St. Patty (Paddy) Cheeseburgers with Cabbage on Rye

So this recipe came up on St. Patrick's Day. I cringed at the "Patty" not "Paddy" but got over it. Maybe it is a play on Burger Patty. Who knows? I liked these better than D did. Neither of us tasted the bacon.

We would have again, but we would make some changes to improve the flavor and to reduce the calories. Reduce the beef to 1 pound, use 4 pieces of bacon and just put on top, not mix. Also as a leftover, the cabbage dressing lost a bit of flavor. So add some more vinegar the next day.

But we would have again. We had with Tater Tots.

St. Patty  (Paddy) Cheeseburgers with Cabbage on Rye

Adapted from Jamie Purviance from Weber

Serves: 4
Prep time: 30 minutes, plus 1 hour to freeze the bacon | Grilling time: 8 to 10 minutes
Special equipment: grill-proof griddle

Photo by ALB

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (used low-fat Hellman's)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
½ teaspoon dried dill weed
Kosher salt (used 1 tsp)
Freshly ground black pepper (used 1/4 tsp)
1 cup coarsely grated green cabbage
3 thin slices lean, meaty bacon, frozen then finely chopped
1½ pounds ground chuck (80% lean) (used 90%)
8 small slices rye bread (used Pepperidge Farms Jewish Rye)
4 slices sharp cheddar cheese (used Sargento Sharp Cheddar Slices)
Mustard (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium bowl mix the mayonnaise, vinegar, dill weed, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the cabbage and mix well. Cover and refrigerate.

Freeze the bacon slices for 1 hour, and then chop as finely as possible. Mix the bacon, ground chuck, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper, and then gently form four patties of equal size, each about ¾ inch thick and shaped to fit the bread slices or slightly larger. With your thumb or the back of a spoon, make a shallow indention about 1 inch wide in the center of the patties to prevent them from forming a dome as they cook. Refrigerate the patties until ready to grill.

Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat (about 400°F) and preheat a grill-proof griddle for about 5 minutes.

Grill the patties on the griddle over direct medium-high heat, with the lid closed, until cooked to medium doneness (160°F), 8 to 10 minutes, turning once. During the last 30 seconds to 1 minute of grilling time, place a slice of cheese on each patty to melt, and toast the bread slices on the cooking grates over direct heat, turning once.

Top four bread slices each with mustard (if using), a patty, cabbage, and another bread slice. Serve right away.

Nutritional Information (From My Fitness Pal)
Calories: 593; Total Fat: 32g; Saturated Fat: 13g; Monounsaturated Fat: 8g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g; Trans Fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 152mg; Sodium: 1069mg; Potassium: 605mg; Total Carbohydrate: 32g; Dietary Fiber: 5g; Sugars: 3g; Protein: 51g

Cauliflower Gratin with Queso Cotija

We had bought Cotija Cheese last week and were looking for recipes to use it up.  I found this recipe, which since it is Cauliflower and Cheese, I was all over. I showed D; he said ok.

It took a long time.  D said next time he would blend the Cotija with the cream.  The original recipe called for salt and pepper but D didn't use any.

We would have again.

Cauliflower Gratin with Queso Cotija

Adapted from Sunset
Yield: 8 servings

Photo by ALB

Ingredients
2 heads cauliflower (3 lb. total), rinsed
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 pound fresh poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and cut into strips
5 ounces cotija cheese, shredded

Preparation
1. In a 6- to 8-quart pan over high heat, bring 3 quarts water to a boil. Meanwhile, trim and discard leaves from cauliflower; separate heads into florets. Slice florets 1/4 inch thick. Add sliced cauliflower to boiling water and cook until tender-crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water; drain well.

2. In a glass measure, stir together cream and cayenne. Line bottom of a shallow 3 1/2- to 4-quart baking dish with a fourth of the cauliflower slices. Drizzle a fourth of the cream mixture over cauliflower. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and top evenly with a fourth of the poblano chile strips and cotija cheese. Repeat three times to layer gratin, ending with cheese.

