Sunday's Soup/Cabbage Confetti Soup

A few years back, I read a book about the nutrients and vitamins contained in vegetables and why we should eat them at a certain time of year. I was blown away by cabbage...of all things. Did you know that while the cabbage seems to be similar to lettuce, it's actually related to broccoli, kale, and cauliflower? Who would have thought? Not me! It's packed with vitamin C and K, helps to improve digestion, and also has an anti-inflammatory response in the body, so it helps to protect against infection, such as colds. Cabbage has also been found to lower blood pressure as well as cholesterol. Pretty amazing for this simple vegetable. So, eating cabbage at this time of year is especially great. It may actually help ward off a nasty cold :) 

I decided to call this soup Cabbage Confetti Soup, as it is rather colorful, with celery, carrots, fire roasted tomatoes, green and yellow split peas, and finally cabbage.   

Begin with 1 large yellow onion, and 1 cup of chopped celery. Saute under tender. 

Add 1 cup of green, and 1 cup of yellow split peas. If you would rather, you can choose one or the other. Split peas are pretty much...split peas. I just like the added color :)

Add in 2 large sliced carrots, 1 large can of fire roasted diced tomatoes, 6 cups of chopped cabbage, 12 cups vegetable broth, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon of celery seed, 2 teaspoons of dried thyme, and 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary. 

Bring everything to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until split peas are tender. Serve and enjoy!

Cabbage Confetti Soup

ingredients;
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion chopped
1 cup celery chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
2 large carrots sliced 
6 cups chopped cabbage
1 cup yellow split peas
1 cup green split peas
1 28 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
12 cups vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon celery seed
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt and black pepper to taste

directions;
Begin by heating oil in large soup pot. Add onions and celery and saute until tender. Add garlic and continue to saute for another minute, stirring so as not to burn garlic.
Add split peas, cabbage, carrots, canned tomatoes, vegetable broth, bay leaves, celery seed, rosemary, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until peas are tender, about 30 minutes. 
Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Add in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.

The soup may be served as is with a nice piece of warm, crusty bread. You may also serve it over a bed of wild rice, a delicious addition. 

The soup freezes well, so have some now, and save some for later. Another idea is to freeze in small batches for lunches.

I hope you enjoy the soup, and I hope that it will help to ward off those nasty winter time colds :)
Enjoy!

Rhonda

Sunday's Supper/Pasta with Cabbage, Roasted Walnuts and Granny Smith Apple

Since tomorrow is Easter, I thought I would go ahead and post this tonight. The ingredients of this pasta dish may seem a little strange, but the combination is absolutely delicious! 

There's more to the pasta than just cabbage, walnuts and a granny smith apple, but this was the beginning. As you can see below, there's also a sliced purple onion, and a few ingredients that you don't see below :)

Pasta with Cabbage, Roasted Walnuts and Granny Smith Apple

Ingredients;
1pkg. of whole grain pasta
1 small head of cabbage chopped
1/2 purple onion sliced
1/2 cup chopped walnuts roasted
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium Granny Smith apple thinly sliced
1 heaping teaspoon fresh chives chopped
1/2 cup of blue cheese crumbles
1 teaspoon dried sage
salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste

Boil a pot of salted water for pasta. 
While water for pasta is heating, heat the olive oil and saute onions and apple together until tender and slightly browned.
Roast walnuts.
Once the water has come to a boil, add pasta and cook as directed on package. 2 minutes before pasta is ready to drain, throw in the chopped cabbage. Once pasta is ready to drain, reserve 1/2 cup of cooking liquid.
Drain pasta and cabbage combination then place in serving bowl. Combine with the sauteed apples and onion, the roasted walnuts, blue cheese crumbles, and sage. If  needed, add the cooking liquid to give the pasta a creamy texture. Mix well. Add salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. 
Top the pasta with the chopped fresh chives and enjoy!  

The sauteed apples give the pasta just a hint of a tart taste and onions give it a savory taste. 

The pasta is creamy and yet no cream has been added, except for the natural cream of the cheese. 

