Simple Sauteed Cabbage with Carrots

Ever since last year, when we stayed at the Swiss Farm Inn, I've been periodically thinking about the cabbage side dish we had. That might seem strange, but it was delicious!

I really like pepper slaw (the not-creamy version of coleslaw), but haven't eaten much cabbage otherwise. The idea of cooking it & making it the star of a dish never really occurred to me. I finally found myself with extra cabbage, so the other night I cooked it with some shredded carrots.

It turns out that cooking cabbage aids in lowering cholesterol. Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable that is high in Vitamins K & C as well as antioxidants. It's low in calories, so it's perfect for a side dish that packs a lot of punch. I really liked it cooked - it retains its crunch & became a little sweeter than raw cabbage.

We served the cabbage with Kale & Feta Portobello Caps (recipe soon!) & sweet potato fries. Yum!

Simple Sauteed Cabbage with Carrots

Serves 4-6

1 T coconut oil (or olive oil)

1/2 of a large head of cabbage, sliced or shredded

1 carrot, grated

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. black pepper

In a large skillet (mine was cast iron), heat oil until melted. Add cabbage, cooking over medium heat for about 8 minutes. Stir occasionally. Once cabbage begins to soften, add carrots, salt & pepper. Cook another 5 minutes or until cabbage is lightly browned & soft. Season with additional salt or pepper to taste.

Veggie Summer Rolls

Ever since we went to a local Vietnamese restaurant & I ordered some fabulous tofu summer rolls, I've been dying to make my own. There are many variations & the more I looked, the more intimidating it became. Most recipes involve a lot of steps, & the more cooked ingredients that go into the rolls, the longer the process becomes. I weeded through many recipes & figured in our taste buds before deciding on these ingredients. A lot of the recipes include rice noodles, but I'll admit that I just don't have the patience to bother with that mess!

We're growing what we thought were 2 kinds of mint in our garden. We started one from a bunch of chocolate mint from the market, & the other from a sprig of "mint" from the Vietnamese restaurant. We used a combination of the two in these rolls, & as you can see in the above picture, it's hard to really tell the difference. While we were eating, we could definitely taste a difference. As we were talking, I mentioned Thai basil & how it was in a lot of the recipes I found. When I googled it, we discovered that Thai basil is actually very similar to mint. It's recommended that if you do not have or can't find Thai basil, to substitute mint, not sweet Italian basil. Very interesting!

I'm excited that we're growing Thai basil & I can't wait to use it more now that I know what it is!

Don't let these intimidate you! From start to finish, you can have them done in just over an hour. We worked together to roll them, so if you have a friend/spouse to help, you can have a rolling party!

If anyone was wondering (like I did!), the main difference between summer rolls & spring rolls is that spring rolls are usually fried. I like the freshness (& healthiness) of summer rolls. I've tried spring rolls in restaurants & the flavor of the veggies doesn't come through as well.

I'm sure you could dip these in a sweet chili sauce, duck sauce, soy sauce, or many other things, but I'm partial to peanut sauce. I like it so much that I can remember my first taste!

I learned to like Asian while visiting my aunt in Oregon. I ordered plain broccoli & rice, no sauce, but the lady in the Thai restaurant told me she was putting on the sauce because I would like it. There was no arguing with her, & after I tasted it, I realized she was right! After that visit, we always went to that restaurant until one year when it closed. We tried a new place & that was where I had my first peanut sauce. I remember keeping the little bowl & using a spoon to eat the leftovers.

All that to say that making the sauce is definitely worth the extra step! Enjoy!

Veggie Summer Rolls
Inspired by OhSheGlows.com
Serves 2 as main dish or 4-6 as appetizer

10 Spring Roll Wrappers
1 block extra-firm tofu
1 large red bell pepper, julienned
3 medium carrots, grated
1/2 of a red onion, sliced
1/4 of a small cabbage, julienned
10 mint or Thai basil leaves (do not substitute regular basil!)
1 batch Mama Pea's Peanut Mmmm Sauce or other favorite sauce

Slice tofu into 8 pieces & press for at least 20 minutes. While the tofu is pressing, chop the veggies & make the peanut sauce. Place tofu on a baking sheet in a single layer & broil for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Flip tofu & broil again for 5 minutes to brown the other side. Remove from tray, allow to cool slightly, & cut each piece into 4 long slices. Fill a large bowl with hot water (from the tap is fine). Lay out a clean dish towel. Submerge a spring roll wrapper into the hot water until soft. Carefully lay the wrapper on the dish towel & smooth out any folds or creases. Assemble ingredients in the center of the wrapper (I layed down a mint leaf, then 3 pieces of tofu, 2 red pepper sticks, some cabbage, & sprinkled onions & carrots on top). Fold in the sides of the wrapper. Fold down the top, then roll tightly. Set on a plate & repeat process with remaining wrappers. Serve immediately!

Vermont: Day 2

It rained overnight so the conditions for skiing on Tuesday weren't great. We decided to go touring around the area.

Breakfast was delicious again, with apple pancakes, homefries, apple slices & pineapple. 

Dad fueled up with the "Big Sandwich," complete with grilled ciabatta bread, 2 eggs, potato, corned beef hash & swiss cheese.

