Southeast Asian pickled cabbage for two
1. Quarter a medium-sized (about a foot long) head of Napa cabbage, and cut cross-wise into strips. Toss with sea salt and half a diced hot pepper (I used Anaheim) and let sit on a paper towel with a weight on top to drain the water. Wait ~45 minutes.
2. While waiting, mix 1 cup water, 1 cup vinegar, the juice of one lime, and a tablespoon each of salt and sugar. Heat, while stirring, until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Let cool.
3. Mince remaining pepper, three cloves of garlic, one 4-in. stalk of lemongrass, and a 2-in piece of ginger. Add 1/2 tsp. turmeric, a squirt of Sriracha or other hot sauce, and several healthy dashes of fish sauce. Mix together, in food processor if you'd like or lo-fi - you know, with a spoon. Combine with vinegar mixture.
4. Drain cabbage and pack into mason jars. It should fill 2 to the brim - seriously, you can really pack it. Pour spicy sour orange-colored mixture over, and turn upside down a few times to ensure that the good stuff filters through.
5. Store in fridge for up to two weeks. Or until it starts to bubble ominously.
Winter squash risotto
Roast whatever squash you have on hand, about two pounds (I had one acorn squash about 5 inches across). Let cool, and then scrape out the flesh, puree by smooshing with a fork, and set aside. I like to also roast the squash seeds, cleaning them and letting them dry on top of the stove while the squash roasts, and then tossing with olive oil and sea salt and roasting after I take the squash out. Usually it only takes 5 minutes or so until the seeds start to pop.
Set a pot to simmer with 4 cups of stock. Prepare the risotto (1 cup) by sauteing an onion in olive oil with some cumin and black pepper. Add the risotto and chopped garlic (one-two cloves) and stir more until the rice starts to become translucent. Then, add one ladle or 1/2 cup of the broth at a time, constantly stirring.
When the rice starts to become tender, add half the squash, several leaves chopped fresh sage, and about 2 ounces of grated parmesan or asiago. Keep stirring and adding the broth until the risotto is cooked through, adding s &/or p if you'd like. If you prefer risotto al dente, you may not use all the broth - just put it in a glass jar and safe for a soup.
To serve, mix in as much of the remainder of squash as you'd like (you can use cubed if you prefer for more texture), and arugula if you would like, then top with parmesan or asiago, sage, and the squash seeds. If there is still squash left, blend with some broth, greek yogurt, and chili powder/cumin/ginger for a quick single-serving soup.
1. Quarter a medium-sized (about a foot long) head of Napa cabbage, and cut cross-wise into strips. Toss with sea salt and half a diced hot pepper (I used Anaheim) and let sit on a paper towel with a weight on top to drain the water. Wait ~45 minutes.
2. While waiting, mix 1 cup water, 1 cup vinegar, the juice of one lime, and a tablespoon each of salt and sugar. Heat, while stirring, until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Let cool.
3. Mince remaining pepper, three cloves of garlic, one 4-in. stalk of lemongrass, and a 2-in piece of ginger. Add 1/2 tsp. turmeric, a squirt of Sriracha or other hot sauce, and several healthy dashes of fish sauce. Mix together, in food processor if you'd like or lo-fi - you know, with a spoon. Combine with vinegar mixture.
4. Drain cabbage and pack into mason jars. It should fill 2 to the brim - seriously, you can really pack it. Pour spicy sour orange-colored mixture over, and turn upside down a few times to ensure that the good stuff filters through.
5. Store in fridge for up to two weeks. Or until it starts to bubble ominously.
Winter squash risotto
Roast whatever squash you have on hand, about two pounds (I had one acorn squash about 5 inches across). Let cool, and then scrape out the flesh, puree by smooshing with a fork, and set aside. I like to also roast the squash seeds, cleaning them and letting them dry on top of the stove while the squash roasts, and then tossing with olive oil and sea salt and roasting after I take the squash out. Usually it only takes 5 minutes or so until the seeds start to pop.
Set a pot to simmer with 4 cups of stock. Prepare the risotto (1 cup) by sauteing an onion in olive oil with some cumin and black pepper. Add the risotto and chopped garlic (one-two cloves) and stir more until the rice starts to become translucent. Then, add one ladle or 1/2 cup of the broth at a time, constantly stirring.
When the rice starts to become tender, add half the squash, several leaves chopped fresh sage, and about 2 ounces of grated parmesan or asiago. Keep stirring and adding the broth until the risotto is cooked through, adding s &/or p if you'd like. If you prefer risotto al dente, you may not use all the broth - just put it in a glass jar and safe for a soup.
To serve, mix in as much of the remainder of squash as you'd like (you can use cubed if you prefer for more texture), and arugula if you would like, then top with parmesan or asiago, sage, and the squash seeds. If there is still squash left, blend with some broth, greek yogurt, and chili powder/cumin/ginger for a quick single-serving soup.
Italian winter stew with lamb
Brown 1 lb. leg of lamb, cut into chunks about 2 in. long. Set aside.
Retain fat, and add olive oil if necessary. Cook 1 onion, chopped, until translucent; then add diced garlic, diced potatoes and carrots, and three whole sprigs of rosemary. Cook two more minutes, until garlic becomes fragrant. Then add back in lamb, along with a can of diced or crushed tomatoes, a cup of vegetable broth, a cup of red wine (I would suggest malbec or cab for more flavor), and s&p. Bring to a slight boil, then simmer until potatoes are cooked - which should be about the same as the meat, though you may want to check separately. Stir occasionally to make sure that the meat and potatoes are covered by the broth. If the liquid hasn't cooked down, or if you want more texture, with about 5 minutes to go stir in some roux to thicken (basically, flour and water and a tad of butter mixed together; cornstarch also will suffice).
In separate pot, wilt kale in crushed garlic and a small bit of olive oil. Add 1/2 cup of water and braise gently until tender.
You can serve over polenta (I was lazy and had the instant kind) or over a pasta - I suggest fettucine or a thick spaghetti. Then top with a bit of shaved parmesan.
Makes 2-4 servings, depending on how hungry you are. Or who's coming to dinner.
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