Raising five children on a soldier's pay was never easy, especially as I was a stay at home mum and so we only had the one income coming in.  I never wanted my children to always know where their mum was.  It was a choice that my ex husband and I made early on in our marriage, that our children would be raised by us and nobody else.  I have never regretted that choice.  It did mean however that I oftimes had to really make the pennies stretch, especially around this time of year when there were so many other things to spend our money on! 



Thankfully I was always a good cook and quite adept at creating something very delicious out of not a lot!  Tasty dishes such as this stone soup I am showing you today  . . . 


 I used to give these simple budget stretching dishes somewhat exciting names!  Stone Soup was one of my children's favourite stories and so this simple cabbage, tomato and rice soup became known as Stone Soup.  






Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan.  Add the onion, cabbage and sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium low heat for about 15 minutes, until the cabbage has begun to soften and is beginning to brown.  Add the vegetable stock, tomatoes, dillweed, parsley, seasoning salt, lemon juice and rice.  Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Stir occasionally for 30 to 40 minutes until the cabbage is butter tender.  You may need to add a bit more water depending on how thick you like your soups.

 I thought it would be fun to share some healthy Saint Patrick's Day options today which I have gathered from around the www.   All look tasty.  All look simple.  All are very healthy, diabetic friendly and sure to a smile on your Saint Patrick's Day loving family's faces! So put on your green and lets eat some healthy grub!

 
The Toddster is a real meat and potatoes man.  I could serve him meat and potatoes every night of the week and there would be no complaints from him!

 
He loves a pork chop more than anything else.  We aren't real big eaters of red meat, but when it comes right down to it, if he had his choice, he would pick a pork chop over a steak every time!

 
I, on the other hand, would rather have a steak.  With a baked potato and a salad on the side.  That is my heaven.

 
This is a beautiful one dish bake that is perfectly sized for two people.  

 
Layers of cabbage, potato, green beans  are put into a baking dish, and then topped with pan browned chops.  Apple juice is poured over all . . . 

 
You then cover it tightly and bake it for a time  . . .  uncover, sprinkle with buttered bread crumbs and bake it for a little while longer to brown the crumbs.

 
The end result is flavourful, fork tender pork chops  . . .  succulent.  I like to use old fashioned bone in chops . . .


 
I use frozen whole green beans and this keeps them from over cooking too much.  They are just right.  I cut my potatoes about 1/4 inch thick. They absorbe the meat juices and the apple juice, and that cabbage at the bottom  . . . wow

 
I adore cabbage and do does Pork. Pork and cabbage are beautiful partners.  The whole dish, with everything put together is simply marvelous! Whenever I cook this, Todd is one very happy camper!

 
1 TBS butter, melted


 

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4.  Have ready an 11-inch by 7-inch by 2-inch deep baking dish.


Heat the oil in a skillet.  Dust the chops with salt, black pepper, sage and thyme.  Brown on both sides in the skillet.


Toss the cabbage together with the brown sugar and parsley.   Spread out in the bottom of the baking dish.  Season with a bit of salt and black pepper.  Top with the potato slices. Season with a bit of salt and black pepper.  Scatter the green beans over top and then lay the pork chops on top of everything.  Pour the apple juice over all.  Cover tightly and then bake in the oven for 45 minutes until the pork chops and vegetables are tender.  Uncover.  Mix together the bread crumbs and melted butter.  Sprinkle over top.  Return the baking dish to the oven and roast for a further 15 minutes until golden brown.


Quantities can very easily be doubled or tripled to feed more.  I think you are really going to love this if you make it.  In fact, if you like pork chops and cabbage, you are going to adore this!  Bon Appetit and Happy Autumn!

Now that the calendar has rolled over into December, I don't feel guilty at all about sharing Christmas recipes with you!  It's full steam ahead now for the holidays, and with that in mind I wanted to share with you today a tasty recipe from the people at Schwartz which is perfect for holiday meal celebrations!  Braised Red Cabbage is a delicious side dish that goes wonderfully with your holiday roasts, be it turkey, beef, pork, gammon, bacon . . .  whatever!

My Todd is a real meat and potatoes kind of a guy. If I want to keep him happy food wise, it's not all that hard to do. A bit of meat and some mashed potatoes and he's as content as can be.



One of his favourite meat fests happens to be Sausage and Mash. A fluffy and buttery pile of hot mashed potatoes, topped with two juicy grilled sausages . . . the whole thing smothered in onion gravy. This is truly the way to his meat loving heart.



It's a bit boring though . . . or at least that's my thoughts . . . I like to amp it up a bit if I can. Not so much that it becomes poncey . . . just a tad to add excitement and interest.

Adding a bit of Parsnip to the regular mash gives it a wonderfully different flavour . . . just a hint of sweetness that goes so very well with the herby flavour of a plump rich butcher's sausage.

Cabbage . . . stir fried and retaining a bit of a bite . . . the perfect go with.



Topped off with a delightfully tangy honey mustard vinaigrette, with the garnish of wonderfully crunchy toasted hazelnuts, this went down a real treat.

He never even missed the gravy. Bisto who??




*Herby Sausages with Parsnip Mash and Stir Fried Cabbage*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Pan grilled sausages, all sticky and brown and served along side of a delicious parsnip mash and tasty cabbage, drizzled with a tangy honey mustard dressing. Delicious!

