Red Cabbage Risotto

The Red Cabbage cut in half

We got a red cabbage from our CSA this week and I have to admit we were initially a little scared by it. I tend to associate the word "cabbage" with something with a foul smell and a pungent taste. We were determined to do the best we can with anything we got in our weekly box, so I started my online research of recipes. First of all I had to make sure of exactly what kind of cabbage we were talking about. If you Google red cabbage you get the picture of this shiny red cabbage and that is not how our cabbage looked like. Our cabbage was surrounded by dark purple-blue leaves, but once cut in half it revealed its characteristic purple and white wavy pattern. Most of the Italian websites recommended cooking it as a simple risotto and since I had at home a good organic brown basmati I decided to give it a try. Here is my recipe:

Red Cabbage Risotto

Ingredients for 4 people

• 1 medium red cabbage
• 1 small onion
• 1 cup of brown rice ( I have used Organic Basmati)
• Olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of butter  ( not for vegan or lowfat version)
• 1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese ( not for vegan or lowfat version)
• 1 cup of white wine
• 2-3 cups of vegetable broth ( as an alternative you can also boil the discarded leaves of the cabbage with one extra onion )

Raw Diced Red Cabbage and Onion

Preparation

1. Remove the outer darker leaves of the cabbage until you get to the dark red and harder core
2. Dice the cabbage and the onion
3. In a large fryer or in a wok, pour enough olive oil to cover the bottom and add the onion and the cabbage
4. Saute' the vegetables until the onion is translucent and the cabbage is softening
5. Add the rice to the fryer, stir until the rice is translucent than add the white wine and let it evaporate
6. Add enough broth to cover the rice and then let the rice simmer covered until the liquid has evaporated
7. Add more broth and repeat the process of letting it simmer until the rice is done
8. Once the rice is done and all the liquid has evaporated add the butter and finally the Parmesan cheese ( for a vegan  or a low-fat version, just skip this passage)
9. Add salt as needed and serve ( I like adding the salt at the end because that way I can dose it better, depending on the saltiness of the broth and other ingredients.

The Result

The final result was not only delicious it was also beautiful to look at! The rice and the onion turned as pink as the cabbage itself, the cabbage was soft and slightly sweet at the taste, I think a good variation would be adding a "smelly" cheese like a Gorgonzola or a Taleggio or even a Brie. My husband loved it and went back for seconds, we are definitely happy we tried this new vegetable that is going to become part of our everyday diet.  It is also a good dish from a nutritional standpoint, the rice is a good source of whole grains, while the red cabbage, according to the website Nutrition Data, is 

 also a good source of Thiamin, Riboflavin, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Selenium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate, Potassium and Manganese.

Risotto ai Fegatelli - Rice with Chicken Liver

We bought a whole organic chicken and I was determined on the idea of using the whole animal. First of all because it is so expensive that throwing even some of it away would be a huge waste, secondly I am against wasting food in general, especially animals that died to become our food, not to end in the garbage. The recipe is very simple and quick and even my picky american husband liked it. The flavor is much more delicate than you would expect, not too strong at all. For a good rice it would have been better to have at least 2 livers, but every chicken only comes with one, so not much we can do about it. I did eat the heart and the kidneys too ( those were a little too much for my husband though). I had had heart before in Brazil, where they are commonly grilled among other meets in the churrascarias ( Brazilian steakhouses). The heart is a muscle, so it really just tastes like a red meat, and except from the shape that is clearly that of a heart there is nothing about it that reminds of entrails. The kidneys instead are really chewy and hard. Maybe if you slice them very thin they are edible, but they have a very distinct flavor and texture. The livers instead go beautifully in the sauce, making it a rich and flavorful tomato sauce, with a meaty aftertaste.It is important to notice that while liver is a very good food from a nutritional standpoint, slightly high in cholesterol but particularly rich in iron, vitamin A and C, it is not recommended eating it from a non organic chicken. The reason is that the liver acts as a filter for the blood and that is where all the heavy metals, the antibiotics and other chemicals will accumulate the most. The same applies to any kind of liver.  I took the recipe from an Italian website and here is my English version.

Ingredients

• 1 Chicken liver
• 2-3 tablespoons of tomato sauce
• 1 medium onion
• 1 Bay leaf
• Olive oil
• Brown rice
• Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

1. Dice the onion and cut the chicken liver in small pieces
2. In a medium pan fry the onion in some olive oil until it is yellow and soft
3. Add the bay leaf and the liver to it and quickly brown it while stirring it
4. Add the tomato sauce ( careful not too add too much) and let simmer for about 15 minutes
5. In the meantime cook the rice as instructed on the package. If you can, use chicken broth instead of water
6. Once the rice is done, add it to the sauce and stir in the Parmesan cheese