Showing posts sorted by date for query cabbage. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query cabbage. Sort by relevance Show all posts
One skill that every cook should master is the ability to make a proper Béchamel Sauce.
To be able to do so will hold every cook in good stead in the kitchen and in all truth a basic béchamel, or cream sauce as it is also called, forms the basis for many other sauces.
Béchamel is a white sauce which is made by combining hot flavoured or seasoned milk with a roux (which you can see in the photo below).
One of the basic sauces, the classic recipe calls for milk flavoured by heating it with a bay leaf, slice of onion and a blade of mace of nutmeg. This is left for about half an hour to infuse and then the sauce is thickened with a roux.
A roux is made from combining equal parts of butter and flour.
Generally speaking, there are three different kinds of roux: White, straw-coloured (blond) or brown, depending on the colour you want your finished sauce to be, with the difference in colour having been created by browning the flour (or not) to varying degrees.
After mixing the melted butter and flour in a saucepan over heat, the roux must be cooked and stirred for a short time to help eliminate the floury taste.
The longer a roux is cooked, the darker it becomes. For a basic cream/béchamel sauce you will not want it to brown at all if you can help it.
When thickening a preparation with a roux, it is crucial to respect the hot/cold balance of the mix. A hot roux must always be mixed into a cold liquid, and a cold roux into a hot liquid.
When using a cold roux (which is made simply by rubbing butter and flour together without heating it) you must allow enough time for the roux to melt and let the thickening liquid to cook for a few minutes.
Then it should thicken nicely without leaving a floury after-taste.
I scanned this photo from my original Betty Crocker Cookery Book, which I have had for many years. It best describes the steps to follow when making a basic béchamel or cream sauce and gives you quantities to use for the various thicknesses.
Thin sauces are what you will want when you are using it for a garnish for meats, vegetables, etc. For a bake you will want the sauce to be of a medium thickness and if you are making something like meat or vegetable croquettes, you will want a thick sauce.
Yield: Makes 1 cup
Bechamel Sauce
prep time: cook time: 15 minstotal time: 15 mins
I think this was one of the first things I learnt how to make in home economics at school. When well made, this simple sauce has a proper place in homey, creamed dishes, often making leftover stretch or giving cooked foods a new life. A good bechamal is the basis for many dishes such as souffles, or macaroni and cheese. The foolproof way to achieve a perfectly smooth sauce is to have the milk hot when you add it to the butter and flour. It uses an extra pot, but perfection is perfection.
ingredients:
2 TBS butter
2 TBS plain flour
285ml of hot milk (1 1/4 cups)
salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 TBS plain flour
285ml of hot milk (1 1/4 cups)
salt
freshly ground black pepper
instructions:
Melt the butter in a heavy
bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook,
whisking constantly until the flour is cooked out and bubbles a bit. Do
NOT let it brown. This will take about 2 minutes. Whisk in the hot
milk, slowly, whisking constantly until the milk is all whisked in and
the sauce thickens. Bring to the boil. Stir in the salt and pepper to
taste. Lower the heat to very low and continue to cook, whisking, for
an additional 2 to 3 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. If you are
using the sauce later, cover the top with a round of baking parchment
to prevent a skin from forming. (You can also pour a very thin layer of
milk over top which works in much the same way.)
Variations:
Thick
Cream Sauce - Use 3 TBS of flour to 225ml/1 cup of milk. This is the
consistency needed for souffles and meat, poultry or fish croquettes.
Lemon
Cream Sauce - Just before serving, beat in 2 large egg yolks, 6 TBS of
butter (1 TBS at a time) and 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
Cheese
Sauce - Stir in 60g/1/2 cup of grated Cheddar cheese during the last 2
minutes of cooking, along with a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Mornay
Sauce - Add 2 TBS of grated Parmesan Cheese and 2 TBS of grated Swiss
cheese during the last two minutes of cooking. Stir until blended.
