Red cabbage is one of my all-time favorite vegetables. On more than one occasion, I’ve made a meal of them. An extra generous mound of crumbled goat cheese on top easily makes this dish a meal. Or, you could add a grilled chicken breast or a portion of broiled salmon for added protein.
Rough Chop
Braised Red Cabbage with Goat Cheese
makes 1 huge pot
1 head cabbage, roughly chopped
1 large onion, finely diced
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups fresh cranberries, or frozen
1 large apple, or 2 small ones
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground basil
2 cups chicken stock, or water
goat cheese, crumbled to sprinkle on top, if desired
In a large dutch oven, melt butter over moderate heat. Add onions and sauté until light golden at the edges. Add cranberries, apple, sugar, salt, pepper and dried basil. Stir for an additional minute or two. Add chicken stock or water. Stir to combine. Then, add cabbage and simmer gently for approximately 15 minutes. Cabbage should be tender. If needed, add additional salt to taste.
To serve: Spoon cabbage into a bowl and crumble goat cheese on top.
(Or, simmer gently until the cabbage is wilted. Pour into 9×13 inch baking dish and place in a hot oven and roast until tender. This should take about.20-25 minutes.)
We’re not soup people. We’re more likely to go for a bowl of chili or a hearty stew. But, it’s definitely time to sneak a few more soups into the supper schedule while there’s a chill in the air. Whether those sniffles were caused by a cold, flu or pollen, a warm bowl of soup will help to sooth them away. Smoked turkey and green chilies gave this soup phenomenal flavor. If you are a bit under the weather, you might decide to go light on the spices …or not. It’s up to you.
Turkey Soup with Green Chiles
makes 1 big pot
1 large onion, diced
olive oil, as needed
4 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 stalks celery, well-washed and chopped with tops left on
5 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
1 – 28oz can tomatoes, pureed in food processor
4-5 cups chicken stock
1 smoked turkey leg
5-6 roasted green chiles
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon pasilla chile powder, or your favorite
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 fresh bay leaf
In a large dutch oven, drizzle olive oil into the pan (approximately 2 Tablespoons). Add onion and sauté until barely golden at the edges. Add garlic, celery, carrots. Toss briefly and continue to sauté for another minute. Then, add tomatoes, chicken stock, turkey leg, roasted green chilies and spices. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer gently until the turkey can be removed from the bone. This should take about one hour. Carefully remove the smoked turkey leg from the soup and remove the large bone and small hard pieces of tendon. Shred the boneless turkey and return it to the soup. Serve with low salt tortilla chips, salsa and sour cream on the side. Garnish as you choose.
Lots of red pepper flakes and Mexican spices added heat and complexity.
And, if you have to.. you can buy them, too!
Adding a thick chunk of Parmigiano rind makes a great way to add flavor and richness to a variety of Italian soups. My favorites are chicken based broths with bitter greens and white beans. But, a tomato based vegetable soup works equally well.
Here, I’m using the last of my holiday season turkey stock. But, chicken stock and vegetable stock work beautifully, too. Out of stock? Just add extra veggies.
Turkey, Fennel And Herb Soup
makes 1 big pot
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil, as needed
3 stalks celery, washed and chopped
5 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 fennel bulb, sliced into thin pieces
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
6-8 cups turkey stock (Or chicken stock, vegetable stock, or water)
Parmigiano Reggiano rind, at least one 2 x 1/2 inch thick wedge
2 Tablespoons sun-dried tomato, sliced into slivers
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
escarole,arugula, or other bitter greens, if desired
1 handful basil, save some for garnishing
several strands of chive, finely diced
In a large dutch oven, saute onion in olive oil for 1-2 minutes. Add garlic, celery, carrots, fennel, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes. Stir briefly. Add chicken stock, Parmigiano Reggiano rind, and sun-dried tomato. Bring to a simmer. Taste. Add salt and black pepper, to taste. Continue to simmer for approximately 10-15 minutes. Or, until vegetables are tender. Two minutes before serving add bitter greens and a handful of basil, if you desire. Turn off the heat and let sit for 1-2 minutes. Serve in large bowls with chunks of toasted rustic bread. Garnish with basil and chives, if desired.
