SPAGHETTI WITH CABBAGE & HAZELNUTS

Julia Child, mother of all things culinary, implied that Italian cooking wasn’t really cooking.  She couldn’t understand how tossing a few basic ingredients together in a pot (or oven) is actually cooking…I love ya Julia, but I think you may have missed out on some sensational simple sustenance.

What I love about Italian cooking is just that, its simplicity, that simplicity is somehow comforting.  Italian’s also don’t waste anything in the kitchen, and it’s often these thrown together with scraps from the refrigerator dishes that are the most delectable!

Spaghetti with Cabbage and Hazelnuts is one of those comforting, delectable thrown together dishes; it came about as a way to use up what I had in my refrigerator, and ended up being a new favorite meal! 

This dish is simple and uses only a few ingredients so it goes together super quick.  While I enjoy Spaghetti with Cabbage and Hazelnuts as a meal on its own, it would also be a great side dish to serve with pork or roasted chicken; you could even add some crumbled sweet Italian sausage or crisp pancetta just to change things up.

Here’s what you do.

Put the pasta water on to boil while the remaining ingredients are being prepped.

Toast some hazelnuts in a hot skillet, keeping a close eye on them so that they don't burn. 

If the hazelnuts have the skins on them go ahead and put them into a paper towel, and rub them together, the skins will come right off. 

Chop them quite fine and put them to the side.

The main ingredients; shredded cabbage, thinly sliced onion and minced garlic.

Put the spaghetti on to cook in boiling salted water; cook it for 2 minutes less than the package directions state.  Drain the cooked spaghetti but reserve 1/2 cup of that pasta water.  

While the spaghetti is cooking; over medium-high heat saute the cabbage and onions in a table spoon of olive oil and 1/2 tablespoon of butter.

Also add 1/2 teaspoon of fresh or dried thyme and a pinch of salt and pepper.

After about 5 minutes the cabbage and onions will begin to brown, add the garlic and cook until all the vegetables are tender.

Stir in the juice of half of a lemon.

Add the cooked spaghetti, 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water, a touch more of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.

Also toss in the toasted hazelnuts and cook until the pasta is al dente, adding more of the reserved pasta water if necessary.

Serve with some grated Parmesan cheese.

This makes a great meal on it's own, but is also good as a side-dish to pork or chicken

SPAGHETTI WITH CABBAGE & HAZELNUTS

Makes 2 servings

1/3            lb.             Spaghetti (a third of a 1 pound package)

3              Tbsp.          Hazelnuts

2              cups          Cabbage, shredded

½             cup           Onion, finely sliced

1 ½           Tbsp.         Olive oil, divided use

½             Tbsp.         Butter

1              clove          Garlic, minced

½             tsp.           Thyme, dried or fresh

½                             Lemon, juice of

¼ to ½      cup           Reserved pasta cooking liquid

                                Salt and pepper to taste

                                Grated Parmesan cheese

   1.       Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water for about 2 minutes less than the package directions state.  Drain the cooked pasta, but reserve ½ cup of the pasta water.  Put both to the side.

   2.       Meanwhile; toast the hazelnuts, in a large skillet over medium high heat, stirring quite often to keep the nuts from burning.  When the hazelnuts are golden in color remove them from the heat.  If the hazelnuts have skins on them, pour them into a paper towel, close up the paper towel and rub them together until the skins come off; discard the skins.  Chop them quite finely, and put the hazelnuts to the side.

   3.       In the same skillet sauté the cabbage and onions in 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil and the butter over medium high heat stirring frequently.  After about 5 minutes the cabbage and onions will begin to color, and then you can add the garlic, thyme, a pinch of salt & pepper.  When the veggies are tender squeeze the juice of half of a lemon over them, give it a stir; and then toss in the cooked spaghetti adding ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water, the remaining ½ tablespoon of olive oil, the chopped hazelnuts, as well as salt & pepper to taste.  Continue to cook and stir until the pasta is al dente, adding more of the pasta water if needed.  Remove to serving dishes and top with grated parmesan cheese.

You may also like:

Lemon Asparagus Linguini

Roasted Broccoli & Tomato Pasta

Rigatoni with Eggplant & Ricotta

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs

MOJO MARINATED GRILLED PORK plus MOJO PORK SANDWICH

 

In the summer I just crave healthy, lean foods.  It may be because of the heat.  It may be because I’m not hiding behind the layers of clothing that I wear in winter that my subconscious is reminding me that fatty foods make for a fatty Kari!

In any case...

