Don't you love it when you find a recipe that utilizes things that you normally keep on hand and it turns out tasting really good? I ran across a recipe like that recently and it's going into the permanent file. I found this recipe on the Mennonite Girls Can Cook website. It uses cabbage, chicken, onions, and noodles. I used Ramen Noodles since that was what I had on hand. My kids always give me a hard time for changing recipes but I tried to stick pretty close to the original when making this. I cut down the proportions since it was just the two of us and added a dash of sesame oil at the end of the cooking time for a little burst of flavor.

Here's the post with the original recipe. I used one large chicken breast, about 4 cups of cabbage, and two packages of ramen noodles. I cooked the noodles and then added them on top of the other ingredients as the recipe details. It was really good and I will be making this one again.

I realized recently that I had never posted the recipe for Cabbage Rolls. I've been making these for over 40 years and they are one of our fall favorites.

Cabbage Rolls

12 large cabbage leaves
1 cup cooked rice
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
dash pepper
1 egg
1/4 tsp. thyme
1 lb. ground beef
8 oz. tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Prepare cabbage leaves by parboiling or steaming in the microwave. Cut out the hard center "vein" of each leaf to facilitate handling. Combine the egg, rice, onion, salt, pepper, thyme, and hamburger. Place a portion of this mixture in each cabbage leaf and then fold the sides in and roll up. Fasten each leaf with one or two toothpicks. Place in a large kettle, skillet, or crockpot. Combine the tomato sauce, brown sugar, and lemon juice. Pour over the cabbage rolls and bring to a boil. Simmer covered for one hour. If using crockpot cook for 6-8 hours on low. You may want to remove the lid for the last few minutes to thicken the sauce.

There are several ways that you can soften the cabbage leaves; by boiling, freezing, or steaming in the microwave. I like to put them in a glass pie plate covered with waxed paper and microwave for about two minutes.

If you cut out the tough center "vein" the rolls will be easier to roll up without cracking or splitting. You will need to be careful to place the filling so it will be pretty well covered by part of the leaf.

Fasten securely with a toothpick or two.

Do you have a favorite cabbage recipe?

Becka

I mentioned a while back that my friend Kathy got me the Mitford cookbook for my birthday. The first recipe I have tried from it was called Ray's Coleslaw. We all agreed that it was delicious. I have heard of other recipes for slaw that ask you to salt the cabbage and then drain it, but this was the first time I had tried this technique. I did think that it was a little salty, so I have cut down on the salt a little in the following recipe.

Ray's Coleslaw (From Mitford Cookbook)
8-10 cups coarsely grated cabbage
2 tsps. salt (this is less than the original recipe)
5 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 Tbsps. cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
dash freshly ground black pepper

Toss the cabbage with the salt in a colander set in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set a plate on top. Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the water to drain from the cabbage. Mix together the cabbage and green onions in a large bowl. In another bowl combine sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, and pepper. Add the dressing to the cabbage and onions. Mix well and refrigerate until well chilled.

This is the blade I used to cut the cabbage in the food processor:

This is how I drained the cabbage in the colandar in the fridge:

The following pictures have nothing to do with cole slaw, but I think they are awfully cute:

Becka

Stir Fried Chicken and Noodles

3 Tbsps. honey
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger (or 1/4 tsp. dried)
dash white pepper
2 tsps. cornstarch
1-1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken or a couple of raw chicken breasts cubed and stir fried
2 tsps. cooking oil
3-4 cups frozen oriental vegetable blend (I used a stir fry blend from Aldi)
1-1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
1 heaping cup fine noodles (begin boiling these about the time you start the stir frying)

Whisk together the honey, water, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and cornstarch. Heat the oil in a large skillet and stir fry the oriental vegetables for 5-6 mins. Add the cabbage and stir fry for 3-5 mins. more. Add the sauce and bring to a boil. Cook about two minutes or until thickened. Add the chicken and the cooked drained noodles. Heat through and enjoy!

I had never used fresh ginger until just a few years ago. It can be stored in the freezer and then grated frozen when you need it. I just wrap mine in plastic wrap and store it on my freezer door so I can find it easily.

You don't even need to peel it. Just grate the amount you need and use it to season whatever dish you are preparing. It adds a lot of flavor to many oriental dishes.

Becka

I think soups are one of the ultimate convenience foods. It's nice to fix a big pot of soup and then have those leftovers in the refrigerator for later in the week for another meal or to have as a "soup course" to help round out a rather skimpy meal. Many years ago I read a book where the mother of a large family said that when her children were teenagers the only way they survived all the diverse schedules was because she prepared a big pot of soup each day and the children could eat when they came home from their various activities.

I especially like to make this soup in the fall when we can get such good mountain cabbage. The heads are huge, solid, and crisp. Cabbage, potatoes and onions are all high in vitamin C and the carrots are a good source of vitamin A. I have made this soup when we were in Germany and in China as well. We found that these ingredients were available and fairly inexpensive in those parts of the world too.

Cabbage Soup

1 large onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
2 stalks celery (w/leaves) sliced
1 Tbsp. oil
5 cups water
1 1/2 Tbsps. chicken soup base
4-6 carrots, peeled and sliced
3-4 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
4-5 cups coarsely chopped cabbage
1/3 cup spaghetti sauce*
pepper to taste
1/2 pound smoked sausage, sliced

Heat oil in large soup kettle and saute onions and celery until wilted. Add water, soup base, carrots, and potatoes. Heat to boiling and then reduce heat, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 mins. Add the cabbage and simmer 5-10 mins. longer or until cabbage is wilted down. Add the spaghetti sauce and sausage and season with pepper. If it seems too thick for your taste add more water.

*This soup needs just a touch of tomato in my humble opinion. I like the spaghetti sauce and I often have a partial jar in the fridge. You can also use a small amount of catsup, a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste or canned tomatoes, or a small fresh tomato that has been peeled and chopped.

So, the next cold, blustery day give this one a try.

Becka

Here is the basic recipe:
One batch pizza dough (see previous pizza post)
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cups chopped or shredded cabbage (my daughter, Megan, uses coleslaw mix with good results)
1/4 cup finely chopped or shredded carrot (optional)
salt, peppper, and garlic powder to taste

Cook the ground beef until it is nearly done. Add the onion and cook until transparent and the meat is no longer pink. Drain well. Add the cabbage and carrot, cover and cook until vegetables are wilted and fairly tender. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I often cook the meat and cabbage the day before I want to make the bierocks. This filling must be cool before you put it in the dough. So, plan ahead.

When you want to make the bierocks make the pizza dough and divide it into 8-10 pieces. Roll each piece into a circle with a rolling pin. The circles should be about as large as a dessert plate.

Place some of the filling on one half of the dough and then fold the dough over the filling, stretching if necessary to cover the filling. Seal the edges with a little gizmo like this if you have one, or you can use a fork or just crimp the edges with your fingertips. If you have leftover filling you can freeze it and put it in your next batch of vegetable soup.

Place the bierocks on a greased baking sheet and brush them with a little oil. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 mins. Serve with cheese sauce or catsup. These freeze well if you don't eat them all right away.

Here's a basic cheese sauce recipe:
2 Tbsps. margarine or butter
2 Tbsps. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup cubed or shredded cheese
Melt margarine in a saucepan. Stir in the flour and salt and cook for about one minute. Stir in the milk and cook until mixture comes to a boil, stirring frequently. Add cheese and continue cooking until cheese is melted.

Have you ever heard of bierocks? I hope you will give them a try.

Becka