Not My Mama's Stuffed Cabbage

Stuffed Cabbage is one of those dishes I look forward to making when my mother visits.  It is very time consuming so it gives us a full day together in the kitchen, our favorite bonding exercise.  Because it’s so time consuming, it may not be one of my most requested recipes, but it is certainly one of my most requested meals. 

My goal was to develop a recipe to share with friends that provides the same flavor without the time and work.  The original recipe requires boiling the whole head of cabbage, continuously removing from the water to peel back and separate the leaves; seasoning the chopped meat; trimming the cabbage leaves for rolling; preparing the sweet and sour sauce, rolling the cabbage and cooking  Who's got time for that? 
 

This photograph is of my mother's original Stuffed Cabbage.  My Cabbage Casserole may not look like my mother’s Stuffed Cabbage, but it definitely tastes like it….and I’ve been told it’s much easier to eat.  My niece, Jackie, gave the dish validation when she walked into the room, sniffed the air and without provocation said “Is that Grandma’s Stuffed Cabbage I smell?”

Ingredients:

§     1 onion, diced

§     4 large carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/8” coins

§     1 28oz can of tomatoes

§     1 6oz can tomato paste

§     1 large head of cabbage shredded or a large bag of shredded cabbage for coleslaw

§     3 pounds of frozen meatballs, preferably small

§     3/4 cup sugar

§     3 tablespoons honey

§     1 tablespoon sour salt

§     2 teaspoons kosher salt

§     1 teaspoon cinnamon

§     Vegetable oil

Coat the bottom of a large pot with vegetable oil and add the diced onion. 

Sauté for about 2 minutes until the onion begins to sweat but not turn brown. 

Add the carrot coins and sauté for about 2 minutes. 

Add the canned tomatoes and tomato paste.  If the tomatoes are whole, crush with a fork.  Refill the tomato can with water twice and add to the pot.  Cook over medium-high heat until the tomato mixture begins to boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer.  Add the sugar, sour salt, kosher salt and cinnamon. 

Add shredded cabbage and meatballs. 

I did not have small meatballs so I cut the larger meatballs into quarters. 

Simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours.  Spoon into a casserole dish and allow to cool before placing into the refrigerator.  This casserole, as with most sweet and sour meals must be made in advance.  It takes a minimum of 24 hours for the flavors to develop, and I guarantee it will taste even better after 48 hours in the refrigerator. 

This dish freezes extremely well but I suggest letting the flavors develop in the refrigerator before you portion and place into the freezer.  To serve, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place the casserole dish into the oven.  Cover with aluminum foil to keep the moisture in.  Bake covered for 30 – 40 minutes until warm, remove cover and bake uncovered for the last 10 minutes. 

For a printer friendly copy of this recipe, go to Stuffed Cabbage Casserole. Enjoy!

Tuna Melt

Tuna salad sandwiches are as much a staple in a New York Deli and New Jersey Diner as pimento cheese sandwiches are in the south.  When I moved to Nashville and was introduced to the southern version of my childhood favorite, it was difficult for me to embrace.  The sweet southern tuna salad was tasty, but I missed the savory flavor and crunch of my all-time favorite.  After introducing my tuna salad to southern friends, it quickly became an expected treat when visiting my home and one of my most requested recipes. 

Preparing a perfect Tuna Melt takes a little more technique than melting a piece of cheese on a tuna sandwich, so I thought I would share my simple technique which yields a crispy, buttery and delicious bread, warm melted cheese and cool tuna salad.....just the way I like it.
 

Tuna salad is something I can assemble quickly and always have the ingredients on hand, but one of the secrets to this delicious delicacy is preparing it a day ahead and allowing the flavors to marry.

Tuna Salad Ingredients:

§     2 6-ounce cans of white meat tuna packed in water, drained

§     3 stalks of celery, minced

§     1/3 cup Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise  (I love mayonnaise, so I may add up to 1/2 cup)

§     3 tablespoons Miracle Whip (my secret ingredient)

§     1 tablespoon Freshly squeezed lemon juice

§     1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

In a medium sized mixing bowl add drained tuna and break up with a fork. 

Add celery, Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise, Miracle Whip, lemon juice and salt and combine well.  I do not use the low fat or low calorie mayonnaise because it does not taste as good.  I prefer you use less, but use the real thing.  The Miracle Whip is my secret ingredient and provides another layer of flavor.

