Unstuffed Sweet and Sour Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage Rolls were one of my favorite recipes that my mom used to make, but they're really time consuming to stuff each cabbage leaf.  I found this recipe once in a magazine, Bon Appetite.  It's delicious and takes a time saving technique of not stuffing the leaves.  Win/Win!

 Unstuffed Sweet and Sour Cabbage Rolls

1 (2 lb.) head green cabbage, quartered lengthwise and cored
1/2 c. reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, divided
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb. ground beef chuck
1/2 lb. ground pork
1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes in juice
1/3 c. dried cranberries
3 Tbsp red-wine vinager
1 Tbsp packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

Accompaniment: steamed rice

Place cabbage in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet with broth, 1 garlic clove (sliced), and a rounded 1/4 tsp of salt.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cook, covered, turning cabbage occasionally, until very tender, about 45 minutes.  (Add more broth or water if necessary.)

Meanwhile, cook onion and remaining garlic in oil in a heavy medium pot over medium heart, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 8 minutes.  Increase heat to medium-high and stir in ground meats along with 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring and breaking up lumps with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes with their juice, cranberries, vinegar, and brown sugar and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally and breaking up tomatoes with spoon, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.  Season with salt.

Pour sauce into skillet with cabbage and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes.  Serve sprinkled with parsley.

Greek Moussaka

Here's a delicious recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens Heritage Cook Book.  It says "In the old country Greek Moussaka was a festival specialty because for most Greeks meat was rare--often eaten just twice a year.  The two occasions were usually Easter and the feast day of the village patron saint.  Here, Greek-Americans quickly took advantage of the abundance of meat to serve Moussaka often."

Greek Moussaka

2 medium eggplants, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
1 lb. ground beef
1 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. Burgundy
2 Tbsp. snipped parsley
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2/3 c. soft bread crumbs
2 beaten eggs
1/2 c. shredded sharp American cheese
Dash ground cinnamon
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. milk
Dash ground nutmeg
1 beaten egg
Cooking oil

Sprinkle eggplant slices with a little salt and set aside. 
In skillet cook beef and onion till beef is browned; drain.  Add Burgundy, parsley, tomato paste, 1/4 c. water, 1 tsp salt, and dash pepper.  Simmer till liquid is nearly absorbed.  Cool.  Stir in half the bread crumbs, 2 eggs, half the cheese, and cinnamon. 
In separate saucepan melt butter.  Stir in flour.  Add milk all at once; cook and stir till thick and bubbly.  Stir in nutmeg, 1/2 tsp salt, and dash pepper.  Add a small amount of the sauce to the one beaten egg; return to hot mixture.  Cook and stir over low heat for 2 minutes.
Brown the salted eggplant slices on both sides in a little hot cooking oil.  Sprinkle bottom of 12 x 7 1/2 x 2 inch baking dish with remaining bread crumbs.  Cover with half the eggplant slices.  Spoon on meat mixture.  Arrange remaining eggplant atop.  Pour milk-egg sauce over all.  Top with remaining cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees about 45 minutes.  Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Mulligatawny Recipe

One of my favorite cookbooks is the Better Homes and Gardens Heritage Cook Book.  Mark found it in an antique store and it has all kinds of historical recipes and a little history behind most recipes.  Almost everything I've made from it has been delicious.  Found in it is this recipe for Mulligatawny, "meaning pepper water, was first eaten by British and Scottish soldiers serving in India.  This hearty soup, flavored with curry powder (as you might expect from its birthplace) arrived here by way of the descendants of those fighting men."



Mulligatawny

1/4 c. finely chopped onion
1/2 tsp curry powder
2 Tbsp shortening
1 c. diced cooked chicken
1 tart apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1/4 c. chopped carrot
1/4 c. chopped celery
2 Tbsp chopped green pepper
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
4 c. chicken broth
1 16 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp snipped parsley
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
2 whole cloves

In large saucepan cook onion and curry powder in shortening till onion is tender.  Stir in chicken, chopped apple, carrot, celery, and green pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, till vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.  Sprinkle flour over chicken-vegetable mixture, stir to mix well.  Stir in broth, undrained tomatoes, parsley, lemon juice, sugar, cloves, 1/4 tsp salt, and a dash of pepper.  Bring chicken-vegetable mixture to boiling, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 30 minutes.  Makes 6 servings.

Pork and White Bean Stout Stew

This one is AMAZING!  Full disclosure, I didn't think much of the recipe when I read it.  I thought it sounded interesting, but I wasn't sure it would be great.  I was wrong.  It's quite simple to make and the few seasonings it does call for really compliment the pork and butternut squash for total deliciousness!  I did not cook it exactly as this one called for.  If you want my shortcut tips see them at the bottom.

