IDEA ALLEY : Cabbage soup sates Teutonic appetites
Posted on Wednesday, October 8, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Food/239663/
Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
As promised last week, we’re answering Boyd Blythe’s request for a cabbage soup recipe. Betty Brokaw of Pea Ridge shares this recipe, “with a bow to all food-loving people of German ancestry.” It is from the cookbook German Style Recipes From German American Life which she bought in Fredericksburg, Texas. “[The recipe ] certainly looks like the real thing,” she writes.
German-Style Cabbage Soup 1 / 2 pound frankfurters or knackwurst 1 / 2 cup finely chopped onion 1 / 2 cup diced celery 1 cup diced raw potato 2 cups chicken broth 3 cups milk 2 cups finely shredded cabbage 2 teaspoons salt 1 / 2 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 teaspoons brown sugar 1 teaspoon caraway seeds 1 cup light cream Cut frankfurters into 1 / 4-inch slices. In a 4-quart kettle, combine frankfurters, onion, celery, potato and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Add milk, cabbage, salt, pepper, brown sugar and caraway seeds. Return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 30 minutes more. Stir in cream. Serve hot. Makes 6 to 8 servings. This very different recipe is from an Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Food section several years ago, writes Katsy Brockmann of Maumelle. “Have made it and shared it a lot,” she writes.
Easy Cabbage Soup 1 1 / 2 pounds ground beef 1 head cabbage, chopped 1 (46-ounce ) can V-8 juice 1 (10 3 / 4-ounce ) can Ro-Tel tomatoes 2 (14-ounce ) cans kidney beans 2 (0. 7-ounce ) packages Good Seasons dry Italian seasoning 1 (6-ounce ) can tomato paste 1 (28-ounce ) can stewed tomatoes Salt and ground black pepper In a large skillet, cook beef until no longer pink; drain. In a large pot, place cabbage and add water to cover. Cook until partially tender; drain. Add beef and remaining ingredients. Simmer about 45 minutes. Freezes well.
In case you are not interested in cabbage soup, here is a green bean recipe, created by Tiffany Walter of Fayetteville. It sounds blistering hot with spices and seasonings, but Walter vows that the portions are correct and that the cooking tempers the heat somewhat.
However, if you don’t tolerate spicy-hot foods, you can decrease the amount of hot seasonings. Tiffany’s Very Eater-Be-Wary Spicy Green Beans 1 / 2 package bacon 3 tablespoons ground black pepper, divided use Italian seasoning, divided use 6 tablespoons crushed red pepper, divided use 5 shakes paprika, divided use 6 tablespoons Creole seasoning, divided use 4 tablespoons garlic powder, divided use 5 tablespoons hot sauce 1 (28-ounce ) can French-style green beans Put large skillet on medium-high heat until hot. Cut bacon in half, and put all pieces into pan. Season bacon with half the black pepper, half the Italian seasoning, half the red pepper, half the paprika, half the Creole seasoning, and half the garlic powder. (Embrace the sizzle: It’s supposed to happen. ) Let bacon cook 4 minutes, until it is about to burn. Add hot sauce to pan. (Embrace the smoke: It’s supposed to happen. ) After 1 minute, pour the undrained can of green beans into pan. (Smoke and sizzle will cease immediately. ) Add remaining black pepper, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, paprika, Creole seasoning and garlic powder. Stir to mix bacon and green beans together. Cover pan and simmer on medium-low heat, stirring every 7 minutes until green bean juices evaporate, about 35 minutes. Send recipe requests, contributions and culinary questions to Irene Wassell, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P. O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; e-mail:
iwassell@arkansasonline. com Please include a daytime phone number.