.

Ingredients

• 1/2 head green cabbage
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 onion
• 1/2 jalapeno
• 1 cup vinegar
• 1.5 cups water
• 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
• freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 teaspoons sea salt

Instructions

• Thinly slice the 1/2 head of cabbage, 1/2 onion and 1/2 jalapeno.  Grate the carrot.
• Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl:  1 cup vinegar, 1.5 cups water, 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, freshly cracked black pepper, 2 teaspoons salt.
• Add the liquid mixture to the veggies and combine well.  Crush the cabbage a bit so that it will fit into the jars. 
• Fill two pint-sized Mason jars with the veggies and top with the brine.  
• Seal well and let ferment overnight in the fridge.

sauerkraut in a big crock

Some friends wanted to make sauerkraut, and she said that she's a great cabbage-juice-eliciter.  She was not exaggerating! Plus, it was more fun to make it together.

I have a three-gallon crock.  Shortly after I got it I made about 2.5 gallons, and it felt like forever of giving away sauerkraut.  But then I shared with people who were very excited about it (the kind of people who sit down with a jar and just eat the whole damn thing in a sitting), so I got close to running out.  And my dog would be unhappy about that. 

So, the friends came over and we used about six heads of cabbage, about 13# (after outer leaves removed; about 16# bought at store).  I didn't have a scale yet so I"m not certain.  I shredded about six carrots to add in, and I used locally sourced sea salt. 

It's now been just over two weeks and ... the cabbage is still crunchy and salty.  There's definitely some fermentation going on, as I see bubbles, but it didn't give off the intense smell as last time (when I think I undersalted it). 

Thirteen pounds was too little; the crock is only about halfway full.  I think adding another six pounds would fit nicely.  So for next purchase: buy about 22# of cabbage, I think.  Or less if I use much daikon or other vegetables.  The daikon were pretty limp and unexciting, so I skipped that this time. 

I was hoping that this batch would be slower than the last batch, and so far it is.  I'll keep tasting it every week, and I'm guessing around 5-6 weeks will be a good time to jar it up.

While it's always nice to finish these projects and get my counterspace back (my kitchen is small), it's also fun to see all these fermentations bubbling away.  It's like magic!  And homemade sauerkraut is so tasty.

bierrocks from More with Less cookbook & another

I have no idea how I came upon this cookbook as a young adult.  Was it a family member's that I liked and gifted to me?  My father's family are from a church very closely related to Mennonites, so that sounds plausible.

Anyway, my dietary world was shaped by More with Less, Diet and Recipes for a Small Planet, Laurel's Kitchen, and Moosewood.  I know I can find just about everything on line and I've long since gotten rid of most books, but I'm thinking of rebuying these.

I bought a big head of cabbage at the farmer's market and for some reason I started to crave these bierrocks, which are handpies with yeast dough, ground beef, and cabbage.  They freeze up well and are very satisfying.  So, it's a long weekend project.

Bierrocks 

Dough:

2 c. warm water 
2 pkg. dry yeast 
1/4 c. sugar 
1 1/2 t. salt 
1 egg 
1/4 c. oil or butter 
6-6 1/2 c. flour 

Meat mixture: 

1 1/2 lb. beef 
1/2 c. onion 

Remaining ingredients:

3 c. cabbage, finely cut 
1 1/2 t. salt 
1/2 t. pepper 
Dash Tabasco sauce 
Minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and smoke flavoring, optional 

Chill dough for several hours and prepare as for roll dough (or substitute frozen dough). 
Brown beef and onion in a skillet and add remaining ingredients. Cover skillet and continue 
cooking over low heat, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is tender. Do not add liquid. 
Cool slightly. Roll out dough into thin sheets. Cut in 5-inch squares. Place 2 T. meat 
mixture on each square, pinch edges together, and place pinched side down on greased 
cookie sheet. Let rise 15 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. 

This recipe 
is from the More-with-Less Cookbook (Doris Janzen Longacre, Herald Press, c 1976).

****

This is another version that I found when looking for a recipe for ground bison. 

I find it amusing that they refer to salt and pepper as "spices" - but that shows it's authentic.

Nebraska Bison Stuffers

A classic Nebraska recipe, usually passed down in families, with a bison spin. Though more labor intensive, then many of our recipes, well worth the payoff.

