Menu Mondays | Something from Nothing: Thrifty Foods from the 1930s
Bubble 'n' Squeak or Colcannon (if you're from Ireland) or Rumbledethumps (if you're from Scotland) was a popular British import to the U.S. during the Great Depression. No, it wasn't an off-Broadway production of a quirky Shakespeare parody! It's a meal as colloquial and improvised as any of its creative names suggest. Bubble ‘n’ Squeak usually consists of a potato and cabbage base, combined with leftover veggies and trimmings that are seasoned with drippings and fried to a crisp the day after the ingredients first appeared at the dinner table. The idea is just to create a melange of any leftover you can use from a previous supper. This dish was especially popular during the 1930s because ”waste not, want not” was the motto of the era. Rename your meal Bubble ‘n’ Squeak the next time you'd like to fancy up a dinner of leftovers. And while you cook this recipe, enjoy the bubbling and squeaking sounds rising from the pan!
Ingredients
• 1/2 medium head cabbage, sliced
• 3 cups potatoes - baked, cooled and thinly sliced or mashed
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1-2 cups of whatever leftover veggies or meats you may have, chopped
Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, cook the in a small amount of water for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and set aside.
2. In a hot skillet, cook the onion in a bit of oil until it is soft. Add leftovers, and cook until heated through. Add butter, then mix in the cooked cabbage and potatoes. Season with paprika, salt, and pepper.
3. Cook until browned on bottom, turn, and brown again. Alternatively, make individual patties from the mixture to fry in the skillet.
Ingredients
• 1/2 medium head cabbage, sliced
• 3 cups potatoes - baked, cooled and thinly sliced or mashed
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1-2 cups of whatever leftover veggies or meats you may have, chopped
Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, cook the in a small amount of water for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and set aside.
2. In a hot skillet, cook the onion in a bit of oil until it is soft. Add leftovers, and cook until heated through. Add butter, then mix in the cooked cabbage and potatoes. Season with paprika, salt, and pepper.
3. Cook until browned on bottom, turn, and brown again. Alternatively, make individual patties from the mixture to fry in the skillet.