Of cabbages and kings

Generally I like to ensure that my meals consist of as many bright coloured ingredients as possible. There are days though that a simple one main ingredient dish is all I feel like cooking after work. This stri-fried cabbage curry recipe fits the bill, it's simple, fresh and fast.

Until recently I did not like cabbage. Childhood memories of over-boiled cabbage eaten at my grandparents' houses had turned me off entirely. I would eat it begrudgingly in salad, but any form of cooked cabbage was off the menu. A cabbage curry cooked by my mother in law encouraged me to seek out my own cabbage recipe.

I speed up preparation by using the shredding attachment on my blender and shredding the cabbage and onion.

Dry Spiced Cabbage

1 tbsp canola oil
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 onion, finely sliced
5 cloves garlic, crushed
chilli to taste, finely sliced
1/2 tsp turmeric
salt
1/2 large green cabbage, shredded

Heat oil in a large wok. Add the cumin and mustard seeds and fry until they begin to pop. Add the onions, garlic and chilli and fry until the onions begin to brown. Add the cabbage, turmeric and salt. Stir fry for until the cabbage begins to wilt. Reduce heat to low, cover the wok with foil and allow to cook in it's own juices for 10- 12 minutes.

Serve with rice and a sweet chutney.

This really is quick and easy but incredibly tasty.

To her door

We were talking about the power of healthy eating at work recently. A dear colleague of mine is recovering slowly from a debilitating illness that has reignited her desire to eat good food. She has not been well enough to shop for her groceries and has been having them delivered by a major supermarket chain. However, the fruit and veggies were not really up to scratch. She then discovered a company that sources seasonal fresh fruit and veggies from the local area and delivers them to you door, free of charge.

This seemed like a fabulous opportunity to support local growers and to force me to mix up my cooking. It is so easy to rely on the same recipes rotated ad nauseam, and having to cook with a random selection of veggies will be an exciting challenge. We quickly signed up for a family sized box that was delivered Wednesday. The gala apples have been deliciously crunchy and blood plums dripping with sweet juice and the beans have been tempting me to snap off the ends and devour them raw. We also have oranges, pears, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, lettuce, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, corn and cucumbers. The family sized box is supposed to suit a family of four or five but I am not sure how far it will go to covering the fruit and veg requirements of two vegans so we may end up ordering both a couple and family size box each week.

As I experiment with new recipes that make the most of the seasonal produce, I'll share them here.

Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater

We travel to Sydney around once a month for medical appointments and to visit with my sister and her family. Del loathes to cook so we often end up eating less healthily that we do at home; pasta mixed with store bought sauce and oven baked chips are two regular meals for us there. We eat Indian or Lebanese takeaway at the local food court while waiting to see Dan's ophthalmologist. Last Sunday also saw us eating gluten free cheeseless pizza at Circular Quay after the Annie Liebovitz exhibition at the MCA. After a weekend of convenience eating I am keen to return home to cook something simple and fresh.

Pumpkin is one of my favourite vegetables (or fruits) and by early autumn it is in season. Several varieties are growing in my veggie garden, so I picked a ripe Kent Sunday evening to turn into a simple pumpkin based curry. This recipe is very versatile, many other veggies such as zucchini and eggplant can be substituted for the pumpkin.

Pumpkin and two pea curry

1-1.5 kg pumpkin (any variety), cubed
200g frozen peas
1 tin chick peas
1 tin tomatoes
2 brown onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp vegetable oil
lemon juice

Dry fry the mustard and cumin seeds until the mustard seeds begin to pop. Add oil. Toss in onion and garlic and brown. Add pumpkin, chickpeas, tomatoes and remaining spices. Cover pan with aluminium foil and cook for approximately 15 minutes until the pumpkin is tender. Add peas and lemon juice and garnish with fresh mint. Serve over brown rice with pappadams and chutney.

With the cooling weather, left over pumpkin can be used to make warming soups or roasted and blended with garlic served over pasta.