3. Bake in a 450° oven until cheese is browned and cauliflower is tender when pierced, about 30 minutes. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information from My Fitness Pal
Calories: 192; Total Fat: 13 g; Saturated Fat: 8 g; Monounsaturated: Fat 2 g; Polyunsaturated: Fat 1 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 40 mg; Sodium: 230 mg; Potassium: 634 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 14 g; Dietary Fiber: 5; Sugars: 5 g; Protein: 8 g

Doritos Taco Salad

Another one I found on Pinterest.

D made it and it was really fast to make. It was quite bright to look at. And it was very tasty. It reminded me of Taco Salad where you always leave the shell on the plate and want it but your pants say no. But after a run, this was really good.

D and I both liked it. We didn't use the French dressing that was suggested because we both thought it was weird. D used Chipotle Ranch Dressing and I used Salsa and Sour Cream. We would have again.

Doritos Taco Salad

Adapted by EMILY BITES
Servings: 3

Photo by ALB

Ingredients
3/4 lb 90% lean ground beef*
3/4 (1.25 oz) packet reduced sodium taco seasoning*
1 medium-large head of iceberg lettuce, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 medium-large tomato, diced
3 oz 2% sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (such as Cabot)
3 oz nacho cheese Doritos, broken up a bit into bite sized pieces

Dressing of Choice or Salsa (not included in Nutritional Information)

Directions
Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it up into pieces with a wooden spoon. Add the packet of taco seasoning and stir until well coated. Set aside.*

In a large serving bowl, combine the lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and ground beef. When ready to serve, add the Doritos and dressing and toss to coat.

Nutrition Information (from My Fitness Pal)
Calories: 509; Total Fat: 29 g; Saturated Fat: 11 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 5 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 0 g; Trans Fat: 1 g; Cholesterol: 99 mg; Sodium: 873 mg; Potassium: 492 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 31 g; Dietary Fiber: 5 g; Sugars: 5 g; Protein: 33 g

*D actually used 1 lb of meat and 1 packet of seasoning, and put 1/4 of the meat away for another use (tacos).

Chicken Enchilada Skillet

This recipe is another Pinterest find.  I love enchilada sauce so I've wanted to have it for awhile.  D agreed so he made it.

I think this is a base recipe, and it could use some tweaking.  D didn't use rotisserie chicken (which we suspect was used because we couldn't get the calories remotely near the ones called out.).  He sauteed a pound of chicken breast with some Southwest Seasoning.  Also next time I'm going to check the tomato sauce...it seemed to have sugar in it.  Maybe just use 2 cans of Rotel and be done with it.  And add some cilantro.

I think having again, with some tweaking would work.  D said it was simple to make.

We had with a salad.

Chicken Enchilada Skillet

The flavor of an enchilada recipe made quickly in a skillet with torn corn tortillas, cooked chicken, zesty tomatoes and sauce with cheese 

Adapted from Ready Set Eat
Hands On: 20 | Total: 20 | Makes: 6 servings (1 cup each) (we had 4 servings)

Photo by ALB

Ingredients
PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
12 corn tortillas, torn into bite-size pieces
3 cups shredded cooked chicken (3 cups = about 12 oz) (used 1 lb sauteed chicken breast with SW seasoning)
1 can (10 oz each) Ro*Tel® Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained
1 can (10 oz each) red enchilada sauce
1 can (8 oz each) Hunt's® Tomato Sauce
1 cup shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack blend cheese, divided

Directions
Spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add tortilla pieces and chicken; mix well. Cook over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until hot, stirring frequently.

Pour undrained tomatoes and enchilada and tomato sauces over chicken mixture in skillet. Mix well. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese over chicken mixture. Cover skillet; cook 5 minutes or until hot, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information
from My Fitness Pal with my changes
Calories: 398, Total Fat: 12 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 0 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 80 mg; Sodium: 1470 mg; Potassium: 278 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 32 g; Dietary Fiber: 5 g; Sugars: 5 g; Protein: 31 g

Sausage With Tangy Caraway Cabbage

When it's St. Patrick's Day, don't you always have Kielbasa and Sauerkraut?  Yeah, so that's what we had.  I found this recipe on Real Simple, and usually their recipes are exactly that.  This was no exception.