The tuna salad is ready to eat, but for maximum flavor, prepare a day (or a few hours) ahead, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until ready to use. 

I like onion on my tuna sandwiches but I don't put onion in the tuna salad.  Without onion, the tuna stays fresh in the refrigerator much longer and does not get as watery, so I place a slice of onion directly on my sandwich.

Tuna Melt Ingredients:
§     Sliced bread (white, wheat, rye, whole grain, Hawaiian or brioche)  
§     2 slices of cheese for each slice of bread  (I use Cheddar or Colby but use what you like)
§     Paprika

Optional Ingredient:

§     Onion slices

Butter one side of the bread, place butter side down onto a frying pan and place a slice of cheese on the bread. 

Over a medium low flame, grill the bread while melting the cheese.  When nicely browned, remove from heat and spread the tuna salad over the top of the melted cheese. 

Be sure to cover the entire slice of bread from corner to corner. 

Cover with another slice of cheese. 

Sprinkle lightly with paprika for added color and place under the broiler for approximately one minute, until melted. 

For a printer friendly copy of this recipe, go to TunaMelt. Enjoy!

Breakfast Bread Pudding

My company has three fully staffed offices which I visit regularly, but I seem to get much more done when I work from my home office, so no one was surprised when I asked if we could hold our biweekly Directors’ Meeting at my home.  It’s a little further of a drive for most so I promised a treat.  Since we meet early in the morning, I offered to make “Breakfast Bread Pudding” which is always a favorite. 

There is a wonderful artisan restaurant in nearby East Nashville which I frequent often, especially for breakfast.  They serve the most delicious brioche bread made in house daily.  I can’t seem to leave the restaurant without taking a loaf or two home.  I carefully wrap and place the unsliced loaf into the freezer and save it just for an occasion like this.  Bread pudding, whether sweet or savory, is something I make when I have stale bread and most breads work well; but if I have a choice, for sweet bread pudding I prefer brioche, challah, Hawaiian Bread or plain white bread.  For savory bread pudding I typically use a baguette, Italian bread or plain white bread.

Ingredients:

§     1 large loaf of brioche, challah or Hawaiian bread cut or torn into 2 inch cubes

§     6 extra-large eggs at room temperature

§     1 cup sugar

§     2 cups of whole milk

§     2 cup half and half

§     2 teaspoons pure vanilla

§     6 tablespoons unsalted butter

§     1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

§     warm maple syrup, for serving

Optional Ingredients:

§     golden raisins

§     dried cranberries

§     chopped pecans

§     orange zest with a splash of orange juice

§     bananas with brown sugar

§     chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, milk, half and half, vanilla and salt and set aside.  In most bread pudding recipes I add 4 whole eggs, 2 egg yolks and reduce the amount of liquid, but I prefer my breakfast bread pudding to be more moist and fluffy.

Spray the casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray to keep the bread pudding from sticking and dot the bottom of the dish with butter to add flavor. 

Tear or cut the bread into cubes and distribute evenly in the baking dish. 

Pour the custard mixture over the bread and allow to soak for 10 minutes, pressing down gently.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. 

Uncover and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until the pudding puffs up and the center is set. 

Remove from the oven and serve with warm maple syrup.  If you are not serving maple syrup, you may want to increase the amount of sugar to 1 1/2 cups.

For a printer friendly copy of this recipe, go to Breakfast Bread Pudding. Enjoy!

Lasagna Roll-Ups

When I offered to prepare something for Darlene’s birthday party, one of the items requested was lasagna.  I love to make lasagna and I love to eat lasagna, but I always feel like it’s awkward to serve at a buffet dinner.  If the lasagna is warm and the cheese is gooey, you carefully cut a piece and the lasagna begins to ooze and run.  If you wait until it sets, it’s barely warm enough to eat.  So several years ago, I came up with the idea of Lasagna Roll-Ups. 

I use the same ingredients as in my lasagna, but I create individual portions for easy plating.

Ingredients:

§     2 jars store bought or 8 cups of homemade tomato sauce

§     1 16-ounce box lasagna noodles

§     4 cups ricotta cheese

§     1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

§     3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

§     2 large eggs

§     1 teaspoon dry oregano

§     1 teaspoon garlic powder

§     salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a medium sized bowl, mix the ricotta, 1/4 cup of the parmesan, 1 1/2 cups of the mozzarella, eggs, oregano, garlic powder and salt and set aside.

