Interested in how people are coping with the vegetable shortage/increased prices. Apart from some silverbeet I don't have much in my garden at present (ohhhhh passionfruit and limes aplenty, veges not so much) so I'm having to consider my options for green leafies.
I've bought frozen broccoli and cauli, but I don't find the texture that great. I'm getting sick of steamed mixed veges and peas/beans...I need ideas that aren't too expensive to get those veges in.

Cabbage is usually reasonably priced at this time of year, and one cabbage goes a long way as it is a versatile vegetable and fits into most cuisines. Would you like some recipe suggestions?

Yes please TPANDAV, although I think cabbages have been affected as well, I saw one for about $5 I think yesterday.

Braised Cabbage with Feta and Potatoes (Deborah Madison)

serves 2 - 4

500g cabbage sliced 1 cm
butter
salt & pepper
Butter or olive oil for frying
4 med. waxy potatoes sliced thinly
1/4 c chopped dill or parsley
1/2 c crumbled feta

Boil cabbage in 1/2 c water 10 min until tender. Drain, toss with butter and seasoning.

In large frying pan heat 2 tab butter or olive oil over med. heat. Add potatoes and cook about 20 min, turning occasionally, until tender but not collapsing.

Add cabbage and dill and combine well. Finish with feta and serve hot.

Cabbage and Raisin Salad (Moroccan)

knob of butter
1 tab olive oil
1 kg white cabbage, shredded
1 tsp ground ginger
150g raisins
salt

Heat butter and oil in large pan, add cabbage. Stir over high heat 2 min, reduce heat, cover and cook 10 minutes until tender. Add ginger and raisins, simmer uncovered over low heat 15 minutes or until it has caramelised slightly. Add salt to taste.

Cabbage Roasted with Garlic
(Peter Gordon)

Serves 6

1 large Savoy (or 3 baby) cabbage
250g butter or 150ml olive oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled & sliced
150 ml boiling water
1 ½ tsp salt
black pepper

Heat oven to 180 ° C. Trim cabbage & cut into 6 – 8 wedges. Sauté garlic in butter/oil until golden. Add cabbage & sauté 4 – 5 min each side. Add water & salt. Cover & roast 10 – 15 min until soft. Sprinkle with pepper.

Cabbage with Dried Shrimp (Chinese)

Serves 4

¼ c dried shrimp
1/3 c Shaoxing wine
1 ½ tab salt
2 lb shredded cabbage
2 tab peanut oil
2 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 tab light soy sauce
1 tab sesame oil

Soak shrimp in wine 60 min until soft. Remove shrimps, reserve wine.

Soak cabbage in salt & cold water 60 min. Drain.

Heat peanut oil, fry shrimp 1 min. Add cabbage, salt & pepper & fry 2 min.
Add soy sauce and wine, cook over high heat 10 min until cabbage is completely cooked. Add sesame oil.

Chicken Breast roasted with Cabbage (Chinese)

serves 4


1 small head of cabbage, about 900g
2 tab peanut oil + 1 tsp
1 tsp finely chopped ginger
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
salt and pepper
1 large boneless chicken breast, trimmed of fat
1 tab sesame oil
2 spring onions, finely chopped

Heat oven to 200C.

Shred cabbage then chop coarsely. Divide in half, chop one half more finely.

In large pan heat 2 tab oil and coarsely chopped cabbage over med-high heat until softened. Add ginger and garlic, cook until cabbage slightly browned. Add seasoning and keep warm.

Meanwhile spread 1 tsp oil in small baking dish (use one slightly larger than chicken breast), cover bottom with finely chopped cabbage, sprinkle with salt, lay chicken on top.

Roast 12 - 15 min until the chicken is almost done (firm to the touch). Scatter sautéed cabbage on top, roast a further 2 min. Sprinkle with sesame oil and spring onions, serve hot.

Korean Cabbage Salad


Servings: 3 to 4


190 g cabbage – use the soft inner part of the cabbage
2 pink radishes, optional

Black Sesame Dressing

2 Tbsp roasted black sesame seeds
1 tsp white sugar
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
4 Tbsp water
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Thinly slice the cabbage. Rinse and soak in cold water for 2 to 3 mins. Drain the water and air dry while preparing the other ingredients.

Rinse the radishes in cold water and clean/trim the root and stems. Thinly slice them.

Grind the roasted sesame seeds in a mortar until fine. Mix all the dressing ingredients in a bowl. (I used a mix of yellow and black roasted sesame seeds)

Lahanadolmathes (Stuffed Cabbage Leaves)

serves 4

1 large cabbage (for rolls) or half of a large cabbage (for layers)
500g minced beef or pork or lamb
2 tab olive oil
100g Basmati rice, washed, soaked and drained
2 large onions, finely sliced
3 tab chopped parsley
3 tab chopped dill
salt and white pepper (generous amounts)
2 egg whites
50g butter
3 egg yolks
juice of 1 large lemon
1 rounded tsp cornflour mixed with 50 ml cold water

Core cabbage, peel off leaves and blanch 2 minutes in salted water (in batches). Drain.

Make stuffing by mixing meat, oil, rice, onions, parsley, dill, salt, pepper and egg whites until well combined.

For rolls: wrap tablespoonful of stuffing in leaves to make tidy parcels. There will be some cabbage left over. Line a large saucepan with half of spare cabbage leaves, arrange parcels on top, cover with remaining cabbage.

