Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage Rolls...

Just the mention of it and I get all nostalgic and stuff remembering my wedding day and the BEST cabbage rolls I ever ate!! 

I never did get the recipe from the caterer,but I did find this recipe and tweaked it a bit,and it tastes just like I remember!

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• 1 Cabbage Head
• 1 Lb uncooked 80% Lean Ground Beef
• 1 C uncooked rice
• 16 Oz Tomato Puree
• 1 T Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 T Brown Sugar
• 2 t Lemon Juice
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Menu Mondays: June17-23

 I don't know what is about Summer and Mexican Food, 

but it seems to go together like: 

• peanut butter & jelly, 
• cereal & milk, 
•  kool aid & sugar, 

it just fits! 

I love the unique taste of cilantro, the tang of lime, 
smokey heat of the chipotle tempered with the cool 
& creamy finish of an avocado!

Yum, YUM! If you love Mexican food like my family does you will appreciate this week's menu!

 

Mexican Cole Slaw W/Lime and Cilantro

Creamy Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup

This is Soooooooooo Good! 

Even my 2 year old son was begging to eat my portion after devouring his own!!

Pizza'ritto: MotherHOOD style!!

Pizza'WHATTO??? 

Exclaimed my daughter yesterday as I came up with this from the tidbits left in the pantry and fridge...

You know what? I had no left overs and the kids were happy, I was happy, and it is tasty enough to place in the blog...

Pic Credit

Tortillas, Mozzarella, Pepperoni, a bit of pizza sauce....and BLAMMO!!! 

Lunch....she is served!! 

 

RECIPE WED: Chicken Tortilla Soup-Crock Pot Version

Chicken Tortilla Soup 

My delish version of a recipe I saw online, very delish and you can use your slow cooker!!

DELISH LOOKING SOUP

Ingredients

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (15 ounce) can black beans
• 1 (16 ounce) bag frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or  bottle dark amber beer
• 2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with diced onions, undrained
• 1-lime juiced
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning {or homemade seasoning click for recipe}
• 3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)

RECIPE WED #21: Greek Chicken

This recipe to me says "SUMMER" and right about now I am summer dreaming, so to have little summer on my plate brings sunshine to my belly!!

Recipe Wed: Butter Chicken, my way!

Yummy classic recipe I often tweak to fit our needs and ingredients on hand:

RECIPE WED #8: MYO Ortego-like TACO SAUCE!!

I am a sucker for MYO mixes and sauces that taste just like the ones that cost $$ at the grocery stores, and I stumbled upon this taste-alike recipe from THE Make Your Own Zone blog and am going to give this recipe a try since we really enjoy the taco sauce. Now I am on a quest to find a good taste-a-like MYO HEALTHY Catalina dressing, since I really like Catalina dressing on my taco salad along with taco sauce...

 

RECIPE WED #22: Bubbles & Squeak

A perfect warm up dinner in the winter time!!

This is a dish my momma 

would make often!! 

We loved it, she would change it up with what was available in the garden, grocery store, or even fridge. 

Kinda like a Shepperd's pie. 

My momma never called it "Bubbles and Squeak" 

but as I grew up I realized it wasn't just a "made up dish" it actually had a name...

Isn't this head of cabbage lovely?! This pic is from this blog.

Ice Box Yeasty Dinner Rolls

I have had this recipe for years and 

it is such time saver, super savory, and a real crowd pleaser every time. 

Your dinner guests will never believe this is such an easy recipe to make, no kneading required, just mix up and refrigerate. You can make ahead up to 4 days in advance, shape, then let rise and bake for perfect rolls every time!!

Heat's Kitchen Awesome rolls from my recipe!! Gr8 Job Heather!

