Pork, Cabbage & Spinach Stir-Fry (you can sub tofu, tempeh, chicken, beef etc. for pork)

Ingredients

• 1 pork tenderloin (3/4-lb.)                                          
• 4 cups sliced cabbage
• 3 tablespoons EACH soy & hoisin sauce                        
• 4 cups spinach
• 1/2 cup chicken broth                                                 
• 5 cups hot cooked rice
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided                             
• 1-1/2 cups sliced green onions
• 1 Tb. teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger, divided     
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps                          
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or sesame)
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper                

Directions

Trim fat from pork [or other protein] cut into strips. Put pork, 2 Tbs. soy sauce, 2 tsp. garlic & 1 tsp. ginger in a bowl. Cover; marinate in refrigerator 2 hours. Put 1 Tbs. soy sauce, 2 tsp. garlic, 1 tsp. ginger, broth, hoisin sauce & cornstarch in a bowl; stir with a whisk. Heat oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tsp. garlic & crushed red pepper; stir-fry 30 seconds. Add mushrooms & onions, cabbage stir-fry 3 minutes. Add broth mixture & spinach; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until mixture is thick. Serve over rice. Serves 5. [You could also do vegetables in this order, but cook sauce in separate sauce-pan and combine at very end to avoid over-cooking vegetables].

Potato, Green Cabbage, and Leek Soup with Lemon Crème Fraîche

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, divided
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 cups diced green cabbage (1/2-inch dice; from about 1/2 medium head)
• 3 cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only; 3 to 4 large)
• 3 large garlic cloves, pressed
• 3 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• 1 2 x 2-inch piece Parmesan cheese rind (optional)
• 1 Turkish bay leaf
• 6 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (for garnish)

Directions

Whisk crème fraîche, lemon juice, and lemon peel in small bowl to blend. Cover and chill.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add cabbage; sprinkle lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper and sauté until cabbage is almost tender but not brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer 1 cup cabbage to small bowl and reserve for garnish.

Add 1 tablespoon butter to pot with cabbage; add leeks and garlic. Sauté over medium heat until leeks soften slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in potatoes, Parmesan rind, if desired, and bay leaf. Add 6 cups broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until all vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Discard Parmesan rind, if using, and bay leaf. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return puree to pot. Simmer until heated through, adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls to thin soup to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each serving with some of reserved sautéed cabbage. Drizzle crème fraîche mixture over soup; sprinkle with chives and serve.

Potato, Green Cabbage, and Leek Soup with Lemon Crème Fraîche

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, divided
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 cups diced green cabbage (1/2-inch dice; from about 1/2 medium head)
• 3 cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only; 3 to 4 large)
• 3 large garlic cloves, pressed
• 3 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• 1 2 x 2-inch piece Parmesan cheese rind (optional)
• 1 Turkish bay leaf
• 6 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (for garnish)

Directions

Whisk crème fraîche, lemon juice, and lemon peel in small bowl to blend. Cover and chill.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add cabbage; sprinkle lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper and sauté until cabbage is almost tender but not brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer 1 cup cabbage to small bowl and reserve for garnish.

Add 1 tablespoon butter to pot with cabbage; add leeks and garlic. Sauté over medium heat until leeks soften slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in potatoes, Parmesan rind, if desired, and bay leaf. Add 6 cups broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until all vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Discard Parmesan rind, if using, and bay leaf. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return puree to pot. Simmer until heated through, adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls to thin soup to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each serving with some of reserved sautéed cabbage. Drizzle crème fraîche mixture over soup; sprinkle with chives and serve.

Ribollia

From Epicurious

Ribollita is a classic Tuscan soup that's made up of vegetable soup mixed with pieces of rustic bread. This version is packed with veggies—white beans, kale, chard, potatoes, tomatoes—and served with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil

Ingredients

• 13 cups (or more) water, divided
• 1 1/4 cups dried cannellini (white kidney beans; about 8 ounces) (or sub canned, cooked beans-add at end)
• 12 large fresh sage leaves
• 8 garlic cloves; 5 sliced, 3 chopped
• 2 teaspoons (or more) fine sea salt, divided
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus additional for drizzling
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 large celery stalks, diced
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1 large unpeeled Yukon Gold potato, scrubbed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed, quartered through core, sliced crosswise
• 1 large pinch of dried thyme
• 1 small bunch black kale,* cut crosswise into 1-inch ribbons (about 6 cups)
• 1 small bunch green chard (about 4 large leaves), center stem removed, cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide          ribbons (about 6 cups)
• 4 cups thinly sliced savoy cabbage
• 5 large plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 2-inch square Parmesan cheese rind
• Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
• 2 cups (or more) Light Vegetable Broth or good-quality canned vegetable broth (such as Swanson)
• 6 1/2-inch-thick slices country white bread, coarsely torn with crusts

