Creamed Savoy Cabbage with Onion, Garlic and Wholegrain Mustard

So here we are, in the grip of a deep freeze. Georgia is in full panic mode. Wall to wall news coverage of the ice whilst hooded correspondents stand and point toward obscure patches of ‘something’ behind them. Oooh, shudder in horror!

Yes, it’s Winter fest in Atlanta.

But seriously, it is cold out there, and as it happens, it also shaping up to be one of the coldest winters globally! My family in Ireland are telling me that they are having the coldest winter in 80 years believe it or not. So much so that the river ‘Bann’ that flows through my hometown is frozen over! (And it’s comparable to the Chattahoochee in size!) Gulp!

Dublin has run out of grit for the roads, whilst Atlanta never had any in the first place! Go figure!

So what does all this mean? Could Al Gore be wrong!! We will never know, but I think it’s time for some yummy winter comfort food to munch on as we stoke the fire. Something you can make in a snatch, and something that will be healthy into the bargain. Try this…

‘Creamed Savoy cabbage, with garlic, onions, whole grain mustard and some warm bacon dressing’. Yum!

Growing up my mother always grew Savoy cabbage in our garden in Ireland and it was a regular side dish on the family table. My dad used to love it blanched and then quickly finished off in bacon fat, which sounds good, but these days we are all a tad more conscious of the type of fats we consume so I like to cook my bacon separately or eliminate it all together. Savoy cabbage is packed with nutrients and tastes great! Try this easy recipe for a quick warming winter lunch or snack whilst you settle back to watch more ‘winter fest’ on TV…Ha!

Enjoy!

Jude.

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion (thinly sliced)
• 4 cloves garlic (finly sliced)
• 1 whole savoy cabbage, about 2lbs (thinly shredded)
• kosher salt and white pepper
• 4 tbsp heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp whole grain mustard
• 4 slices of crispy crumbled bacon (optional)

Method:

1. Saute onion and garlic in butter with olive oil until onions ae soft but not browned. Set aside.
2. Pull off the tough outer leaves of the cabbage and gut around hard inner core. Wash and thinly slice cabbage.
3. Blanch cabbage for 2 minutes in boiling water. Drain in a colander.
4. On medium heat, add cabbage to fried onions in skillet and heat through for 2 minutes. Add cream and wholegrain mustard and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5. Serve right away garnished with bacon or straight from the pan.

(*remember, if you want to print this out for your own kitchen I suggest copying and pasting into Word. If you print this blog, Al Gore's nightmares of deforestation may become a reality indeed!*)