Ice Box Dinner Rolls
Makes 24 Rolls

1 C warm water (105-115 Degrees F)
2 Pkgs Active Dry Yeast (Or 4 & 1/2t)
1/2 C Butter, Melted (1 Stick)
1/2 C Sugar
3 Eggs
1 t Kosher Salt
4-4 1/2 C Unbleached All Purpose Flour
Additional Melted Butter

1. Combine the warm water and yeast in a large bowl. Let mixture stand until yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes
2. Stir in butter, sugar, and salt. Beat in Flour one cup at a time, until dough is too stiff to mix (Some of the flour make not be needed). 
3. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or up to 4 days!
4. Grease a 13X9" Baking Pan.
5. Turn the chilled dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 6 rows & 4 columns making 24 even & equal pieces.
6. Roll each piece into a smooth round ball; place in even rows in prepared pan. 4 Rows & 6 Columns.
7. Cover and let Dough Balls rise until doubled (About an hour, I place my pan in my gas oven with heart off but light turned on.
8. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake until rolls are golden brown about 15-20 min.
9. Brush with melted butter, if desired. 
10. Break apart Rolls and wrap in a clean tea towel and place in a gorgeous hand woven basket or crock.

 

Tender Caramelized Crock Pot Roast Pork

This is a classic Pork [Shoulder/Butt]Roast recipe, it has a delicious seasoned & seared crust on outside and fall apart tenderness from the low and slow cooking of the crock pot underneath all the glorious crust!!

Pic Credit

 I make this often and will transform the leftovers 

to suit just about any pork recipe that call for "cooked pork"

... It is really easy and really flavorful!! 

"...With [a] honest seasoning of salt and sugar, you can simply set and forget a huge hunk of pork butt in a low-temperature [crock-pot]. This slow roasted pork butt meat is divine and falls right off the bone when slowly cooked. Now this is the gift that keeps on giving, and the shredded pork butt meat can be used in thousands of ways..." Eric Borzino on October 14, 2012 of Peck the Beak Blog

 CROCK POT PORK SHOULDER ROAST

• 3 -4 lbs Boneless pork butt (shoulder) 
• 1/4 cup Soy sauce
• 1/4 C Brown Sugar
• 1 large yellow onion 
• Any dry seasoning, your family likes- Seasoned with salt and pepper would be fine- (I use my "Family's House Seasoning": Coarse Kosher Salt, Himalayan Pink Salt, fresh cracked Black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and powdered chipotle pepper)  
• 1/2 cup water

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Season both sides of pork roast with your choice of dry seasonings & Brown Sugar-massage in well
2. Wrap Tightly in Plastic Wrap and allow to sit in Fridge Overnight in a shallow Bowl.
3. Pull Roast out of fridge discard the juices at bottom of bowl leave out for about 30 min b4 cooking to bring up to room temp.
4. BE SURE TO DRY MEAT WELL!! {WON'T CARAMELIZE IF IT'S WET!!}
5. In a shallow roasting pan brown the roast under the broiler about 5 minutes on each side or you can brown on top the stove in a cast iron skillet with a touch of oil.
6. DON'T SKIP THIS STEP!!!{This step enhances the flavor and seals the juices in the meat, and renders any excess fat from the roast.}
7. While roast is browning, slice large onion into thick slices, separate into rings & saute on stove top in a 2 T of butter or EVOO.
8. Place 1/2 of the sauteed rings in the bottom of the crock pot.
9. Take the browned pork roast and place on top of the onion rings in the crock pot then cover with the other half of the onion rings.
10. Pour the 1/4 cup soy sauce over the top of roast, then pour the 1/2 cup water on sides of roast.
11. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 5 hours. 
12. Meat should be falling apart.

You may have leftovers depending on family size and is great for: sandwiches especially Barb-B-Q Pulled Pork, Go North Eastern American with some Pennsylvania/Dutch Sour Kraut on the side and Just about any Asian Dish like Momo Foku Bo Ssam- Korean Lettuce Wraps, Chinese Pork Fried Rice, or Vietnamese Thit Kho To... 

YUMMY!!! 
   
Are you drooling yet??

Note: 

You can cook this exclusively in oven at 300 Fahrenheit in a roasting pan for 6 hours and braise with its juices every hour or so. The pork will collapse, yielding gently when prodded with a fork when fully cooked.