Directions

Combine 8 cups water, beans, sage, and sliced garlic in large saucepan. Bring to boil; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until beans are tender, stirring occasionally and adding more water by 1/4 cupfuls to keep beans submerged, 2 to 2 1/2 hours, depending on age of beans. Add 1 teaspoon sea salt; simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and cool beans in liquid. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill in cooking liquid.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion; sprinkle with sea salt. Cook until onion is translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add chopped garlic; stir 2 minutes. Add celery, carrot, potato, fennel, and thyme; cook until vegetables are tender and begin to turn brown in spots, stirring often, 15 to 18 minutes. Add kale, chard, cabbage, tomatoes, Parmesan rind, 5 cups water, and 1 teaspoon sea salt. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Add beans with cooking liquid and crushed red pepper. Add 2 cups broth. Season with salt and generous amount of pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, cover, and chill. Rewarm before continuing.

Add bread to soup and simmer, stirring often to break up bread into smaller pieces and adding more broth by 1/2 cupfuls to thin, if desired. Season with sea salt and pepper.

Divide ribollita among bowls, drizzle with oil, and serve.

Chopped Miso Salad

from 101 Cookbooks

I used Westbrae Natural Organic Mellow Brown Rice Miso for the dressing. If you like the flavor of sesame oil - go ahead and add it to your dressing in fact you can go ahead and add it "to taste" - although sometimes I like to go a bit more neutral and skip rhe sesame oil altogether. I also had two small heads of little gem lettuce so I threw them in here as well. You can use any kind of extra-firm tofu you like here - this salad works well with baked tofu or plain. Tofu cooked in a skillet for a few minutes to take on some color is great - I cheated a bit and used Soy Deli baked tofu (savory) for the salad pictured up above.

1 1/2 cups shallots, skinned and thinly sliced
splash of extra-virgin olive oil
pinch of salt

2 tablespoons miso
1/2 teaspoon powdered mustard (or a bit of whatever mustard you have around)
2 tablespoons brown sugar (or honey or agave)
1/4 cup (brown) rice vinegar
1/3 cup mild flavored extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon pure toasted sesame oil (optional)

1/2 of a medium-large cabbage
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 medium red onion, sliced
3/4 cup chives, minced
8 ounces extra-firm tofu (see headnotes), room temperature

Stir together the shallots, splash of olive oil and big pinch of salt In a large skillet over medium heat. Stir every few minutes, you want the shallots to slowly brown over about 15 minutes. Let them get dark, dark brown (but not burn). if needed turn down the heat. Remove them from the skillet and onto a paper towel to cool in a single layer. they should crisp up a bit.

Make the dressing by whisking the miso, mustard, and brown sugar together. Now whisk in the rice vinegar and keep whisking until it's smooth. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, and then the sesame oil. Two pinches of fine grain salt. Taste and make any adjustments if needed.

Cut the cabbage into two quarters and cut out the core. Using a knife shred each quarter into whisper thin slices. The key here is bite-sized and thin. If any pieces look like they might be awkwardly long, cut those in half.

Gently toss the cabbage, shallots, almonds, red onion, chives and tofu in a large mixing/salad bowl. Add a generous drizzle of the miso dressing and toss again - until the dressing is evenly distributed. Add more a bit at a time if needed, until the salad is dressed to your liking.

Serves 3 - 4 as a main dish, 6 - 8 as a side.

Slaw

Ingredients

• 1 large head cabbage, shredded
• 2 medium carrots, shredded
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4- 1/2 cup sugar- can sub honey
• ½ cup vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1 medium onion, quartered

Directions

In a large bowl, toss cabbage, carrots and celery seed. Place the remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor; cover and process until combined. Pour over cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Yields 10-12 servings.

