Boil That Cabbage Down, Mother...............

As most of you know, I am a unrepentant foodie. I love to cook and eat, but with a great deal of experimentation. I find myself drawn to the basics, more rural and simple food. Some could call it "comfort" food, you might even call it Peasant food. I guess it's natural since that was the kind of food I was raised on, Pintos, Cornbread, Collards, Pork, just about anything cheap and fast. I have also been trying out food from other cultures such as Middle European, in particular Polish and Hungarian. Here is a recipe that I tried out on Miss Nancy and Rick around the New Year and they seemed to like it.

Kluski Kapusta Po
(Polish Noodles and Cabbage)
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup yellow onion (peeled and chopped)
4 cups cabbage (chopped or thinly sliced)
1 tsp. Caraway seed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
8 oz. egg noodles
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

Melt butter in a large skillet. Add the onion and saute until transparent. Add the cabbage and saute 5 minutes, or until tender but still crisp. Stir in the caraway seeds, salt and pepper.

Meanwhile cook the noodles in salted water as directed on the package. Do not overcook. Drain well.

Stir the noodles into the cabbage and add the sour cream. Cook five minutes longer, stirring frequently.

We tried it just as it was written with a big piece of Kielbasa roasted in the oven on the side. But what I like about this recipe is that it's like a broad canvas. Lots of room to play around with it. Such as rather than butter, chop up some (dare I say it) Bacon and fry it up crisp then saute the rest of the ingredients in bacon drippings. I did use some Pensey's Krakow Nights spice mix rather than the salt and pepper called for. You might also toast or grind up the caraway seed, just for a little bit more bump of the taste. (I love GOOD rye bread) Filling, reasonably cheap and fast. What more could you want?

Here is another cheap and filling meal.

Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup

Boiling Potatoes (peeled and quartered but, you can leave the skins on if you like)
One head of cabbage (chopped)
One can of corned beef

Peel and quarter your potatoes cover in slightly salty water. Boil until fork tender. Add the cabbage, cook until tender, then add the corned beef. Stir until the corned beef breaks apart, then serve it up when heated fully.


You can serve it with a good crusty bread or even cornbread. Whatever floats your boat.

I know there will be purist who will scream bloody murder that I don't get all Irish with a corned beef brisket and bring in a leprechaun to assist me, but this is suppose to be quick, easy and cheap, remember? I will match you the price of a can of corned beef vs. a whole brisket anytime. And I also hate leprechauns too, so there........ -grin-