Remove it from the oven and let it rest for an hour, or next day if necessary.Then turn the oven up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir together the remaining salt or seasonings and the brown sugar. Rub it all over the pork. Blast it in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the pork is covered with a nice caramel crust. 

This crust is extremely flavorful you will however have to use a knife to cut into it, to get past the caramelized crust, but you WILL DEVOUR it!! Trust me!!

Menu Mondays: Dec 31-Jan 6, 2013

I wanna go!! Pic Credit

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

What a year 2012 was for my family, I don't think I would ever want to repeat that year again that is for sure. It's one of those things  you hear people say it was the worst of times, it was the best of times...

I am looking forward to great beginnings this year, new chapters, and starting over- recalibrating... Really finding a new standard to measure up to...

So I hope you had a safe new year eve and

learned lots from 2012 to make

2013 one the best years EVER!!!

This menu really utilizes the left overs from New Years and capitalizes round #2 recipe. My mom was really instrumental in teaching us by example, we learned even when she wasn't speaking and with a family of 5 on one income every penny counted. 

So she would use every last scrap of left-overs and with a particular husband and finicky kids we sure gave her a run for her "culinary skill". She really inspired me to make a menu out of "Sunday" dinner and make is last all week long and still taste exciting and "new".

Breakfast Options:

Crispy Mashed Potatoe Pancakes served with sour Cream and Applesauce, Customized Omelets, French Toast, Hot Cereal, Fresh Fruit, Toast Points, Cold Cereal, Smoothies, Fried Egg Sammies

Lunch Choices:               Side Selections:

Mashed Potatoe Polpetti   Applesauce           Fresh Veggies
Kraut Dogs                        Mac & Cheese     Apple Wedges
PB&J Roll Ups                  Veggie Chips        Fresh Fruit
Chicken Noodle Soup       Whole Wheat Crackers   Dried Fruit
Pain Perdu                         Cottage Cheese   Black Grapes
Bo Ssam-Lettuce Wraps   Carrot Slivers      Orange Segments
Pizza Crescent Roll-Ups   Carrot Coins        Green Grapes

Bo Ssam from Peck the Beak

Supper Offerings:

Monday:
Customized Tomato Soup & Sharp Cheddar Creamy Grilled Cheese Sammies on Homemade Chibatta Bread

Tuesday:
Crock Pot Pork Shoulder Roast
Crisp Sour Kraut & Caramelized Onions
Buttermilk Whipped Potatoes
Chicken Gravy
Super Sweet Corn Nibblets
Ice Box Dinner Rolls
Black Forest Brownie Torte
Apple Pie

Wednesday:
Kapausta (Cabbage Soup), Ice Box Dinner Rolls, Spinach Salad with toasted Almonds and Feta Cheese, & Black Forest Brownie Torte

Thursday:
Pork Lo Mien, Chopped Salad, & Apple Pie w/Fresh Whipped Vanilla Bean Infused Cream

Friday:
Sour Kraut and Mashed Potato Perogies, Brown Butter & Sour Cream Sauce w/Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms, Cripsy Pork Ribbons, Spinach Salad, & Dinner Rolls
(I just take about 2 C of Leftover Pork and coat in brown sugar and hickory salt, then blast in 500 degree oven for a few minutes to caramelize the outside.)

Saturday:
Barb-B-Q Pulled Laquered Pork, Spring Rolls, Twice Baked Loaded Mashed Potatoes, Chopped Salad. 
(I take Left over Mashed Potatoes, & Stin in: Sour Cream, Chopped Green Onions, Sharp Cheddar Cheese-Shredded, & Bacon- cooked crisp and crumbled. Pour into a casserole pan and bake 350 until heated through. Sprinkle more add-on ingredients on top.)

Sunday:
Chicken Scaloppine, Angel Hair Pasta, Spinach Salad.

Snack Fancies:

Smoked Almonds, String Cheese, Apple Sauce, Cottage Cheese, Yogurt, Carrot Sticks, Fresh Fruit, Dried Fruit, Granola, Juice, Water, Keifer Smoothies.   
  