Spiced Cabbage Salad

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 tsp. soy sauce
• 6 cups finely shredded cabbage       
• 1-1/2 tsp. sugar
• 2 cups shredded carrots                
• 1 fresh jalapeno chili, stemmed, seeded, and minced (VERY hot, omit or use chili flakes)
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar                         
• 1 tbsp. Asian (toasted) sesame oil   
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp. Asian fish sauce                
• 3/4 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
• minced ginger (optional)

Directions

In a wide bowl, combine cabbage and carrots. Mix vinegar, fish sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, chili, and garlic. Pour over salad and mix. Serve, or cover and chill up to 4 hours. Sprinkle with peanuts and mix. Makes 8 servings.

*mix it up and try adding cucumbers or apples!

Cabbage & Apples

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter                                        
• 2 cooking apples, peeled, & cored                
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 8 cups shredded cabbage 
• 1 cup water                             
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup sugar                                         
• 1-1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper                                
• 1 bay leaf
• minced ginger (optional)

Directions

In a saucepan over medium heat, in hot butter, cook thinly sliced apples and onion until tender, about 10 minutes. Add cabbage, water, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and bay leaf; heat mixture to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 40 minutes or until cabbage is very tender, stirring occasionally. To serve, discard bay leaf. Serves 8.

Pork, Cabbage & Spinach Stir-Fry

Ingredients

• 1 pork tenderloin (3/4-lb.)(you can sub tofu, tempeh, chicken, beef etc. for pork)                               
• 4 cups sliced cabbage
• 3 tablespoons EACH soy & hoisin sauce                      
• 4 cups spinach
• 1/2 cup chicken broth                                              
• 5 cups hot cooked rice
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided                             
• 1-1/2 cups sliced green onions
• 1 Tb. teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger, divided        
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps                          
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or sesame)
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper                

Directions

Trim fat from pork [or other protein] cut into strips. Put pork, 2 Tbs. soy sauce, 2 tsp. garlic & 1 tsp. ginger in a bowl. Cover; marinate in refrigerator 2 hours. Put 1 Tbs. soy sauce, 2 tsp. garlic, 1 tsp. ginger, broth, hoisin sauce & cornstarch in a bowl; stir with a whisk. Heat oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tsp. garlic & crushed red pepper; stir-fry 30 seconds. Add mushrooms & onions, cabbage stir-fry 3 minutes. Add broth mixture & spinach; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until mixture is thick. Serve over rice. Serves 5. [You could also do vegetables in this order, but cook sauce in separate sauce-pan and combine at very end to avoid over-cooking vegetables].

Colcannon

A traditional Irish recipe utilizing vegetables that are plentiful for fall storage- potatoes and cabbage

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 4 slices bacon
• 1/2 small head cabbage, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. Place potatoes in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender.
2. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, reserving drippings, crumble and set aside. In the reserved drippings, saute the cabbage and onion until soft and translucent. Putting a lid on the pan helps the vegetables cook faster.
3. Drain the cooked potatoes, mash with milk and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the bacon, cabbage, and onions, then transfer the mixture to a large serving bowl. Make a well in the center, and pour in the melted butter. Serve immediately.

Spiced Cabbage Salad

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 tsp. soy sauce
• 6 cups finely shredded cabbage       
• 1-1/2 tsp. sugar
• 2 cups shredded carrots                
• 1 fresh jalapeno chili, stemmed, seeded, and minced (VERY hot, omit or use chili flakes)
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar                         
• 1 tbsp. Asian (toasted) sesame oil   
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp. Asian fish sauce                
• 3/4 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
• minced ginger (optional)

Directions

In a wide bowl, combine cabbage and carrots. Mix vinegar, fish sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, chili, and garlic. Pour over salad and mix. Serve, or cover and chill up to 4 hours. Sprinkle with peanuts and mix. Makes 8 servings.

*mix it up and try adding cucumbers or apples!

Savoy Cabbage, Carrot, and Apple Salad

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons apple juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds, lightly crushed
• 1/2 head Savoy cabbage, cored and very thinly sliced (4 cups)
• 2 large carrots, very thinly julienned (2 cups)
• 1 Granny Smith apple, quartered, cored, and sliced crosswise 1/8 inch thick

Directions

Whisk together juices, oil, and caraway seeds. Season with salt and pepper and toss with cabbage, carrots, and apple.

Let stand at room temperature, tossing occasionally, 40 minutes to allow flavors to blend and cabbage to wilt.

