Brazen’ Red Cabbage

October had me thinking Oktoberfest and playing with wiener schnitzel recipes. Who doesn’t love a nice Viennese cutlet? On the boat, I was using veal cutlets and I also did a chicken version in New Orleans that went just as well with the sides. Topping the meat was a squeeze of fresh lemon and a saute of mushrooms. I made pasta with brown butter, grated manchego and crushed red pepper and to cut the zingy flavors, I braised red cabbage. The cabbage has been a hit and it is a really simple. Plus, it brightens up the plate!

Start with a big firm head of red cabbage. One large head will serve 6 people comfortably. I like to chop the cabbage in 1/2 inch strips about 3 inches long.

1 med. onion - diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, fine chop

kosher salt
white pepper
black pepper
white wine and red wine
apple cider vinegar
touch of sugar and or honey as needed
butter and oil

Heat a 4 or 6 quart pot and add equal parts butter and oil - start with 2 T of each. Add chopped garlic and onion and saute on med-high heat until carmelizing starts. Splash in a good 1/2 a cup each of red and white wine. Reduce a few minutes and add the cabbage. Stir to work oils thru the cabbage and reduce heat to medium-low. Season with salt and pepepr to taste. After about 30 minutes or so, splash in some cider vinegar.

The rest is up to you….if you want a bit of a sweet and sour, add a touch of honey and sugar(I think this works best with the cutlets and pasta). Work it to taste adding a touch of wine, vinegar, a touch more butter……whatever your palate or the dish needs!

A Time to Shuck

Summer corn can be taken for granted. One day, you will run out to grab some corn for dinner and they will tell you the season is over and you will be dissappointed! The steaks are seasoned and you even have some nice tomatoes left from the garden, but, no corn…..tragic. I highly recommend shucking your favorite farmer’s corn, cutting it off the cob, bagging and freezing it while supplies last.

Last summer, managing a fresh produce market, I often found myself racing to shuck and prep corn so it would not go to waste. We made corn salad, shrimp and corn chowder, succotash and pineapple jalapeno corn bread. This year, I had fun re-working a classic, creamed corn. The result was delicious….a velvety concoction with the right crunch of fresh summer corn and a hint of vanilla in the sweet and savory finish.

This is a dish to do to your taste and there are plenty of ways to alter the recipe for your nutritional preferences, without sacrificing quality. It takes a little extra prep time, but you are sure to taste the love.

Corn and Sweet Cream

12 ears of corn, shucked and corn cut off the cob
2 carrots, small dice
2 ribs of celery, small dice
1 large shallot or small onion, small dice

4 T butter
1-2 T canola or safflower oil
2 cups of heavy cream
3-4 dashes of pure vanilla extract
1 T honey
2 T sugar

To Taste:
cayenne pepper
white pepper
kosher salt

As needed: 1-2 T of corn starch, mixed with water for thickening at the end.

Heat 1 T of butter and 1 T of oil on med-high heat and saute carrot, celery and onion for 2-3 minutes to sweat the veggies. Add the corn and the rest of the butter with a few pinches of kosher salt. Saute on medium heat until all veggies are al dente, stirring frequently, about 10-12 minutes. Pour in the heavy cream, sugar and honey. Bring to a low boil and reduce heat, simmer for at least 45 minutes. Cream will reduce and thicken. Add vanilla, cayenne pepper, white pepper and more salt, if needed. Allow to simmer for 10 more minutes to meld flavors. Thicken with a bit of corn starch if needed.

I prefer corn starch in this recipe to achieve that velvety texture. You can back off the cream and replace it with a bit of chicken stock and skim milk. If you do that, you will definitely need the corn starch. You could also use a bit of splenda in place of white sugar, but don’t skip the honey.

If you are inviting true Southerners to dinner, the above options are not recommended!

Happy Summer and get a shuckin’.

Applesauce Revisited

This is a great way to dress up a jar of applesauce and goes really well with a roast pork dinner! I was cooking for 18 and you can easily cut this in half.

2 Granny Smith Apples
1 48oz. jar of homestyle applesauce, your pick
1 bag of dried cherries and golden raisins
3T of Brandy
1/4 c. packed light brown sugar
pinch of kosher salt
2 T honey
1 T butter
2 t. vanilla
cinnamon to taste

Peel and chop apple into small cubes. Melt butter in saute pan on med-high heat….saute apples for about a minute and slpash in brandy…watch for flame, simmer for another minute. Add the rest of ingredients except cinnamon and simmer another minute. Check apple, once fork tender, shut down heat. The whole process should be done in 3-4 minutes. Let the mixture cool, add the cinnamon to taste. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

Soup Goodies

These are some nice edible garni for soup, especially the Leek and Winter Squash Soup recipe posted earlier. Taking the time to add a spin like this to your soup can really elevate the dish.

Toasted Cheese Crouton

Manchego is one of my favorite cheeses to use for this crouton. Parmesan or locatelli works well. Use your favorite cheese and think about how the flavor will hit the soup. You need a small baguette, cut on a bias, 1/4 inch thick. Combine 4 T of finely grated cheese with 1 T of softened butter and 1 T of mayonnaise. Yep, mayo. It makes the mixture puff up a bit when baked. Add a pinch of kosher salt. Spread a generous amount of the mixture onto the baguette slices and toast until golden brown.

Herbed Sour Cream

Simply mix finely chopped herbs with sour cream for a tasty dollup to top your soup. 1 T of chopped herbs to a 1/2 cup of sour cream is a pretty good proportion, to be adjusted according to your taste. Add kosher salt and white pepper to blossom the flavors. Chives, Italian parsley and basil work well together. Based on the flavor of the soup, I like to add a touch of fresh mint or cilantro.