Pork is a lean protein.  Somewhere along the way pork was labeled bad and fatty; I suspect that it’s because pulled pork and pork belly are all the rage in the culinary world at this time.  There are cuts of pork such as pork tenderloin or loin chops, that are just as lean as chicken.

Mojo marinade (pronounced moho) is a bright citrus marinade that takes to grilling really well. 

Mojo marinades vary depending upon which region of the world you live in.  Because I live in South Florida, I am influenced by the Latin versions which uses sour orange.  Since sour orange isn’t readily available in most parts of the continent, I used a combination of navel oranges and lemons to achieve a similar flavor.

Y’all know that I’m kinda lazy, so I cut a larger piece of pork in two and marinated it.  I grilled half the first night, to enjoy for dinner; and a couple of days later I grilled the remaining half to make yummy sammies…one recipe, two dinners!

Here’s what you do. 

Start by removing any silver skin from the pork.

Season all sides of the pork with seasoning salt, garlic powder and pepper.

I cut this long piece of pork in half so that it would fit into two ziploc bags.

Let it hang out while the marinade is prepared.



Slice the aromatics; onion, orange, lemon and flat leaf parsley.

  

In a small bowl mix together some orange juice, worcestershire sauce, honey, and a few dashes of tobassco.

Add half of the aromatics to the bottom of two ziploc bags, place the pork on that, then add the remaining aromatics.

Break two bay leaves in half and add two halves to each bag.

Pour the half of the marinade in each bag and zip the bags up, squeezing out any excess air.

It's not totally necessary but I like to press the bag to break up the little juice pods of the citrus.

Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, over night is even better.

Remove the marinated pork from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before cooking.
Take it out of the marinade and blot off the excess marinade.

 Start the grill on high heat, when the grill is hot add the pork and turn the flame down to medium-low.  Cook for 10 minutes on the first side, and about 8 minutes on the second side; until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 to 150 degrees.

Pour the marinade into a sauce pan.  Bring the marinade to a boil, and then turn the heat down to medium-low and cook it for 20 minutes.

Remove the cooked pork, cover it with foil and allow to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Strain the cooked marinade into a bowl and discard the solids.

Pour a little of the marinade over the pork slices and serve the remaining marinade on the side.

I only cooked half of the pork and served it with some lovely grilled corn and a crisp salad.
 

 I grilled the other half of the Mojo Marinated Pork a couple of days later and made a really yummy sammie!

Start by making the Spicy Red Cabbage Slaw.

 

In a medium bowl add shredded cabbage, really finely sliced onion, and thinnly sliced jalapenos which are de-seeded.

In a small bowl mix together some mayo, dijon mustard, freshly squeezed lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, ground cumin and ground coriander.



Pour the dressing over the shredded veggie and toss to mix.

Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

To make the pork sandwich you will need: Mojo Marinated Grilled Pork, Spicy Red Cabbage Slaw, sliced avocado and some Naan bread (though pita bread of your favorited roll will be just as great).

I served this with more sweet summer corn (cuz I just can't get enough of it) as well as sliced tomatoes and cucumbers.

MOJO MARINATED GRILLED PORK

Serves 6

3             lbs.         Boneless lean pork, such as pork tenderloin, or country pork

¼            tsp.        Granulated garlic

1             Tbsp.     Seasoning salt

1             tsp.        Pepper

1                            Large onion, sliced

1                            Lemon, sliced

1                            Orange, sliced

1             cup         Flat leaf parsley, roughly   chopped

¾            cup         Orange juice

2             Tbsp.     Honey

1 ½         Tbsp.     Worcestershire sauce

2                            Bay leaves

                              Hot sauce, few dashes

1.      Remove the silver skin from the pork with a sharp knife; if necessary cut the pork in two so that it will fit into 2 gallon sized Ziploc storage bags.  Season all sides of the pork with the granulated garlic, seasoning salt, and pepper.

2.      Divide the remaining ingredients between 2 gallon sized Ziploc storage bags.  Add the pork to the bags doing your best to have the marinade on all sides of the pork.  Squeeze the excess air out of the bags.  Give the bags a little squeeze to break the juice pods of the fresh citrus.  Refrigerate for at least two hours, overnight is even better.

3.      Remove the marinated pork from the refrigerator 15 minutes before you’re ready to grill.  Remove the pork from the marinade and blot the pork with a paper towel.  Get your grill good and hot, add the pork to the grill and turn the grill down to medium-low.  Cook for 10 minutes on the first side and about 8 minutes on the second side, until an internal temperature of 145 to 150 degrees.  Remove the grilled pork to a platter and cover with foil to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.4.      Meanwhile, add the marinade to a sauce pan, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 20 minutes.  Pour the cooked marinade through a strainer into a bowl.  Discard the solids and serve the marinade over the cooked pork.

