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Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

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Last week we started “putting the gardens to bed” for the season.
This end of an era always seems to creep up on us before I expect it
to.  For me it is always accompanied with a certain sadness.  No more
beautiful early morning sights of garden tubs overflowing with choice red
tomatoes, crisp green lettuce and chard, gorgeous shiny eggplants and
colorful summer squashes  ushering in the new day. What did arrive
this morning were some wonderful prizewinning heads of cabbage, a goodly
amount of green beans and plenty of assorted tomatoes.  So tonight we
will enjoy  a favorite old  world classic for our dinner:  Stuffed
cabbage rolls with fresh garden tomato sauce along with tender whole
green beans.

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Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
SERVINGS
4-6
CHANGE SERVING SIZE
COOK TIME
1hour
PREP TIME
30mins
READY IN
1.5hours

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Cut up tomatoes and simmer with olive oil, onion salt, oregano and sugar until reduced to 1 cup or 8 ounces of sauce. Can be done while preparing cabbage.
  2. Leave cabbage whole, but cut around the stem, and parboil for 5 minutes; let steep for another 5 minutes. Remove cabbage from water and drain; separate cabbage leaves. Chop the small inside leaves and the core and use to line a Dutch oven.
  3. Combine all the stuffing ingredients and mix thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place 1 tablespoon stuffing on each of the larger cabbage leaves, fold ends of leaves over the stuffing, and roll leaves.
  4. Arrange the stuffed cabbage leaves in rows in Dutch oven; sprinkle each layer with olive oil, tomato sauce, and crushed bay leaf. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper; add remaining tomato sauce, beef broth and enough water to cover. Place a plate on top of cabbage rolls, and simmer over low heat for 1 hour. Serve the cabbage rolls with the pot sauce pored over them.

Princess Louise Sole

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Last week, while waiting for an appointment, I casually flipped through a magazine and while doing so, my eyes fell on what looked like a potentially interesting recipe, involving little work, minimal preparation, and minimal cooking. In fact, it almost appeared to cook itself, and in no time at all.  This was too good to pass up so I had to give it a try…..and I am so glad I did.

The result was a simple but elegant entree with a delicate subtle gourmet touch making it fit for a princess, while at the same time perfectly filling the bill for a healthy, flavorful, low fat dish for fish lovers.

Princess Louise Sole

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Princess Louise Sole
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Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Sauté onion or scallions in butter slightly.
  2. Except for the sole add other ingredients to the butter and onions
  3. Bring to a boil. Add fillets.
  4. Turn heat way down and cover for 5 minutes.
  5. Serve immediately.

Braised Short Ribs

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Some meals can be almost as enjoyable to prepare as to eat.  Short ribs are an example of this, especially in cold blustery weather as we have been having this winter. Cooking them is a most pleasurable culinary experience, engaging all the senses from start to finish.

Thick well cut ribs are a joy to handle while rubbing in the seasonings.  Then there is the visual thrill of watching them beautifully brown before your eyes in the sizzling hot skillet. This begins to produce a mouthwatering aroma to savor,  while slowly nursing them along to desired tenderness.

As a final treat to the senses, I hear the sound of delighted exclamations from those coming to dinner whose appetites are peaked from shoveling snow out in the cold. Could anything be more heartwarming and rewarding than that?  Well yes….sitting down and eating one of my most favorite meals with them!

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Braised Short Ribs
SERVINGS
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COOK TIME
2 1/2-3hours
PREP TIME
READY IN

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
  2. Season short ribs with salt and pepper
  3. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
  4. Working in 2 batches, brown short ribs on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch.
  5. Transfer short ribs to a plate. Pour off all but 3 Tablespoons of drippings from pot.
  6. Add onions, carrots, and celery to pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until onions are browned, about 5 minutes.
  7. Add flour and tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, until well combined and deep red, 2-3 minutes.
  8. Stir in wine, Worcestershire and then add short ribs with any accumulated juices.
  9. Bring to a boil; lower heat to medium and simmer until wine is reduced by half, about 25 minutes.
  10. Add all herbs to pot along with garlic. Stir in stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven.
  11. Cook until short ribs are tender, 2–2 1/2 hours.
  12. Transfer short ribs to a platter. Strain sauce from pot into a measuring cup.
  13. Spoon fat from surface of sauce and discard; season sauce to taste with onion salt and pepper.

These short ribs are even better when they are cooked the day before.

Skewered Lamb Kebabs

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Last week lamb was on sale (something that does not occur too often), so I happily took advantage of it and bought a nice leg. In general, most people either really like this meat or do not like it at all. Few seem to be neutral about it, mainly, I think, because of its distinctive flavor, which is precisely what makes it appeal to lamb lovers.

I myself prefer it simply roasted or broiled, but for the sake of those whom I knew would like it a little more dressed up I decided to make colorful kabobs with a few favorite vegetables and serve it with Greek rice, the way my father always prepared it.

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Skewered Lamb Kebabs
SERVINGS
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COOK TIME
1 1/4hours
PREP TIME
READY IN

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. The first step is to marinate the lamb preferably overnight, if possible, then cube the vegetables and add to the marinade for whatever length of time is convenient.
  2. Arrange both meat and vegetables on skewers that have been soaked in water for at least 1 hour.
  3. Broil for 12 to 15 minutes or until browned and to desired doneness, turning frequently.
  4. Prepare rice well in advance.
  5. Saute rice in oil and butter. Add salt, parsley, mint, garlic and water.
  6. Cover and simmer on low heat untill all liquid is absorbed and rice is thoroughly cooked, adding additional water if needed. The earlier the rice is cooked, the more flavorful it will be when served.

Mushroom Beef Barley Soup

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The kitchen was really busy last night. Eight of us were buzzing around cooking for an upcoming party. Really great energy. As much as I think I am a person who prefers to be alone, I love the energy of being in the kitchen with a crowd of people. Don’t get me wrong — there is something  to cooking alone — being there in the quiet, creating something delicious for someone else to enjoy. It ministers to my spirit, and I sometimes get great ideas and thoughts about other projects. But a group that is working well together, chaotic as it might be, also ministers to the whole group in a way that can’t be duplicated. In the middle of this I was putting together my favorite Beef Mushroom Barley soup for guests and a retreat group the next day. What could be better on a cold rainy day! My brother in law just came through and tasted the soup. He said it needed some red wine, so I added a splash. He was so right!

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Mushroom Beef Barley Soup
SERVINGS
6servings
CHANGE SERVING SIZE
servings
COOK TIME
8-10mins.
PREP TIME
READY IN

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Pour boiling water over dried mushrooms to cover, set aside.
  2. In a large soup pot, saute beef in 1 Tablespoon oil until browned, 5 to 7 minutes, remove from pan.
  3. In the same pot, with the other Tablespoon of oil, cook your carrots, onions, leeks, celery and baby bella mushrooms until just browned, about 8 to 10 minutes.
  4. Stir in barley and thyme and cook for another minute.
  5. Add the beef broth.
  6. Drain dried mushrooms in a sieve, and add that liquid also to the pot.
  7. Chop the mushrooms until fine, and add those.
  8. Toss in the bay leaves.
  9. Simmer until meat is tender and barley cooked (about an hour for the beef tenders, and longer for the stew meat).
  10. A little while before serving pour in the wine, and heat again.
  11. Add kosher salt and ground pepper to taste. This can be made 2 or 3 days in advance — it will taste even better if made ahead.