This one was printed in The Week magazine from Stephanie Witt Sedgwick's post in The Washington Post.


Pork and White Bean Stout Stew

2 Tbsp olive oil
3 lbs. boneless pork shoulder, cut into cubes
2 c. diced onions
kosher salt
1 c. stout
1/4 c. molasses
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
two 15 oz. cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed
black pepper
1 lb. peeled, seeded butternut squash, cut into 3/4 inch pieces

Heat oven to 325 degrees and position a rack in its bottom third.  Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Working in batches, cook pork 3 to 4 minutes, until browned, then transfer to a bowl.  Turn heat under empty skillet to high, add 1/2 c. water, and dislodge browned bits.  Remove skillet from heat and reserve liquid.
Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add onions and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to medium.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft.  Add stout, 1 c. water, molasses, cloves, beans, and liquid from the skillet.  Season with salt and pepper and add pork.  When liquid bubbles, cover and transfer to oven.  Bake 1 hour.  Remove pan from the oven and stir in the squash, then cover and return to oven.  Bake 20 minutes or until the pork and squash are tender.  Let rest 10 minutes, uncovered.  Serves 8-10.

Kylie's Tips:
Any time a recipe with meat or vegetables calls for water, I use chicken or beef broth.  It gives it more flavor than just watering something down.  Moderate how much salt you add separately though because the broth will have salt in it.

I'm an easy kitchen, low maintenance cook when I can be so I did not use the oven at all.  I used a 5 quart pot to brown the pork, put the pork in a bowl after it's all browned.  I used the oil in the pan from the pork to soften my onions and scrape up the brown bits and then added all ingredients back in that same pot.  I kept the cook times the same.

The New York Times' Original Plum Torte

This was originally published in the New York Times in 1983, but it's absolutely delicious and easy to make.  It's one of the most requested in the Times' history according to The Week magazine.

The New York Times' Original Plum Torte

3/4 to 1 c sugar
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
1 c unbleached flour, sifted
pinch of salt (optional)
2 eggs
24 halved pitted purple plums
sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon, for topping
whipped cream for serving--optional

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream sugar and butter in a bowl.  Add flour, baking powder, salt, and eggs; beat well.  Spoon batter into an 8-,9-, or 10-inch spring-form pan.  Place plum halves skin side up on top of batter.  Sprinkle lightly with sugar and lemon juice, depending on the sweetness of the fruit.  Sprinkle with about 1 tsp cinnamon, depending on how much you like cinnamon.
Bake 1 hour, approximately.  Remove and cool to lukewarm, then serve plain or with whipped cream.  Serves 8

Navajo Fry Bread Recipe

In honor of Sajani's interview this week, I'm posting this recipe for Navajo Fry Bread and also for Ute Tortillas.  The Ute use the same dough that's used in Navajo Fry Bread, but instead it's cooked on the grill or over an open fire. 

Navajo Fry Bread

3 c unbleached flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 c warm water or milk
1 Tbsp oil or shortening
Oil or shortening, for deep frying (omit with the Ute Tortillas)

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except oil and knead until smooth.  Rub oil or shortening over dough.  Cover and let sit for about 30 minutes.  Either pat or roll out enough dough to fit in the palm of your hand in a circle about 1/8 inch thick, and deep fry in hot oil or shortening.  Usually the Fry Bread is a little larger than the size of your hand. (The fry bread is done when it's golden brown.) 
Makes 10-12 fry breads.

Fry bread is often served with honey or powdered sugar.  I prefer to use it like a taco shell with ground beef, lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese
and salsa.

These recipes come from Beverly Cox and Martin Jacobs' cookbook "Spirit of the Harvest:  North American Indian Cooking."

Shakshouka: Israeli Tomato and Poached Egg Stew

Shakshouka is basically a tomato and poached egg stew.  It has a very interesting flavor and it's the first time I've had dried limes.  (I love trying new stuff!) I ordered mine on Amazon Prime, but they can be found at Middle Eastern grocery stores as well.

I'll write it as I found it, but I halved the recipe.  This one serves 8! 

I found this recipe for Shakshouka in The Week Magazine, and it is from Michael Solomonov of Zahav which claims to be America's first Israeli restaurant.

Shakshouka

1/2 c olive oil
2 onions, chopped (about 3 cups)
4 red or green bell peppers, chopped
6 garlic cloves, sliced
2 Tbsp grated dried limes, optional
6 Tbsp sweet paprika
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp kosher salt
8 c tomato puree
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp sugar
16 large eggs
1 or 2 serrano chilies, thinly sliced, for garnish
chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
flatbread or crusty sliced bread, for serving

In a cast-iron skillet large enough to accommodate 16 poached eggs, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil over medium heat. (If you don't have a skillet that large, use two.)  Add onions, bell peppers, garlic, dried lime, paprika, cumin, coriander, and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened but not browned, about 10 minutes.  Add tomato puree and sugar and simmer until reduced by one-third, about 12 minutes.  Whisk in remaining 1/4 cup oil.