---

Ingredients:
2 lbs. Ground Bison
1 small onion, chopped
6 cups finely shredded cabbage
1 cup water
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
cheese slices, optional (I would never use cheese slices, but this is a Midwestern recipe)

Dough:
2 pkg. dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups warm water
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup melted margarine
6 1/2 cups flour

Directions:
Mix water, yeast, sugar and salt. Stir until dissolved. Add beaten egg and margarine. Stir in flour and refrigerate for 4 hours in a covered bowl.

Once dough is ready, brown ground bison and onion. Drain. Add cabbage, seasonings and water. Simmer for 20 minutes. Cool.

Take a small amount of dough and roll into a thin layer. Fill with filling. Bring each side of dough up over the filling and pinch sides together to create a seal. Place on a cookie sheet - seam side down. Repeat until dough and mixture are used up.

Cook for 18-20 minutes at 350* F.

This made about three baking sheets worth, with four rolls made of leftover filling.   

sauerkraut

 Update 4-17-22

Just made a wide mouth quart jar of sauerkraut with the following:

• 29 oz of cabbage chopped (2 small heads once cleaned and chopped one was 12 oz and the other 17 oz; harvested from my yard today, with slugs and such to clean out which I did with filtered water but also just cut around it)
• 1 T salt

Put cabbage in bowl and salt it; liquid will come out after half hour or so, especially with massaging. No need for brine.

 

In a quart jar, I used a glass weight to keep cabbage submerged with a fermenting top (to let carbon dioxide release) that a friend gave me. (If I'd used a leaf, it would be less cabbage)

 

Going to let it ferment for about 30 days (taking to my office so it stays around 72 degrees instead of my warmer house). 

 

***

 

Sauerkraut - also from the fermentation class -

Chop up a head of cabbage in consistent-ish pieces.  Put into a bowl and salt it (somewhat less than 1 tsp to 1/2 cabbage).  Mix it up. 

Let it sit on counter 30-60 minutes to draw out the water.  Mix it and massage it.

Make a brine of 1 c. unchlorinated water and 1 tsp. salt.

Fill the jar with cabbage and brine.  Put an outside cabbage leaf on top, held down by rock or avocado pits to keep cabbage under brine.  Cover with lid or cloth with rubberband.  Leave on counter.  If use a lid, open to "burp it" every couple of days. 

Keep out of direct sunlight.  Leave it a minimum of 7 days per taste. 

Take out leaf, put in fridge.  It will stay good for a long time (many months).

halusky

Halusky - or "how to eat a half a head of cabbage and love it"

More from Budget Bytes.  Yum!

Ingredients

• 8oz. wide egg noodles $1.00
• 3 Tbsp butter, divided $0.33
• 1 yellow onion $0.25
• ½ head green cabbage, shredded (5-6 cups) $1.78
• Salt and pepper to taste $0.05

Instructions

1. Cook the egg noodles according to the package directions (boil until tender) and then drain in a colander.
2. While the noodles are cooking, thinly slice the onion. Remove any dirty or damaged outer leaves of the cabbage. Cut the cabbage into wedges, remove the core, then slice thinly to shred.
3. After draining the noodles, add 1 Tbsp of the butter and the sliced onions to the pot used to cook the noodles. Sauté the onions over medium heat just until they begin to soften (about 3 minutes). Add the cabbage and continue to cook until the cabbage is tender (5-7 minutes).
4. Return the drained noodles to the pot with the cabbage and onion. Add the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter and stir until the butter is melted and everything is evenly coated. Season the cabbage and noodles liberally with salt and freshly cracked pepper. Serve warm.

ground beef cabbage stirfry

From here.  Quite tasty!  Could be served with rice.  Would be good with rice.  I don't need the carbs, so I just ate it like this and that was fine too.

Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry

 

Ingredients

STIR FRY SAUCE

• 2 Tbsp soy sauce $0.18
• 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil $0.33 [or less - depends on strength; I would use 1 tsp.]
• 1 Tbsp sriracha* $0.05
• ½ Tbsp brown sugar $0.02

STIR FRY

• ½ head green cabbage $1.78
• 2 carrots $0.22
• 3 green onions $0.17
• ½ Tbsp neutral cooking oil $0.02
• ½ lb. lean ground beef $3.90
• 2 cloves garlic $0.16
• 1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger $0.13
• Pinch of salt and pepper $0.05

GARNISHES (optional)