Mom was on the lookout for quilt shops, & this was the first one we saw. It was closed, so we kept searching.

We stopped at the King Arthur Flour Baker's Store & Cafe. They had a huge selection of flours & other grains, plus tons of baking supplies.

I was really tempted by the spreads, but decided to try to find some recipes to make them at home.

The Bup found pizzelle mix! He & Dad have their own secret recipe, so he was comparing ingredients. 

Their bakery display was really tempting. Maybe if we hadn't just eaten our weight in breakfast we would've tried something. :-)

Our next stop was at the Hen House Fabric shop. Mom was excited...the rest of us just tagged along.

She bought these pretty fabrics to make a table runner.

After the fabric shopping, we stopped at the Simon Pearce gallery & shop.

Everything was gorgeous & super pricey.

The first floor used to host glass blowing sessions for people to watch, but it was washed out in the recent flooding. We saw a video instead. The techniques are really cool!

They have an attached restaurant with a glass enclosed patio. The dam below was full of ice blooms.

Even the covered bridge was washed out by the flood, the water came up so high!

Dad really wanted to go to the Quechee Gorge so that was our next stop. The lady inside the welcome center said we weren't to take the walk to the vista because the conditions weren't safe with all the ice.

I noticed a winery shop across the street from the gorge, so we checked that out.

The Charlotte Village Winery had a nice selection of wines. Their main attraction is a series of blueberry wine - dry, semi-sweet & dessert wines, all made from blueberries grown on their property.

My favorite was the Peach Blossom, a combination of chardonnay & peach wines.

Next up, we stopped at the Sugarbush Farm. The horses were outside, enjoying the warmer weather.

An authentic "Vermont Cowch." Haha!!

They had an impressive cheese selection. I really liked the Hickory & Maple Smoked Cheese, but each one we tasted was full of flavor.

They package their cheese by wrapping it in foil & then dipping it in wax. The process allows it to be stored & shipped without refrigeration.

I tried the Vermont Maple Seltzer & was amazed!

100% pure filtered & carbonated maple sap! It was like drinking subtly sweet maple fizzy water. Refreshing & interesting. I wish they sold it around us!

Our final stop was the Long Trail Brewing Co., home of the eco-brew.

They have a self-guided tour room where we were able to watch them packaging & bottling the Blackbeary Wheat beer. My favorite! 

We each order a sampler platter that included their 5 year-round beers & the winter beer, Hibernator.

I love that they bring them out in a cupcake tin!

In order of favorite to least favorite: 1, 5, 2, 3, 4, 6.

So serious.

Mom also ordered the Coffee Stout & a mini-sample of the Triple Bag (delicious!!) & the Centennial Red.

After all those tastings, we weren't really hungry for dinner, but Roger cooked such a good meal that we managed to finish every bite!  

First up -  Cream of Broccoli soup followed by a small salad tossed with a light vinaigrette.

 The main course was manicotti with garlic bread & warm cabbage salad. I LOVED the salad, so Roger told me how he made it. He takes shredded cabbage & ribbons of carrot, lightly sautes them in olive oil, & then tosses it with salt, pepper, garlic & Parmesan. He said that he also makes it with soy sauce, when eaten with a different combo of foods. I can't wait to make it at home!

 Dessert was baked apples with granola filling & French vanilla ice cream drizzled with maple syrup.

It was a great day, but I was stuffed!!!!

Red Cabbage & Pear Salad with Mango Dressing

I can hardly believe it's almost 2012! Every time I stop to think about it, I'm in shock. Really, it makes me feel old...3 years married, home-owning, closing in on the 5 year college reunion mark OLD.

But that's a good thing. I'm happy with what I've done so far in my life & I look forward to the upcoming years with anticipation of what's to come.

The surest way to make sure my hubby & I have a chance at enjoying a long life together is to feed us well. Incorporating lots of nutrient dense foods into our life will give us energy to handle whatever 2012 & beyond throws at us. I'm ready!

I'm not planning any big new year's resolutions. My main goal is to empty the freezer because it's in dire need of a defrosting. That might not sound too hard, but I have (happily!!) a major grocery shopping problem. So the hard part of emptying the freezer is that I have to stop buying more food. I'm aiming for a defrost in late March. We'll see...maybe by then I can put the contents outside to stay cold while it defrosts? 

This salad was inspired by a jar of Trader Joe's mango butter, a chunk of red cabbage, & some overly ripe pears that were sitting in my fridge. When I googled ways to combine red cabbage & pears, many of the recipes included sliced mango, giving me the idea to use that flavor in the dressing. If you don't have access to a Trader Joe's & can't find mango butter elsewhere, I'm sure you could use apple or pear butter in it's place & add mango slices.

Red Cabbage & Pear Salad with Mango Dressing
Serves 6-8

1/2 head of red cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, grated
1/4 of a large red onion, sliced
1 pear, chopped
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 T extra virgin olive oil
3 T mango butter*
1/4 tsp. sea salt

Combine cabbage, carrot, onion, & pear in a large bowl. Whisk together vinegar, olive oil, mango butter & sea salt. Pour dressing over the salad. Stir & allow to marinate for 30 minutes before serving.

*Feel free to substitute apple or pear butter if you can't find mango butter. If you still want the mango flavor, add a few slices to the salad.