Just before removing from the heat, beat 2 TBS of the sauce into 1
lightly beaten egg yolk. Stir the yolk/sauce mixture back into the
sauce and add 2 TBS butter. Continue to cook, stirring, for one
minute longer.
Sauce - Add 2 TBS of grated Parmesan Cheese and 2 TBS of grated Swiss
cheese during the last two minutes of cooking. Stir until blended.
Just before removing from the heat, beat 2 TBS of the sauce into 1
lightly beaten egg yolk. Stir the yolk/sauce mixture back into the
sauce and add 2 TBS butter. Continue to cook, stirring, for one
minute longer.
Note - to make a larger quantity, simply double the ingredients.
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One of the most common uses for a béchamel sauce is something you have probably already done if you have ever made a macaroni cheese from scratch, and that is to make a cheese sauce!
That is what I have done here to make a variation of one of our favourite dishes and that is a Broccoli & Cauliflower Cheese!
Basically, it is a very simple dish. Blanched florets of broccoli and cauliflower, put into a baking dish you have lined with some cheese sauce and then napped all over with the same sauce.
I like to add a crispy topping to mine.
This topping is very easily made by blitzing some bread, butter and strong cheddar together in a small food processor.
It makes a lovely crumble that you can then scatter over top of the whole dish.
As the dish cooks in the oven, the crumbs crisp up beautifully with a lovely golden finish.
One key for success is to make sure that your vegetables are drained really well before adding them to the dish.
If you don't do this then you could end up with a bit of a watery finish, which is not exactly what you want!
I could sit down to a dish of this all on its own quite happily! It also makes a great vegetarian main if you have a veggie coming to supper!
Whether you enjoy this as a side dish or a vegetarian main there is one thing you can count on for sure and that is that it will be enjoyed by all!
Make sure you use a well flavoured cheddar for the sauce. It makes all the difference in the world.
Yield: 4
Broccoli & Cauliflower Cheese
prep time: 25 minscook time: 25 minstotal time: 50 mins
Some people may eat this as a main course, and it certainly makes for a delicious one. Other's may choose to have it as a side dish. Whichever way you choose, you will not be disappointed.
ingredients:
1 medium cauliflower, broken into bite sized florets
1 medium broccoli, crown, broken into bite sized florets
1 1/2 pints milk (3 cups)1 bay leaf
1 onion, halved
a few whole cloves
freshly grated nutmeg
4 TBS butter
4 TBS flour
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tsp Dijon mustard
120g mature farmhouse cheddar, grated (1 cup)
5 TBS finely grated Parmesan cheese
30g strong cheddar cheese (1 ounce)
1 TBS cold butter
1 slice rustic white bread torn
instructions:
First make the bechamel sauce. Place the onion, stuck with the cloves
and the bay leaf into a saucepan with the milk. Bring just to the boil,
then remove from the heat and allow to stand for 30 minutes to allow
the onion and herbs to infuse the milk with their flavour. At the end of
half an hour, melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour. Cook
for one minute, then slowly whisk in the infused milk, discarding the
onion, bayleaf and cloves. Whisk and cook until thickened. Turn heat
to very low and allow to cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently
as to prevent it from catching. Remove from the heat and then whisk in
the grated cheddar and Parmesan, along with the mustard. Flavour with
some grated nutmeg and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 4.
Place in the heated oven and bake until it begins to brown in places and the sauce is bubbling. (20 to 25 minutes) Serve hot.
and the bay leaf into a saucepan with the milk. Bring just to the boil,
then remove from the heat and allow to stand for 30 minutes to allow
the onion and herbs to infuse the milk with their flavour. At the end of
half an hour, melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour. Cook
for one minute, then slowly whisk in the infused milk, discarding the
onion, bayleaf and cloves. Whisk and cook until thickened. Turn heat
to very low and allow to cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently
as to prevent it from catching. Remove from the heat and then whisk in
the grated cheddar and Parmesan, along with the mustard. Flavour with
some grated nutmeg and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 4.