Mangia, mangia!
I love avocados. They’re so rich, creamy, and satisfying. Just add at least half of an avocado to any salad and you’ve turned it into a meal. This could work with fruit salads, too. I prefer avocado in my savory salads. But, I’ve been know to sprinkle a little bit of sugar straight onto a halved avocado (pit removed) and turn that into an instant meal.
Avocado, Corn and Tomato Salad
serves one
1 tomato, washed and cored, diced
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1/2 corn, cut off the cob (leftover grilled corn? Even better)
1/2 red pepper, roasted (Leftovers? Works here, too)
1 avocado, cut in half and sliced into big chunks
1 small handful cilantro, minced
juice of half a lime
drizzle of peanut oil, or your favorite olive oil
fine sea salt, to taste
black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
Add tomato, scallion, corn, and red pepper to a large salad bowl. Toss. Add avocado. Drizzle with lime juice. Add cilantro and oil. Then, sprinkle salt and pepper on top. Toss gently.
Devour immediately.
Pastina…
It can refer to any tiny pasta. Or, it might refer to a dish made by Italian grandmothers everywhere. It’s a simple blend of chicken soup, broth, stock, and veggies. My grandmother added the pastina directly to the chicken soup. So, that’s how I make it. This will thicken the soup and create a risotto-like consistency. Pastina… it’s the mother of all comfort foods.
Here, I’ve added chunky pieces of carrots to an already rich turkey soup.
Pastina
makes 1 large pot
1 large onion, finely diced
3 Tablespoons butter
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 carrots, roughly diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1-2 hot cherry peppers, finely diced
turkey or chicken soup, or stock, or broth, as needed (at least 8 cups)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
salt, to taste
1 lb pastina (stars)
Parmigiano Reggiano, if desired
In a large dutch oven, sauté onion until edges begin to cook and turn golden. Add garlic, carrots, celery and peppers. Stir briefly. Add at least 8 cups of turkey soup (or chicken soup, or chicken stock, etc). Simmer gently for 5-10 minutes, or until carrot pieces are tender. Add pastina and stir. Add additional soup, as needed. If you want a thinner soup, add chicken stock to create the consistency you desire. But, we like it rich and creamy in our house. Simmer gently until the stars are tender. Add pepper and salt, to taste. (Sometimes, we’ve been known to add a splash or two of cream to make it even richer. …sssSSSsssshh… Don’t tell anyone.)
Top with grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Here, I’ve made the dish slightly richer by tossing coarse crumbs on top.
Hair of the dog cures… do they work?
Or, do they just distract you? Whatever helps you forget that you’re miserables is worth a try, right? St George Absinthe makes a nice addition to that last version of this cocktail. There’s a nice heady rush of menthol that we enjoy.
Corpse Reviver
makes 1
2 parts cognac
1 part Calvados
1 part vermouth
Stir all together in an iced shaker. Strain into cocktail glass.
Joe Gilmore’s Savoy Corpse Reviver
makes 1
1 part brandy
1 part Fernet Branca
1 part Creme de Menthe
Stir all together in an iced shaker. Strain into a cocktail glass.
And, Another Version:
1 part gin
1 part Cointreau
1 part Lillet Blanc
1 part lemon juice
splash of Absinthe
Stir all together in an iced shaker. Strain into a cocktail glass
Cheers…
…to a better tomorrow!
I love the crisp crunch of a fresh cherry. Sometimes, that bag of fresh cherries are a bit soft and ripe. That’s the perfect time to make a batch of jam.