We adapted the recipe because we didn't use as much Olive Oil, and the Kielbasa only came in 14 oz packages, not 1 lb packages.  Then we both were very hungry so we made it 3 servings.  So I'm sure you could make it less calories making it 4, and even if you went with non-beef Kielbasa.

Anyway this was very good.  We had with regular bread, and if you threw cabbage on it, it tasted rye.  I really liked it.  D said it was very easy to make.  Would have again.

Sausage With Tangy Caraway Cabbage

Adapted from Real Simple
Hands-On Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Serves 3

Photo by ALB

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
14 oz. kielbasa, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 16-ounce bag coleslaw mix
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
kosher salt and black pepper
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
bread and whole-grain mustard, for serving (not included in Nutritional Information)

Directions
Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the kielbasa and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet and reduce heat to medium. Add the onion and cook, tossing occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the coleslaw mix, caraway seeds, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook, tossing frequently, 2 minutes more.

Stir in the wine and vinegar. Nestle the kielbasa in the vegetables. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and wine has nearly evaporated, 5 to 6 minutes.

Stir in the parsley. Serve with the bread and mustard, if desired.

Real Simple, April 2010

Nutritional Information from My Fitness Pal
Calories: 575; Total Fat: 44 g; Saturated Fat: 13 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 7 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 70 mg; Sodium: 1395 mg; Potassium: 535 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 22 g; Dietary Fiber: 7 g; Sugars: 10 g; Protein: 16 g

Training Treats Recipe

So McM and I are back in training. After the first session, he had gone through 3/4 of a bag of $7 training treats. Now I know where I can get said treats for cheaper or even use other treats, but I'm weird when it comes to feeding the dogs. I don't want anything not made in the USA. (If you ever read about dog food recalls, a large part come from China). I don't want to spend 30 minutes figuring out where the dog food was made. Finally there are 2 Mom & Pop shops near us, so I like to support the community. But even still, $7 is too much. The treats at least need to be supplemented with something else.

So off to the Googles I went and found this recipe. I had all of the ingredients except the bananas, so I bought those and made some treats. They are easy, but take a bit of time. This could also be that I was feeling sort of lazy in that I didn't feel like getting a mixer out so I mashed/mixed everything by hand.

The result...McM likes them for about 20 minutes of training and then he wants something else. The other 2 don't get 30-40 minutes of training, so they are fine with the 10 minutes a day of instruction they get.

I doubled the below recipe and it made a lot. I would make again.

This is the recipe as written.  I had another tray like this.  Photo by ALB

Training Treats Recipe

Recipe from Love my Puppy Dog

Ingredients
1/2 Cup All Natural Peanut Butter (I used Creamy Jif)
1/4 Cup Warm Water
1/2 Cup Mashed or Pureed Banana (1/2C = ~1.5 bananas)
1 Tblsp. Honey
1 Egg
1 3/4 Cups Wheat Flour

Parchment Paper
Pizza Cutter

Instructions
Mix the peanut butter and warm water in a large bowl with a fork until completely smooth.

With a food processor or by hand (by smashing with a fork), puree the banana until fairly smooth.

Add banana, honey and egg to peanut butter and warm water bowl, mix until well blended.

Mix in 1 cup of the flour until well blended.

Add remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time until a stiff dough forms. I find it easier to blend in the remainder of the flour with my hands because the dough is stiff.

Chill for approximately 20 minutes before rolling.

Once chilled, then place dough on one piece of parchment paper and cover the dough with a second piece of parchment paper for rolling.

Flatten a bit with your hand to make rolling a little easier.

Roll dough out to desired thickness, about 3/8" or so.

Place the rolled dough with parchment on a cookie sheet to cut into pieces for training treats. Using a pizza cutter, roll across the dough to cut long strips into the dough. Approx. 1/2" space between cuts.

Then go back across in the other direction cutting thru the dough to make small kibble sized pieces. Approx. 1/2" space between cuts.

Place the entire slab of cut dough with parchment paper on a cookie sheet and place into a pre-heated oven at 300 degrees and bake for 30 minutes and cook.

After I finish cooking I shut off the oven and leave the home made dog treats in the oven for a couple of hours to make sure they are completely dry and crunchy.