Bring
a pot of salted water to the boil and then add the vegetable florets. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, until they are crispy
tender. Drain very well. Cover the bottom of your baking dish lightly with some of the cheese sauce. Add the well drained vegetables. Pour the cheese bechamel sauce over top, covering it well.
a pot of salted water to the boil and then add the vegetable florets. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, until they are crispy
tender. Drain very well. Cover the bottom of your baking dish lightly with some of the cheese sauce. Add the well drained vegetables. Pour the cheese bechamel sauce over top, covering it well.
Blitz the topping ingredients in a small food processor until crumbly. Scatter these crumbs over top.
Place in the heated oven and bake until it begins to brown in places and the sauce is bubbling. (20 to 25 minutes) Serve hot.
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You can make a delicious casserole out of almost any cooked vegetable and a cream sauce. Potatoes, carrots, swede, turnips, etc. All work very well. You can add a bit of horseradish to the sauce when cooking potatoes or carrots. This is delicious.
Cabbage is really delicious when steamed until crispy tender and then baked in a béchamel sauce with some crumbs on top. Fish is also lovely when baked with a béchamel.
Once you have mastered this sauce the world really is your oyster as to the number of ways you can use it! Bon Appetit!
This is an old, old recipe copied into my Big Blue Binder from an old community cookbook from back home in Nova Scotia. I don't know who it is accredited to originally, only that it is a delicious way to prepare cabbage.
It uses fairly simple ingredients that most people have in their homes, with the exception of the Garam Masala, but I am fairly certain that if you don't have the Garam Masala in your home, you would have at least the ingredients to make your own. Garam Masala is deliciously aromatic mix of spices used to bring flavour and warmth to many Indian dishes, so no worries about making it as if you are a person who loves curries, you are sure to use it up. I have included below the recipe and instructions to make your own. The spices themselves smell heavenly when they are toasting. Its a very simple make.
Garam Masala
prep time: 3 minscook time: 3 minstotal time: 6 mins
An Indian Spice mix for use in East Indian cookery.
ingredients:
2 TBS coriander seed
1 TBS cumin seed
2 tsp black peppercorn
1/2 cinnamon stick (or 2 tsp ground cinnamon)
1/2 tsp cardamon seeds (from about 20 cardamom pods)
1 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp whole cloves
2 dried bay leaves
instructions:
Toasting the seeds is the secret to a well flavoured Garam Masala. Don't
be tempted to skip this step. Toast the whole spices in a dry frying
pan until they are very fragrant and a shade or two darker. Tip into a
spice grinder and grind to a powder. Alternately you can use a pestle
and mortar. (Labour intensive but it works) Store in an airtight
container in a dark place for up to six months.
be tempted to skip this step. Toast the whole spices in a dry frying
pan until they are very fragrant and a shade or two darker. Tip into a
spice grinder and grind to a powder. Alternately you can use a pestle
and mortar. (Labour intensive but it works) Store in an airtight
container in a dark place for up to six months.
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So is this dish. The hardest and most labour intensive part is the shredding of the cabbage. I like to use white cabbage for this as it lends itself beautifully to the long cook time and I prefer the melting, almost buttery texture of it when it is done.
You can use whatever cabbage you prefer however I cannot speak for the results as I have only ever used hard white cabbage, which I believe is one of the most common ones in the shops and readily available everywhere.
It makes a great Indian side dish when you are cooking an Indian meal. You can make it ahead of time and just heat it up at the last minute. Leftovers are lovely stirred through cooked rice and reheated. (Just saying.)
I have found it to also be a very popular dish at a covered dish or pot luck supper. Amazingly (or maybe not amazingly) everyone seems to love it.
I am not sure how authentically Indian it is, probably not very, but that doesn't really matter as it is fabulously tasty!
It is also delicious mixed into leftover fried potatoes. (Again just saying.)
