Austrian Noodles with Cabbage

Do you ever come across a recipe in a cookbook and think, "This looks so plain -- will it have any flavor?" And then you make it, because you want something easy, and you're like "Whoa, this has crazy flavor!" and it disappears in no time? Sometimes it's good to be reminded how delicious a few simple ingredients can be. Last night I made Austrian Noodles with Cabbage, from 1000 Vegan Recipes. Pasta (the recipe calls for linguine but I used rotini 'cause that's what I had), onion, cabbage, a little butter, and caraway seeds -- that's it. So easy, especially if you have an unused jar of caraway seeds hanging out in your spice rack. I shudder to think how long they'd been lurking in mine.  I always assumed caraway tasted licorice-y, like fennel, and I never knew what to use it in.  It's actually what gives rye bread its flavor. It also pairs extremely well with cabbage. Who knew?

Armed with this new knowledge and a tasty bowl of noodles, I settled in to catch up on some Walking Dead episodes.  Zombies crack me up with their slowness. What happens if a zombie drinks Four Loko?  Does it increase their energy levels, or does guarana have no effect on a zombie's central nervous system? These are the questions I ask myself.

Seriously, next time you have some s ad, bare pasta, saute a little shredded cabbage and onion. Cover the pan and let it get nice and caramelized, and toss in some caraway. The Austrians are onto something here!