A Trio of Recipes

Three versions of one recipe that I made tonight:

Cabbage Soup
1 small head green, Savoy, or Napa cabbage, about 1 1/2 lbs
4 tablespoons butter or 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar (I would reduce this to 1-1 1/2 tablespoons; too sweet)
1/4 teaspoon allspice
5 cups stock or water, preferably warmed
freshly squeezed lemon juice or white wine or rice vinegar to taste

Core and shred cabbage.  Place butter or oil in large, deep, saucepan or casserole and turn the heat to medium.  When the butter melts or oil heats, add cabbage, onion, salt, and pepper.  Cook, stirring, until both onion and cabbage are tender but not brown (turn down heat if necessary) at least 20 minutes.

Stir in sugar and allspice and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Add stock or water and cook stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes.

Add lemon juice and adjust seasoning.  Serve hot.

Mark Bittman, How to Cook Everything


French Version
All of the above plus a little tomatoes (sauce, diced, chopped would work), leftover cooked cannellini beans, and some Herbes de Provence.


"Unstuffed" Cabbage Version
The original recipe plus cooked rice and browned ground turkey (and while tomatoes would have been appropriate, one kid objects vociferously).