Once they are hard and crunchy, remove from the oven and break apart the pieces. This way they can be stored for a long time without worrying about them spoiling. If you have them that long that is!

The treats finished.  Photo by ALB

Rigatoni and Cauliflower al Forno

This recipe popped up on Facebook around the end of the year.  It was in the NY Times's best recipes or something.  It's cauliflower and pasta.  So of course, I pinned it.

D made it. I liked it better than he did.  He is not a fan of breadcrumbs on pasta, where as I like the texture.

We had 4 portions which were huge, and calorie-wise, it was also huge.  But duh, we rarely ever eat 4oz of pasta each, so a lot stems from there.  Overall, I would have again. I'm not sure about D.

We had with a salad. No picture because Lompoc ate the SD Card.

Rigatoni and Cauliflower al Forno

DAVID TANIS
Time: 1 hour
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Cauliflower is perhaps the least appreciated member of the large family of cruciferous vegetables, no doubt due to memories of encountering it boiled, flabby and timidly seasoned, if seasoned at all. When cooked properly, it is a delight. Cauliflower can stand up to rather bold seasoning, in fact. In this recipe, it gets garlic, sage, red pepper and capers. And it is browned in olive oil, which further enhances the flavor. If you want a terrific side vegetable, just serve the sautéed cauliflower and skip the rigatoni. But combining the cauliflower with large-format pasta, pecorino cheese and bread crumbs, then baking it until crisply golden, makes for a splendid meal.

Featured in: Cooking With Cauliflower, A Feisty Vegetable That Can Take A Punch/ DAVID TANIS

INGREDIENTS
1 pound rigatoni or other large pasta shape
1 medium cauliflower, about 1 1/2 pounds
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon capers, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
3 tablespoons roughly chopped sage, plus a few sage leaves left whole
½ teaspoon lemon zest
6 ounces coarsely grated fontina or mozzarella
2 ounces finely grated Romano cheese or other hard pecorino
½ cup coarse dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

PREPARATION
Cook the rigatoni in well-salted water according to package directions, but drain while still quite al dente. (If directions call for 12 minutes cooking, cook for 10 instead.) Rinse pasta with cool water, then drain again and set aside.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut cauliflower in half from top to bottom. Cut out tough core and stem any extraneous leaves. Lay cauliflower flat side down and cut crosswise into rough 1/4-inch slices. Break into smaller pieces.

Put 3 tablespoons olive oil in a wide skillet over high heat. Add cauliflower slices, along with any crumbly pieces, in one layer. (Work in batches if necessary.) Let cauliflower brown and caramelize for about 2 minutes, then turn pieces over to brown the other side. Cook for another 2 minutes, or until the cauliflower is easily pierced with a fork. It’s fine if some pieces don’t brown evenly. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add capers, garlic, red pepper flakes, chopped sage, sage leaves and lemon zest and stir to coat.

Put cooked cauliflower mixture in a large mixing bowl. Add cooked rigatoni and fontina and toss. Transfer mixture to a lightly oiled baking dish. Top with Romano cheese, then with bread crumbs and drizzle with about 1 tablespoon olive oil. (Dish may be completed to this point up to several hours in advance and kept at room temperature, covered.)

Bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, until top is crisp and golden. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley before serving.

Nutritional Information (from My Fitness Pal)
Servings 4.0
Calories: 742; Total Fat: 24 g; Saturated Fat: 11 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 7 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 64 mg; Sodium: 818 mg; Potassium: 627 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 105 g; Dietary Fiber: 10 g; Sugars: 12 g; Protein: 33 g

Pork Pernil

D and I decided to have this.  He made it on Sunday and the pork itself was awesome.  We didn't really taste the sofrito, but I read if you stab the pork the sofrito would get in.  I don't know if D did that.  Anyway, this is a dish that you can't go far from home with.

The smell in the house was wonderful.  D took the pork out to let it rest.  I tasted the jus.  If you weren't on blood pressure medicine, you'd want some then.  The flavor was good...what wasn't masked by the salt.  But the salt taste, wow...

The crust was really crispy.  We would have again, but lower the salt (which D said he halved in the first place).

