I don't do it very often, and my waistline shows it, but occasionally I do like to try to eat something healthy, and by that I mean low fat and filled with fibre.   I do eat healthy for the most part . . . just not low fat, which I suppose means unhealthy.   I can't win!




The other day I had some cabbage that needed using up and so I decided to make something for our lunch with that.   It's amazing what you can do with just a few simple ingredients and a bit of ingenuity.




One potato, a small cabbage, a large shallot and a tin of beans.  That's all this is . . .oh and a smattering of Parmesan on the top.  So simple and so tasty.



You cut the potato into small cubes and brown them slowly in ajust a touch of of olive oil.  Once they have begun to brown you add some thinly sliced shallot, and then a well drained tin of cannellini beans . . .



You let them brown too, or as much as you can do . . . beans are not something which are easily browned.   Then you toss in the cabbage and some fresh thyme leaves . . .



Continue to cook until the cabbage is nice and tender and then serve up.  If you cut the cabbage really thin, that shouldn't take too long.  Of course if you are impatient you can parboil the cabbage first . . . just drain it really well.



Then again, you may enjoy a bit of crunch.  I do enjoy the crunch . . . but my tummy doesn't.   I'm afraid my cabbage has to be a bit well done . . . getting old is a pain in the pattootie in a lot of ways . . . and the way that things like this affect my innards is just one of them.   (I know!  TMI!)



Any ways, this was economical, simple, hearty,  delicious and quick.



*White Beans and Cabbage*

I had never eaten Chorizo before I moved over here to England. It was not something I had ever heard of or even seen. I am a Chorizo convert and have come to love the delicious smokey flavour it brings to the dishes I use it in.



It also gives a lovely colour to the pan juices. It is now something that I would never be without in my larder, as it is so very versatile . . . in tortillas, casseroles, pasta sauces, scrambled eggs, stir fries . . . soups.



I found this recipe card recently in my local Waitrose grocery store. I was immediately taken with the photo on the front, and then, when I read the list of ingredients, I just knew I had to make it.



(Just look at that scrummy cabbage . . . mmmm . . . )

I love the Waitrose recipe cards. The recipes that they share on them are always deliciously wonderful.



The original recipe called for sherry or brandy, but since I am a Mormon, those are not things I regularly have in my kitchen in any quantity. I am happy to say that I substituted sherry vinigar with great success.

This was deliciously scrummy and a recipe that I will make again and again.



Company worthy even . . .

Trust me.



*Roasted Chicken with Chorizo and Spring Cabbage*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Moist and delicious chicken flavoured with the smokey flavours of chorizo, garlic and sweet spring cabbage.

4 free range chicken quarter portions
4 large cloves of garlic, unpeeled
250g Spanish Chorizo sausage, peeled and diced
1 TBS olive oil
2 TBS sherry vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pointed spring cabbage, trimmed, cored and shredded

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F. Place the chicken pieces into a shallow oven casserole dish. Add the garlic cloves and diced chorizo, scattering them amongst the chicken pieces. Drizzle with the olive oil, vinegar and season to taste with some salt and pepper. Roast in the heated oven for 15 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven. Remove to a plate. Stir the cabbage into the pan juices, then place the chicken back on top. Return to the oven and roast for an additional 35 to 40 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through and the juices run clear.

Remove from the oven and place the chicken on a heated serving plate. Keep warm. Slip the garlic cloves out of their skins and mash. Stir the mashed garlic into the cabbage mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Serve the chicken with a portion of the cabbage/chorizo mixture and some fluffy mashed potatoes.



If you have never seen a Spring Cabbage, or Sweetheart Cabbage as it is sometimes known, it looks like this. Quite common in grocery stores over here in the UK from about now. It is long and pointed, and quite loose leaved, quite unlike the normal cabbage which is round and very tightly leaved. It has a lovely mild flavour. You can substitute regular cabbage if you are unable to get the spring cabbage, with no problems.

I had a real craving for pasta today and so I decided to cook myself up a mess of noodles and cabbage.



