Korean Soy-Pickled Cabbage

Korean Pickled Cabbage (with soy sauce & vinegar)

Pickled cabbage can add a kick to salads and a tang and crunch to a variety of dishes. It’s a fantastic side with rice to sesame or ginger chicken, or any teriyaki, and loved in our household as a simple and convenient snack.

Even though my friend, and house-helper Kimmy makes several batches weekly (so we always have some on hand in the refrigerator) it never lasts as long as she thinks it will!

There are countless variations on the basic recipe out there, but this is one she (and I) make often, and it’s so simple anyone can do it!

(Feel free to use your favorite cabbage, add a shredded carrot, or a few tablespoons of sugar to the brine for a little sweetness. Omit the pepper flakes if spice isn’t your thing!)

Ingredients:

• 2 small heads of cabbage (any kind you want), shredded

• 2 large white onions, thinly sliced

• 1 whole head of garlic peeled and minced

• 1 tablespoon pepper flakes (for kick)

• 2 cups soy sauce (low sodium)

• 1 cup rice (or white )vinegar

• 4 clean, sterilized quart jars, or equivalent mixture of pints/quarts to equal approximately 1 gallon with clean, tight fitting lids.

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl combine shredded cabbage (slice thinly or use a mandolin), onion, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes.

2. Once well combined, divide among your clean, sterilized storage jars.

3. Bring the soy sauce and vinegar to a boil in a saucepan, stir well, then pour into the jar covering the cabbage mixture making sure the liquid covers all cabbage. Let the jar sit on the counter while cooling to room temperature. You may leave out for a few days, the longer it’s left to “ripen”, the more intense the flavor will become. Refrigerate when ready.

4. Pickled cabbage will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks and flavors will continue to ripen. Be sure to use a clean utensil when removing single servings from a jar so you do not introduce any bacteria into the mixture.

5. Eat with rice as a side dish. 

Enjoy!

Cucumber - Onion Salad

Salad was on the table for every family meal my mother ever made. (Or at least something she'd refer to as salad. )

In the summer months, when the garden was "putting on", it would be thick slabs of beefsteak tomatoes on top of a slice of Wonder Bread slathered with Miracle Whip, with a generous dash of salt and pepper...

Or, on the rare occasion there wasn’t a tomato to be carved up, a bowl of cucumber and onion, marinated in a bit of water and vinegar for only the amount of time it took her to pound, dredge, and fry the round steak and boil the potatoes, would suffice. These too, we’d make an open-faced sandwich with - minus the Miracle Whip, plus a little butter - and call it “salad”!

I'm sharing the recipe with you today not because its new, or novel, or difficult, but for all the other reasons; it's old, it’s nostalgic, and it’s easy. It’s also cool and refreshingly delicious on a hot summer evening - like all the evenings have been as of late. Eat it as it was probably meant to be eaten - as a side salad - or try it with bread and butter like my folks always did. Either way, it’s yummy!

Cucumber - Onion Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced

• 2-3 slices of sweet or red onion

• 1/2 cup white vinegar

• 1 cup cold water

• 1 heaping Tablespoon of sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Peel and slice cucumber, and slice onion - seperating rings. Place in a bowl and add vinegar, water, sugar, salt and pepper.

2. Mix well.

3. Refridgerate for at least 45 minutes.

4. Serve.

Feel free to adjust the vinegar to water ratio, the sugar, and salt and pepper to taste! Enjoy this nostalgic taste of summer!

Carrot Slaw

Putting dinner on the table during the darker months of the year always seems to be a rushed endeavor.

In the summer months when the sun is high well into the evening, and everyone is outside playing, I can move about the kitchen freely and holler for my family to come in when I’m ready for them. But now, it’s dark so soon after the kids get home from school that they are inside (often at the kitchen table doing their homework,) when it’s time to prepare the evening meal. The older ones often have things they need to hurry off to as soon as dinner is over and the younger ones need baths and bedtime routines. Can anyone relate?

I’ve got a few hacks to get a balanced meal on the table in a jiffy, and one of them is my mom’s carrot slaw.

Ingredients:

• 3 large carrots, peeled and grated (about 3 cups)

• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries (craisins)

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 Tablespoon sugar

• (optional) chopped walnuts, pecans, or sunflower seeds

Directions:

1. Peel and grate carrots,

2. Place in large bowl and toss with vinegar.

3. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

4. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

This comes together in a jiffy with ingredients most of us have on hand. It’s colorful and textural, a few things kids always seem to like, and it’s tasty!

Toss it together for a perfect pairing to roast beef or a roasted chicken, pork chops or round steak. (My folks used to tell me eating carrots would help me see in the dark… maybe that will help entice a little that is hesitant to try new foods.)

Enjoy!

Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower

Want a tasty and healthful side-dish for one of the many holiday meals you’ll be hosting or contributing to? I’ve got just the thing! This delicious - and super easy - Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower!

While I LOVE my green-bean casseroles as much as the next person, I know that more than a small helping each season would be considered an over-indulgence. This dish, whose star players are making headlines ‘round the globe for their nutritious, high-fiber and inflammatory properties, has no such guilt attached. I can (and did!) go back for seconds (or thirds) and feel GOOD about myself for doing so.

