My turn to choose...

It is that time of the year where fresh produce is more challenging - lots of cool stored apples, expensive broccoli, imported fruit, flavourless salad vege..

One bright spot is Oranges though..and they are so versatile in either a salad, cake, dessert or even the juice to a poultry dish?

Cabbage is popular in our house in a slaw, and tolerated in a stir fry. It is the vege I am most likely to add to the compost because it has sat around for too long. They are cheap, readily available - but lets face it, not very sexy.

I will be interested to see new ideas to incorporate either the juicy fresh orange (or tangelo or mandarin) or the sturdy reliable cabbage!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/15/2014 12:47AM by Cheese Lover.

Come and join us Foodlovers members (and lurkers - go on, you know you want to and we promise not to bite). Try something new this week using the challenge ingredients and then post a wee blurb about it.

The only "rules" are:
1 - you have to use one or more of the ingredients in your creation
2 - it has to be something you had never cooked before (that being the point of the challenge, getting out of your cooking rut)

Making the humble cabbage sexy - now that is a challenge Cheese Lover. Just getting my family to eat anything with cabbage in it is a challenge in itself. I'm really interested to see what people create from this one. Oranges on the other hand, lots and lots of options there.

I bought some Wom Bok yesterday, which I have never used before, so will it qualify as cabbage? I'm going to make salmon with a lime-chilli glaze and I'll make extra glaze and use it as a dressing for the steamed wom bok. And a few days ago I made some little individual date puddings and froze them so I'll thaw one out and make an orange-toffee sauce to go with it.

Of course, look forward to hearing about the results.

Oh that sounds like a challenge, we like both so will enjoy this I can't wait for my turn to choose.

Been out shopping this morning. Oranges on special for 99cents - BONUS! Told hubby we had cabbage as one of our ingredients and got the rolled eyes.....he's not a fan. So I bought two kinds ha ha ha. Can't say I've found a cabbage recipe that spins my wheels so far but have definitely spotted an oranges one.

Lyn, since you are keen to have your turn to choose (clearly you have something in mind already) you can be next weeks selector if you like. Keep us in suspense til Sunday though..........

My new copy of "Cuisine" magazine arrived earlier this week, and with it a recipe for braised cabbage parcels with a lamb filling, which I'm going to attempt on Saturday night. Not huge cabbage people here, but this one looks promising! The orange part of this challenge has got me craving Mum's orange cake with buttercream icing, which I haven't had in years...I'll not succumb to the temptation however. Will need to find a recipe which can be fitted into the eating plan..must get rid of this excess baggage.

Thanks Cantab will keep mum until Sunday who knows I may change my mind several times until then.

My dinner this evening, as part of Challenge 5, was chosen purely on its name (Cabbage Cake). Cabbage leaves lined a tall cooking dish and then filled with green vegetables covered with beaten eggs, cottage cheese, yoghurt and herbs. I added more flavouring and I'm glad I did. It was tasty and I'm sure I will enjoy the leftovers but probably wouldn't bother again. It looked great and the photo doesn't do it justice. I will make the orange part of the Challenge later in the week.

I got on to my challenge early this week - as I know what lies ahead. Not sure if I will get on to the Orange part, but I decided to go for a Cabbage Recipe last night.

I love Cabbage, but actually have never tried Savoy. There has never been a real reason to and I like the run of the mill, everyday cabbage. Out of interest - does everyday cabbage have a name as such? I found this web page with the ten best cabbage recipes apparently.

I have often heard of the Irish recipe Colcannon - and had no real idea what it comprised. It was amongst the list here and used Savoy cabbage, and whilst fairly basic, I thought it would actually be quite a nice winter's evening meal - along with the streaky bacon and a poached egg perched on top.

No photo this time - it was nice. But as for Savoy cabbage - I actually don't like the texture of it. George loved the meal and said there was nothing wrong with the Savoy - but I just couldn't come to grips with the crinkly texture actually.. I will make the recipe again - but with my good old normal cabbage.

