Roasted Red Cabbage w/ Cheese and Nuts, Red Beans & Rice with Southern Sides, Salmon Cakes

Roasted Red Cabbage w/ Nuts & Cheese

This recipe comes from my award-winning cookbook writer and California chef friend Faye Levy; and she got it from Lauren Thomas the Modern Hippie food blogger.  The original recipe called for Hazelnuts and Gorgonzola, but I chose to substitute mixed nuts and goat cheese.  Just right for a nice vegetarian dinner with a side of roasted potatoes!

1 large head Red Cabbage
3-4 oz soft Goat Cheese 
1/2-3/4 cup chopped Hazel nuts, Walnuts, or mixed nuts
1/4 fresh Parsley
Black Pepper
EVOO for drizzling
Honey for drizzling -- I used local Tupelo Honey
Potatoes for making roasted wedges

Toast the nuts in a skillet with a spritz of EVOO.

Slice the cabbage into 1/2" or so rounds.  Drizzle with EVOO and lay them on a baking tray.  Dust with black pepper.

Slice the potatoes into wedges, lay them out on a baking tray. Spritz with oil, and dust with your favorite spices.

Roast everything for 20-30 minutes @ 400F or until fork tender.  You may want to remove the cabbage slices, dress them with dollops of goat cheese and toasted nuts, while the potatoes soften/finish.  Return the cabbage to the oven for a couple minutes to soften/melt the cheese.

To serve, dress each plated cabbage slice with fresh parsley, drizzle with honey, and add potato wedges.   Heat the jar of honey for 15 seconds or so in the microwave to make it easier to drizzle.

We really enjoyed this dish, and will add it to our rotation of favorites!  Just the right combination of sweet and savory.  I can see where the gorgonzola or feta would be nice, but the chevre I used was really nice too.  You do want a cheese with real character, not a bland American cheese or even a sharp cheddar.  

Cajun Red Beans & Rice
This dish is the heart of Cajun cooking. Get it right, and other dishes like jambalaya and étouffée are easily mastered. I served mine with two classic side dishes -- Collards and Cornbread. Adjust the heat to suit your taste by increasing the cayenne and Cajun seasoning amounts as desired.  You want the beans to be nice and "tangy" not "ripe yer face off" hot.

1 lb Dry Kidney Beans
¼ cup Olive Oil
1 large Onion, chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
2 stalks Celery, chopped
2 Tbsp minced Garlic
6 cups Water
2 Bay Leaves
1 Tbsp dried Parsley
1 tsp dried Thyme
1 tsp Cajun Seasoning
½ tsp Cayenne
¼ tsp dried Sage
1 lb Andouille sausage -- No Andouille? Use Spanish (not Mexican) Chourizo or other spicy sausage

 2 cups long grain White Rice or if you're trying to be healthy, half white and half brown rice

Soak the beans overnight.

Saute the Cajun Trinity – celery, onion & bell pepper -- about 5 minutes. Add to your bean pot.

Now add the soaked beans, water, herbs and spices. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Don't overcook!  Add the sliced sausage and cook another 30 minutes, while cooking the rice separately.

Serve beans over rice as above, or just with sides.

Collard Greens

Usually just called collards, this southern green is usually cooked with ham or smoked turkey legs for added flavor.  Cooking for vegetarians, I'm using Liquid Smoke to add that flavor to the dish rather than smoked critter. This recipe, based on one by Alton Brown, is also good for kale, turnip, chard and other heavy-leaved greens, not so much spinach which wilts and cooks quickly.

Your basic Southern Mamaw often stunk up the house for hours over-cooking collards into limp submission.  DON'T!  Be nice to your greens and they'll be good to you.

1 lb stemmed Collard Greens, rinsed, drained and chopped
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tbsp Liquid Smoketm flavor of your choice
4-6 cups Water

In a large pot, bring the water to a boil, add everything, reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 45 minutes or  until the collards are tender.   Don't overcook!  In Southern cooking the leftover liquid, called "pot likker", is often used as a broth for other recipes.

Corn Bread
Classic, simple and tasty!

2 cups  Cornmeal
1 large Egg, beaten
1-1/2 cups Buttermilk or milk + lemon juice
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
1/8 cup Sugar

Fold together.  Pour into 8"-9" pan.  Bake @ 450F for 20-25 minutes until GB&D.

Salmon Cakes

You can, of course, make these cakes/patties from fresh salmon which you cook to order. But we don't always have the time or inclination to do that, so this recipe uses canned Red Salmon.

1 cup diced Celery
1 cup diced Onion
1 large can Salmon
1 small can Salmon
2 cups Panko
2 Eggs, beaten
1/4 cup Mayo
2-3 Tbsp chopped fresh Dill
2-3 Tbsp chopped fresh Parsley
3 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Worchestershire Sauce
1+ Tbsp Liquid Smoke of your choice
Hot sauce to taste

Saute the onion and celery until soft.  Reserve.

In a bowl, mix together the other ingredients, before folding in the reserved veg.  

Scoop out 1/2 cup or larger portions and form them into 3/4" patties.  Fry in batches for  3-5 minutes per side until the outside is nicely browned and the inside is cooked through.

So hungry I forgot to take a 'beauty photo'!  But as you can see, I served the Salmon Cakes with roasted veg.