For layers: place half of cabbage in large saucepan, place stuffing evenly on top, cover with remaining cabbage.

Dot with butter and pour in enough hot water to come halfway up. Cover with a piece of baking paper, then lid. Simmer gently for about 90 minutes or until completely cooked and tender. There should be about 150 ml of liquid left.

Carefully drain liquid into a small saucepan, leaving cabbage in pan. Place liquid over moderate heat.

Whisk egg yolks with lemon juice, whisk in cornflour and then pour in hot liquid. Whisk, return to saucepan and stir over moderate heat until it thickens to a light custard texture.

Arrange cabbage in serving dish, pour any remaining liquid into sauce and whisk, pour sauce over cabbage to serve.

Turkish Cabbage, Lamb & Tomato Stew (Rick Stein)

serves 4

45 ml olive oil
250g minced lamb
2 med onions, chopped
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 tab tomato paste
1 tab red pepper paste
1/2 tsp mild chili flakes plus more to serve
4 tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp salt
black pepper
1 med. cabbage, coarsely chopped

Heat 1 tab oil in large pan over high heat, fry lamb until well browned. Lower heat, ad rest of oil, onions and garlic, stir until softened.

Add tomato paste, pepper paste, chilli, tomatoes, salt and pepper, cook for a few minutes until the tomatoes start to break down. Add 250 ml of water, cover and cook 30 min.

Add cabbage and 125 ml water, simmer a further 30 min. Sprinkle with a pinch of chili flakes and serve.

Vietnamese Beef, Peanut & Cabbage Salad

Serves 3

1 hot chilli seeded and chopped
2 large garlic cloves finely chopped
1 tab palm sugar
3 tab lime juice
3 tab fish sauce
100 ml coconut cream
1 small red onion finely sliced
30g ginger, julienned
400g white cabbage shredded
handfuls of of mint, coriander, Vietnamese mint, Thai basil, sweet basil (as available)
50 g peanuts, roasted, cooled and roughly crushed
400 - 450g beef sirloin, rump or fillet
1 tsp fish sauce for beef
1 tsp peanut oil

Several hours before serving (or the day before):

Mix chilli, garlic, sugar, lime juice, fish sauce and coconut cream and dissolve sugar. Add ginger, cabbage and onion and combine well. Leave to macerate several hours, turning over occasionally (or overnight).

Roast peanuts (or fry in a little peanut oil until toasted). Cool and crush lightly.

30 minutes before serving:

Cut beef into thick steaks, remove all fat and sinew. Coat with fish sauce and leave at room temperature.

Snip herb leaves into cabbage mixture and combine well.

Heat a heavy frying pan or char-grill pan, when very hot add peanut oil and sear beef very briefly on all sides, when still rare remove to a plate and leave until cool.

Slice beef very thinly and reserve juices.

Arrange cabbage mixture on a flat serving plate, beef on top, peanuts scattered over beef, beef juices poured over.

Thanks TPANDAV, looks like it'll be the Peter Gordon recipe tonight.

TPANDAV, re Peter Gordon recipe - 250g butter. Looks rather excessive to me. Should be 25g perhaps?

That's the quantity that he wrote, but I have always used olive oil, 150 ml, so maybe 150 g of butter would be okay. It seems like a lot but a whole cabbage is a lot of food! And much of the fat is left in the pan as cabbage doesn't absorb it.

Braising in butter/oil is supposed to help the veges become sweeter. Heston Blumenthal uses the technique for carrots.

Didn't end up using your recipe tonight as I found a recipe for brussels sprouts and carrots with lime and garlic that I tried instead (found some BS at the vege place that weren't too bad price wise)....but will be giving a few of these recipes a go soon.

TPANDAV Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That's the quantity that he wrote, but I have
> always used olive oil, 150 ml, so maybe 150 g of
> butter would be okay. It seems like a lot but a
> whole cabbage is a lot of food! And much of the
> fat is left in the pan as cabbage doesn't absorb
> it.

Thanks TPANDAV, I'll try this particular recipe and will go with150g.I wonder why he suggests more butter than oil since 150g equals 150ml. The recipe sounds rather appealing to me.
Another question re the Korean Cabbage Salad which I would also like to try. 4tbsp of water seems a lot. Is the water there to dilute the vinegar or does it serve another purpose?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/24/2017 10:56AM by Chris.

The pounded sesame seeds absorb the water. Without it the dressing would be too thick.

I've found at my Fruit World that although the price of the usual veges has been very high, their range of Chinese greens has stayed about the same. I love choy sum as my go-to dark green leafy.

TPANDAV Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The pounded sesame seeds absorb the water.
> Without it the dressing would be too thick.

THank your TPANDAV, that explains it.

Im struggling with the price of them at the moment as usually eat quite a few. Ive had to reduce and try frozen which I usually never eat other than peas and edamame beans.

Ive been using frozen broccoli and cauli in soups, adding carrots, onions garlic and frozen spinach.
I refuse to pay the prices at the moment and are going without. I did buy some under ripe avocados that are good to go now and were reasonable.

Cabbage is nice in a meat/chicken mince stir fry with Asian flavours and love the Asian greens too

Vanessa

i have a huge garden so I seldom buy vegetables

I wish I had a garden, Ive a small balcony - hmmm wondering how I can turn that into an edible space now...
In the past Ive spent more on plants and maintaining it for little rewards.
Vanessa