Aunt Irene's Stuffed Cabbage

I asked her for the recipe because I got some cabbage earlier in the week. She wasn't able to post it though, so I said I'd do it for her. :)

******************************

Boil a large head of cabbage until the leaves are soft enough to pull off. (or try microwaving) You'll need to trim down the spines of each leaf so they're flat.

Meat mixture:
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 1/2 lbs. ground pork
1-2 large onions
2-3 cloves garlic crushed/chopped
1 or 2 eggs
1 C rice
salt, pepper, paprika

Mix together meat stuff, roll a heaping tablespoon full in each cabbage leaf. Usually, we do it stovetop, but it takes about 2 hours and invariably burns on the bottom. Last time I did it in the crockpot. I think it turned out well, but it took all day.

Anyway, I usually put in tomato sauce and tomato soup (the soup makes it not so tart)--depending on your size pot, maybe 2 of each. I rinse a can of sauerkraut, and add that somewhere in the middle layer. So once you get the stuffed cabbages rolled up, you set them in the pot of sauce. Probably 2 hours oven/stovetop/6-8hrs. crockpot.

Sugar Cookies

2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
2 t. vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients.
4. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.
5. Bake 8 minutes then let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing.
6. Remove from sheet to cool completely. (I use a paper bag.)

Roasted Kale

Delicious, seasonal & easy side dish.  I just bought it from the Farmer's market and made it tonight. yummy!

4 cups firmly packed kale

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. sea salt

Preheat oven to 375.  Wash & trim kale, removing hard stems.  Toss with extra virgin olive oil.  Roast for five minutes.  Turn kale over. Roast another 7 to 10 minutes until kale turns brown & becomes paper thin & brittle.  Sprinkle w. sea salt & serve immediately.

Lentil Soup

2 cups black lentils

1/2 can peeled tomatoes

1 onion, finely chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 bay leaf

3/4 cup olive oil

salt & pepper

Sort and wash lentils.  Boil for a few minutes and drain.  Plunge lentils into boiling water and add carrots, onion, garlic & bay leaf.  When halfway cooked, add crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper & oil.  Simmer until soft and creamy.  Makes 4-5 servings.  Tastes even better on the 2nd day! 

Hatch Corn Muffins

12 servings

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup cornmeal

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 large eggs

1/3 cup whole milk

1 tbsp corn oil

2 tbsp Hatch chilies (seeded, roasted, chopped) (about 1 whole pepper) *can also use jalapenos

1 can creamed corn

1. Prehead oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix dry ingredients in medium bowl.

3. Mix milk, oil, chilies, and corn in large bowl and whisk.

4. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture and mix until all is moist. Don't overmix.

5. Pour into greased or papered muffin tins and bake until a fork comes out clean (25 mins.)