Yield: 4 - 6
Indian Spiced Cabbage
prep time: 10 minscook time: 2 hourtotal time: 2 hours and 10 mins
A deliciously spiced side dish with East Indian flavours. I could eat a whole bowlful of this and nothing else.
ingredients:
1 medium head green cabbage, shredded finely
1/3 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp mild chili powder
2 tsp garam masala (store bought or make your own, preferable)
2 tsp black pepper
sunflower oil
instructions:
In a large pot,heat oil to cover the bottom (1/4
inch deep) until it begins to shimmer. Add the cumin seeds and cook for
about 30 seconds until it begins to pop and smell fragrant. Add the
remaining spices, seasonings and the cabbage, tossing to coat the
cabbage in the spice/oil mixture. Cover and cook gently, over very low
heat, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the cabbage is meltingly tender. Serve
hot.
inch deep) until it begins to shimmer. Add the cumin seeds and cook for
about 30 seconds until it begins to pop and smell fragrant. Add the
remaining spices, seasonings and the cabbage, tossing to coat the
cabbage in the spice/oil mixture. Cover and cook gently, over very low
heat, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the cabbage is meltingly tender. Serve
hot.
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I cooked only half a recipe today and found myself wondering why I had not cooked the whole cabbage, its just so very, very good. I hope you will try it and enjoy it as much as we do! Bon Appetit!
I make fried rice a lot. We usually don't have it as a side dish, but as a main dish and I have always found it a great way to use up leftover cooked meats, along with any bits and bobs from the vegetable drawer that are not enough on their own, but when put together go fabulous in this!
I actually didn't use chicken today, but some turkey that I had which was on the verge of going out of date, which makes this a great dish to make after Thanksgiving or Christmas.
I love the flavour of Chinese Five Spice Powder. Five-spice powder is a spice mixture of five or more spices used predominantly in Chinese and Taiwanese cuisine. It is also used less commonly in other Asian and Arabic cuisines, and can be used for cocktails as well.
The spices traditionally used are Sechwan peppercorns, star anise, ground cloves, cinnamon and ground fennel seeds. On the surface they don't like much like things that would go together, but trust me when I say that together these are like umami magic! I have also seen turmeric, ginger root and cardamom used.
When I made my fried rice these days, I most often use the precooked packages of brown rice. Each pouch serves 2 people generously, and it is perfect for this use. My MIL who taught me how to make fried rice (and she learnt from a neighbour many moons ago) used Minute Rice. I have always used regular rice, and now . . . the precooked rice, and these days I use brown rice instead of white as it is more nutritious.
I grate in my carrot and any other root vegetables I am using. I like to use Swede. It works great in this. And I always use finely shredded, chopped white cabbage as I like the flavour it gives to the dish.
Can you see my every present kitchen companion in this photo? Mitzie is never far away when I am cooking, ever hopeful that I will drop something or let her taste something. I often give her carrots ends and stuff like that. She loves raw vegetables. (Never feed dogs, corn or potato or onion.)
You can use all peas or a mix of peas and corn. I like both for the extra colour they bring to the dish.
Chopped red pepper also adds colour, but you can use any colour of pepper you have. Green is nice and I have always liked to add chopped celery as well, although today I did not.
I always add some beaten egg which I scramble right in the pan, along with some soy sauce. A splash of toasted Sesame oil is also a tasty addition if you have any.
Todd always likes an extra piece of chicken with his. I cooked him a breaded chicken breast which he enjoyed along with some of my homemade Ketjap Manis drizzled on top!
