St. Patrick's Day surprise(s)...

I surprised myself yesterday as I finished preparing dinner, as I realized that I had prepared a St. Patrick's Day meal, of sorts--vegan scalloped potatoes (half a recipe), "beef" (Gimme Lean mixed with The Wizards worcestershire sauce) with gravy, and cabbage. The last dish turned out to be more like a quick sauerkraut.

I cut the (whole, without the core) cabbage into thin strands (better to cut cabbage with a knife than to fool with a shredder, unless you're using a food processor), placed it in a large cast iron saucepan with canola oil, added salt and pepper, and stirred occasionally, until "shiny." I then added water (about a cup), more salt, then added a lid and cooked for about a half hour. I then finished off cabbage with a couple splashes of balsamic vinegar, and let it sit a few minutes on top of the stove. The result...

Dinner was extremely tasty and filling, but was all "brown," from the potatoes (even with the yummy and colorful pimenton [Spanish smoked paprika] sprinkled on top) to the cabbage. Though drab looking, it was nutritious, filling, and tasty, and only took slightly over an hour to prepare (the potatoes and cabbage cooked from scratch, and the "beef" with the assistance of the microwave). Lazy me, I cooked enough so that I only need heat it up today. It should be even better, as I added a bit of ground coriander to the cabbage to it earlier, so it should have soaked up the extra flavor by tonight, a bit more like a choucroute.

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The green-tinged water at the White House fountain is a fun, fitting touch to today's activities and makes the day feel more inclusive.