KAPUSTA- Cabbage Soup

Kapusta is a well known Eastern European recipe featuring Pork, cabbage, & sour kraut. People from Russian, Poland, Lithuanian, Ukraine, Hungary, Romania and more have thier own takes on this dish. 

 You can enjoy this as a main dish, soup, or a side dish. It is very versatile and an awesome round #2 Recipe, I often make this utilizing left-overs from New Year's Day. 

Sometimes I have seen it served w/ kielbasa, 

baked with kluski noodles then topped with cottage cheese sprinkled with Smoked Paprika  

and other times mixed cream of mushroom soup 

and served like a casserole.

Pic Credit

I am using this Polish inspired dish to use up the leftovers from New Year's Day Supper in the soup form...

Kapusta- 

Cabbage Soup

1 lg. (28 oz.) sauerkraut, drained and rinsed- save some of the juice- (Or left overs from New Year's Day)
1 med. cabbage, chopped or shredded
1 & 1/2 C Mushrooms, Sliced

Chicken Stock to cover both (I use left over Chicken Gravy and thin with more chicken Stock)
2 c. cooked pork chops or leftover pork roast
Kosher Salt & Course Ground Pepper

1/2 t dried Thyme 

Pinch of Brown Sugar, optional

2-4 T Butter or Bacon Drippings
15 oz  corn nibblets or whatever vegetable you have left over.

1. Add Bacon Drippings to dutch oven and Saute Cabbage until cooked through. 
2. Push Cabbage to outside of pan- add Mushrooms and Carrots, sauteing until mushrooms are cooked & carrots are soft.
3. Combine Cabbage with the pork roast/chops & Sour Kraut. 
4. Add enough Chicken Gravy/Stock to cover. 
5. Sprinkle in kosher salt and Fresh Cracked pepper, to taste. 
6. Cook over low heat, simmering for about 2 hours, adding Chicken Stock as needed and taste to adjust seasoning.
7. If desired,  add some of the reserved kraut juice if more tart is needed. 
8. Add the corn and continue cooking until heated through
9. Serve hot.

Crustless Quiche

1/2 pt Heavy Whipping Cream
8 Xtra Lg Eggs
2 C Shredded Cheese (Swiss, Gruyere, Or Smoked White Cheddar)
8 Oz Crimini or Button Mushrooms, sliced
8- 12 oz Diced Ham
1/4 Finely Diced Green Onion
kosher salt and Pepper

Heat oven to 350

• Heat skillet over medium heat and add EVOO, once hot add Sliced Mushrooms
• Allow to cook over medium, stirring frequently until reduced and caramelized, season liberally with kosher salt & fresh cracked pepper- should take about 15 min, remove from heat and allow to cool to room temp b4 adding to eggs!!
• Meanwhile, Whisk Eggs and Combine with Heavy Whipping Cream
• Stir in Diced Ham, Green Onions, shredded cheese, and cooled caramelized mushrooms, and season w/s&p
• Pour into prepared 11X9" glass pan 
• Bake for 20-30 min until fully cooked and slightly browned on top!

Mmmmmmmm mmmmmmm DELISH!!!!

Frugal Fridays: MYO Christmas Gifts- #4: Coconut Bon-Bons

 I Love these TASTY LITTLE treats!!!

Another "mystery" ingredient, that you might hesitate when I tell you, but it is IMPORTANT to the texture of this treat.
 
THERE IS  is also a bit of a science behind this as you watch the powdered sugar dissolve the "mystery ingredient" &  you are amazed the first time you see it happen. 

Nearly every year I make this I have to still have to fight the urge to NOT to FREAK out when the mystery ingredient turns liquidy, then when I stir more powder sugar in, it seems to take more than I remembered to firm it back up.

Are you ready for the mystery ingredient YET??

INSTANT MASHED POTATOES 

I know, you might not think that a typically savory dish could make this treat soo delicious, but it does!!  And I am not one to advocate the uses of "instant" anything, but I have tried this with fresh made mashed potatoes and it doesn't have the right texture unless you use a food mill, even then I still didn't quite like it. 



It is easy and only a bit involved simply because you have quite a bit of "guess work" when it comes to the proper amount of powdered sugar.  