Yield: 4 - 6
Five Spice Chicken Fried Rice
prep time: 15 minscook time: 15 minstotal time: 30 mins
Quick and easy to make, and delicious. I use ready cooked rice and leftover cooked chicken for this.
ingredients:
2 pouches cooked brown rice (each with 2 servings)
250g cooked chicken, cubed (2 cups)
2 tsp Chinese five spice
2 TBS sunflower oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 red pepper, deseeded, trimmed and diced
1 small carrot, peeled and diced
150g frozen baby peas (1 cup)
(Can use a mix of corn and peas if you wish)
2 large free range eggs, beaten lightly with 2 TBS cold water
1 TBS soy sauce
3 to 4 spring onions, washed, trimmed and thinly slicedinstructions:
Toss the chicken with the five spice mix. Stir fry to
heat through in half the oil for a few minutes until fragrant. Add the
garlic and vegetables. Stir fry til cooked through and crispy tender,
about 5 minutes Push to one side. Put the oil in the clear space and
add the eggs. Scramble lightly, then mix into the vegetables along with
the rice and soy sauce. Cook, stirring, until all are heated through.
Stir through the spring onions. Serve immediately.
heat through in half the oil for a few minutes until fragrant. Add the
garlic and vegetables. Stir fry til cooked through and crispy tender,
about 5 minutes Push to one side. Put the oil in the clear space and
add the eggs. Scramble lightly, then mix into the vegetables along with
the rice and soy sauce. Cook, stirring, until all are heated through.
Stir through the spring onions. Serve immediately.
Note
- You can add some thinly sliced cabbage, diced swede, chopped broccoli
stems, etc. to the vegetable mix. Just choose what you like. You can also use the equivalent in leftover cooked turkey for this, or fresh boneless skinless chicken breast cubed. In the case of the fresh chicken chicken breast, cook it with the five spice until the juices run clear.
- You can add some thinly sliced cabbage, diced swede, chopped broccoli
stems, etc. to the vegetable mix. Just choose what you like. You can also use the equivalent in leftover cooked turkey for this, or fresh boneless skinless chicken breast cubed. In the case of the fresh chicken chicken breast, cook it with the five spice until the juices run clear.
You can also use 300g uncooked rice (1 1/2 cups) cooked in the place of the ready cooked rice.
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If you are looking for a quick and easy supper dish, you can't go wrong with this. You can use leftover cooked chicken, pork, dry scrambled ground beef, lamb or turkey. Its really very adaptable! Happy Friday and Bon Appetit!
One of my favourite meals has to be a good old fashioned boiled dinner. This is very much a Maritime thing. Or even a New England thing. (The Eastern side of Canada is called the Maritimes and consists of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island.) A lot of people in the Maritime provinces can trace their lineage back to the Loyalists who moved up from the American Colonies, after the War of Independence. And a lot of Maritimers left the Maritimes and moved to New England after WW2 looking for work. I have family on both sides of the border, and I would wager that we all enjoy a good old fashioned boiled dinner from time to time!
A boiled dinner is a one pot dish, from the days before slow cookers, which consists of simmering salty meat (ham or beef) until tender in cooking liquor and adding vegetables at the end to cook in that same liquid.
The long slow simmer of the meat, lends such a tender quality to the meat and flavours the liquor, which then imparts flavour into the vegetables when you cook them in it.
For the cooking liquor I use a combination of half apple juice and half water, along with some aromatics such as carrot, leek and celery . . .
I also add a cinnamon stick, some black peppercorns, parsley stalks and bay leaves . . .
All of these help to give a lovely flavour to the meat . . . on this day I used a small dinner ham that Todd had picked up for me. I had asked him to get a gammon, but he brought back this uncooked Danish dinner ham. Never mind . . . it worked out alright, and was probably not as salty as the gammon would have been.
He tries. That's what counts. Actually it worked very well, and was only a fraction of the cost of a large piece of gammon, so really it was a win/win.
Once your meat is tender (and you can use salt beef, or corned beef, or even just a beef brisket) you remove it and set it aside to rest and keep warm . . .
I like to scoop out the leek, carrot and celery and discard them as I will then be adding fresh vegetables that will be served along side of the meat . . .
I like carrots, swede (rutabaga) cabbage and potatoes . . .