This was a dish I used to cook often for my family when they were growing up. Sometimes we had it as a side dish along with pork chops . . . and sometimes it was the whole dish, served with sour cream and lotsa cheese.



It was a real favourite of everyone. I always made a double batch because the leftovers were always fabulous the day after heated up in a little bit of butter in a hot skillet. The noodles got some brown scrummy bits and it was just wonderful. We liked fried leftover spag bol too.



Todd is not a fan of pasta anything, (as you know only too well), so it's something that I only rarely indulge in these days. I love this recipe because I always, always have what I need to make it in the cupboard. It's quick and it's easy.



You don't have to use white cabbage all the time. Today I had a small head of dark Green Savoy Cabbage and so I used that. I just cooked the cabbage for a shorter time than the white cabbage, and as you can clearly see it gave a nice bright green colour to the dish. Very pretty.


I also added a bit of zip with a light drizzle of cooks&Co Olive Oil with Chillies which I was sent to try out the other day. (Remember the grapeseed oil that I used the other day to make that Treacle Gingerbread Loaf that was so nice?? Same company!)It added a wonderful kick to the dish. Hot chillies are added to this olive oil to help to create a classic condiment for pizza's, pasta dishes, dressings sauces and grilled meats. I really thought it added a lovely depth of flavour. This is great olive oil . . . and a little drizzle goes a long way!



In any case, Todd sat there enjoying his ham sandwich and I sat there enjoying my bowl of Noodles and Cabbage. Everybody was content and happy. ☺ Just as it should be.



*Noodles and Cabbage*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

This is a lovely dish that goes well with most meats, and I have even been known to eat a big plate of it all on it's own. My family always used to love it when I made this. I most often use flat egg noodles such as Fettuccini, but Tagliatele and Farfelle works really well also. I don't think that it is suited to the rounder types of pasta. You can top it with sour cream if you like, but we have always loved to have ours with a dusting of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese.

2 cups egg noodles, or other pasta
(Uncooked)
1/4 cup butter
1 large onion, peled and thinly sliced
1 small head of white cabbage, quartered, core trimmed away, and thinly sliced
2 tsp brown sugar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Sour Cream or freshly grated Parmesan Cheese for serving (optional)

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the noodles and cook according to the package directions. When done, drain well, rinse in warm water and then keep warm until they are needed. (Tossing them with just a touch of vegetable oil helps to keep them from sticking together.)

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the butter and once it is foaming add the onion. Cook, stirring until the onion begins to soften. Add the cabbage and sprinkle it all with the brown sugar. Cook, stirring and tossing until the cabbage begins to wilt and brown in a few placed, and the onion and cabbage are well mixed together.

Turn the heat to low, pop a lid on top, and cook for five to ten minutes, giving it a stir every few minutes, until the cabbage and onion are nicely softened and beginning to caramelize a bit. Remove the lid and toss in the noodles, mixing all together well. Heat through and season to taste with some salt and black pepper. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream on top of a light dusting of Parmesan Cheese. Delicious!!



Cooking in The Cottage today, Cheater's Apple and Cherry Crumble.

I was asked the other day how to cook cabbage.   Cabbage is one of those vegetables that we just love in this house, but it is a very easily maligned vegetable, mostly because a lot of people cook it rather horribly.   There is nothing more appealing than a plate of ather insipid and stinky overcooked  boiled cabbage.  Blah.  Blah. Blah.  Fresh cabbage, lightly cooked, is full of goodness, packed with vitamins, minerals and flavour and it’s not expensive or boring in the least.