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the lasagna noodles and cook until al dente stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Fill a bowl with salted ice water.  Remove the pasta from the boiling water and transfer to the ice water to stop the cooking. 

Drain the pasta and spread on a clean towel or cutting board in a single layer.  Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.   Coat the bottom of the baking dish with a ladle or two of sauce.  Spread 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the cheese filling down the center of each lasagna sheet and loosely roll up.  Transfer to the baking dish and repeat with the remaining noodles.  

Cover with 2 to 3 cups of sauce and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.  Bake uncovered until the lasagna rolls are heated through. 

Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese over the rolls and return to the oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. 

Serve with a bowl of warm sauce. For a printer friendly copy of this recipe, go to Lasagna Roll-Ups. Enjoy!

Sweet and Spicy Chocolate Truffles

I love foods with multiple flavors.  My caramel is always sweet and salty and my chocolate truffles are always sweet and spicy.  I don't need a holiday to make these delicious chocolates and I don't remember a time when I didn't have them in my refrigerator or freezer, but I patiently waited until Valentine's Day to share this recipe with you. I realize that not everyone likes heat, especially with chocolate, so feel free to leave out the cayenne pepper, but if you try this recipe as written, you may just discover a new pleasure.  Surprise your significant other with a little unexpected spice for Valentine's Day.

Your truffles will only taste as good as the chocolate you begin with, so make sure you use a good chocolate like Ghirardelli or Lindt.

Using a sharp knife, chop the chocolates as finely as possible to help melt the chocolate quickly and evenly.  Place the chopped chocolate into a medium glass bowl.  Glass retains heat, so the chocolate will stay melted longer.

Ingredients

§  1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate  

§  1/2 pound semisweet chocolate
§  1 cup heavy cream
§  1 tablespoon Grand Marnier (optional)
§  1 tablespoon hot prepared coffee
§  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
§  1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
§  Unsweetened cocoa powder 

Directions

To make the ganache, heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until bubbles form around the edge.

  

Pour the hot cream into the bowl with chocolate through a fine-meshed sieve to trap any skin that may have formed and let sit for 20- 30 seconds.

With a wire whisk, slowly stir the cream and chocolates together until the chocolate is completely melted.

Whisk in the Grand Marnier, coffee, vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper.  Taste the mixture.  I typically add a little more cayenne pepper.  Will other peppers, you immediately feel the heat on your tongue.  With cayenne, you won't feel the heat until you swallow where it leaves warmth in the back of your throat.  If you like, add another bit of cayenne until you get the heat you like.  This mixture will not get spicier as it sits, so this is the perfect time to test for your desired heat. 

Cover the ganache with plastic wrap making sure the plastic rests directly onto the surface of the ganache to prevent a skin for forming.  Place the warm ganache into the refrigerator for 1-3 hours, until mixture is firm.  I poured the warm ganache into a casserole dish to cool quicker.

With 2 teaspoons or a small ice cream scoop, drop small mounds of the ganache onto a baking sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper.

Place in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes until firm enough to roll into round balls.  

Pour the cocoa powder onto a deep plate or shallow bowl.  Drop the truffles onto the plate and roll between 2 forks to completely coat with cocoa powder.  Then use the forks to carefully transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper.  Return to refrigerator until ready to eat.  These truffles will keep in the refrigerator for two weeks and in the freezer for several months.  When ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes as truffles taste best when eaten at room temperature.

For Valentine's Day, I have decided to coat my truffles with chocolate. I'll be serving them to company and coated chocolates are a bit fancier.

Using a sharp knife, chop chocolate as finely as possible to help melt the chocolate quickly and evenly.  Place the chocolate into a medium glass bowl.  Melt in the microwave at 50 percent power until soft, about 1 minute.  Remove from microwave and stir.  If not completely melted, return to microwave for another 30 seconds being careful not to overheat the chocolate.

Dip each ball in the melted chocolate.  Two forks make it easier to fish out the dipped chocolate balls.  Place truffles on a wire rack over parchment lined tray to dry.  I had some leftover chocolate which I drizzled over the truffles in the photo.  Allow the truffles to set for at least 15 minutes. 

These will keep refrigerated for two weeks and in the freezer for several months, but serve at room temperature. For a printer friendly copy of this recipe visit Sweet and Spicy Truffles.  Enjoy!