Red Cabbage Braised in Balsamic Vinegar

This one is posted in response to a plea on facebook for a good red cabbage recipe. So I am responding immediately which means a quick session of typing and no photos to go with it.  It is from my Abel and Cole cookery book but I have not been successful in finding the same recipe on line. I struggled with my first Abel and Cole recipe as there are ambiguous measurements but once you can embrace that a glug = a splash = a dollop the world is your oyster!

Ingredients:

1 whole red cabbage

1 glug of olive oil

1/2 mug of balsamic vinegar

1/2 mug of sugar

water

salt and pepper

Method:

Wash the cabbage (you can use all the leaves, even the outer ones). Cut the cabbage in half through the centre core. Lay each half flat side down on a chopping board and shred the cabbage, discarding the white core.

Put the shredded cabbage into a heavy based pot over a low heat with the oil, vinegar, sugar and half a cup of water and simmer with the lid on. Cook over a very low heat for about 1 hour, stirring every 10 minutes or so, adding a little water if necessary to make sure it doesn't dry out on the bottom of the pot. The cabbage is ready when it releases its natural sugars and is nice and tender. Season  to taste.

So simple and yet so tasty. I've tried many cabbage recipes over the years but this is my favourite ... no fuss just flavour!

Tangy Shallots with Tamarind

I have been too busy eating food to blog about cooking it, but this recipe is just too good not to share. My sister-in-law has introduced me to the indulgence of the Waitrose magazine and apart from being a good read it has a multitude of tempting recipes. This one has been so tasty that I've cooked it three times in as many weeks and so far I believe it is versatile to go with almost anything; we've had it with steak and salmon and it would also be great with a variety of vegetarian dishes.

The flavours develop well providing a rich depth, and luckily for me presentation is not a factor - the flavour speaks for itself.

As is my usual bent I am unable to make anything without altering some-thing to tailor it to my individual taste and in this case I doubled the amount of tomatoes. Mainly this is because I used a 400g tin of tomatoes as it is easier than deciding what to do with the remainder of the tin if only using half. I am very happy with this slight alteration and by reducing the sauce further it is still the perfect texture and a crusty loaf  mops up the sauce perfectly.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 Tablespoons coconut or rapeseed oil
• 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 5 curry leaves
• 12 eschalion shallots (about 600g) halved
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• 227g can chopped tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon tamarind paste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Method:

• Heat the oil in a large, wide frying pan over a medium heat and, when hot, add the mustard seeds. When they start to wriggle, add the curry leaves and when those crackle, lay the shallots in the pan, cut side down. Cook for a couple of minutes until the shallots have browned, then stir and add the chilli.
• Cook for a further 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and browning. Add the tomatoes, cook for 5 minutes, then add the tamarind, turmeric, coriander and salt. Stir to mix, then add about 150mls water. Simmer the shallots for another 5-10 minutes, then take off the heat.  They should be soft and be in a thick sauce.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I have. It is simple and impressive; perfect for a home cooked meal or to impress friends.