Braised Cabbage

 

In the winter, there's nothing like cabbage. And there's a sentence I never thought I'd write. It must have been the many years in England that have made me come around to the vegetable. Like most people probably, I still have a bit of an aversion to the food on principle. Too many times overcooked and bland, cabbage has had a bad rap for the past generation or so. Only recently have chefs taken the poor humble cabbage and given it a face lift. 

I've been a fan of braising vegetables since my experimentations with leeks, so this recipe was intriguing. Just enough Indian and Asian spice to make the whole thing interesting, but still, the braising brought out the inherent sweetness to the cabbage that made it a delightful side dish for the winter. 

Oh cabbage, where have you been all my life?

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds savoy cabbage
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon canola oil
2 whole cloves
1 tablespoon black mustard seeds (I used ground mustard, it worked just fine)
20 curry leaves (also relied on the powdered form here, no problems)
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons peeled, julienned fresh ginger
1/2 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
1 cup chopped fresh or canned tomato
1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
Kosher salt.

Method
Cut cabbage into 6 to 8 wedges, with the widest part no more than 2 inches, leaving the core intact so the wedges stay together while cooking. Place a heavy skillet, large enough to hold wedges fairly snugly, over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup oil and heat until it shimmers. Add the cabbage, and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes a side. Transfer to a plate, and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium-low, add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and heat until it shimmers. Add cloves, mustard seeds, curry leaves, bay leaf, shallot and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add ginger, turmeric, 1 tablespoon jalapeño, tomato and broth. Season with salt to taste. If desired, add more jalapeño to taste.

Increase heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Add cabbage, fitting it tightly together in the bottom of the pot. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and braise cabbage until tender, about 10 minutes, turning it once halfway through cooking. Remove and discard cloves, curry leaves and bay leaf. If desired, serve with rice.

Yield: 3 servings

Paprika and Chili Sweet Potato Chips

There is a burger joint in my hometown that serves sweet potato fries instead of your bog standard. Although I'm not a massive burger fan, once these fries appeared on the table (in their own tiny shopping cart no less!), I was hooked. With just enough salt and a pinch of chili, there is nothing better in life. I found this recipe for them online via Delicious Magazine and while this version is more to the tune of "home fries" than the narrow slivers of sweet potato-y goodness at Delux, believe me, I had no problems whatsoever finishing these off.

I also threw a hearty pinch of rosemary on the potatoes while they were roasting in the oven. Because there has been no time in my life when rosemary and sweet potatoes was a bad decision. And this experience was no different. 

Although these "fries" are baked, if you want a crispier texture, throw them under the broiler/grill for the last few minutes. It should firm up their skins and give an overall more satisfying crunch.

Ingredients

4 (about 800g) large sweet potatoes
2 red onions, cut into wedges
2 tbsp olive oil
Large pinch of chilli flakes
1 tsp sweet paprika
½ tsp sea salt
Optional: 2 tbsp rosemary

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Cut the potatoes into thick wedges and transfer to a large, shallow roasting tin along with the red onion. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the chilli, paprika and salt. Toss together to coat, and spread out in a single layer so they cook evenly.

Bake the sweet potato and onion for 30-35 minutes until golden and cooked through.

Braised Leeks

The wonders of this recipe came to me completely by accident, I have to admit. A dinner party was planned and a chicken dish was requested. I had planned on serving a fabulous dish by the New York Times featuring roast chicken and fennel, when low and behold, no fennel was to be found. Literally. In the entirety of Oxford, fennel was persona non grata. In a panic and with less than 3 hours to dinner time, I suddenly remembered the recipe for Deviled Chicken on the Smitten Kitchen blog. While I didn't have the time to marinate and serve the chicken as prepared, the side dish of leeks seemed a perfect complement for the amended recipe. And, oh my, was this delicious. It's a multi-step dish, I grant you, but it is worth it. Roasting the leeks in the chicken broth for that long brings out just enough of the sweetness, and the pre-grilling adds just the right amount of smokiness and crunch. Honestly, forget the chicken. Just serve this. Seriously.

Ingredients

6 large leeks

About 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup sliced shallots

1 tablespoon thyme leaves

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock or water

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Remove any bruised outer layers from the leeks. Trim off to the roots, leaving the root end intact. Trim the tops of the leeks on the diagonal, leaving 2 inches of the green part attached. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise, and submerge in a large bowl of cold water to clean them. Shake the leeks well to dislodge the dirt stuck inside. Let them sit a few minutes, to allow any grit inside the layers to fall to the bottom of the bowl. Repeat the process until the water is clean. Place the leeks, cut side down, on a towel and pat dry completely.

