Cabbages!

The local college has a veggie bag scheme from one of the local organic farms which sees some of the students going out to the farm each week to fulfill the orders from other students and staff for a bag of organic vegetables. So once you have all these veggies its important to make sure you eat them all.

We have a bit of pot luck going on and I have had loads of cabbage over the last term.   And my cabbage recipes are few and far between!I generally don't like cooked cabbage and prefer it raw.

So off I went on a search of the internet to furnish myself with more and came across the wonderful world of Abel and Cole. http://www.abelandcole.co.uk/recipes

These guys do the most amazing looking recipes for all the vegetables they put into their organic boxes.  I had to have a go at a few!  Below are the results of this weeks cabbage adventures using my Pampered Chef kit and influenced by the Abel and Cole recipes.  If you want to know more about any of the equipment used simply click on it and you'll be taken to my personal website shop.

Looking at this from a veggie perspective? Veggie bangers, vegetable stock and agave nectar rather than honey and you've got it!

Braised Brassica with Bangers, Beer and Bay

Prep time: 5-10 mins
Cooking time: 45 mins
Serves 3-4

Ingredients 
A few splashes of olive oil
6-8 bangers
4-5 bay leaves
1 cabbage (I used about 3/4 of a lovely red one)
3 garlic cloves, whole but crushed flat and peeled
Sea salt and a good grinding of black pepper
A nugget of butter
1 bottle of beer or 300ml chicken stock with most of a stock cube
1 tsp honey

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.
2. Cut the cabbage into chunky wedges with a utility knife on a cutting board.
3. Heat some oil in a 30cm Skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and let them sizzle and brown. Push to the sides of the pan.
4. Add the bay leaves, cabbage wedges and garlic. Season. Cook till each side of the cabbage is just golden.
5. Cosy up the browned cabbage, bangers, bay and garlic snugly in a square baker.
6. Place the skillet back on a medium heat. Add the butter and melt it until frothy. Pour in the beer or stock. Swirl in a bit of honey. Reduce for a moment. Add a touch more honey or seasoning, as needed.
7. Pour this over the cabbage and bangers. Cook for about 25 mins (or until the cabbage is tender and the bangers are done) in the oven.

We ate it with a big dollop of mash made with the wonderful mix n masher!

I used the stock this time, but hubby is very keen to try it with the beer - I'll let you know! 

Bangers and Cabbage