Red Cabbage

Red Cabbage [braised]

A fine specimen of red cabbage

Ingredients

1 medium sized red cabbage ( make sure the stump looks whitish, if it is brown the cabbage is old and will taste simply bad)

fresh red cabbage

1 medium onion

150g Bacon pieces (or rashers) you can  use the pre cut ones)

2 Bay Leaves (if you have fresh ones use 3-4)

2-3 Apples ( Braeburn or any apple which has a good apple taste)

1 Tbsp Sunflower/Rapeseed Oil

1-2 Tbsp vinegar (nicest a good Balsamic one)

2-3 Tbsp brown sugar ( best: organic brown)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 Glass of Red wine or 1 glass of water

Method

1. Cut cabbage into pieces, like for Coleslaw

2. Peel and cut onion small, do the same for the bacon

3. Heat oil in large saucepan

4. Add bacon pieces and brown slightly, add the onion

5. Fry until bacon pieces are crispy

6. Add cabbage and mix with bacon and onion

7. Add vinegar sugar and bayleaves

8. Put peeled and sliced apple on top of cabbage, add glass of wine or water and simmer on low temperature for approx 4- to 50 minutes

9. Add salt and pepper, check seasoning add more vinegar and/or sugar if necessary

the finished result!

Note When the cabbage is ready, most of the juice should have evaporated. If there is too much liquid boil it off, being careful not to burn the cabbage. You can also thicken the cabbage with a little cornflour mixed with a little water and added to the cabbage. Tastes best reheated!

Note on Vegetables (in general)

There are lot of recipes for all vegetables, especially if you want to use them as a main dish.. If you use them

as an accompaniment to the main meal, then the more simple they are cooked the better. Only buy vegetables when they are fresh. Use a shop or market which has a quick turn over. Bear in mind that frozen vegetables are a better alternative to tired old vegetables

Corn patties

Corn Patties

What to do when friends of your children are vegetarians? You try to find interesting and different recipes. The following recipe I found in a Vegetarian Thai cooking book  many years ago and it is still one of my favourite vegetarian starters. It is not only very tasty but also quick and easy to make.

Cooking time 5 min/ prep.time 15min

Ingredients

1 can of Sweet Corn
2 med. onion chopped
1 tsp curry powder
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp ground coriander
Some chopped parsley/ or chives
3 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Salt to taste
1 large egg
4 Tbsp oil

Cooking Instructions

1. Lightly mash the corn in a bowl
2. Add all the ingredients except the oil and mix well
3. Drop spoonful of mixture in pan with heated oil, lightly flatten with back of spoon
4. Fry  each side  for approx. 4 min.

Eat while still warm and serve with sweet chili sauce

NOTE: don't turn patties too early. 

Quick Stir Fry

Quick Stir Fry

Preparation time: 10 min, cooking time: 2-3 min

Ingredients

Use any mixture of vegetables.
The amount depends on  whether this is to be a meal in itself or  a side dish.
This particular mixture was used as a side dish to fried fish.

2 carrot, 2 leeks, 1 onion, 1 red pepper, 125 g fresh spinach

Some rapeseed oil, 2 Tbsp light soya oil, some pepper

Cooking Instructions

1. Clean the vegetables and cut them into thin strips, the carrots can be shaved with a vegetable peeler.
2. Just before you want to serve the fish or meat, heat up the oil in the wok
3. Add all the vegetables and quickly fry the vegetables not longer than 2-3 min
4. Add the spinach just a minute before serving.
5. Add the light Soya Sauce and serve immediately.

This stir fry is especially nice with pan fried fish, lemon sole, plaice, Brill etc.

Note:  Spinach be exchanged with more peppers and/or mushrooms, cabbage etc. Just be carfeful not to overfill the wok.