Cookery

from Denise Phillips

For more recipes and inspiration visit my website: www.jewishcookery.com

Nutty Red Cabbage Steaks

Jewish people love red cabbage, and this is a trendy different way to cook it which is suitable for vegans. Serve as a side dish, with salad or include in the lunch box. Delicious hot, cold or warm.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time 1 hour Serves: 4 More delicious recipes

Ingredients 1 large red cabbage - 2 tablespoons Olive oil ~ 100g flaked almonds 150g skin on almonds 150g walnuts ~ 75g cherry tomatoes – roughly chopped Small bunch of fresh mint – finely chopped ½ lemon – zest and juice 2 tablespoons maple syrup 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method 1) Preheat the oven to 180C Fan/ 200 C/ Gas mark 6. 2) Remove any damaged leaves and cut the red cabbage into 4 x 2 cm thick steaks, leaving the stalk on so they stay intact. 3) Brush both sides with olive oil, season well and transfer to a tray lined with baking parchment paper. 4) Roast for 30-40 minutes or until golden and a knife pierces the stalk easily. Turn the steaks over halfway through cooking and cover with foil if they start to brown too much before they are tender. 5) Place the nuts on a separate oven tray and bake for about 10 minutes or until golden. Remove and set aside, then roughly chop. 6) Tip into a bowl with the cherry tomatoes, mint, lemon zest and juice, maple syrup and 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. 7) Season and drizzle over the steaks.

Caramelised Walnut, Crispy Sprout Salad with Tahini Dressing

This is an interesting seasonal salad with delicious crunchy elements; walnuts and fresh pears topped with a lemon tahini dressing. I have used ‘date honey’ so it can be vegan, but regular honey works equally well.

Preparation Time: 25 minutes Cooking Time Approx. 40 minutes Serves: 4-6

Ingredients 800g brussels sprouts ( about 40), trimmed and halved 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil ~ 100g kale – stalks removed and roughly chopped 2 courgettes, ends removed and cut at an angle into slices 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 firm pears, skin on, cored and thinly sliced For the Caramelised Walnuts 100g walnuts plus 20g for garnish 1 tablespoon ‘date honey’ or regular honey

For the Tahini Dressing 50ml lemon juice ( juice from about 4 lemons) 90g tahini 2 tablespoons ‘date honey’ or regular honey Garnish: Pomegranate Seeds and walnuts

Method 1) Preheat the oven to 180C and line three trays with baking parchment paper. 2) Put the brussels sprouts in a large bowl and toss with the extra virgin olive oil. Season well and spread onto one of the trays in a single layer. 3) Roast for 25-30 minutes. 4) Blanch the kale in boiling water, drain and set aside. 5) Put the courgettes in a bowl and toss with extra virgin olive oil and season. Transfer to the other lined baking tray. Add the kale and roast for 10 minutes. 6) For the caramelised walnuts, mix all the nuts with the honey. Spread on to a lined baking tray in a single layer. Roast for 10 minutes or until caramelised. ( Keep back 20g for garnish). 7) For the dressing, put the lemon juice, tahini, honey and seasoning in a bowl. Whisk together with 2-3 tablespoons water. 8) To serve, combine the sprouts, kale, courgettes, pear slices in a bowl. Add the nuts and drizzle with the tahini dressing.

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Seasonal Sides

BY DENISE PHILLIPS

With so much more time spent at home, mealtimes are becoming a special event in the day, especially dinner. The main course is often easy to decide but what do you serve with it? Obviously, certain main course dishes have a traditional accompaniment like a roast dinner is classically eaten with roast potatoes. Side dishes complete main courses and vice versa. And sometimes the side dish feels like the main event!

I would like to focus on Brussel sprouts and red cabbage – both from the cabbage family.

Brussel sprouts are one of those vegetables that you either love or hate. They are high in fibre, vitamins, and minerals. Personally, I feel they have had a positive revival with many new creative ways of cooking them. Steam, roast, stir fry, deep fry and transform these tasty, cooked Brussel sprouts into savoury potato cakes, add to cooked rice, cous cous, bulghur wheat or quinoa. Add to soups, stews, grate on top of pasta or pizza. Add to a creamy risotto with other green leafy vegetables. Make into salads adding pecans, cranberries, and fresh herbs. Shave raw sprouts and enjoy with caramelized onions, toasted almonds and grated cheese, Brussel sprout Waldorf salad, Brussel sprouts Caesar salad, shredded Brussel sprouts with wilted kale, peas, roasted chestnuts and a lemon dressing and my recipe below.

Store Brussel sprouts, unwashed and untrimmed in a plastic bag for up to a week, however the longer you keep them their taste gets stronger and less sweet! The Brussel sprouts on a stalk will be fresher, more flavoursome and will stay fresher longer.

Red cabbage, characterized by its beautiful purple colour is a great Ashkenazi Jewish favourite traditionally gently simmered into a sweet and sour side dish with raisins. It is healthy, thrifty and robust; all the components of an extremely versatile ‘must use’ vegetable. A head of cabbage goes a long way, typically costing about 85p for about a kg and will last in your fridge if wrapped well for at least 3 weeks to up to 2 months!

To prepare strip off the outer layers, wash and then slice into quarters, remove the hard central core on each and slice, chop or shred. Lock in the colour by adding a touch of vinegar when cooking red cabbage in water. This stops the lovely red purple hue from dulling.

Enjoy pickled with mustard seeds, bay leaves, red wine, onions, and garlic. Cook for 20 minutes and simmer with Chinese spices – soy sauce, spring onions, sugar and chilli and eat with cold meat/ fish or vegetarian quiches.

Slow cook with stews, hot pots and one pot meals. Flavour with apples, star anise, cinnamon and bay leaves.

Cut into steaks for a vegan/ vegetarian main course topped with a selection of caramelized nuts, goats or halloumi cheese or a pesto or tapenade topping.

Use as part of a coleslaw salad with walnuts, apples and sultanas or add to a roasted vegetable.

Red cabbage has a great affinity with beetroot. Mix together for salads, braised or even combine to make soup.

I sincerely hope you have now been inspired to add these two vegetables to your shopping list.

On the left are Brussel sprout and red cabbage recipes.

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