• 1 Tbsp sesame seeds $0.08
• 1 Tbsp sriracha $0.05

Instructions

1. Prepare the stir fry sauce first. In a small bowl stir together the soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, sriracha, and brown sugar. Set the sauce aside.
2. Shred the vegetables so they are ready to go when you need them. Cut one small cabbage in half, remove the core, and then finely shred the leaves of one half the cabbage (4-6 cups once shredded, save the other half for another recipe). Peel two carrots, then use a cheese grater to shred them (1 cup shredded). Slice three green onions. Mince two cloves of garlic. Peel a knob of ginger using either a vegetable peeler or by scraping with the side of a spoon, then grate it using a small-holed cheese grater.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot add the cooking oil, ground beef, garlic, ginger, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the beef until browned (about five minutes).
4. Add the cabbage and carrots to the skillet and continue to stir and cook until the cabbage is slightly wilted (or fully wilted, if you prefer). Stir in the prepared sauce and the green onions. Top with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and a drizzle of sriracha, then serve.

Notes

* 1 Tbsp sriracha makes a medium-spicy stir fry. If you don't like spicy, I'd start with 1 tsp. The sriracha adds flavor as well as heat, so I don't suggest skipping it all together.

 

Total Cost: $7.14

Cost Per Serving: $1.79

Serves: 4 (1.5 cups each)

 

 ***

This website seems promising.  Tasty, healthy food on a budget?  I'm in!  Also, I think this recipe would be good with other meats such as leftover chicken. 

 

thai fish cakes with cilantro-lime slaw

The flavor of these is SO ON POINT. Super yummy, and with the coleslaw, it filled me up very well.  From Home Chef.

Thai Fish Cakes with cilantro-lime slaw

IN YOUR BOX
1 Lime
3 Cilantro Sprigs (more would have been nice)
2 Garlic Cloves
2 Tilapia Fillets
8 oz. Slaw Mix (cabbage green and purple, carrots)
⅔ Cup Panko Breadcrumbs
1⅞ oz. Mayonnaise
1 tsp. Dark Chili Powder
2 tsp. Chopped Ginger
1 Tbsp. Fish Sauce
1 ½ oz. Sriracha

Prepare the Ingredients
Quarter lime and cut one quarter in half. Stem cilantro and finely chop. Mince garlic. Rinse tilapia and pat dry.

Roast the Fish
Season both sides of tilapia with ½ tsp.salt and ¼ tsp. pepper. Place tilapia on prepared baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tsp. olive oil, and place on middle rack of oven. Roast 12-15 minutes, or until fish reaches a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees. Remove from oven, carefully transfer to a plate, and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.

Prepare the Slaw
In a mixing bowl, combine slaw mix, juice of two lime quarters (add additional lime quarter to taste), 1 Tbsp. olive oil, half the cilantro (reserve remaining for fish cakes), ¼ tsp. salt, and a pinch of pepper. Refrigerate before serving. Mix slaw a few times throughout refrigeration to marinate evenly

Prepare the Fish Cakes
Once tilapia has cooled, transfer fish to a mixing bowl and use two forks to lightly pull fillets into shreds. Add panko breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, chili powder (to taste), ginger, remaining cilantro (reserve a pinch for garnish), fish sauce, garlic, 1 Tbsp. Sriracha (to taste), and a pinch of salt and pepper to bowl with fish. Using hands or a spoon, mix together until combined and able to be formed into cakes.

Cook the Fish Cakes
Form mixture into four evenly-sized fish cakes. Place a large non-stick pan over medium heat and add 2 tsp. olive oil. Add fish cakes to hot pan (in batches, if necessary, to avoid crowding pan). Cook 3-4 minutes per side, or until browned and warm throughout. Remove cakes from heat and set aside.

Plate the Dish
Add a serving of chilled slaw to plate. Place two fish cakes against slaw and drizzle with remaining Sriracha for a bit of heat, if desired. Garnish with remaining cilantro and lime wedge.

ground beef and cabbage

ground beef and cabbage - recipe from here with my additions

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef (or turkey, venison, etc)
• 1 small head of cabbage, chopped
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 2-3 cloves garlic 
• 2 carrots, grated
• 1 c. diced tomatoes
• Spices to taste: salt, pepper, garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, etc- I use at least a teaspoon of each

Instructions

1. Brown beef in a large skillet or wok, adding spices to taste as you go.
2. When beef is almost completely browned, add sliced onions and grated carrots.
3. When onions/carrots are starting to soften, add the cabbage and spice well.
4. Cook about 10 more minutes, stirring often until cabbage starts to soften.
5. Can be topped with salsa or sour cream if desired.

