Cabbage Soup.

Sometimes cheap and simple can be just right to make a satisfying meal.
This is a very flexible recipe, you can make as much or as little as you like and just vary the proportions accordingly. You can make it as a vegetarian option or even vegan, or you can use chicken stock and add chicken, bacon etc.

White cabbage, roughly chopped
Onion, sliced
1 – 2 cloves of garlic
Chicken stock or Vegetable stock as preffered.
Black Pepper
White Pepper
Water
Large knob of butter
Drizzle of oil.
Salt
1 large onion and slightly more cabbage should give a generous serving for one. You want about 2/3 onion to cabbage. I use powdered stock so again it’s easy to adjust that to quantity.

Slice the onions and gently saute in the butter and oil, slice the garlic thinly and add that. Roughly chop the cabbage and add that along with the stock and a generous amount of black pepper and white pepper. Add water and simmer for at least 20 mins until the cabbage has gone translucent. Check seasoning and add salt if neccesary.
Variations and additions

You can add some slices of potato for a more substantial meal. You can also add grated carrot for some colour but this should only be added at the end as it really only needs a few minutes too cook through without losing the colour. If you want a bit more colour then the shredded green part of a leek added at the end is also good.

Cooked shredded chicken is a non-vegetarian addition as is crispy fried bacon.

If you want a vegan version then use a vegan margarine instead of the butter.

Serve with a hearty bread and butter.

Thomas’s Banana Bread

This recipe was given to me by a friend and it’s rather super. You can leave the chocolate chips out if you prefer a healthier version.

 

 

½ cup / 4 oz / 115g – butter, softened
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas [about 3 small]
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp choc extract
½ c sour milk ( add 1 Tsp vinegar or lemon to regular milk **)
1 tsp baking soda [bicarbonate of soda] in milk ( be careful, it can spill over)

1 Cup / 8oz / 225g  Sugar
2 Cup/ 9oz / 260g   Plain Flour
½ tsp Baking powder
tsp salt
½ Cup walnuts
½ Cup Choc chips

Edit – 2 Tbsp of cocoa powder. This really adds to the overall look and taste.

350f 180c Gas 4  for up to 60 minutes
In a cup mix the milk 1 tsp of vinegar or lemon juice and leave to stand for 5 mins. Add the baking soda just before adding to the wet ingredents. [ You can also use half and half sour cream and milk for this or use buttermilk if available]

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

In another bowl mash the bananas, or use a stick blender, add the vanilla, chocolate extract, eggs and softened butter.

Mix everything together and pour into a lined 2 lb loaf tin.

Bake for 45mins to 1 hour depending on your oven. Certainly check after 45 mins and if a knife comes out mostly clean [mostly because there is melted chocolate in there] then it’s done.

 

Variations on the theme:

Leave out the chocolate extract and chocolate chips and replace with any of the following.

Strawberry banana bread

1 cup chopped strawberries

Apple Cinnamon banana bread

1 cup chopped apples and 2 tsp cinnamon