By the way - in that link there is a recipe called Suspiciously Delicious Cabbage. I made a very similar recipe only a month ago - however Pork Mince was included, and the cream sauce had white wine in it. That was extremely nice, but this recipe is extremely similar so couldn't be part of the challenge. My timing was out!

I think 'ordinary' cabbage is called Drumhead. Delia Smith has a lovely winter recipe for red cabbage. I confess I am a 'lurker' and enjoying following. I have eating difficulties since having major (and ongoing revisional) surgery so please allow me to lurk!

Oh Stephanie, how hard must it be to look at lovely food and not be able to enjoy it. Well, even if the taste buds can't be satisfied I hope the eyeballs will with this one. Lurk away.......wish I could at least send you the aroma wafting through my house right now. I've been baking as the tins were sadly lacking for lunches this week.

I mentioned (in another thread) that I wanted topping ideas for orange and date muffins. Turned out I meant scones but the topping ideas were still perfectly relevant. So, tried to replicate these glorious orange and date scones I tried at a local café. Kind of close but their's were jumbo sized and the topping still lacked the crunch of the cafe's. Still, yum yum yum.
Here's what they came out like Photo date and orange scones

The recipe I used was this one (third one on the page) Recipe date and orange scones
I can't recall the last time I actually made a scone. The kids havn't been fans of them and they don't keep as well as other things so they get relegated a bit. This recipe has an egg in it which I havn't come across before either. I did make some changes using caster sugar, not regular. Plus I soaked the dates in the orange juice and milk mix to soften them up a bit. On top I sprinkled a mix of raw sugar and cinnamon.

My verdict, too bloody good 4.5/5 and I will now have to put them somewhere I can't see them or they will disappear, only to reappear around my waist. Off to chop wood for a while to burn it off now.......

Sorry to hear about your surgery Stephanie, and hope all is well and on the mend. Please continue to lurk away because if you didn't, I wouldn't know that a normal cabbage is called a Drumhead (Drumhead????) cabbage

Thank you, Cantab and Irene, don't be too sorry for me - I like food enough to find ways and means of producing meals I can manage and fortunately have NOT lost taste buds on one side. We still eat very well in this house. I will continue to lurk.

Well here's an interesting find for a new dish using cabbage! I'm too scared to try it - dare someone else to
Red cabbage smoothie

Irene, I once grew a variety of cabbage called cannonball, which described it perfectly: round, solid and heavy.

I have to come up with an idea now after coming up with the challenge ingredients.....

Has been one of those weeks so it could well be a Sunday thing!!

Cannonball is an understandable name don't you think Lorna, but I am still shaking my head over Drumhead?

I am in heaven, seriously after making these muffins I literally died they were so delicious & you must all make them. This morning I asked Himself would you like muffins to go with your coffee as I want to do part of my weekly challenge. His answer no, I'm not really a muffin fan, BIG MISTAKE. He went out so I got to & made them & have just eaten one with the left over cardamon ice-cream from last weeks challenge they were beautiful & I would most certainly make them again but also I would put them into mini loaf tins & serve them for a desert with ice-cream & orange or mandarin slices. I have also prepared tonights dinner ready to cook stuffed cabbage leaves so will ramble on again tomorrow with the results.
The recipe for the muffins is on The NZ Womans Weekly site & called Orange & Poppy seed Muffins.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/2014 05:05AM by Lyn V.

Irene Field Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Cannonball is an understandable name don't you
> think Lorna, but I am still shaking my head over
> Drumhead?
>

A head tight as a drum ?
Lynne2

Tonight we had Asian style stuffed cabbage. It was very nice & tasty not too hard to prepare probably a bit too much of the white wine vinegar which if I made this again which I think I would I would halve the vinegar. It was enjoyed by us both & I served it with baked kumura & carrots.

