Lebanese potato and warm cabbage salads

Tonight's dinner was another go at making the vegetables more interesting - and in this case, having no meat as a main or side. The cabbage we got in the box a couple of weeks ago was still good, as were the potatoes from the week before, so I combed through my new favorite cookbook (Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express: 404 inspired seasonal dishes you can make in 20 minutes or less) for some interesting recipes.

Two recipes appealed to me, though they fell in the "wrong" seasons. Warm Cabbage Salad with Bacon was designated a winter recipe; Lebanese Potato Salad was apparently meant for the spring. Obviously, though, these are just suggestions - the primary vegetable players in both recipes are clearly in season now.

The Lebanese Potato Salad was delicious - I'm not sure what made it Lebanese, but it was still tasty. While Bittman called for sprinkling some coriander seeds in it, I got it mixed up with another recipe and threw in some mustard seeds instead. Still tasty, though the coriander might have been what made it Lebanese...in any case, I'd make it again.

As for the cabbage, I'm curious how it tastes cold. Warm, it was a bit like a sauerkraut with a bit of bacon. P thought it definitely needed more bacon to make even adding it worthwhile; it was hard to even notice it within the giant pile of cabbage and onion. Maybe with sausages on a cold winter night this would be a better fit - otherwise, I don't think this will reappear on the menu any time soon. When it's cold it might make a good slaw or sauerkraut substitute - we'll see.

With the salads, we had some fresh steamed corn, which was delicious. What was arguably the most successful part of the meal, though, was the cornbread I made. Yes, we had cornbread last week. Yes, I love cornbread, and I would eat it every day. P, however, does not. He thinks cornbread is just okay, and will usually only politely eat a bit of it. This cornbread, though, has been declared The Best Cornbread Ever.

Embarrassingly, the actual cornbread part of it comes from a mix. It is the best cornbread mix out there (Jiffy - I think only available in the U.S.), but still, it's a mix. P has eaten cornbread made from this mix on several occasions, though, so it's what's added that made the difference. The cornbread I made last week was a bit of inspiration.

The Best Cornbread Ever or
Almost-All-Homemade Jalapeno Cornbread

1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup creamed corn
2 large jalapenos, diced
1 green onion, sliced thinly

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 9 inch pan.

Dump the dry mix into a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients. Mix until just combined. Pour into pan. Bake for 18 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

I used a 9 x 9 inch pan; the directions on the box call for an 8 x 8 inch pan. Just watch when it's done, and the size change won't make any difference. Obviously, the smaller the pan, the thicker the cornbread. If you're using something other than Jiffy, my additions to the recipe on the box were the creamed corn, the jalapenos, and the green onion; otherwise, just follow the directions on the box.

Cabbage and carrot slaw

I'm realizing now that tomorrow is Monday, and I've done a pretty bad job of using our veggies this week. What's left? A handful of peas (they were in the bottom of a basket - I didn't find them until this weekend!), the kohlrabi, spinach, a head of lettuce, and most of the cucumber. And I'm not home for dinner tomorrow night. I foresee a giant salad for dinner in our near future...

Dinner tonight? Bratwurst, and some cole slaw I threw together based on a few recipes I checked out. The recipe is below. In retrospect, I could have used the raw kohlrabi in it, as well.

With dinner we also had some amazing onion bread from Patisserie Sebastien (3306 Yonge Street; their website doesn't seem to be operational, but here's a photo of the place). The outside was almost salty, and completely addictive; the onions, though dark, are simply sweet. The inside was perfectly chewy. I wish I'd had the forethought to photograph the chocolate and almond croissants we had from there earlier in the day, as well, because they were equally as amazing - crisp, buttery, light, and just enough chocolate and almond.

The bakery just opened recently, and their selection is limited, probably to accommodate for the smaller volume of customers as they start their business, and to ensure that everything is as fresh as can be. The small fruit tarts look delicious, as do the rest of their assorted pastries and breads. Anyone in the area should definitely check this place out. I know we'll go back for a cup of tea and to sample their other pastries!

Alexa's Cole Slaw
serves 2 (generously; multiply as desired)

1/4 of a small green cabbage, grated
1 medium carrot, grated (approximately the same quantity as cabbage)
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1 Tbsp Italian parsley
1 heaping Tbsp sour cream
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp mayonnaise
2 tsp cider vinegar (or to taste - this thins out the mixture)
big pinch of salt
a few grinds of fresh black pepper

Mix the cabbage, carrot, and green onion in a small bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Taste the mixture; add ingredients as needed. Add to vegetable mixture immediately before serving.