Stuffed Cabbage Rolls or Holubky
INGREDIENTS
1 Four Pound Whole Head Cabbage
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Medium Finely Chopped Onion
1 Pound Ground Beef
½ Pound Lean Ground Pork
2 Cups Cooked Rice
1 Large Egg
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
½ Teaspoon Paprika
10 Ounce Can Tomato Juice
Heat the oven to 325° F. Remove core from cabbage and place whole lead in a large pot filled with salted, boiling water. Cover and cook for about three minutes. The goal is for the leave to be softened enough to pull of the individual leaves. You will need about 18 leaves. When the leaves are cool enough to handle, cut away the thick center stem from each leave – without cutting all the way through. Cop the remaining cabbage and place it in the bottom of a greased casserole dish or a dutch oven.
Next sauté the chopped onion in olive oil until tender. Let it cool, transfer to a large bowl and mix with ground beef, ground pork, rice, egg, salt, pepper and paprika. Combine thoroughly, but don’t over mix or the meat will become tough.
Place about ½ cup of the filling on each cabbage leaf. Roll away from you to encase the meat. Flip the right side of the leaf to the middle and then flip to the left side. You will have something that looks like an envelope. Once again, roll away from you to create a neat little packet.
Place the cabbage rolls on top of the chopped cabbage in layers in the casserole dish or dutch oven. Pour tomato juice over the rolls. Cover and place in the oven. Bake for approximately two hours or until cabbage is tender and the meat is cooked.
Serve with pan juices or top with sour cream. You choose.
Makes about 18 stuffed cabbages
Sinful Lasagna
SAUCE
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 3/4 cup finely chopped peeled carrots
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 8 ounces lean ground beef
- 6 ounces spicy Italian sausages, casings removed
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with added puree
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon golden brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
LASAGNA
- 15 lasagna noodles (about 12 ounces)
- 2 15-ounce containers part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
- 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, squeezed dry
- 2 large eggs
- 4 3/4 cups grated mozzarella cheese (about 1 1/4 pounds)
Preparation
FOR SAUCE:
Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and garlic; sauté until softened, about 12 minutes. Add beef and sausages to pan; sauté until cooked through, breaking up meat with back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer until flavors blend and sauce measures about 5 cups, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Cool.
FOR LASAGNA:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until almost tender, about 7 minutes. Drain; cover with cold water.
Combine ricotta and 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese in medium bowl. Mix in spinach. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in eggs.
Drain pasta and pat dry. Spread 1/2 cup sauce over bottom of 13×9-inch glass baking dish. Place 5 noodles over sauce, overlapping to fit. Spread half of ricotta-spinach mixture evenly over noodles. Sprinkle 2 cups mozzarella cheese evenly over ricotta-spinach mixture. Spoon 1 1/2 cups sauce over cheese, spreading with spatula to cover (sauce will be thick). Repeat layering with 5 noodles, remaining ricotta-spinach mixture, 2 cups mozzarella and 1 1/2 cups sauce. Arrange remaining 5 noodles over sauce. Spread remaining sauce over noodles. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese evenly over lasagna. (Can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.) Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake lasagna 40 minutes; uncover and bake until hot and bubbly, about 40 minutes. Let lasagna stand 15 minutes before serving.
Pounded Pork With Marsala Wine
Get your mind outta the gutter!
INGREDIENTS
3 Pounded Pork Cutlets – Pounded To 1/3 Inch Thick
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Black Petter
Unbleached Flour
2 Sliced Shallots
½ Cup Marsala Wine
1/4 Cup Chicken Stock
Heat the olive oil and 1 tbsp of the butter in a large sauté pan. Season the pounded pork cutlets with salt, pepper and a bit of flour. Saute the pork in the butter and oil mixture until it is medium well, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove the meat from the pan and transfer to a serving dish.
Add the remaining butter to the pan as well as the shallots, Marsala wine and stock. Reduce over medium high heat until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes.
Pour the reduced Marsala sauce over the pork and serve.
Beef Short Ribs
INGREDIENTS
4 1/2 pounds 3-inch-long beef short ribs
Coarse kosher salt
2 cups dry red wine
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1 6-ounce package sliced button mushrooms
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
6 garlic cloves, peeled
6 fresh Italian parsley sprigs
2 bay leaves
Sprinkle ribs with coarse salt and pepper. Place in even layer in slow cooker. Add next 7 ingredients, cover, and cook on low heat until meat is tender, about 8 hours
Using slotted spoon, transfer ribs to serving bowl. Discard parsley and bay leaves. Spoon fat off top of sauce and pour sauce over ribs.