Cabbage should always be eaten as fresh as possible – it loses nutrients if stored for too long. An unwrapped fresh cabbage should look bright and crisp, with its outer leaves intact (often if it’s had its outer leaves removed, it was because they were limp, which is not a good sign). The centre should feel firm and the leaves should squeak as you pull them apart.  You will want to get rid of any discoloured or wimply outer leaves and then cut the cabbage into quarters.   Remove and discard the core and then cut the cabbage crosswise into thin strips, about 1/3 inch in width, with a sharp knife.  The secret to cooking cabbage is to cook it briefly in rapidly boiling water. I like to  pack it down quite tightly into a saucepan, sprinkle with some fine sea salt.  I then place the pan over a high heat, adding boiling water from the kettle.  This comes back to the boil almost instantly.  I then time it for 3 to 5 minutes.  It is done when you can bite a piece and is just yields, much like cooking pasta.  Drain it immediately in a large colander,  tossing and pressing it lightly to extract as much water as possible from it.  I use a bread and butter plate for this.  I cut down into the cabbage with the edge of the plate which chops it lightly.  You can then dress it with a bit of butter, some salt and pepper and serve it while it is nice and hot.  Delicious!

I think the old school method of cooking most vegetables was to cook them pretty much to death for some reason.  I have some very old cookbooks which recommend cooking carrots for 45 minutes, for instance.  Absolutely all of the nutritional value would pretty much be boiled out by that time I would think!  I wouldn't want to eat a carrot which had been boiled for that long.  Neither would  I want them rock hard.  It is the same with most vegetables.  There is a very fine line between them being overdone or underdone, but  with a bit of practice anyone can get it right.  You can find an excellent chart with cooking times here.

I just adore all the fresh local produce that we find in the shops at this time of year . . . lovely cabbages, red, white and savoy . . . beautiful carrots, and onions . . . potatoes, beetroot, parsnips, beans, cauliflower, leeks, etc.  There is no end to it all . . . that makes me a very happy camper.  I love to eat seasonally and everything tastes so very delicious when it's fresh and local.



I love to showcase these fabulous fresh ingredients in any way that I can and incorporate them into our meals on a regular basis.  I have to confess that you cannot get a much nicer bake . . . than a vegetable gratin . . .



This one that I am sharing with you today is especially nice . . . using  not only potatoes and onions . . . but cabbage and bacon as well . . .  and not one . . . but TWO lovely cheeses.

 

First a nice freshly  grated chunk of wonderful Parmesan cheese.  True Parmigiano-Reggiano has a beautiful complex flavor that goes very nicely in dishes like this.  It brings to the table a slightly nutty/fruity flavor along with a strong savory undertone . . . a wonderful addition.



Then there is an abundant amount of taleggio cheese, which is a washed rind and smear ripened Italian cheese with a strong aroma, but fruity mild taste.  It's beautiful melting qualities are perfectly showcased in this lovely dish.



Let's not forget the back bacon . . . which lends a light smokey flavor, which is quite delightful when enjoyed along side of the cheeses and those tender vegetables.

 

Mind you . . . there's not much that can't be beautifully enhanced with the addition of bacon and cheese don't you think???  Nom Nom!  A simple supper with complex and robust flavors.  I like that very much.



*Cheesy Bacon, Potato & Cabbage Gratin*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

Wholesome, hearty and delicious autumn fare.  A novel way of using autumn produce that will please the whole family.

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
185g back bacon, diced (6.5 ounces)
1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp chili flakes (or to taste)
675g of savoy cabbage, trimmed, quartered and cut into a chunky dice (1 1/2 pounds)
55g freshly grated Parmesan cheese (2 ounces)
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
butter for buttering the  pan
225g of taleggio cheese, diced (8 ounces)

 

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to the boil.  Add the potato and bring back to the boil.  Cover and cook for exactly 5 minutes, or until just barely tender.  Drain well and then place in a large bowl.

Heat the oil in a large skillet.  Add the bacon and fry until the bacon begins to color.  Lower the heat and add the onions, garlic, thyme and chili flakes.  Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened.

Wash the cabbage pieces.  Tip a third of it into the pan while it is still wet.  Cook, stirring and adding more cabbage as it wilts in the pan, until you have added all of the cabbage and adding a bit of water as necessary to help keep the cabbage from sticking to the pan.  Once the cabbage is completely wilted, remove the pan from the heat and dump this mixture into the bowl with the potatoes.  Toss gently together.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Tip in half of the Parmesan cheese.

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Butter a 9 inch square glass baking dish, at least 2 inches deep.