Cherry Amaretto Jam
2 lbs cherries, well-washed and pitted
1 cup dried sour cherries
3 cups sugar
juice of two lemon
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 cup Amaretto
In a large stock pot, bring all to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the jam reaches the proper thickness that you enjoy. Let cool. Use immediately and store the leftovers in large glass bowl in the fridge. It shouldn’t last long enough to spoil.
(If you want to can your jam. Use a proper canning recipe.)
Serve over toast, pound cake, yogurt, cottage cheese, or ice cream.
Or…
You could gently stir chilled spoonfuls of the jam into soft vanilla ice cream. Leave big streaks of jam and plenty of cherry chunks for texture. Let the mixture firm up for at least an hour or two in the freezer before serving.
I pit mine by cutting them in half. It’s easy to do and you have pretty pieces for your jam.
It’s an incredible stretch to call this a recipe. But, I absolutely loved this meal and it was delicious. Taking those two facts into account, this makeshift snack/meal deserves to be noted. It was one of those days. I needed lunch and I needed it fast. Two minutes later, I had a bowl full of chips and chunky avocado tossed in a spoonful of a very spicy tomatillo salsa. One avocado and a handful of chips made one seriously filling meal.
Avocado with Tomatillo Salsa
serves 1
1 Haas Avocado, perfectly ripe
1 heaping Tablespoon tomatillo salsa
juice of 1/2 lime
pinch fine sea salt
Cut avocado in half. Remove the pit. Gently score avocado in its shell into rough cubes. Scoop into a small bowl with a spoon. Add the juice of 1/2 of a lime and 1 heaping tablespoon of tomatillo salsa. Gently stir. Taste. Garnish with a handful of blue tortilla chips and devour. Or, add a pinch of salt, stir gently and then garnish with chips and devour.
Very lightly salted blue chips were crutial to my enjoyment of this meal.
It’s the simple things in life …so So Good
To make Tomatillo Salsa:
Tomatillo Salsa
makes 1 large bowl
6 tomatillos, well-washed, halved, and stem end removed
1 medium-sized onion, roughly diced
2 (or more if you like it hot) hot peppers, serranos or jalapeñoes
2-4 cloves garlic
olive oil, as needed
fine sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place halved tomatillos in a large baking dish. Place each garlic coves on top of one of the halves. Distribute diced onions over the top. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with fine sea salt. Place in preheated oven and roast until edges of the onion turn golden brown, approximately 30 minutes. Place roasted tomatillo mixture and a pinch or two of freshly ground black pepper in a powerful blender. Pulse to your desired consistency. Pour into serving bowl and serve immediately or refrigerate.
Probably because of all of the holiday excess, I get into a frugal mood out of the blue. After coring a particularly delicious pineapple, I wondered. What could I do with the fiber-y core. First thought, it’s smoothie time. The fiber-y bits in the resulting smoothie were barely noticeable.
Pineapple Banana Smoothie
makes 1
1 big wedge of pineapple, approximately 1/2 heaping cup
(or, if you have an especially ripe and delicious pineapple core)
1 large banana
1 cup ice
splash of orange juice
juice of 1/2 a lime
pineapple to garnish, if desired
Place all ingredients into a powerful blender. Liquify. Pour into your glass of choice. Garnish, if you desire to do so.
Cheers! …Breakfast style!
P.S. If you choose to garnish with a ring of pineapple, be careful to hook the pineapple over the rim of your glass better than I did. I had to fish out the wet, sticky wedge at the end of my smoothie meal. Does that constitute playing with your food?
With this issue, it’s official. I love Lucky Peach.
Now, I just need (not want, NEED… NEED RIGHT NOW!) to buy every single back issue that I’ve missed. And, I’m wishing for a subscription for Valentine’s Day. I’m hoping they’ll do something beautifully graphic with hearts.
Just a tease…
This is might be where the love affair began. Or, maybe it’s just the feather that pushed me over the edge. Either way, i’m hooked.
Lucky Peach
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