Just be patient!! 

And stir, wait a few moments, add more powder sugar & then stir again. Unless you have the forearms of Popeye you might end up using your hands.

Other than that it is simply add ingredients and stir, stir, stir....

COCONUT BON-BONS

• 3/4 C Instant STIFF Mashed Potatoes, cold
• 4 C Powdered Sugar
• 4 C Sweetened Flaked Coconut
• 1-2 t Almond or GOOD Gourmet Handmade Vanilla Bean Extract - {Personally if I don't like the flavor profile when almond extract is omitted, but I give you that option, try if first w/almond though!}
  
• 1-2 t GOOD Gourmet Handmade Organic Coconut Extract (or store bought)
• 12 Oz REAL Chocolate, cut int to cubes and tempered

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1. Mix COLD Mashed potatoes with almond & coconut extract 

2.  Stir in 1 C powder sugar & mix until sugar has dissolved. Will look liquidy, don't freak! Keep adding Powder sugar until mixture holds its shape. WILL TAKE MORE THAN YOU THINK JUST BE PATIENT AND ADD SMALL AMOUNTS AT A TIME!!
3.  Place in fridge until firms up about 20 minutes.
4. Shape into 2" inch diameter Balls & place back into fridge until firms up about 20 minutes or up to over night. (I typically will make all my candy fillings in one day, place in either fridge or freezer over night, then spend all my effort the next day tempering with finicky chocolate!) 

 5. Use fork and dip into tempered chocolate, I like to double dip!

You could totally shape these into little "Bars" and place a raw almond on top before you dip into chocolate for a "JOY-full" experience!! Pun-FULLY intended!!! OMGoodness I wished I had more of these as they are sooo good!!

RECIPE WED: Sun Dried Tomatoes, Crimini Mushrooms & Capers Carbonara w/ Capelini Pasta

During a "Pantry Challenge Menu Week", I  came up with this easy version of Pasta Carbonara. I built my sauce around 2 cans of diced tomatoes but I didn't have any bacon or any garlic cloves on hand but I always have bacon drippings & Garlic infused EVOO fridge so I went from there...

The family loved this so much my hubby had 3rds BOTH of my children had seconds and my hubby begged me to take the left-overs to work the next day. I knew this was a keeper and thought you might enjoy this quick and easy sauce that is super delicious!!!

SUNDRIED TOMATOES, CRIMINI MUSHROOMS 

AND CAPER PASTA CARBONARA

 

2- 15 oz cans diced tomatoes- Keep LIQUID!
1 oz capers
2T bacon Drippings (or 3 bacon slices crisped)
1T Garlic infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Or 2 garlic cloves, minced)
1 Small Onion, Diced
8 oz Crimini Mushrooms, Sliced
2-4 oz Sun Dried Tomatoes Packed in Olive Oil, Julienned
2 t dried Basil
Hickory Smoked Salt or Kosher Salt to taste
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper Corns to taste
Pinch of Baking Soda
Pinch of Brown Sugar
1 lb Capelini Pasta or other thin Spaghetti type pasta, cooked al` dente'
1/4 C Heavy Cream-Optional

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1. Heat medium sauce pan over medium heat and add bacon drippings and Garlic Infused EVOO (I keep these in fridge so I add long enough to melt them and get it nice & hot but not smoking)
2. Add Diced Onions and Slice Mushrooms
3. Cook until Onions are translucent and Mushrooms are half their size. About 5-10 minutes
4. Open cans of diced tomatoes, add entire cans, liquid and all. 
5. Slightly "mash" up tomatoes with potato masher to break down tomatoes faster.
6. Add rest of ingredients up to heavy cream
7. Cook until slight sauce starts to slightly boil. Reduce to heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes until reduced nearly by half 
8. Right before serving add 1/4 C heavy Cream and stir to combine. 

 

Such an easy recipe that makes a quick and tasty meal that won't weigh you down.  






Pair it with a mixed green salad, & warm artisan hand shaped bread along with herb infused dipping grape seed oil and you have a dinner everyone will come to table for!!