German Red Cabbage

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One of my favorite restaurants is a family owned German place called Old Stein Inn. They have a wonderful beer selection & the food is incredible. And I’ve definitely talked about it before on the blog. But did I mention I studied abroad in Germany when I was a sophomore in college? Or 3 Springs ago, however you want to look at it. I can’t wait until I can finally go back!

I studied abroad in an amazing, very sustainable city called Freiburg in the state of Baden–Württemberg. It’s in the very Southwest of the country, about 30 minutes from the French border. There are a handful of universities so there is a very large student population and the progressive climate that comes with higher education is a huge part of the city. They have an incredible recycling program, several arts & cultural centers, and a diverse population (which means diverse food choices… great for your friendly neighborhood vegetarian). There’s this ridiculously delicious Italian restaurant called Bella Italia. The prices are so cheap that their margarita pizza is €2.50. I’m drooling just remembering the cucumber salad & broccoli pizza and it’s been 3 years. Anyway, despite the great selection of culinary choices, German food obviously has a special place.

This German Red Cabbage is warm & tangy with a bit of spice. It’s perfect for the brisk March that’s not as bitter as January, but not summer dress season either. It pairs wonderfully with potatoes prepared any style (mashed or pancakes?), sauerkraut, sautéed veggies, a green salad, applesauce. Feel free to follow it with some cold German beer… my favorites are Franziskaner hefeweissen & Paulaner. Or with a nice glass of hot cider. Did I mention it’s super easy because you just throw it in a crock pot?

German Red Cabbage

  • 1 Medium Red Cabbage
  • 1 Small Onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 Small Apples, in 1/8ths or thinner
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 1 Amber Ale (I used Paulaner Oktoberfest)
  • 1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
  • 1/8 Tsp Fresh Ground Nutmeg
  • 1/8 Tsp Allspice
  • 1/8 Tsp Cinnamon

Add all ingredients to crock pot & set to low. Should take about 4 hours to achieve complete tenderness.

You may also use a large sauté pan over low heat for quicker results but the results with the crock pot will probably be more flavorful.

Enjoy!

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins!

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I can’t get enough lemon! I think it’s because citrus (although in season in winter) is very Spring. Lemons, limes, grapefruit… all so glorious. And right now we all know we can’t wait for Spring. I love the sunshine & the longer days & the tulips & the daffodils! And did I mention the sunshine? Tuesday March 20, 2012 is the first day of Spring this year! I think we should all throw Spring parties & make lemon poppyseed muffins! : )

Last night was my second “gentle” yoga class. I swear, it is not gentle. I can feel last night in my arms, my shoulders, my back, my booty, and my legs. And I love it. The instructor is really great and I’m definitely the youngest person in the class but everyone has a great sense of humor. I also can’t wait to do some yoga outside since the weather is getting nicer everyday.

In other news, Stephen’s Spring Break start this weekend so he’s coming back down to Annapolis tomorrow. We’re going to spend some time in DC & make lots of yummy food before heading up to Kutztown on Thursday (which means I get to visit Echo Hill, my favorite!). I’m excited! The weather here is supposed to be in the 50s all week and mostly sunny.

Anyway, I felt like giving myself a reward (lemon poppyseed muffins) for all my workouts this week & I wanted to make a treat for Stephen… he loves muffins. I’m so excited about them I think they deserve an exclamation point! I’ve been wanting to make yummy vegan muffins for weeks now. And today it’s 64F outside! Lemon Poppyseed is perfect. Even though it rained the last two days, I still feel like we’ve had so much sunshine lately. And today is just gorgeous. These muffins are perfect for today. They’re perfectly light & moist & flavorful. I’ve had two and I’m desperately trying to resist eating a third.

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins!

Makes 12 Muffins

  • 1/4 Cup + 1 Tbsp Vegan Butter (melted)
  • 1/4 Cup Vegetable/Canola Oil
  • 1/2 Cup Soy (or Almond) Milk
  • 1/3 Cup Lemon Juice
  • Zest of 2 Lemons
  • 1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
  • 2 1/4 Cups AP Flour
  • 2 Tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 Tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/2 Tsp Salt
  • 2 Tbsp Poppyseeds

Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin tin with 12 muffin papers.