Cabbage With Tomatoes, Bulgur and Chickpeas

From here; serves six

(By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN: This recipe is based on a Greek dish made with red cabbage. I’ve used both green and red cabbage, and I like it both ways. It’s a comforting vegan dish that works as an entree or a side.)

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 medium head green or red cabbage, finely shredded
• 1 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes with juice
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, cider vinegar or sherry vinegar
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup coarse bulgur
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy lidded skillet or Dutch oven. Add the onion, and cook, stirring often, until tender, about five minutes. Stir in a pinch of salt and the paprika. Cook, stirring, until the onion is thoroughly tender and infused with paprika, three to four minutes.

2. Add the cabbage, and cook, stirring, for three minutes or until it begins to wilt. Stir in the tomatoes, sugar and vinegar, and add salt to taste. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes until the cabbage is thoroughly tender.

3. Stir in the dill and the water, and bring a to a boil. Add the bulgur and chickpeas. Stir to combine. When the water comes back to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer 10 minutes or until all of the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat, taste and adjust seasonings, and serve hot or at room temperature.

borscht

This recipe helped me remember the bits, and then I made it my own. Super, super yummy!

First, turn on Rebirth Brass Band. Loud. Everything tastes better when cooked to Rebirth.

Saute together:
2 chopped onions (or more!)
6 cloves chopped garlic
1 bunch chopped dill (or more)
1/2 - 1 pound stew meat*

Once it's seared and browned, add water (I usually fill the pot about halfway full) and cook at low heat an hour or so. (If using fatty cut, skim off fat.)

When the beef is tender, add the following:

4 beets, peeled and chopped (add this before the other things and wait 15 minutes or so, if possible - beets take the longest to cook)
half medium head cabbage, chopped
2 small potatoes, chopped (but they don't freeze well)
2 medium carrots, chopped (I'm not a big fan of this in borscht - leave out next time and see)
3 small-medium tomatoes, chopped (can of tomatoes works great)
1 lemon, squeezed (or a bit of vinegar)
salt
pepper

Cook about 1/2 - 1 hour, until vegetables are tender.

Serve with sour cream and more dill, if desired.


*Note: Meat intimidates me, especially in a completely different culture where I don't speak the language. If I could chat up the butcher, I'd get a good cut of bone-in meat and make a rich stock and use that. Um, I can't. But I still put in beef to add protein and richness of taste. Just a bit over a pound was too much for me, though.

Liberian-style cabbage soup

So, the secret to Liberian cooking?

Use a TON of oil, Maggi seasoning cubes, MSG, hot peppers, and boil meat and vegetables together and serve with rice.

I omitted the MSG but otherwise was pretty authentic.

*Fry chicken in about 1/2" of oil. (I used two large chicken legs, and it took a long time until it seemed nearly done.)

Remove chicken.

Add chopped* onions (3 small), garlic (5 cloves), peppers (4 long hot ones) to the oil.
Toss in a couple of bouillon cubes and a small can of tomato paste.
Allow to saute over low-medium heat until onions are transparent.

Add chopped cabbage. (I used a small head, but I needed at least twice that much.) Saute for a few minutes. When cabbage starts to wilt, add back the chicken and allow to cook over med-low heat for about 30 minutes, until the cabbage softens and flavors meld.

Chicken should fall off the bones, which is how I like it, but pull chicken out earlier if you don't like it so soft.

Serve with rice.


*Liberians use a mortar and pestle to pound the peppers, onion, and garlic. The flavor is superior that way to chopped, but I use what I got.

New Orleans style cabbage

I spent New Year's Day at my friend Laura's house, where we had the traditional black-eyed peas (which she made "jerk") and cabbage. This cabbage was soooo good that I had to ask her how she made it. Yeah, an entire container of parmesan. Yeah. No wonder it's tasty!

So since I'm spending Easter tomorrow with Ruby's family, where I have not seen a lot of vegetables, I figured this would be a good way to finish off my parmesan - with moving, I'm in OPERATION: EMPTY FREEZER AND REFRIGERATOR, so this will do that ... and the breadcrumbs in the freezer ... and the cabbage in the crisper ... So, here are her directions.

What makes this New Orleans style? Well, her mimaw is from New Orleans, and she probably got this from an Italian neighbor at some point. But what REALLY makes this a New Orleans-style vegetable is that all the additions essentially negate all the positives of eating vegetables!

