Falling Off The Wagon......Big Time

Now I know that I said I was going to eat healthier, but old habits die hard, especially when it is dreary and cold outside.  Winter weather here in the Pacific Northwest comes in one form......rain, and more rain. 
Usually I take this in stride but occasionally I find myself needing a little pick me up, and rich delicious comforting food will do that (at least for me). 

So what to make?  For a little background information I am a big tea drinker, especially black tea with some milk and sugar.  There are not too many nights that I don't have a spot of tea in the evening, and this particular night definitely called for tea so I decided to go with something that would complement my little cup of hot wonderful.  The initial thing that came to mind was colcannon, which is a hearty, stick to your bones dish from Ireland. 

Colcannon to me is the one of the ultimates in good cheap comfort food, and it is quite simply a mix of buttery mashed potatoes and kale or cabbage.  I decided to got the cabbage route since I just so happened to find a beautiful head of cabbage at the market.   And if this dish wasn't fattening enough, add some yummy bacon just for good measure.  I justified this decision by telling myself that this is also a traditional addition to this dish, and why not go with tradition right?  I followed it up with some crusty bread and some good Irish cheddar and voila!  I found myself in fat heaven, along with my cup of hot wonderful of course.  So did it cheer me up?  Yes.  Did my butt grow an inch as a result?  Yes.  Oh well, maybe it's time to invest in a treadmill......or some willpower.

Colcannon

Cook Time: 20 minutes

3lbs russet potatoes peeled and quartered
1/2 lb bacon chopped

4 cups chopped cabbage

1/3 cup butter

3/4 cup half and half

1-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

In a large pot boil potatoes over medium high heat until for tender, about 15 minutes.  While the potatoes are boiling heat a large skillet over medium heat. 

Add chopped bacon and cook until the bacon starts to get crispy, about 4 minutes.  Drain the excess fat and add the cabbage to the pan.  Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and saute until the cabbage is tender but not too soft, about 5 minutes. 

Drain the potatoes and mash using a food mill, potato ricer, or mixer.  Add the butter, half and half, and remaining salt and pepper.  Stir in the the cabbage and bacon mixture and serve immediately.

Note:  Leeks, chives, or scallions would be a very yummy addition to this dish....maybe even some good grated Irish cheddar.

Memories of Leavenworth

Recently I found myself reminiscing about a trip that we took this summer to Leavenworth, a little town here in the Pacific Northwest which has strangely taken on a Bavarian theme since 1962.  Everything from the architecture, the festivals, and especially the food there has taken on a German theme. 

When you are driving into town it really does look like some of those photos you seen of Bavaria and you suddenly feel transported to another place, without the hassle of airport security, crappy airline food, and just....well...the inconveniences of flying.  So looking back on that trip I fondly remembered the bratwurst that we had when we visited, (along with the amazing beer, but that's another story) and I felt a sudden urge to create a recipe at home to bring those flavors we experienced back to life.  So in preparing this recipe I wanted to make some attempt at paying a homage to fall, since I have a premonition that fall is leaving and taking her goodies with her (the forecast for snow here kinda helps with this notion).
Unfortunately on the night I had scheduled myself to make this dish I was not on my best behavior, in fact, I was being a bit of a s$%^ (shocker).  I distinctly remember having a small temper tantrum in the kitchen as I was putting this dish together saying out loud to myself how crappy my blog was, how no one was reading it anyway, and how this stupid !#$%*&#* recipe sucked and I just wanted to chuck it all.  After some very strange looks from my husband, who I think was convinced I was losing my mind, I calmed myself down, guzzled a glass of wine and ate what I had convinced myself to be a lousy dinner.  Needless to say, it was surprisingly not crappy, actually it was pretty damn good, and I found myself all of a sudden feeling much better about my universe (although the guzzling of a second glass of wine may have been the cause of such elation).  But most importantly this dish DID bring me back to this past summer, and brought back all the memories of a great trip spent with the people I love, and for that this recipe is precious to me.

Braised Red Cabbage And Apples With
Bratwurst and Sweet Potato Cakes

Braised Cabbage:

1 small head of red cabbage thinly sliced
1 small sweet onion sliced

2 apples peeled and diced

3 tablespoons butter

3 cups apple cider

2 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

4 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped

Sweet Potato Cakes

2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and quartered
1 sweet onion diced
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley finely chopped
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Bratwurst

6 fresh bratwurst
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot diced
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup white wine
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon pepper

For the braised cabbage: Heat the butter in a large stockpot over medium heat until melted.  Add the apples and onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the cabbage and remaining ingredients.  Cover and cook until the cabbage is tender, about 25 minutes.  Uncover and cook an additional 20 minutes or until the liquid is reduced. 

For the bratwurst: In a large pan heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the sausages and brown on both sides.  Remove sausages from pan and set aside.  To the pan add the shallot and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.  Add the broth, wine and mustard and cook until reduced and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.  Add the sausages and cook until the sausages are heated through.

For the sweet potato cakes: Boil the sweet potatoes until very soft, about 25 minutes.  Drain and set aside.  In a small pan melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until tender and translucent, about 10 minutes.  Using a food processor process the sweet potatoes until relatively smooth.  Put the sweet potato puree in a small bowl and add the cooked onions.  Allow to cool.  Once cool add the egg, panko, flour and remaining ingredients.  Stir until well combined.  Using well floured hands mold the potato mixture into small patties.  In a medium pan heat the olive oil and cook the cakes until browned on both sides and heated through, about 4 minutes per side. 

Serve the sausages with the cabbage and potato cakes and drizzle with the sauce.