Combine melted butter, vegetable/canola oil, milk, lemon juice & lemon zest. Stir to thoroughly combine. Add sugar & maple syrup & stir again! Add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt and stir until batter is smooth. It will be a very light batter. (at least for me! I’m used to making bran-muffins). Add the poppyseeds and stir to combine.

Pour batter evenly amongst 12 muffin papers, about 3/4 full. I used a 1/4 cup to measure.

Half way through baking increase temperature to 375F. Bake for 18 – 20 minutes.

Let cool (or not) and enjoy with butter, vegan lemon curd, hot tea, or a cold glass of (coconut) milk! 🙂

And don’t forget to enjoy the sunshine!

Happy Leap Day!

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Happy Leap Day!! A “holiday” you can only celebrate every 4 years!

Leap year occurs in years evenly divisible by 4, except years that are evenly divisible by 100, with the exception of years evenly divisible by 400! Wow. Leap Day traditions include the famous Irish female marriage proposal, which if refused by the man warrants money, gowns, or 12 pairs of gloves (to hide the shame of no ring) to the asker. Also included is the Scottish superstition that marriage on a leap day is bad luck! Leap Day is necessary because it actually takes the Earth 365.2422 days to circle the sun thus the extra day every 4th year.

A Recipe I just tried that I totally love:

Grapefruit, Lime & Ginger Juice from Lottie & Doof

This juice was perfect for Sunday brunch! So clever. Mom & Stephen both loved it.

So after being sick for nearly the entire month of February, I finally feel GREAT. I came home on Friday with a lot of great produce from the “Amish Market” and decided I absolutely had to clean out the refrigerator. I started to throw out all the old food & condiments we’d managed to hoard over the days, months, yeaaars. Then I rearranged everything & cleaned off all the shelves with a white vinegar & baking soda mixture. I organized the whole fridge (except the meat/cheese drawer)! It made me feel like all the food I put into it was that much healthier… living in my clean fridge. Now I just need to clean out the freezers.

Then comes the big one… I cleaned my room. It started with washing my sheets, pillowcases & duvet cover (which I do on a regular basis, be reassured) and then I moved on to some major straightening. I folded every piece of clothing, recycled paper from high school!, threw away random receipts I found, and for the first time in what was probably years I vacuumed! Yes, I still have papers (and probably dirt) from high school! How ridiculous. I swear, I’m not that gross. I do shower. I wash my laundry. I don’t have bugs (except the occasional spider) in my room or old moldy food sitting around. I’m just really messy : ) In the kitchen too!

I also finally get to work out this year! I clocked in 25 minutes on the elliptical for my first (technically second if you count gentle yoga) workout since feeling well again.  I cannot wait to get re-immersed in yoga so I can do a thorough vinyasa routine at home.

Recipes I want to try really badly:

Asian Slaw by Once Upon a Chef

Topped with a peanut ginger dressing. This looks absolutely incredible. And perfect for Spring.

Lemony Saffron CousCous from The Shiksa in the Kitchen

So light & full of flavor. Another dish perfect for spring!

Jam-filled Scones from The Teaspoon

I’ve wanted to make these for weeks. The messy picture makes them look warm & perfectly wonderful.

Raw Macaroons from Simple Medicine

Grown-up, vegan macaroons? Yes, please, and thank you. I’ll take a baker’s dozen.

Sticky Toffee Pudding from Oh She Glows

I love how simple this dessert is. Only a few ingredients and voila – warmth & yum.

Vegan French Toast by Epicurean Vegan

I love the easy ingredients & this just looks killer. Cannot wait to try!

Also, I’ve just noticed in posting these recipes that nearly everything I want to make has sugar in it. Is that just because I have a craving as I write or is that an everyday thing? Oh dear, I better watch myself. I can smell the maple syrup wafting off of the computer screen.