Cooking

Recipe: Cabbage And Peas

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A variant of an Indian dish, made even healthier, and with a spice tweak in the form of smoked paprika instead of a pepper. It reminds me a bit of some german and country cabbage dishes, and has a unique taste.  I served it with a potato as a side dish.

 

Very fast to make as well.

Makes 4 servings.

 

Ingredients

1 large head of cabbage (about 3 lbs)

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground, smoked paprika

1 tsp black pepper

½ tsp salt.

½ cup water

2 cups frozen or thawed green peas

 

  1. Cut cabbage into quarters and slice out core. Cut into strips about ½ wide.
  2. Place cabbage in pot.
  3. Mix water with spices and pour over cabbage. Check bottom of pot – there should be a thin layer of water. If not, add slightly more.
  4. Cover pot, bring water to boil, then simmer, stirring occasionally.
  5. Make sure there’s always a thin layer of water in the pot.
  6. When cabbage softens, add peas. Stir thoroughly and heat through.
  7. Serve.

Bean And Mushroom Chili

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My variant of a recipe I found in the “Forks Over Knives” Cookbook (which is worth purchasing PERIOD).  This isn’t quite where I want it yet, but the unusual combination of spices, in turn, produces a delightfully deep and unique flavor – fennel works well with cumin and coa powder in ways I didn’t expect.  The beans and mushrooms work together better than I’d expected – and I strongly recommend using diverse beans.. It’s a bit milder than I’d hoped, but some extra salt picks it up.  I think I’ll tweak it with cinnamon next time (and maybe cut the black pepper).

Makes about 6 servings.

  • 1 White onion, diced
  • 1 lb mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 Tbsp crushed garlic (6 cloves)
  • 1 Tbsp powdered cumin
  • 1 Tbsp Ancho Chili Powder
  • 1 Tbsp coca powder
  • 2 Tbsp fennel seeds
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 3 cups diced tomatoes (or 1 28 oz can)
  • 1 cup water
  • 4 ½ cups different beans. (3 14 1/2 cans) – I use kidney, pinto, and black beans
  1. Place onion and mushrooms in a large dutch oven or other saucepan. Dry sauté, adding water as needed to keep them from sticking. Stir and sauté for ten minutes until onions and mushrooms soften. The mushrooms will release their water over time.
  2. Add all spices, stir to mix, cooking for 3 minutes or so until well blended.
  3. Add all other ingredients. Bring to simmer, cook covered for 25 minutes

I first tried it with a pickled cabbage salad – which worked very well.  A sour kick and a spicy kick but neither overwhelming.  Rounded it out with some nice mild corn.

Respectfully,

– Steven Savage
http://www.musehack.com/
http://www.informotron.com/
http://www.seventhsanctum.com/

Rooster Sauce, Version 3

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CEGUnrTWAAEOzuB

My attempts at a homemade Sriracha-like sauce (aka Rooster sauce) continue.  This version seems to balance the heat and taste closer to my liking, so I think I’m about to where I want it to be.  The heat is there but not overwhelming, and the taste has some richness and complexity to it.

I consider this a success (indeed all the sauces have been good, I’m just improving it over time).  The only issue is the heat outlasts the taste longer than I’d like, so I’m wondering what else I can do – I’d rather a taste that stays along longer than reducing the heat much more.  At the same time it’s just pretty damn good so why mess with it?

Let me know if you have any ideas!

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 lbs red chili peppers; Fresno, jalapeño, or Serrano
  • 2 habanero peppers
  • 2 red bell pepper
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup
  • 8 Tbsp crushed garlic cloves garlic (24 cloves)
  • 1 Tbsp salt
  • ½ cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  1. Remove stems and split jalapeño and habanero peppers. Dice the red pepper.
  2. Puree all ingredients but red wine vinegar and soy sauce in blender/food processor into a coarse mix.
  3. Place mix in airtight jar. Leave for seven days to ferment, stirring once a day with a wooden spoon.
  4. Place mixture into pan with vinegar, bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Remove from heat, let cool, stirring occasionally.
  6. Place mixture into a strainer over a bowl. Press mixture with wooden spoon repeatedly to drain all the liquid.
  7. Add soy sauce to drained liquid. Pour liquid into bottle via a funnel.
  8. Store in refrigerator. It should keep for three months, maybe as long as six.

Respectfully,

– Steven Savage
http://www.musehack.com/
http://www.informotron.com/
http://www.seventhsanctum.com/