Great for a Sunday Dinner !
Roast Leg of Lamb
INGREDIENTS
1 6 Pound Leg of Lamb
5 Large Cloves of Garlic
6 Tablespoons Fresh Mixed Herbs: Rosemary, Parsley, Thyme, Oregano
5 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper To Taste
Preheat the oven to 425° F. Slice the garlic cloves into three or four long strips. With a sharp knife, make 1 inch deep slits into the lamb spaced fairly evenly apart. Place a piece of garlic into each slit. Chop the herbs and mix with the olive oil and salt and pepper. Rub the herb mixture over the outer surface of the lamb. Place in a roasting pan and cook for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325° F and cook and additional 10 to 12 minutes per pound. If you are cooking a roast with the bone in, the roast will require a little longer cooking time than a boneless roast. Remove the lamb from the oven and cover with aluminum foil and let sit for about 20 minutes before carving.
Pork Stew With Hard Cider, Calvados, Pearl Onions & Potatoes
INGREDIENTS
30 Pearl Onions (approximately 1” in diameter)
5 Slices Thick Cut Applewood Smoked Bacon – Cut Crosswise Into ¼ Inch Thick Strips
3 ½ Pounds Boneless Pork Shoulder Or Boneless Country Ribs, External Fat Trimmed & Cut Into 2 Inch Cubes
Course Kocher Salt
1 Cup Chopped Shallots (Approximately 4 Large)
1 Cup Finely Chopped Parsnips
6 Teaspoons Chopped Fresh Sage – Divided
½ Cup Plus 1 Tablespoon Calvados (Apple Brandy)
2 Cups Chicken Broth
1 12 Ounce Bottle Hard Apple Cider
1 ½ Pounds Unpeeled Baby Red Potatoes – Scrubbed & Halved
2 Large Granny Smith Apples – Peeled, Cored & Cut Into 1 Inch Cubes (Approximately 3 Cups)
¼ Stick Butter – At Room Temperature
2 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour
1 Tablespoon Whole Grain Dijon Mustard
Cook onions in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 2 minutes; transfer to a bowl of ice water to cool. Peel the onions and set aside. Cook bacon in heavy large pot over medium heat until lightly browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle the pork shoulder with coarse salt and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high. Working in two batches, add the pork to the same pot and cook until browned for about 7 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pork to a large bowl. Reduce heat to medium, add shallots and parsnips. Cover pot and cook until beginning to soften, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Stir in 3 teaspoons of sage; stir 1 minute. Add ½ cup of Calvados. Cook until almost evaporated for about 3 minutes. Add chicken broth, cider, reserved bacon and pork with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until pork is tender for about 1 hour 15 minutes.
Add potatoes and the pearl onions to the stew. Cover and cook until the vegetables are almost tender, for about 30 minutes. Add apples, cover and cook until potatoes are tender (another 20 minutes). Stir butter and flour into a small bowl to form a paste and add to the pot and whisk to blend. Stir in the mustard, 2 teaspoons of sage and 1 tablespoon of Calvados. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer until thickened, stirring often for 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Divide stew among bowls, sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon of sage and serve.
Parmesan Oven Baked Chicken
375° for 25 Minutes 6 Servings
INGREDIENTS
½ Cup Dried Breadcrumbs
½ Cup Grated Parmesan
2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Fresh Parsley
½ Teaspoon Pepper
¼ Teaspoon Salt
½ Cup Melted Butter
2 Teaspoons Finely Chopped Fresh Garlic
6 Medium Sized Skinless Chicken Breasts
Heat Oven to 375° F. Combine breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, parsley, pepper and salt in shallow bowl and set aside. Next combine butter and garlic in 9 inch pie pan. Dip each chicken breast into butter mixture and then place into breadcrumb mixture. Turn breast to coast evenly. Place chicken breasts into ungreased baking pan. Drizzle with any remaining butter mixture. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned and juices run clear when pierced with fork.
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
8 Ounces of Elbow Macaroni
3 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour
2 Cups Milk
½ Teaspoon Salt
½ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
8 Ounces Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Preparation
Prepare pasta according to package directions. Keep warm. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over low to medium heat, stir in flour until smooth. Cook and stir constantly for approximately 2 minutes. Gradually stir in milk and continue to cook and stir constantly. Do this for approximately five minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in salt, black pepper and 1 cup of the shredded cheese and cooked pasta.
Spoon pasta mixture into a greased (with olive oil) 2 quart baking dish. Top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese. Bake at 400° for approximately 20 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from oven and let stand ten minutes before serving.