Turn the leeks over so their cut sides are facing up, and season with 2 teaspoons salt and a few grindings of black pepper.

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Pour in 1/4 cup olive oil, and wait 1 minute. Place the leeks in the pan, cut side down, being careful not to crowd them. (you will probably need to saute them in batches or in two pans. Add more olive oil to the pan as needed, for each batch.) Sear them 4 to 5 minutes, until they are golden brown. Season the backs of the leeks with salt and pepper, and turn them over to cook another 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer them to a large gratin dish, lining them up, cut sides facing up. (Choose a baking dish or gratin dish that can go from oven to table and that will accommodate all the leeks and chick thighs, or use two smaller dishes.)

Pour 1/4 cup olive oil into the pan and heat over medium heat. Add the shallots, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper. Cook about 5 minutes, until the shallots are just beginning to color. Add the white wine and reduce by half. Add 1 1/2 cups stock, and bring to a boil over high heat.

Pour the liquid over the leeks. The stock should not quite cover them; add more stock if necessary.
Braise in the oven 30 minutes, until the leeks are tender when pierced.

If serving with chicken, simply place the meat on top of the leeks and let the juices meld with the chicken. You won't overcook the leeks and you'll get all those great flavors to combine with the meat. For the win.

Shell Bean Succotash

In my opinion, this is among the most American of dishes. Simply because it has the best name *ever*. Although my mother never made it herself, I will always associate this with childhood and Loony Toons, thanks to Sylvester the Cat's famous catchphrase ("Sufferin' Succotash!)". I had no idea what he was talking about at age 8 and only now, a few decades later, have I realized that the dish that inspired the alliterative phrase was also a delicious veggie filled concoction. While this version comes from the New York Times Recipes for Health section, as you'll quickly see, it's an almost fool-proof way of cooking veg. It's also an absolutely gorgeous dish, full of colors.

Who knew that good old Sylvester was advocating your 5 a day?

Ingredients

1 pound shell beans (about 1 3/4 cups)

1 onion, halved

7 cups water

3 large garlic cloves, crushed

A bouquet garni made with a few sprigs each of parsley and thyme, a sprig of sage and a bay leaf

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1/2 pound summer squash, cut in small dice

2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)

Kernels from 4 ears of corn

2 or 3 sage leaves, minced

Freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1. Combine the beans, onion, water, garlic, bouquet garni and salt in a heavy saucepan or soup pot, and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 45 minutes, or until the beans are tender. Taste and adjust salt. Remove and discard the onion, the bouquet garni and the garlic cloves. Drain though a strainer or colander set over a bowl.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat, and add the red onion. Cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, for about three minutes. Add the squash, and salt to taste. Cook, stirring, until the squash begins to soften and look translucent, three to four minutes. Add the garlic and corn. Cook for about four minutes, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper. Add the beans and sage, and continue to cook, stirring, for another minute or two. Taste and adjust seasonings. If you want this to be more moist, stir in some of the bean broth.

Yield: Serves 6.

Advance preparation: This will keep for a few of hours atop the stove.

Curried Cucumbers

 A move to a new kitchen (and accompanying new kitchenware) had to sponsor a feast of epic "moving-in day" proportions. Although this feast took place about 5 days after the actual move, it was a great way to break in (sometimes literally) the new appliances and flatware. Because karma is kind, my new roommate has a penchant for buying produce at the weekly farmer's market. She brought home the most beautiful cucumbers, fortunate as the New York Times had just devoted an entire section to the vegetable (well, actually fruit, but let's not be silly). I had never thought to "curry" cucumbers before but it was a great late summer side dish. The NY Times recommended using about 1 teaspoon of curry powder which I thought to be absolutely ridiculous. I used at least 5 and still thought it could have used more. Of course, it's entirely up to taste, but I say the more curry the better.

Ingredients

4 medium cucumbers, peeled if waxed, or 2 European cucumbers

1 tablespoon canola oil or extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced across the grain

Salt and freshly ground pepper

5+ teaspoons curry powder (more to taste)

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives or cilantro

Preparation

1. If using regular cucumbers, cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Slice on the diagonal about 1/4 inch thick. If using long European cucumbers, peel, if desired, and slice on the diagonal about 1/4 inch thick.

2. Heat the oil in a large lidded skillet or saucepan over medium heat, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add a pinch of salt and the curry powder, and stir together for another minute. Add the cucumber, and cook, stirring, for three minutes. Stir in the wine, and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer 15 minutes. Uncover, raise the heat and cook until the liquid evaporates. Season to taste with salt, remove from the heat and stir in the chives and cilantro. Serve hot, at room temperature or cold.

Yield: Serves four to six.

Advance preparation: You can make these several hours before serving and reheat.