Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Stuffed Cabbage

This was my gram's recipe. Total comfort food. You can substitute ground chicken or turkey for the ground beef for a slightly 'healthier' version.

2 Medium size heads of cabbage
2 lb ground beef (or turkey or chicken)
1 lb ground mild sausage
1 Medium sized onion, finely chopped
1 Medium green pepper, finely chopped
1 Cup uncooked white rice
16 oz. can tomato sauce (I double this because I like a lot of sauce)
1/4 cup hot water
2 cups hot water

Mix meats with all ingredients but cabbage, tomato sauce and 2 cups hot water. Set aside. Core cabbage. Scald cabbage in boiling water 3-5 minutes taking care not to over cook. Trim the thick membranes from the leaves.
Cover the bottom of the roasting pan with loose cabbage and 2 cups of hot water. Make rolls with the leaves and meat mixture. Layer rolls, covering each layer with sauce. Finish with sauce. You may need to add more sauce. Bake covered 2 - 2 1/2 hours. Check often to keep from drying out. You may add hot water or tomato juice if needed.

Split pea soup with fresh peas and potatoes

A great use of leftover Easter ham...for a very cold April!

This recipie is from Mothering magazine. It has become a family favorite for 3 out of 4 of us.

This makes 4 servings, but I double or tripple it to freeze for later.

1 Cup green rinsed split green peas (you can soak them 4-6 hours but I never do)
1T. butter or extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1-2 t. sea salt
1 stalk celery chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 small red potatoes, cubed
1 t. cumin powder
black pepper, freshly ground (1-2 turns)
4 C. water or vegetable stock or chicken stock
1 large bay leaf
1 small ham bone
2 teaspoons apple-cider vinegar
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
1-2 t. fresh dill or 1/2 t. dried

Soak split peas 4-6 hours in 4 C of water or stock. (I don't do this as I usually decide at the last minute what to make for dinner...it turns out just as good as soaking them)

Heat fat in a pressure cooker or soup pot. Add onions and salt and saute until onions begin to soften. Add celery, carrot, potatoes, cumin, and pepper; saute an additional 5-7 minutes. Add split peas, water or stock, and bay leaf. Add ham bone and vinegar. If pressure-cooking: bring up to pressure on high heat, then lower heat and cook 40 minutes. If using soup pot: bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer 60-90 minutes. Once split peas have softened and the soup has become creamy, remove ham bone. Cut off any mean, discard skin and bone, dice meat into small pieces, and add to soup with fresh or frozen peas and dill. Check seasonings; add more salt and pepper if needed. Continue cooking a few minutes until peas are tender. Soup is ready to serve.

I serve with a few peas on top and a sprinkle of dried dill

Prep time: 50 minutes (pressure cooker) 1 3/4 hours (soup pot)