We had with Pinto Bean and Hominy Salad.

Pork Pernil

Introducing pernil, a Latin dish of tender, super-flavorful slow-roasted pork with the ultimate crispy skin.

SERVES 8 TO 10 (or 20 if you measure 4 oz servings)
Recipe from Cook's Country.

Depending on their size, you may need two bunches of cilantro. Crimp the foil tightly over the edges of the roasting pan in step 2 to minimize evaporation. Make sure to spray the V-rack in step 3.

Pork Resting; Photo by ALB

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stems
1 onion, chopped coarse
1/4 cup kosher salt (D halved from this but would use 1/4 the next time).
1/4 cup olive oil
10 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 (7-pound) bone-in pork picnic shoulder
1 tablespoon grated lime zest plus 1/3 cup juice (3 limes)

Instructions
1. Pulse 1 cup cilantro, onion, salt, oil, garlic, pepper, oregano, and cumin in food processor until finely ground, about 15 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Pat pork dry with paper towels and rub sofrito all over. Wrap pork in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.

2. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Pour 8 cups water in large roasting pan. Unwrap pork and place skin side down in pan. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil and roast for 90 minutes. Remove foil, reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees, and continue to roast for 2½ hours.

3. Remove pan from oven. Spray V-rack with vegetable oil spray. Gently slide metal spatula under pork to release skin from pan. Using folded dish towels, grasp ends of pork and transfer to V-rack, skin side up. Wipe skin dry with paper towels. Place V-rack with pork in roasting pan. If pan looks dry, add 1 cup water. Return to oven and roast until pork registers 195 degrees, about 1 hour. (Add water as needed to keep bottom of pan from drying out.)

4. Line rimmed baking sheet with foil. Remove pan from oven. Transfer V-rack and pork to prepared sheet and return to oven. Immediately increase oven temperature to 500 degrees. Cook until pork skin is well browned and crispy (when tapped lightly with tongs, skin will sound hollow), 15 to 30 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through cooking. Transfer pork to carving board and let rest for 30 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, pour juices from pan into fat separator. Let liquid settle for 5 minutes, then pour off 1 cup defatted juices into large bowl. (If juices measure less than 1 cup, make up difference with water.) Whisk remaining ½ cup cilantro and lime zest and juice into bowl.

6. Remove crispy skin from pork in 1 large piece. Coarsely chop skin into bite-size pieces and set aside. Trim and discard excess fat from pork. Remove pork from bone and chop coarse. Transfer pork to bowl with cilantro-lime sauce and toss to combine. Serve pork, with crispy skin on side.

Whole Wheat Pasta with Sausage, Leeks, and Fontina

Well, I guess we amended this recipe to Pasta with Sausage, Leeks and Italian Cheese Blend.  Basically D used ingredients that we already had or would need for the week, rather than buy the specific ingredients.

The result:  Very good dish.  I would have again.  The sausage gave it a bite (of course, we subbed hot for sweet).

Would have again.

Whole Wheat Pasta with Sausage, Leeks, and Fontina

Serve a heart-warming veggie, sausage, and pasta toss for a quick dinner on a cool night.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 2/3 cups)

Photo by ALB

Ingredients
6 quarts water
2 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 pound uncooked whole wheat penne or rigatoni (used regular penne)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (4-ounce) link sweet Italian sausage (used hot Italian sausage)
2 cups chopped leek
4 cups shredded Savoy cabbage (about 9 1/2 ounces) (used green cabbage)
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded fontina cheese (used Italian blend cheese)

Preparation
Bring 6 quarts water and 2 teaspoons salt to a boil in a large stockpot. Stir in pasta; partially cover, and return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook 8 minutes or until pasta is almost al dente, stirring occasionally. Drain.
While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove casing from the sausage. Add sausage to Dutch oven; cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring to crumble. Add leek; cook 2 minutes or until leek is soft, stirring frequently. Add cabbage; cook 2 minutes or until cabbage wilts, stirring frequently. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, broth, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until vegetables are very tender.

