Cooking recipes

Red cabbage is so classic with sweet and sour flavours that it is very hard to think of any other way of serving it - so I didnt. Balsamic vinegar provides both qualities.

This is quite simple, but since it should be cooked to the point of being moist rather than wet, good temperature regulation and frequent stirring are important. 


4 to 6 servings
45 minutes - 30 minutes prep time


4 cups finely chopped red cabbage
4 to 8 shallots - 1 cup when chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup chicken stock OR apple juice OR white wine
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

Trim and chop the cabbage. Peel and chop the shallots. Heat the butter in a large non-reactive (stainless steel or glass) pot.

Add the shallots and cook gently for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened and reduced and slightly browned in spots. Add the cabbage, mixing in well, and let it too cook down for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly.

Add the chicken stock or other liquid, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring once or twice to be sure it isnt catching. Remove the lid, and add the balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper. I would use about 1/4 of a teaspoon of salt, unless you think your chicken stock is particularly salty, in which case use less. You could use white wine or apple juice or cider if you wanted a vegetarian dish.

Continue cooking for another 10 minutes or so, stirring regularly, until the broth and vinegar are absorbed and the dish is just moist. The closer it gets to done, the more often you will need to stir it to prevent it from scorching, but it is still probably a good idea to increase the heat a little from when it was cooking covered, in order to speed the process a bit.

This reheats well, but it is probably easier to do it in the microwave or in a covered dish in the oven than on the stove-top, where there is the most danger of it burning.




Last year at this time I made Apple Brown Betty.

So if you follow "My Kitchen Cafe", you know that Melanie just posted this recipe on Monday. But if you dont, I am happy to introduce this delicious dish to you. So, as luck would have it, I was planning our meals for the week on Monday before I went to the grocery store and saw this and really wanted to try it. I made it that very day and it was delicious! Red peppers were super expensive so I only put one in instead of two (I splurged buying the one) and I also added asparagus because its delicious, its in season, and it was super cheap; but other than that I followed the recipe and it was sooo good. (Oh and in my haste I accidentally bought Neufchatel cheese instead of cream cheese, but it tasted great and was 1/3 the fat, so that turned out to be a good thing).



I will definitely be making this again. Soon. It was easy and came together in 30 minutes. Perfect. I hope you enjoy it!

Creamy Orzo with Mushrooms, Asparagus, & Red Pepper
1 lb. orzo pasta
1 cup reserved pasta water
1 T. olive oil
2 medium chicken breasts (1-1.5 lbs.), cut into chunks
8 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 lb. asparagus, cut into 1" pieces
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
8 ounces cream cheese, softened (can use 1/3 less fat cream cheese or Neufchatel)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
juice of 1 lemon (dont skip this! soo good)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook according to package directions until tender. When the orzo is ready, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and then drain the orzo and set aside.
While the orzo cooks, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the hot oil and brown on all sides. When nicely browned (but not quite all the way cooked through), add the peppers, mushrooms, asparagus and thyme. Stir and let cook for about 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the mushrooms and peppers have softened and browned and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
In the skillet over medium heat, add the softened cream cheese (I didnt soften; no big deal) in bite sized chunks and stir so that the cream cheese melts and coats the chicken and vegetables. Add the reserved pasta water and bring to a simmer. Add ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Stir. Add the orzo, Parmesan, lemon juice and fresh parsley. Stir to combine and heat through. Garnish with additional Parmesan and parsley.

It will be very creamy, so I found it best to serve this in bowls. Serves 4-6 (depending on what else you are serving and how hungry you are). :)

Source: My Kitchen Cafe