There's no particular recipe for the cabbage but I can give you a general idea. I cut the cabbage up into small strips and cooked it down with a little bit of olive oil, an onion, and some garlic. Once that's done, start mixing in Italian style breadcrumbs until it becomes a little pasty. You can add the cheese at this point. After that, I put it in a casserole dish, threw a little more cheese on top, and baked it on 350 for 30 minutes or so to get the top a little crunchy.

I hope that all makes sense. It's one of those things I picked up from Mimaw and she never had any measurements for it.

Note:  When my friend made it, it was really good.  When I made it, not so much.  I won't be making it again, but will enjoy at future parties.

cabbage & pancetta with linguini

Better than it sounds!! Very yummy and really hits the spot when I'm craving pasta and vegetables. From here, with few modifications. \

Saute until crispy brown:

• Pancetta or bacon 

Lower heat and add: 

• 1/2 c chopped onion 
• 2 cloves garlic 
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 
• black pepper 

 Saute a bit, then add in: 

• 1/2 cabbage, chopped 

Stir up and let cook well, preferably until cabbage browns. 

While that is cooking, boil water and cook 1/2 package (or less) of linguini to directions.

Mix together, top with some grated parmesan and/or butter, and enjoy!

broccoli winter slaw

I regularly read Gluten-Free girl; while I don't think I'm gluten-intolerant, I don't think it's healthy to rely too heavily on glutinous foods and so I try for a good variety. That is to say - I don't follow her baking advice, but her other recipes are fun.

Ever since she posted this winter slaw recipe, I've been wanting to try it. And today when I just could NOT stop being hungry I thought some roughage would help (and roasted beets and sweet potatoes will be a great second course). (What I probably need is more protein, but I'll live.) Besides, I needed to clear all the vegetables out of my refrigerator as an excuse to cruise by tomorrow's farmers market.

While I will never be a raw foods follower, I think it's good to get a variety of nutrients and some are best taken raw. And I was intrigued at the idea of raw brussels sprouts - and I do believe I like them better than cooked!

This is basically taken from her recipe above. I liked it ok, though I would choose the other broccoli salad I make if given a choice.

***

The Slaw

1 head broccoli
10 brussels sprouts
1/2 head cabbage (Napa, savoy, regular)
1-2 stalks celery

The Dressing

½ cup mayonnaise, fresh-made if possible
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1-2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
kosher salt and cracked pepper to taste

Prepping the vegetables. Take off all the little florets of the broccoli head. Peel the outer layer (or not if it's not necessary) of the broccoli stalks and slice them in half lengthwise, then dice them (about 1/2-inch cubes). Remove the outer layer of the brussels sprouts. Cut each Brussels sprout in half. Slice the halves as thin as you can. Cut the cabbage in half. Remove the core and slice as fine as you can. Slice the celery down the middle, lengthwise, then dice the celery stalks the same size as the broccoli stalks (I do more finely because I'm not a big celery fan). Combine all the vegetables in a large bowl.

Making the dressing. Mix the mayonnaise, mustard, and rice wine vinegar. Season it with salt and pepper to taste. If you want the dressing a touch thinner, add a bit more vinegar or a smidge of water.

Finishing the salad. Coat the vegetables with the dressing. Season the salad to your taste.

Feeds 4.

borscht

This was long a stand-by for me - I love me some root vegetables, and then learned how to make it for real when I lived in Russia. But somehow it fell by the wayside. Yesterday when I went to the farmers' market, though, the beets called out to me provocatively. "Hey baby, you know you want to take us home." And there they were, so beautiful, so robust, so vibrant, so beety. And now they are in my fridge (and don't get me started on how upset I am that 2009 is The Worst Gardening Year Ever). So, back to borscht I go (though, there's there AMAZING beet/potato cold salad we used to eat in Russia that was to die for - that may be next).

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Beef (or goat) meaty bones (make broth from them in slow cooker, drain fat, then add):

3 medium beets, peeled and diced

1 diced carrot

3 medium potatoes, cubed

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium head cabbage, cored and shredded

can diced tomatoes and/or small can tomato paste

1 T lemon juice or vinegar
1 1/2 tsp dried dill (if don't have fresh - which is really far superior)
salt and pepper to taste

Toss it all in the slow cooker, give it a good stir and cover with water if necessary (and maybe a little beef bouillon if the broth doesn't look rich enough). Don't cook it too long or it'll all get mushy (I've never slow cookered it before, though I like not having to stir regularly).

[That's the easy & quick way; better to saute onion & garlic first and then toss it all in.]

Serve with sour cream or yogurt (сметана would be best but I've never seen it for sale here) and dark, grainy Russian bread.