Add pasta to Dutch oven, tossing well to coat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, or until pasta is al dente. Remove from heat; stir in cheese. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information (from Cooking Light)
Calories: 385; Fat: 8.9g; Saturated fat: 3.2g; Monounsaturated fat: 3.8g; Polyunsaturated fat: 1.2g; Protein: 17.3g; Carbohydrate: 64.3g; Fiber: 8.3g; Cholesterol: 18mg; Iron: 3.8mg; Sodium: 658mg; Calcium: 119mg

Nutritional Information (from My Fitness Pal, with my changes)
Calories: 408; Total Fat: 9 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g; Polyunsaturated Fat 0: g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 17 mg; Sodium: 1329 mg; Potassium: 262 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 68 g; Dietary Fiber: 6 g; Sugars: 8 g; Protein: 16 g

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2004

Haluski (Fried Cabbage and Noodles)

So my grandfather was Polish, but growing up we never had Polish food. I am not sure my Dad had it growing up either, since the only thing Polish we ever had in our house were Pierogies, but never homemade. So I learn about Polish food from other people, find a recipe, show to D and we decide (for him) to make it. My friend Lisa who is Polish makes me laugh, because I mention a food, and she is like "Oh, that's a staple in our household."

So back to the recipe. This one came across in Pinterest as a "suggested post." Why? I don't know. But who cares.

So I showed D and he said ok. I told Lisa and she said it looked good, and of course she makes it a lot.

The result was really good, and lots of flavor, despite not using all the required butter.

We would have again. We had a with a Caesar Salad (I know it doesn't match, but was trying to get in another vegetable).

Haluski (Fried Cabbage and Noodles)

Adapted from A Family Feast (afamilyfeast.com)

Serves:4 servings
Prep time:10 mins
Cook time:15 mins
Total time:25 mins

Photo by ALB

Ingredients
2 ounces pancetta, diced small
6 tablespoons butter, divided (used 3TBSP)
2 cups onion, diced
1 ½ pounds green cabbage, cored and cut into bite-sized pieces
(Added 2 TBSP White Wine)
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces dry egg noodles, any size noodle
(Added 4 TBSP Parmesan Cheese)

Instructions
In a medium to large skillet, over medium high heat, cook pancetta in 2 tablespoons of butter until crisp. Add onions and sauté for 2 minutes. Add 2 more tablespoons butter, cabbage, salt and pepper, cover and once mixture is hot, reduce to medium and cook for ten minutes.

While cabbage mixture is cooking, cook egg noodles according to package direction and drain.

Once cabbage is tender, remove cover and add drained noodles.

Add remaining butter (forgot to do this), add white wine, and cook to bring to serving temperature.

Season with additional salt and pepper as desired. (Lots of black pepper is traditional!)

Nutritional Information (from My Fitness Pal with my changes)
Calories: 391; Total Fat: 17 g; Saturated Fat: 9 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 5 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 91 mg; Sodium: 2104 mg; Potassium: 135 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 47 g; Dietary Fiber: 8 g; Sugars: 10 g; Protein: 13g

Minced Beef with Bok Choy and Fried Egg

So D made this.  He said it was a little more intense in making than a usual CL recipe.  Something about how to keep the Bok Choy warm.

It was good though.  D used 1lb of ground beef because we have long figured out that 1lb in Kroger terms equals 15oz on a good day, but we got some marked down, and had a coupon so we had it in the freezer.  So there's that.

We can't have as lunch left overs (at work) because of the egg.  But still we would have again.  D said next time though, he would cut the Bok Choy and stir fry it with the meat.  Sounds good to me.

Minced Beef with Bok Choy and Fried Egg

Photo by ALB

For a little extra heat and a pop of color, drizzle a few drops of Sriracha over the eggs right before serving.

Yield: Serves 4 (serving size: 1/2 cup beef, 1/2 cup rice, 3 pieces bok choy, and 1 egg)

Ingredients
2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons Thai chile paste
2 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 1/2 teaspoons lower-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
3 garlic cloves, minced
12 ounces 90% lean ground beef
3/4 teaspoon crushed dried Thai chile or crushed red pepper
3 small baby bok choy, cut lengthwise into quarters
4 large eggs
2 cups cooked brown rice

Preparation
1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl.