Crack eggs into skillet, spacing them evenly in the sauce.  Lower heat, cover, and cook until egg whites are set but yolks remain runny, about 5 minutes.  Top with sliced chilies and chopped cilantro and serve right from pan, with bread.  Serves 8.

Chef Brendan Collins' Shepherd's Pie with Buttered Baby Vegetables

I got this recipe from The Week magazine and it comes from chef Brendan Collins from the Waterloo & City restaurant.  He makes a shepherd's pie topped with mashed parsnips and potatoes, mixed with horseradish for "a nice unexpected bite." 

I made this and it is absolutely deeeeeeeeeee-lish!  I don't know that I'll make mashed potatoes without horseradish ever again.

Tip from me: If you're not a big cook or finicky about lamb, don't get overwhelmed with specifics.  You could substitute ground beef for lamb.  Dried spices work well and last for storage if you don't use a lot of different spices.

Shepherd's Pie with Buttered Baby Vegetables

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 leek, white part only, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 1/4 lb. ground lamb shoulder
1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 can (14 oz.) San Marzano plum tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato puree
1 1/4 c. lamb or beef stock
1 bay leaf
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, or to taste
Sale and pepper
1 1/2 lbs potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 lb parsnips, peeled and chopped
9 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 c. milk
2 tsp creamed horseradish
3/4 c. bread crumbs
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In large saute pan, heat oil over medium heat and add onions, leek, celery, and carrots.  Cook until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add lamb and brown, about 8 minutes.  Add flour to make a roux, and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add canned tomatoes, tomato puree, beef stock, bay leaf, rosemary, and thyme.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  Season with Worcestershire sauce, plus salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, make topping.  Boil potatoes and parsnips in water until soft.  Drain and mash with butter and milk. Stir in horseradish, and season with salt and pepper.

Spoon meat mixture into an ovenproof dish.  Top with mashed potatoes.  Sprinkle bread crumbs and cheese on top. Bake pie until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.  Top with buttered vegetables.  Serves 4 to 6.

Buttered Baby Vegetables

Blanch in separate pots until al dente: 6 baby carrots, 6 baby zucchini, 6 cauliflower florets, 3 baby turnips (peeled and quartered), 1/4 c. English peas, and 8 Tbsp unsalted butter.  Drain each vegetable, refresh in ice water, and drain again.

In small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add 1/2 c. water to make an emulsion.  Reheat vegetables in emulsion, add salt and pepper to taste, and drain.  Arrange on top of pie. 

Grandma's Sour Cream Coconut Cake

This cake is one of my favorites that my Grandma used to make.  This year I'm feeling nostalgic for my birthday and I'm making this for it.  I posted it here in my Grandma's writing.

It makes me happy just to see her writing again and who couldn't love the final line?  "Not designed for beauty-but for taste!"  Wouldn't life be better if we could all apply that?!

If you make it, let me know.  I want to see pictures!

Recipe: Colombian Ajiaco (Chicken and Potato Soup)

Colombian Ajiaco (Chicken and Potato Soup)

A friend of mine from Colombia, Liliana, told me about this delicious recipe and it's super easy to make.  This one is found online at http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-colombian-ajiaco-chicken-and-potato-soup-35078 and I love to make it on a chilly day.

Colombian Ajiaco (Chicken and Potato Soup)

Serves 6 to 8

2 large chicken breasts, bone-in and skin on (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 pounds mixed potatoes (red, yukon gold, and russets), peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
2-3 ears fresh corn, cut crosswise into quarters, or 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 bunch cilantro, with stems, washed very well and tied with twine
1 bunch green onions, washed and tied with twine
2 tablespoons dried guascas

Toppings:
2 avocados, pitted, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup Crema Mexicana, sour cream or crème fraîche
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons drained capers, chopped

Place the chicken in a glass or ceramic dish. Top with the onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover, and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy 4-quart lidded pot, like the Chambaware pot or a Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Add the chicken with its marinating bits and brown each side, about 6 minutes total. Pour in the stock and raise the heat to high. When the mixture boils, lower the heat to medium-low, then cover and simmer. Cook until the chicken is tender, about 30 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a platter, reserving the cooking liquid in the pot. When cool enough to handle, remove the skin from the chicken and discard. Cut or tear the chicken breasts into bite-size strips and discard the bones.

Place the potatoes in the pot with the leftover cooking liquid and set over medium heat. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes. 