1 ½ pounds good quality thick meaty herby sausages (I use Cumberland
as they are my favourites, but any well flavoured one will do, Irish herb ones
are nice too.)
750g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into small dice
4 parsnips, peeled and sliced into rounds
4 TBS crème fraiche
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 TBS grainy mustard
2 tsp white wine vinegar
1 TBS runny honey with a mild flavour, like acacia
3 TBS mild extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces hazelnuts, chopped and lightly toasted
2 ounces butter
1 savoy cabbage, finely shredded

Place the sausages in a lightly greased and heated skillet. Cook over medium heat, turning from time to time, until nicely browned all over, and cooked through. Keep warm.

While the sausages are cooking, put the potatoes and parsnips into a saucepan of lightly salted water. Bring to the boil. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until tender. Drain well and return to the hot pot. Shake over the residual heat on the burner to dry them out a bit and then mash well along with the crème fraiche. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Keep warm.

Melt the butter in another skillet. When it is foaming, add the cabbage and cook, stirring it until it begins to soften, but still retains a little texture. Season to taste.

Whisk together the mustard with the vinegar, honey and a bit of salt. Whisk in the olive oil and hazelnuts.

Divide the hot mash equally between 4 heated plates. Top with several sausages and add a spoonful of the cabbage on the side. Drizzle all with the honey mustard vinaigrette and serve immediately.

I try to take a list with me whenever I go grocery shopping, and I try really hard to stick to it . . . but I always inevitably come home with a few things that weren't on my list.  And it's not normally something like biscuits or other naughty bits . . . it's more than likely to be a fruit or a vegetable that's just caught my eye and created a craving.



The other day I came upon some Cavolo Nero Cabbage, and it looked really tasty . . . really nice,  dark green and very fresh looking . . . it's leaves all tightly crinkled.  Flavorsome and mildly astringent, it is a lovely brassica that is a real favourite of mine.  It's chock full of vitamins and good things.   It's also known as Black Cabbage, Tuscan Cabbage and Black or Dinosaur Kale, due to it's upright and extremely wrinkled black green leaves.  Of course I had to bring some home with me.



It's just lovely shredded and added to vegetable soups, and is lovely when braised.  You can even toss it with some olive oil and seasonings and then bake it in the oven until it is crispy like Kale Chips.  Today I decided to just make a simple gratin with it, using up some things in my fridge that needed using up. I had some pancetta cubes that were coming close to their sell by date and a pot of double cream . . . just perfect for using up in this  delicious dish.  Very easy to make . . . I like easy to make as I am rather lazy at times.  I put my hand up and admit it.



You will want to wash it really well as, with all of those little crinkles . . . it has a tendency to hold in grit and dirt.  Just wash it under some running water and shake it dry.  I always cut the middle stems out of the Cavolo as it can be a bit stringy and fibrous, and I am not all that fond of the texture.  Then I just simply slice it crosswise coarsely, and steam.



Bacon and cabbage are perfect partners and so I sauteed the pancetta until it was just beginning to crisp and let out it's juices and then I added a chopped onion, and cooked it all until it was golden and soft.  Then I dumped in the pot of cream and a tablespoon of Dijon mustard.



I put the steamed cabbage into a shallow baking dish and then I poured the delicious cream mixture over top, sprinkled with come crisp and buttery crumbs and then banged it into the oven until the whole thing was bubbly and the crumbs were turning a nice golden brown.



The sauce was rich, but not overly so . . . with smokey undertones from the bacon and a bit of sharpness from the mustard . . . and then of course there was that golden sweetness of the onions . . . all going very well with those dark green, slightly bitter and astringent leaves.

 

It made a fabulous simple supper tonight, along with a crusty loaf and a few slices of cheddar cheese.  A simple supper for a cool Monday evening . . . warming and satisfying. 



*A Tasty Gratin of Cavolo Nero*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Simple and delicious.

300g of Cavolo Nero
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
140g of diced pancetta (about 1/2 cup)
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
375ml of cream
1 heaped TBS of Dijon mustard
buttered crumbs

Wash the Cavolo Nero well.  Trim out and discard the thick ribs in the center, and coarsely chop.  Fill a large skillet half full of water.  Season generously with salt and bring to the boil.  Add the Cavolo Nero and cover.  Steam for about 5 minutes, then drain well.  Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4.

Add the diced pancetta to the skillet and cook until it begins to release it's fat.  Add the onion.  Cook and stir until the pancetta is lightly crisped and the onion has softened.  Add the Dijon mustard and cream, whisking all together.  Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat.  Taste and adjust seasoning as required with salt and pepper.

Butter a gratin dish.  Place half of the steamed cabbage in the dish. Drizzle with half of the cream mixture.  Add the remaining cabbage mixture, piling it up slightly in the centre.  Pour the remainder of the cream over top and sprinkle with buttered crumbs. 

Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, until bubbling and the top has nicely browned.  Serve warm.

 

Thanks so much to all of you who purchased my Christmas Cook-booklet yesterday.  I do hope that you are enjoying it!  If you happened to miss it and are interested, you will find all of the information about it up on the right hand side of my page. I think it's a real fun little book.

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