2. Heat a large cast-iron skillet or wok over high heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil; swirl to coat. Add garlic; stir-fry 10 seconds. Add beef to pan; stir-fry 2 minutes or until beef is done. Stir in soy mixture; cook 30 seconds or until sauce thickens slightly. Place on a plate; keep warm. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and crushed red pepper to pan; cook for 10 seconds. Add bok choy; stir-fry 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Place on plate with beef.

3. Wipe pan clean with a paper towel. Heat remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons oil in pan over medium heat; swirl to coat. Crack eggs, 1 at a time, into pan; cook 2 minutes. Cover pan, and cook 1 minute or until whites are set. Divide rice, beef, and bok choy among 4 bowls. Top each dish with 1 egg.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 420; Fat: 21.4g; Saturated fat: 5.7g; Monounsaturated fat: 10.3g; Polyunsaturated fat: 3.7g; Protein: 28g; Carbohydrate: 29g; Fiber: 3g; Cholesterol: 241mg; Iron: 4mg; Sodium: 675mg; Calcium: 144mg

Cooking Light, March 2015

Braised Lamb Shanks

The other day, Lamb Shanks were marked down at Kroger, so D and I bought 4.  Then D found this recipe.  I was a bit unsure of the Gremolata because of the whole fruit and meat thing, but it worked.

The lamb had a very good flavor and the gremolata gave it a good bite.  I would have again.

I tried to compute the NI, but honestly I'm not sure.  We had a ton of sauce left (like over 1/2 of what was there), it's hard to figure out if lamb is computed with or without the bone, etc.  So the calories are somewhere between 450 and 2500 calories (see why I gave up?)

After weighing the left over bones but not really knowing how much exactly we started with, I guestimated 700 calories and called it a day.

We had with rice and Roasted Cauliflower with Browned Butter.  We would have again.

Braised Lamb Shanks

Photo by ALB

Recipe courtesy of Anne Burrell

Total Time: 5 hr 50 min
Prep: 20 min; Inactive: 2 hr 30 min; Cook: 3 hr
Yield:4 servings
Level:Easy

Ingredients
Extra-virgin olive oil
4 lamb shanks (each about 1 1/4 pounds; 1 shank is a portion)
Kosher salt
1 large Spanish onion or 2 small yellow onions, cut into 1-inch dice
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch dice
4 cloves garlic
1 (12-ounce) can tomato paste
2 cups hearty red wine
2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary leaves
10 to 12 thyme branches tied together in a bundle
3 to 4 cups water
4 bay leaves
Gremolata

Gremolata:
1 orange, zested
1 lemon, zested
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons freshly grated horseradish

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Coat a large Dutch oven generously with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Season the shanks generously with salt and add them to the pan. Brown well on all sides. This is an incredibly important step; do not rush it.

Meanwhile, puree the onions, carrots, celery and garlic in a food processor until it becomes a coarse paste. Remove and set aside.

Remove the shanks from the pan to a sheet tray. Discard the excess fat from the pan. Add a little more oil to coat the bottom of the pan and add the pureed veggies. Season with salt, to taste. Saute the veggies until they are very brown and aromatic, about 20 minutes. The brown veggies should form a sort of crust on the bottom of the pan, do not let this burn; it is where a lot of the flavor is! Don't rush this step either, since this is where you will develop the brown color and flavor.

Add the tomato paste and brown for 5 minutes. Stir in the wine, chopped rosemary and thyme bundle. Stir frequently and cook until the wine has reduced by about half.

Add the shanks back to the pot and pour in 3 to 4 cups of water. The shanks should be submersed, if they are not, add more water. Add the bay leaves to the pan, cover and put in the preheated oven. The cooking time will be about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Turn the shanks over about halfway through the cooking time. Check the shanks every 45 minutes or so. If the liquid has reduced too much add more water. Defat as you go.

Remove the lid during the last 30 minutes of cooking time for maximum browning. When the shanks are done the meat should be incredibly tender and flavorful. Transfer to serving plates and garnish with Gremolata.

Call yourself a superstar!!!

Gremolata:
In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and set aside until ready to use.

Recipe courtesy Anne Burrell