Note: You may also use this marinade for pork chops or chicken.

 

MOJO PORK SANDWICH

Serves 4

1 ½         lbs.         Grilled Mojo pork, sliced thin

4             pieces    Naan bread, cut into halves or quarters

                              Spicy Red cabbage slaw, recipe follows.
1                            Avocado, sliced

1.       Lay a little slaw on the bottom of a piece of Naan bread, top it with a few slices of pork, a few slices of avocado and finally another piece of Naan bread on top.

Note: This also makes great pita bread stuffing or just use your favorite rolls. 
 

SPICY RED CABBAGE SLAW

¼            head      Red cabbage, shredded

¼                           Medium onion, sliced really thin

1                            Jalapeno, finely diced

¼            cup         Mayonnaise

1             tsp.        Dijon mustard

½                           Lemon, juiced

2             Tbsp.     Honey

½            Tbsp.     Apple cider vinegar

1/8         tsp.        Ground cumin

1/8         tsp.        Ground coriander

 

1.      Add the cabbage, onion and jalapeno together in a medium bowl.

2.      In a small bowl stir together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, honey, apple cider vinegar, cumin and coriander.

3.      Mix the dressing into the shredded cabbage mixture.  Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

 

This recipe was shared at:

 

MANGO SLAW

I’m not especially a baseball fan, heck I’m just not a sports fan ( ironic since Billy’s job, our bread and butta, is in sports) but when Billy asks if I wanna go to a ball game I jump at the chance.  For me it’s about the food, the atmosphere and the people.  The Marlins have a new name and a new stadium.  They are now the Miami Marlins and they have their own stadium with a Latin flair, in the heart of Little Havana, in the vibrant city of Miami.  Aside from the beautiful weather for 9 months out of the year, the cultural diversity is why we love living in South Florida ( and why I have a Floranadian accent, that's Canadian/Floridian).  That diversity is definitely reflected in the food served at the Marlins ball park.  You can have Ceviche, Lobster Rolls, Cuban Sandwiches, Chicharron (fried pork rinds), black bean burgers, of course hot dogs and so much more. 

It’s the hotdogs that inspired this blog; actually what topped the dogs is the inspiration. We had just eaten an immense amount of food before the game, but Billy and his buddy had to have a hotdog, we’re at the ball park after all!  This hotdog was topped with a colorful mango slaw.  The guys ooed and awed, and stuffed themselves loving every bite; they barely fit into their seats.

I have had the idea of making Mango Slaw in my little head for weeks, and finally had the opportunity when I was visiting my parents to make it and this tropical version of coleslaw.  It was a hit, even far, far away from FLA!

 To remove the flesh from a mango, cut the mango down either side of the pit.

 A Japanese mandolin works well to julienne the mango, if you have one use the fine julienne blade.

 

I did not have a mandolin, so I made thin slices of mango…

Then cut those slices into thin strips.

 

Put all the veggies and mango into a large bowl. (My Dad is very sensitive to the heat from peppers so I didn’t add the habanero pepper. I really love heat with the sweet so next time I will be adding the pepper.)

 

Do you remember these bowls?  My mom has had these bowls since I was a little girl. 

 

Mayo and mustard…

Fresh lime looks juicy

The dressing is mixed.

All the ingredients in the pool, and give them a toss.

Serve Mango slaw with chicken, turkey, or pork.  I served the slaw over hot dogs that had been basted in BBQ sauce…YUMMO!

Serves 6

4             cups       Cabbage, shredded

2             cups       Mango, julienned (fine strips)

1             cup         Red onion, sliced fine

*1                          Habanero pepper, seeds and veins removed, very finely diced (optional)    

¼            cup         Cilantro, finely chopped

1/3         cup         Mayonnaise

1             tsp          Dijon mustard

1                            Lime, juice only

2             tsp          Honey

¾            tsp          Salt

¼            tsp          Pepper

1.      In a large bowl for the slaw: add the cabbage, mango, red onion, habanero (optional), and cilantro.

2.      In a small bowl mix together for the dressing: mayonnaise, mustard, lime juice, honey, salt and pepper.  (If you want a little heat but don’t want to use habaneros, add a few drops of Tabascco to the dressing).

3.      Pour the dressing over the slaw and toss gently.

4.      Serve with chicken, turkey, pork, or over hot dogs.