Category: Salads and Sides

Cider-Braised Red Cabbage with Pears and Caraway

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One of my favourite dishes, nothing can be simpler. If you don’t have pears on hand, don’t worry—it’s just as good without, or use apples instead. This dish tastes better as it sits, so making it a day in advance will up the flavor and save you day-of preparation.

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Cider-Braised Red Cabbage with Pears and Caraway

 2 tablespoons (30mL) extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon (15mL) caraway seeds
1 medium head red cabbage, chopped (about 4 pounds/1.8kg)
1 1/2 cups (360mL) apple cider
3 Bartlett pears, chopped (ripe, but not overripe)
2 tablespoons (30mL) apple cider vinegar
Sea or Himalayan salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Put the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the caraway seeds and cook, toasting for 1 minute. Add the onion and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cabbage, working with portions at a time, until all of it is in the saucepan.

Add the apple cider, bring to a boil, then reduce and cook at a simmer for 30 minutes, until the cabbage is tender. Stir in the pears and return to medium-high heat, cooking until the liquid has nearly absorbed, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the cider vinegar, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Sorghum Pilaf with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Beets, and Cranberries

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This dish has all the right textures and flavors—hearty sorghum is paired with creamy Brussels sprouts, sweet beets, and tart cranberries with the underlying fall-inspired herbs and spices and earthy mushrooms. If you want to add some crunch, toss in a generous handful of toasted hazelnuts or pecans before serving.

sorghum, brussels, beets

Sorghum Pilaf with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Beets, and Cranberries

3 tablespoons (45mL) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup (240mL) finely chopped celery (with leaves)
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon (3mL) poultry seasoning
1/8 teaspoon (1mL) fine sea or Himalayan salt
2 3/4 cup (660mL) water
3/4 cup (180mL) sorghum grain, rinsed
1/2 ounce (14g) dried mixed mushrooms
1 pound (454g) Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
3/4 pound (340g) beets, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 cup (240mL) fresh cranberries
Fine sea or Himalayan salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Heat 1 tablespoon (15mL) of the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the celery and onion and cooked until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, poultry seasoning, and salt. Cook for 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the water, sorghum, and mushrooms. Bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook until the sorghum has absorbed the water and is cooked through, about 55 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss the Brussels sprouts and beets with the remaining oil. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Top with the cranberries. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until the Brussels sprouts and beets are cooked through and starting to brown and caramelize, about 30 minutes. Let stand until the sorghum is finished cooking.

When the sorghum has finished cooking, add the Brussels sprouts mixture. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve warm.

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Mangu (Mashed Plantains with Onions)

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Every year in Niagara we have a Folk Arts festival, and I generally write an article on it composed of recipes inspired by different cultures. This is one of them (from 2010!), but I admit it’s likely not as authentic as I tried to make it. Before this, I’ve only had plantains deep-fried or roasted, and this was a welcome departure from other starchy sides. Mangu is a classic dish, traditionally eaten at breakfast, hailing from the Dominican, simple to prepare and loaded with taste.

mangu plantains

Mangu (Mashed Plantains with Onions)

4 unripe plantains (very green)
Salted water, to boil plantains
1 tablespoon (15mL) coconut oil
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon (15mL) cider vinegar
3 tablespoons (45mL) nondairy buttery spread, such as Earth Balance
1 cup (240mL) cold water
Fine sea or Himalayan salt to taste

Peel the plantains. Add to a large saucepan with salted water. Boil until tender, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium-high heat in a skillet. Add the onions. Cook until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add vinegar and a few pinches of salt. Continue to cook until softened and lightly browned. Remove from heat.

When plantains are cooked, drain then transfer to a bowl. Add the nondairy buttery spread and about 1/2 cup cold water. Mash well, adding water if necessary. Season with salt to taste. Serve with onions.