I have fallen behind on my challenges so ended up doing this weeks and last weeks all in one meal. We had Coriander and Fennel Crusted Lamb Chops, Roast Pumpkin with Spice, Lime and Chilli (that's what it was called but I missed out the lime and chilli bit because I forgot to buy some limes) and Cabbage and Orange Salad. Both the lamb and the pumpkin used cardamom, and the pumpkin also used tahini (more details in relevant week) and the cabbage and orange salad ended up being a cabbage, fennel and orange salad as I had a fennel bulb ready in the garden. I started off using a recipe but veered off it quite widely so I think this counts as my original recipe:

1/2 small Chinese cabbage, shredded
I fennel bulb in fine julienne
! tb fennel fronds, chopped
1 orange, peeled and filleted
juice of a small tangelo
salt (I used a lemon flavoured, smoked garlic salt from The Original Smoke and Spice Company)
Combine all ingredients

This was a lovely fresh salad with the lamb and pumpkin.

Lynne2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Irene Field Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Cannonball is an understandable name don't you
> > think Lorna, but I am still shaking my head
> over
> > Drumhead?
> >
>
> A head tight as a drum ?
> Lynne2

I asked the household horticulturist, who said that drumhead cabbage is tightly packed, very hard and somewhat flattened in shape, so it has a taut flattish top.

That is correct. Dad grew drumhead cabbages. They had quite a large circumference and flat across the top as in the top of a drum. I remember they had a heck of a lot of cabbage in it, many, many, meals!
Regards,
Dawn.

Thanks ladies - appreciate the why

Another new dish ticked off tonight for dinner from Sophie Gray's book "Feed the family for $15 or less", I have had this one on my to try list for quite some time! Orange and Sesame Teriyaki Chicken Salad which isn't really winter fare but hey, I modified it somewhat. Added some rice and made some tortillas to go with the dish and it went down a treat.

Photo Orange and Sesame Teriyaki chicken salad

The marinade/sauce/dressing had the juice of two oranges squeezed into it. In the book the salad is "whatever you have" and I had bucket sized amounts of cabbage so made a coleslaw type salad. Red cabbage, green cabbage, silverbeet, red pepper and carrots. I wished for some spring onions and bean sprouts too but couldn't get into town today so made do. Seconds requested by Miss10 (which is virtually unheard of) and a score of 110/5 from her. Not to be outdone, Mr7 gave 160/5 so a great child friendly meal. Hubby and I both gave a 4/5 and would certainly make this again. I havn't been a cabbage fan but might start making up a big pottle of coleslaw for the fridge so salad is on hand as a healthy snack! As a salad I quite like it. Thanks Cheese Lover - another dish to add to my collection.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/21/2014 11:04AM by cantabcook.

I've only managed the cabbage part of this challenge, but this week I made braised cabbage with lamb (I think that was what it was called) from the current Cuisine magazine. Basically you made a lamb meatball mixture with herbs and fennel, blanched some cabbage leaves and then wrapped the lamb mixture in it, and braised in the oven in a stock/red wine and vegetable liquid. It was tasty, and filling, but very "meaty", it was ideal for a cold night, I served it just with bread, but I think another time I'd do as the magazine article suggested and just serve with green vegetables to the side. I give it a 7 out of 10.

I sneaked in too. Busy week and I also only managed the cabbage part. I made Cabbage Rolls, using a Turkish recipe from a library cookbook. I used lamb mince, rice, allspice, some pomemgranate molasses. They were okay, but quite bland. I doubt I will remake them.

Thanks to all those that joined in!

Cabbage not our favorite veg, I tried cooking it this way last night and was surprised how tasty it was.
Melted butter in pan, salt and pepper, added finely chopped onion , thinly chopped bacon, cooked for a few minutes and added shredded cabbage. Tossed it in the butter mixture for a few minutes and that was it?We did enjoy it and I would cook it again. Was a tasty addition to dinner.

Joy, I do something similar but I also add some leftover boiled and cubed potatoes and peanuts. Makes it very tasty.