My husband was intrigued by the combination of ingredients, but after one taste he said, "this is company pasta!" In other words, pasta meant for guests :) I thought that was a rather nice compliment.
My chives are up in the garden, so I am looking for every possibility to use them. I just love spring chives!
If you give the pasta a try, I hope you enjoy it too!
Rhonda

Sunday's Soup

This is such a glorious time of year! The farmer's markets are absolutely alive with color. I walk in, and I'm like a kid in a candy store, I want it all!!!

On a recent trip, I was tempted by the rich purple colors, purple onions, purple cabbage, purple potatoes and purple cauliflower. So pretty!

My mind immediately went to soup. The temperatures have been a bit cool, so all the more I'm wanting a good bowl of soup.

What I decided to do was quarter the potatoes and break apart the cauliflower and then roast it. I love roasted potatoes and cauliflower.

I chose the smallest head of purple cabbage and then chopped it, but not too finely.

Here's my recipe;

Purple People Pleaser Soup

1 small head purple cabbage chopped
 About a pound of small purple potatoes, quartered
1 purple onion chopped
1 head purple cauliflower broken into florets
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt
black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence
6 cups water/chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup cream or half and half

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Quarter potatoes and break apart cauliflower. Combine in large bowl. Salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with garlic powder and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir well to coat. Place in oven and roast until fork tender and browned, about 30 to 45 minutes.
Pour remaining tablespoon of olive oil in pan and saute chopped onion. Once tender, add chopped garlic and continue to saute for approximately 1 minute.
Transfer onion/garlic mixture to a large soup pot. Add chopped cabbage, 6 cups of water or broth and Herbs de Provence. Add roasted potatoes and cauliflower. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until cabbage is tender, approximately 10 minutes. Add 1 cup of cream or half and half, simmer for another 10 minutes, being careful not to allow the soup to boil.  
Dish up and enjoy!

If you don't have Herbs de Provence, use a combination of basil and oregano. After all, cooking is all about doing a little experimentation :)

The soup was so good and the purple colors were so pleasing to the eyes. Nourishing for the body and soul.
Enjoy!!
Rhonda

Sunday's Supper

When fall rolls around, one of my favorite dishes to make is a simple pasta with cabbage and sage. It's very easy to make and it nourishes my soul. A friend recently sent me a couple of cabbages from his garden and I immediately knew what I would do with them. If you love pasta, but would rather cut down a bit on the carbs, give this recipe a try! I cook the cabbage with the pasta. As the cabbage cooks, it flavors the pasta.
Be sure to use fresh sage and chives. I grow both, but you can also find the fresh herbs in your grocery store.
If you would like a meat option, bacon, ham or a chicken sausage makes a nice addition.

Cabbage Pasta with Sage and Chives

Ingredients;
1 small cabbage coarsely chopped
1/2 bag of whole wheat spaghetti
1/2 cup of chopped chives
3 tablespoons of chopped sage
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 large clove of garlic chopped
1 cup of milk
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
1 tablespoon of butter
1 cup of grated Asiago Cheese(Parmesan is a nice alternative)
salt and black pepper to taste
red pepper optional
Meat of your choice

1.Fill a large pot with water and add a tablespoon of salt to the water. Bring to a boil.
2.Saute chopped garlic in olive oil over medium heat, just until it begins to turn golden. Add sage, chives(reserve a little of the chives and the sage to sprinkle over pasta) and red pepper. Saute for a minute or so just to release flavors. Set aside.
3.In a separate pan, add the corn starch. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly. Add the butter and continue to stir until mixture just begins to thicken. Add garlic and herb mixture, 1/2 cup of cheese and set aside. If adding meat, cook separately and then add to sauce at this time.
4.Once water begins to boil, add pasta and cabbage. Boil until pasta is cooked. Drain cabbage and pasta mixture and place in serving bowl.

5. Pour sauce over pasta. Toss well to combine.
6. Sprinkle pasta with reserved herbs and cheese and serve.

Enjoy!!!
Rhonda