If you have a great way to garnish a soup, let us know! Tis’ the season for soup.

Potato Parsnip Custard

Potato Parsnip Custard

This made an outstanding pairing with seared scallops. I also topped this dish with bits of cherrywood smoked bacon and roasted cauliflower. It would also work well as a side for lamb or venison. The next day I made leftovers up as potato pancakes and served them with a BBQ’d chicken cutlet sauted with plums and apples. I would have eaten them with eggs too….there are many applications!!!

3 medium parsnips, cleaned, medium dice
2 yukon potato, medium dice
2 russet potato, medium dice
chicken stock to cover, reserve 1 cup after draining
8 oz. marscapone cheese
3 T fresh grated locatelli cheese
2 T unsalted butter, melted
Splash of stock, reserved
1/4 + heavy cream
kosher salt
white pepper

Prepare and cover the first three ingredients with chicken stock and a few pinches of kosher salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until fork tender. Drain, reserving a cup of the liquid. Let veggies cool a bit and then send thru a potato ricer and place in mixing bowl. Fold in cheese and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Slowly add stock and cream and blend. Serve immediately. This is not really a custard because it has no eggs, but the smooth creamy texture deserves better than calling it mashed! Serve with a sprinkle of chopped chives or parsley for garnish.

Leek and Winter Squash Soup

Leek and Winter Squash Soup

1 bunch of leeks, white and pale green parts only
1 medium onion
2 carrots
2 celery stalks and the top of head with leafy greens
Above should be cut in a small dice
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 T fresh minced Italian parsley
1 butternut squash
1 acorn squash
1 buttercup squash
3 medium russet potatoes
Squash and potatoes should be cleaned and cut in 1″ cubes
2 T butter, unsalted
2 T oil
48 oz. chicken stock
32 oz. water
1/2 pint heavy cream
Season to your taste with the following:
1 t worcestershire
1 t hot sauce
curry powder
dried sage
cumin
coriander
cinnamon
nutmeg
white pepper
black pepper
cayenne pepper
kosher salt

Heat oil and butter in Soup pot. Saute garlic, leeks and onion on medium-high heat until translucent. Add carrot, celery and parsley. Hit your veggies with a touch of salt. Saute all until onion and garlic begin to caramelize, take them to a golden brown for more flavor. Add chicken stock and stir well. Add water, squash and potato and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for an hour or so, until the liquid has been reduced by a third. Let the mixture cool a bit and process with an immersion hand blender. You are looking for an nice puree, this soup is really a bisque. You can use a blender or food processor, but the “thunderstick” works the best and reduces your time and clean-up. This step can be done a day or two ahead, which only gives you more flavor. Often, I do this step early in the morning/day and finish in the late afternoon, which gives the flavors enough tome to marry.

Add the heavy cream, seasoning and spices. Bring soup back up to heat to a gentle simmer, do not boil again. Season to taste. I go scant on the nutmeg and cinnamon. Overall, instead of a few dashes, I would say this soup needs the big pinches. Go easy with all the c’s, as in curry, cayenne, cumin and coriander until the soup has been hot for at least 20 minutes. This combination of spices can create some bold flavor and heat, so have fun.

Garnish soup with a homemade cheese crouton, herbed sour cream, fresh chives, crispy fried leeks and/or a toasted buttercup squash seeds. A good garnish adds extra dimension to your soup…more texture and a little zing to help make a soup its own entity and a strong course by itself. Keep your eye out for a post on “soup goodies” for some garnish recipes!

Sangria Suprema

Having promised multiple people I would share this recipe, I figured everyone should have it. This is delicous and can sneak up on you, be careful!!! For proper marinating, you must give it a solid 24 hours….I believe it may even be best on the third day. I highly recommend this for a party and use it to build a menu around, it deserves the attention.

2 c Brandy
1.5 c Triple Sec or Cointreau
1.5 c sugar, granulated
5 liters Mountain Burgundy, boxed
16 oz. orange juice - I love Bolthouse 100% Valencia OJ - I vote for No Pulp!
16 oz. fruit juice - I have been using Bolthouse Berry Blueberry, I have also used V8 Fusion Guava/PassionFruit blend
Juice from 2 lemons
Juice from 2 limes
Lots of slices of fruit - 2 each - apples, pears, oranges, more lemon and lime and mango works well

Combine the first three ingredients in a large stock pot. Heat until sugar is dissolved. Turn off heat. Add wine and juices and the sliced fruit. Chill, stir occasionally and let stand for 24 hours. Serve over ice and use fruit to garnish.

Keep an eye out for any partygoers who seem to be hitting the sliced fruit hard….don’t let them drive. The fruit will pack the biggest punch for alcohol.

Cranberry Orange Bliss

This is another recipe that I’ve used and it’s also good. I served this in a hollowed out orange.

Makes 3 cups

1 lb. fresh cranberries
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
2 lg. oranges, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 T fine minced fresh ginger/ 1 t ginger powder
1 T honey
pinch kosher salt
juice of 1 juicy lemon

Combine all ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Cover and cook over very low heat, stirring occasionally, for 3 or 4 hours. Serve hot or cold. Also good on sandwiches with turkey and stuffing.

Modified, shared by Betty Waldron

Grandma’s Cranberry Sauce

This is the recipe from my Grandmothers cookbook. It’s pretty basic, but good.

Old Fashioned Cranberry Sauce

Makes 8 cups

4 cups sugar
2 cups water
8 cups (2 lbs.) washed fresh cranberries
Heat sugar and water to boiling in large saucepan; add cranberries; bring to boil; lower heat and simmer 5 minutes, or until skins pop open. Let stand, without stirring, until cold.

Shared by Betty Waldron