Good Old Fashioned Cabbage Rolls

If you need some fall comfort food this is it...

1 head cabbage
1 lb minced meat (beef, pork and/or veal)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup cooked rice
2 eggs, beaten
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsps paprika
1  1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3  1/2 cups tomato sauce

Place the cabbage in a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil then simmer 8-10 minutes. Remove and drain. Cool until you can handle it. Remove leaves and spread out on work surface. Cool completely.

Combine all the ingredients except the tomato sauce and fill each leaf. I like to use the trio of meat, but most recipes will tell you to use pork and beef. To roll, tuck the sides over and roll away from you keeping the sides tucked in. Secure with a toothpick.

Cover bottom of casserole dish with a little tomato sauce and top with cabbage rolls. Cover with the remaining sauce.

Cover and bake at 375 F for 1 hour.

Serves 6-8

Homemade Turkey Egg Rolls

With Canadian Thanksgiving behind me, and all those turkey leftovers ahead of me, I thought it would be a good idea to make some eggrolls.

Yield: 20 large and 24 medium egg rolls

8 cups shredded cabbage
1  1/2 cups shredded carrot
1 cup shredded celery
1 cup shredded onion
2 cups cooked turkey (or chicken)
3 tbsps soya sauce
2 tsps sesame oil
3 tsps fresh minced ginger
2 tbsps fresh minced garlic
1 tbsps rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tsps salt
2 tsps black pepper
2 tsps onion powder
2 tbsps hoisin sauce
vegetable oil for frying

Mix all the shredded vegetables together in a large wok or frying pan and cook 1 minute. Mix soya sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper together and add to the wok.  Cook 1 more minute then spoon the veggies into a colander standing in a large bowl. Don't let it sit long once it's all in the colander you just want the excess liquid removed. If you remove too much your egg rolls will be dry. Reserve the liquid then put the veggies back in the bowl. Add the turkey, onion powder and hoisin sauce. 

Now you're ready to roll! Lay a couple of egg roll wrappers out on your working surface and fill.  I used 2 heaping tbsps for my large egg rolls and just 2 scant tbsps for the medium ones. Keep a bowl of water handy and with your finger just moisten the edges of the wrapper.  Fold a long side up to the middle and the other long side over. Press gently.  Press the sides together starting where the filling is and pressing outwards so as to remove excess air. Press the edges together firmly. 

(You may want to skip ahead to the frying instructions and make one to try.  You can see if you want to add more seasonings or a little of the reserved liquid to the mix.)

Place folded egg rolls on a platter or baking sheet keeping them covered with a dishtowel so they don't dry out. You should also keep the opened package of wrappers covered while you work.  If the wrappers dry they won't seal well.

Now for the fun part *sarcasm. (I don't like deep frying, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do!)

Heat about 1-2" of vegetable oil in a fryer to 375 - 400 F.  Carefully place egg rolls in the hot oil. Don't pack your fryer. Mine's a small one so only two at a time.  Cook 3 minutes per side then remove to a paper towel lined baking sheet.

As you can see, these are not super golden as I planned to freeze some.  When they are re-heated they will brown more.

So like I said, I froze these in a single layer in ziplok baggies. To use, bake from frozen in a 425 F oven for 15-20 minutes if you're not eating them right away. And don't forget to serve with plum sauce.

Spaghetti (Squash) and Meatballs

So my husband sits down to dinner and says "I'm not too hungry, I don't think I will eat much". Translation: I don't like the look of this and I need an out!

He ate every last bite!

1  1/2 lb spaghetti squash
3/4 - 1 cup spaghetti sauce
12 cooked mini meatballs, halved
1  1/2 cups shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese
parmesan

Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.

To cook, lay the cut side down on a microwave safe plate. Microwave on high for 8-10 minutes, then cook the other half.  Not sure how much time would be required to microwave both halves together.

With a fork, gently pull the cooked squash away from the peel leaving the shell intact.

In a bowl mix the "spaghetti", sauce, meatball halves and 1 cup of cheese together. Fill the shells with this mixture and top with the remaining shredded cheese and sprinkle with parmesan.

Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.

Serves 2

Lightly Glazed Carrots

Carrots are naturally sweet and this light glaze just enhances that.

1  1/2 lbs carrots, sliced
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 - 1 tsp salt (depending on sodium content of the broth)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsps butter
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp thyme
black pepper to taste

In a saucepan bring carrots, broth, salt and brown sugar to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered 5-10 minutes until tender. Remove the carrots from the broth.

In a large skillet add the butter, lemon juice, thyme and pepper and stir in the carrots. Add ladlefuls of broth to the pan to deglaze only adding more broth when the carrots have absorbed what is in the pan, much like making risotto. 

Serve with an extra squeeze of lemon.

Serves 8

Gin and Tonic Pickles

Alcoholic pickles? O.K.!
Serve as a pickle or as a garnish for your next G and T!

6 mini cucumbers
1 lime
1/2 cup gin
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tsps sugar
1 tsp coarse sea salt
1/2 cup tonic water (or a little more)

Wash cucs and cut into spears. Pack into 2 - 500 ml sterilized jars. Slide a slice of lime down the side. I got carried away with how pretty the lime slices looked in the jar and put more than a slice.  Makes the pickles way too tart!  Stick to 1 slice per jar!

Shake gin, lime juice, sugar and sea salt together and divide and pour evenly over the cucs. Top each jar off with tonic water to fully submerge the cucs.

Cap and refrigerate for up to 4 weeks.

Or process for 5 minutes in a hot water bath so you can keep them in your pantry, but the pickles might be a bit limp. 
And nobody likes a limp pickle!

Original recipe:
http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a54828/gin-and-tonic-pickles-recipe/

Mediterranean Chicken

Easy to prepare, quick to cook and lots of flavour!

2 tbsps olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced or sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1  1/2 cups diced eggplant
zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp capers, with some brine
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 tsp dry oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup chicken broth

Heat oil in a skillet and add onion, stirring until just lightly golden. Add chicken, salt, pepper and oregano and cook until chicken is no longer pink.

Add garlic and eggplant for 2-3 minutes.
Finally add the yellow pepper, celery, capers, lemon juice and zest. Simmer uncovered adding the broth in 1/3 cup increments, deglazing as you go for 5-10 minutes.

Serve over rice

Makes 2-3 servings

Egg-free Homemade Chocolate Pudding

Eating this pudding brings me right back to my Nana's kitchen. She probably made other desserts, but I can still remember this pudding cooling on her counter 💖

6 tbsps cornstarch
6 tbsps cocoa
3 cups milk
6 tbsps sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsps butter
1  1/2 tsps vanilla

Start warming 2 cups of the milk.

Meanwhile whisk together the cornstarch, cocoa, sugar and salt and stir into the remaining 1 cup of milk.

Reduce heat on 2 cups of milk and stir in the cocoa milk. Continue whisking on simmer for 5-10 minutes until the pudding starts to bubble and thicken.

Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla.

Pour into serving bowls and cover lightly with a sheet of wax paper or plastic wrap to prevent the top from forming a skin. Or if you're like me don't cover it, I like the skin!

If you're going to eat it in a couple of hours you can leave it on the counter like Nana did. If not, refrigerate.

Makes 6-8 servings