Roasted Roots

This began as another Jamie Oliver recipe:

Bubble and Squeak with Sausages and Onion Gravy


And then I ran out of time over the weekend and ended up having to make it on a Monday night after work. Needless to say I wasn't much in the mood to cook.  So instead, I cut up all the veggies the night before (carrots, potatoes, turnip, brussels sprouts) and popped them all in the crockpot before I left for work in the morning.  I mixed it all up with olive oil, sea salt, onion powder, pepper and herbs de provence. *On low for 8-10 hours.

Then, when I got home that night, I had some yummy slow-cooked (roasted) veggies to snack on while I made the rest of the recipe (the sausages and onion gravy).  I "cheated" a little bit on that part too...buying a sausage that was already one big spiral...whereas in the recipe you create your own with two different kinds of linked sausage.

Then I put it all together! And it travels really well for work lunches!

XO

Italian Bread & Cabbage Soup

Dear GOD!  This is one of the tastiest things I've ever made and I have the wonderful Jamie Oliver to thank for it.

I love Jamie Oliver's show "Jamie at Home" which is where I discovered this recipe:

Italian Bread and Cabbage Soup with Sage Butter 

It was part of an episode that addressed winter vegetables! I also, totally covet his outdoor kitchen.


Last time I made this soup, I seriously flubbed the amount of cabbage I cooked and made enough to feed an army. I was eating it practically 3 times a day for two weeks.

(This was also the time I began my love affair with beer...and this dish goes so well with a nice ale. I'm pretty sure I gained about 10 pounds).

I can imagine myself getting the cabbage, rosemary and sage out of my own garden and putting the piping hot dish in the middle of a big beat up wooden kitchen table...ready for everyone to dig in.  It seems meant for a group.  But I'll do my best to polish it off all on my own.  ;)

This time around I made it a much more realistic size...with red cabbage & kale. I really like this recipe because you can follow it loosely and it still comes out unbelievably delicious. An easy, hearty winter meal...comfort food to the max.

And I have to say...even with having a lot of it, I still enjoy the last bowl as much as the first.

XO