Layer half of the cabbage and potato mixture into the pan.  Dot with half of the taleggio cheese.  Cover with the remaining cabbage and potato mixture.  Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese and dot with the remaining taleggio.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the vegetables are piping hot and the cheese is bubbling and flecked golden brown.

A little pickle on the side and some buttered bread and we were in heaven . . . 

I just adore all the fresh local produce that we find in the shops at this time of year . . . lovely cabbages, red, white and savoy . . . beautiful carrots, and onions . . . potatoes, beetroot, parsnips, beans, cauliflower, leeks, etc.  There is no end to it all . . . that makes me a very happy camper.  I love to eat seasonally and everything tastes so very delicious when it's fresh and local.



I love to showcase these fabulous fresh ingredients in any way that I can and incorporate them into our meals on a regular basis.  I have to confess that you cannot get a much nicer bake . . . than a vegetable gratin . . .



This one that I am sharing with you today is especially nice . . . using  not only potatoes and onions . . . but cabbage and bacon as well . . .  and not one . . . but TWO lovely cheeses.

 

First a nice freshly  grated chunk of wonderful Parmesan cheese.  True Parmigiano-Reggiano has a beautiful complex flavor that goes very nicely in dishes like this.  It brings to the table a slightly nutty/fruity flavor along with a strong savory undertone . . . a wonderful addition.



Then there is an abundant amount of taleggio cheese, which is a washed rind and smear ripened Italian cheese with a strong aroma, but fruity mild taste.  It's beautiful melting qualities are perfectly showcased in this lovely dish.



Let's not forget the back bacon . . . which lends a light smokey flavor, which is quite delightful when enjoyed along side of the cheeses and those tender vegetables.

 

Mind you . . . there's not much that can't be beautifully enhanced with the addition of bacon and cheese don't you think???  Nom Nom!  A simple supper with complex and robust flavors.  I like that very much.



*Cheesy Bacon, Potato & Cabbage Gratin*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

Wholesome, hearty and delicious autumn fare.  A novel way of using autumn produce that will please the whole family.

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
185g back bacon, diced (6.5 ounces)
1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp chili flakes (or to taste)
675g of savoy cabbage, trimmed, quartered and cut into a chunky dice (1 1/2 pounds)
55g freshly grated Parmesan cheese (2 ounces)
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
butter for buttering the  pan
225g of taleggio cheese, diced (8 ounces)

 

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to the boil.  Add the potato and bring back to the boil.  Cover and cook for exactly 5 minutes, or until just barely tender.  Drain well and then place in a large bowl.

Heat the oil in a large skillet.  Add the bacon and fry until the bacon begins to color.  Lower the heat and add the onions, garlic, thyme and chili flakes.  Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened.

Wash the cabbage pieces.  Tip a third of it into the pan while it is still wet.  Cook, stirring and adding more cabbage as it wilts in the pan, until you have added all of the cabbage and adding a bit of water as necessary to help keep the cabbage from sticking to the pan.  Once the cabbage is completely wilted, remove the pan from the heat and dump this mixture into the bowl with the potatoes.  Toss gently together.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Tip in half of the Parmesan cheese.

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Butter a 9 inch square glass baking dish, at least 2 inches deep.

Layer half of the cabbage and potato mixture into the pan.  Dot with half of the taleggio cheese.  Cover with the remaining cabbage and potato mixture.  Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese and dot with the remaining taleggio.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the vegetables are piping hot and the cheese is bubbling and flecked golden brown.

A little pickle on the side and some buttered bread and we were in heaven . . . 

Place the chicken carcasses and any backs or necks you are using into a large saucepan. Add water to cover by several inches.  Add the cut up vegetables and aromatics.  Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook at a very slow simmer for anywhere from between 3 hours to six hours. (The longer you cook it, the more flavourful it will be.)  Line a colander with some cheese cloth and strain the contents of the pot into a large clean bowl.  Discard any solids left behind.  Chill.  Discard any solid fat which forms on top.  The broth is now ready to use as you desire, or you can break it down into smaller quantities and freeze for future use.