Add the corn, the bunch of scallions, the bunch of cilantro, and the guascas. Simmer with the lid on for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender but not overcooked. Remove the cilantro and scallions and return the chicken to the pot. Simmer another few minutes until the chicken is warmed through.

Ladle the soup into individual bowls and place the toppings on the table to be passed around.

Recipe Notes

• Most Latin-American markets carry guascas, under the Kiska or El Rey brand. You can also find it online at stores like Amigo Foods, TIFCO and even Amazon. If you can't track down guascas, substitute dried oregano.

Interview with Josefa Gonzalez-Hastings, Master of Cuban Cuisine

This interview will make your mouth-water! Josefa Gonzalez-Hastings, the owner/proprietor, master of Cuban food at The Habana Café in St. Pete beach, Florida, and award-winning author of the The Habana Café Cookbook was kind enough to take the time to pass along some of her wisdom AND a recipe or two.

First things first, your food and your restaurant are simply amazing! My husband and I travel to St. Pete at least twice a year and always make it a point to come by for a meal at least twice; when possible we invite friends along who have never been there. Everyone we’ve taken has always raved. So, thank you for the delicious food.

I also want to thank for autographing a copy of your cookbook for me. Your book The Habana Café Cookbook is used at least once per week around our house. It won the Gourmand Award for best cookbook in its class. How did it feel to receive such an honor?

It didn’t seem real!  I was there and when they called out my name it’s like I didn’t even hear it.  My husband had to nudge me & said “What are you doing?”  “Get up there, you won.”  It was such a moment that will always be with me.

Cuban cuisine is a blend of so many cultures, so many flavors: Spanish, African, Chinese, Indian and one can sense that in your recipes and in the restaurant. And yet, often when I visit other Cuban establishments the meals seem centered around black beans, rice, yucca, and plantain only. Is it important to you to show the wider influence in your food?

Yes! Although I have a lot of traditional dishes I also like to put in some fusion.  Some of the most popular dishes – i.e. Summer Dill Chicken and Champagne Chicken are my creations that have nothing to do with Cuban food.

Your book lets us see how deep an influence family has been, and is on your life. How much of your cooking would you say is directly influenced by family? Old family recipes? Cooking technique? That sort of thing.

My influence is All family! No doubt about it.  My mom and her sisters always loved cooking and always made it fun.  Cooking was a past time not a chore.

If you met someone who said, “I don’t really like Cuban food” what meal would you prepare to change their mind?

 It would either be the roast pork or a paella even if it’s more of a Spanish dish that Cuban.

What meal do you never get tired of preparing?

 Paella!

You offer so many delicious desserts do you have a favorite among them?

 Cream cheese flan!

Are you still developing new recipes, or do you find that you simply hone your standard work to make it better and better?

 Yes, always coming up with new things.  Will run them as specials.

You being the expert in Cuban cuisine, if you were not allowed to cook Cuban food anymore, what other cuisine would you choose to master? Italian? Chinese? What?

 Italian, my second favorite food!

I would like to post one recipe from your book on the blog to let people try it themselves to see how amazing your work is. Which recipe would you select for them to try?

 I would go with the roast pork and the paella and for dessert I would go with the cream cheese flan.

Thank you so much for your time; it’s been an honor. I look forward to the next time I sit at one of the tables in the Habana Café and eat the best Cuban cuisine I’ve ever eaten.

If you ever find yourself in Tampa or the Tampa Bay area, do yourself a favor and take the time to visit this amazing place.

And whether you go or not, her cookbook is simply amazing. Why not sample some of her creations in your own home?

Live out loud!

Eat well doing it!

As for the recipes she mentioned, here’s the one for her delicious Roast Pork. If you want the recipes for her Paella and Cream Cheese Flan, put your money where your mouth is and support Josefa’s creativity while doing it.

LECHON ASADO (ROAST PORK WITH MOJO SAUCE)

4 to 6 pound Boston butt

4 Seville oranges, juiced

½ c olive oil

4 Tbsp Badia complete seasoning

4 Tbsp garlic, minced

4 Tbsp dried basil

4 Tbsp dried oregano

4 Tbsp onion powder

2 cups Chablis

½ c water

1 bottle Goya mojo criollo or Badia mojo marinade

Rinse pork butt and put in a large roasting pan.

In a large bowl, mix all other ingredients together with a whisk.  Pour half of this mixture over the butt, turn it over, and pour remaining mixture over the other side.

Cook butt fat side down and covered with aluminum foil.  Cook at 350 degrees for 3 ½ to 4 hours, depending on size.  When pork butt is done, the bone should easily pull out.

To make extra mojo sauce, in a medium saucepan put all of the sauce ingredients above, except use only 1 cup of Chablis and do not use any water.  Bring to a boil.

NOTE: Do not use dripping from the pan for the mojo sauce.       8 servings