Coleslaw

Good ol' slaw, there are many versions, here's one...

Ingredients

• 1 large head cabbage, shredded
• 2 medium carrots, shredded
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1 medium onion, quartered

Directions

In a large bowl, toss cabbage, carrots and celery seed. Place the remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor; cover and process until combined. Pour over cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Yields 10-12 servings.

Borscht

From Signature Dishes from Around the World by Paolo Pac and Roberto Mottadelli  

Directions

• 6 cups water                                 
• 3 potatoes, quartered
• 3/4 tablespoon salt                        
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/2 cup finely chopped carrots    
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups canned tomatoes        
•  3 cups finely shredded cabbage, divided
• 1/2 stalk celery, chopped              
• 2-3 beets medium beets
• 1/2 cup tomatoes                         
• 1 tablespoon dried dill weed
• 3/4 cup diced potatoes                  
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Place water, salt, carrots, 1/2 of the bell pepper, celery, beet, tomatoes, and quartered potatoes in a large stock pot over high heat. Bring to a boil. Melt 1/3 cup butter in a separate skillet over medium heat. Saute onions in butter until tender, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove 1/2 cup of sauce from skillet, and set aside. Stir half of the cabbage into the skillet with remaining sauce, and continue simmering 5 minutes more, or until tender. Remove beet from boiling liquid and discard. Remove potatoes with a slotted spoon or tongs, and place in a bowl with remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and the cream. Mash together until smooth. Return the 1/2 cup of reserved onion-tomato sauce to the stock pot. Stir in diced potatoes, and simmer until just tender but still firm, approximately 5 minutes. Increase heat to a low boil, and stir in remaining cabbage, tomato sauce, and mashed potatoes. Reduce heat and simmer a few minutes more. Stir in remaining bell pepper, season with black pepper, and serve.

Russian Borscht

From Olga Murray

Chef's tip: Don't be afraid to add any sort of root vegetable. Generally anything goes well in a borscht. 

Ingredients:

• 2 russet and 2 purple or red potatoes, peeled
• 4 carrots, peeled
• 5 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 large red onion
• 2 small white onions, one diced and one quartered
• 1 bunch baby turnips, scrubbed and trimmed
• ½ large green cabbage (equates to about 4 cups when shredded)
• 2 T butter
• Salt and pepper
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 ¼ lbs of beets, peeled
• 1 1/2 lb whole tomatoes
• 1 T sugar
• 8 cups vegetable stock (recipe below), water, or some combination
• 6-10 sprigs parsley, half chopped, half whole
• 1 T red wine vinegar
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 T horseradish
• 1 celery stalk
• ½ kohlrabi, peeled and chopped
• 1 large eggplant, cubed
• 2 Shiitake mushrooms

Directions:

1. Vegetable stock: Wash and scrub the soup vegetables.  Place peels from the carrots, beets, and two potatoes in a pot with three of the garlic cloves, two bay leaves, two teaspoons of salt, celery, kohlrabi peels, some parsley sprigs, the quartered white onion, and the Shiitake mushrooms.  Other combinations of vegetable trimmings will work too.  Cover with 10 cups of water; bring to a boil, then simmer while you prep the other vegetables, about 45 minutes.

        2.     Chop these vegetables: onions, eggplant, kohlrabi, carrots, turnips, potatoes, cabbage, and the rest of the garlic.

3.     Melt butter in a large soup pot.  Add onions, carrots, turnips, potatoes, cabbage, and garlic.  Toss with 1 T of salt, cover and cook over medium heat until the vegetables have wilted, ~ 25 minutes.

4.     Meanwhile, dice the beets.

5.     When the onions, cabbage, etc. are soft, add the beets, kohlrabi, eggplant, and tomatoes and 1 bay leaf.  Keep the heat on medium and gently break up the tomatoes on the side of the pot.  Strain the stock and add it to the soup plus enough water to equal about 6 cups.  Once the soup is boiling again, reduce heat to a simmer and cook an additional 25-30 minutes or just until the beets are tender.

6.     Add salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from heat and stir in 1 T vinegar and sugar. Sprinkle chopped parsley on top. Can also use chopped fresh dill.

7.     Combine the sour cream and horseradish.  Serve soup hot, warm or cold with a spoonful of the sour cream-horseradish on top.