Roasting the cauliflower in a HOT oven, crisps and browns the edges and gives it a little bit of a sweet taste, which plays off the earthy turmeric spice in a lovely way. The garlic and sweet red pepper adds depth that would be missing if it were just roasted on its own.

If you want to add even more texture to the palate, and create a heartier side, top it with some roasted pumpkin seeds. (sunflower seeds or even slivered almonds wold work too!)

This photo was taken at a family Thanksgiving gathering, where even my grandkids dug in - No better endorsement than that!

Ingredients:

• 1 large head cauliflower, cut into 1 florets

• 1 sweet red bell pepper, cut into 1” pieces

• large head of garlic, peeled and minced

• 1 Tablespoon turmeric powder

• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

• kosher salt

• olive oil

• roasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. 

2. Trim the leaves and remove the core of the cauliflower, then cut into florets about 1-1/2”. Place them in a large mixing bowl. 

3. Add the bell pepper and minced garlic

4. Drizzle a liberal amount (1/8 - 1/4 cup) of olive oil over the vegetable mixture and turn several times to coat.

5. In a small bowl, combine turmeric, white pepper, paprika, and good dash or two of kosher salt. Mix. Shake over cauliflower, pepper and garlic, toss together until evenly coated with oil and spices.

6. Spread in an even layer onto a large baking sheet.

7. Roast in a hot oven for 20-30 minutes. The cauliflower should be tender but not overly soft, and nicely browned and crisp in several places.

8. For an added crunch and heartiness, sprinkle with roasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds, or slivered almonds.

9. Serve hot.

Pasta with Gorgonzola Cheese and Roasted Cauliflower

My nephew, Dalton (sister’s son), and niece, Laurel, (brother’s daughter), got together on Christmas eve and cooked up this “boujee” (their description!) version of my favorite dish - mac’n cheese.

Tender roasted cauliflower florets, Gorgonzola cheese, and the organic pasta they used, sets this apart from my typical elbow macaroni and cheddar dish, and make it special enough to serve at any dinner party of distinction. It’s versatile enough to use as a vegetarian main, or a side. (Perhaps to a halibut filet?)

Dalton and Laurel, a very Cousin Christmas!

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets (less than an inch)

• ¼ cup olive oil

• ¾ teaspoon

• freshly ground black pepper

• 1 large leeks, halved and thinly sliced

• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• 8 ounces pasta like farfalle, bowtie, or fusilli

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

• 6 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

• chives for serving

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, toss cauliflower, leeks, and garlic with olive oil, salt and 3-4 twists of freshly ground black pepper. Spread in a single layer onto a baking sheet or roulade pan and bake for about 35-40 minutes until cauliflower is tender and all veggies are caramelized.

3. Cook pasta in large stock pot of salted boiling water - remove from heat just BEFORE it is al dente. Remove about 1 cup of the water - set aside, then drain the pot.

4. Return the pasta to the pot, add the butter, Gorgonzola, a few more twists of the black pepper and 1/2 cup pasta water. Stir thoroughly until cheese is melted and evenly distributed.

5. Add the roasted florets. leeks, and garlic to the pasta, then season with additional salt and pepper (if desired). If it is too dry, add more of the reserved pasta water.

6. Dish into shallow serving bowls and garnish with chopped chives. Serve it up warm and delicious!

After carefully taste-testing and much discussion, our two burgeoning chefs decided it could be made even a little more extra by adding crab or lobster to the mix. I have to agree.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Balsamic-Honey Glaze

My oldest son hosted our Thanksgiving dinner this year. Well, what I really mean to say is that my daughter-in-law hosted Thanksgiving dinner this year.

While Isaiah works hard to provide for his family, so does Riely, and let’s face it, she’s the one that does the majority of the holiday prep.

Nearly 40 guests were invited into their gorgeous new home, where we feasted on not one, but two, delicious smoked turkeys. I brought the mashed potatoes and pumpkin dump cake; all other the sides, salads, and desserts were provided by the rest of the grateful guests.

The roasted Brussel sprouts with a balsamic-honey glaze were a stand out!

Ingredients:

• 2lbs Brussel sprouts, trimmed and halved.

• 1/4 cup Olive oil

• 1 teaspoon each:

  • garlic powder

  • thyme

  • oregano

  • paprika

  • black pepper, and

  • sea salt

• Glaze

  • 1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar

  • 1/4 cup Honey

Directions:

1. Place prepared Brussel sprouts in a large bowl, toss with olive oil and seasonings until evenly coated (add or subtract seasonings as you desire, you know me, I use recipes as guides!)

2. Spread seasoned sprouts on a shallow baking pan and place in preheated 425 degree oven.

3. Meanwhile - combine vinegar and honey in saucepan and heat until mixture begins to reduce and thicken.

4. Roast sprouts until tender and some have begun to blacken - about 25-30 minutes, turning occasionally.

5. Remove from oven, drizzle glaze over the top, stir to coat and return to oven for approximately 5 more minutes.

6. Serve hot.

7. Add cooked bacon or sausage crumbles to the roasting mixture if desired.

Even the kids gobbled these tasty little morsels up! They are super easy to prepare and a nutritious side to any family meal, but fancy enough to serve at your holiday dinner party!

(If you’re as lucky as me, after dinner you’ll get a live musical performance! Because, while my son may not be a domestic wonder, he - and our good friend Sharif - can sure play guitar and sing!)

Enjoy!