Trim you cabbage and then cut it into thick wedges, leaving the root end intact so it stays together. I peel the carrots, swede and potatoes, cutting the potatoes in half and the swede into thick slices. The carrots I leave whole. They cook in the cooking liquor and take on some lovely flavours.
When everything is all done, you just slice your meat and serve it with the cooked vegetables. You can strain the cooking liquor if it isn't too salty and serve the meat and veg in shallow bowls with some of the liquor spooned over top, but my favourite way is to just serve the sliced meat and veg along with a delicious parsley sauce. This makes for some really good eating, and you usually have plenty of meat leftover to enjoy in sandwiches the next day.
Yield: 6 to 8
Boiled Dinner
prep time: 30 minscook time: 4 hourtotal time: 4 hours and 30 mins
Simple ingredients done well. A bit old fashioned, but delicious nonetheless. Comfort food, plain and humble.
ingredients:
3 1/2 pound corned beef, gammon or salt beef
2 leeks, trimmed and cleaned
1 carrot
2 ribs celery
a cinnamon stick
9 peppercorns
6 stalks parsley
a couple bay leaves
cold water to cover
(If doing gammon, you can do half water and half apple juice)
For the vegetables:
1 rutabaga/swede peeled and cut into thick slices
1 small head of white cabbage, trimmed and cut into quarters
6 to 8 carrots peeled
6 to 8 medium sized potatoes, peeled and halved
For the Parsley sauce:
2 TBS butter
2 TBS flour
480ml milk (2 cups)
pinch dry mustard
grating nutmeg
salt and white pepper to taste
several handfuls of parsley choppedinstructions:
Place the meat, leeks, carrot, celery, cinnamon stick, peppercorns,
parsley stalks and bay leaf into a large saucepan. Cover with the cold
water. Bring to the boil. Scoop off any scum which has risen to the
top, then reduce to a simmer and partially cover. Simmer slowly for 3 to
4 hours until the meat is very tender. A fork should go through it
easily. Remove the meat and set aside to keep warm. Remove and discard the
carrot, leek and celery. Bring the liquid back to
the boil, add the cabbage and cook for about 10 minutes, then add the
potatoes and swede, cook for about 10 minutes longer, add the carrots
and cook for a further 5 to 10 minutes at which time all of the
vegetables should be tender.
parsley stalks and bay leaf into a large saucepan. Cover with the cold
water. Bring to the boil. Scoop off any scum which has risen to the
top, then reduce to a simmer and partially cover. Simmer slowly for 3 to
4 hours until the meat is very tender. A fork should go through it
easily. Remove the meat and set aside to keep warm. Remove and discard the
carrot, leek and celery. Bring the liquid back to
the boil, add the cabbage and cook for about 10 minutes, then add the
potatoes and swede, cook for about 10 minutes longer, add the carrots
and cook for a further 5 to 10 minutes at which time all of the
vegetables should be tender.
While your
vegetables are cooking make your parsley sauce. Melt the butter in a
saucepan. Whisk in the flour and dry mustard. Cook for about 2 minutes,
then whisk in the milk slowly. Cook, stirring, until the mixture comes
to the boil, then reduce to a slow simmer and cook for about 10
minutes. Season to taste with a grating of nutmeg, salt and white
pepper. Stir in the chopped parsley and serve.
vegetables are cooking make your parsley sauce. Melt the butter in a
saucepan. Whisk in the flour and dry mustard. Cook for about 2 minutes,
then whisk in the milk slowly. Cook, stirring, until the mixture comes
to the boil, then reduce to a slow simmer and cook for about 10
minutes. Season to taste with a grating of nutmeg, salt and white
pepper. Stir in the chopped parsley and serve.
To
serve slice the meat across the grain into thick slices, and place on
dinner plates along with some of the vegetables. Pass the parsley sauce
at the table.
serve slice the meat across the grain into thick slices, and place on
dinner plates along with some of the vegetables. Pass the parsley sauce
at the table.
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Comfort foods like this are one of my favourite things about Autumn! Bon Appetit!
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