The Not-So-Common Cabbage

This is one week's half-share of the local CSA.
One head of red cabbage and one of green. 

Cabbage - not a fancy veggie. Something I buy cabbage a few times in the winter when lettuce isn't very good (or too expensive) for salads. Cabbage makes good coleslaw. Anything else? Well, when our weekly selection of produce from our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) included cabbage for a few weeks, I needed new ideas!

A search came up with a couple that seemed suited for summer meals. And with a thought to next winter I also froze some for soups. Besides coleslaw, I do like cabbage in vegetable soup. Freezing cabbage doesn't sound like it would be too successful since it does have a high water content and freezing would make the cell walls break down resulting in a limp, not crisp, product. But for soup it is cooked to a tender and limp state, so freezing seems like a possibility. I cut the cabbage into small wedges, leaving a bit of the core in each to hold it together. Then blanched the wedges in boiling water for 90 seconds followed by 90 seconds in ice water. After draining the wedges I packed them into a freezer plastic bag for the freezer. We'll look forward to that addition to hardy soups next winter.

The new recipes I tried that we liked were Baked Cabbage and Cabbage Rolls. Baked Cabbage sounded unusual and strange - but surprisingly it is very good. I changed both recipes to shorter baking times, I found with really fresh and tender vegetables the baking time can be reduced. Cooking with veggies is more of an art of what works and what you like, not like the science of baking where careful measurements and times are more critical. So sometimes I take the recipe as a 'suggestion'.

Cabbage wedges ready to be baked.

Baked Cabbage: Cut into wedges and put on an oiled roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil (I use a basting brush to spread the oil in the bottom of the pan then over the top of the cabbage). Sprinkle with salt and pepper and brush with olive oil. Lay cut bacon pieces (uncooked) on top of the cabbage. Drizzle with a little melted butter. Roast at 450 degrees, covered with foil for 15-20 minutes. Uncover and roast until the cabbage is golden brown and tender. The original recipe instructed a total of 60 minutes of roasting time. With fresh cabbage, ours was tender and even crunchy at the edges in about 30 minutes. You won't believe how good this is! (Could be the olive oil, bacon, and butter!)

Baked - crispy and a little too brown! 

Cabbage rolls ready for baking

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

I adapted a recipe from thekitchenwhisperer.net to make a smaller amount and shortened the baking time.
Cabbage leaves - I pulled large leaves off the outside and cooked 10. You could cook the whole head (remove core first). Cook in boiling water for 3 minutes until leaves are softened. Cut away the thick center stem from each leaf without cutting all the way through.
Meat mixture - this is basically a meat loaf mixture.
       1 ½ pound ground beef (or 1 pound ground beef + ½ pound ground pork)
       1 medium onion, chopped fine, or 1 Tablespoon minced dried onion
       3 tsp. minced garlic
        1 tsp. kosher salt
       ¾ tsp. ground black pepper
        1 tsp. parsley flakes
        1 large egg
        ¼ cup ketchup
         about ⅓ can tomato soup (use the rest of the can to pour over the rolls)
Mix all ingredients together.
To assemble cabbage rolls: Lay a leaf down with the cut edge facing you (where the stem was) and place about ½ cup meat mixture in the middle. Fold the edges over the meat and roll the cabbage up like a burrito. Repeat until all the leaves are stuffed. If you have extra meat just roll it up as meatballs and place it in the baking pan with the stuffed cabbage. Pour the rest of the can of tomato soup over the cabbage rolls.
Bake covered for about 1 hour, until the internal temperature of the cabbage roll/meat is 165 degrees and the cabbage is tender.

Eating local - roasted carrots, beets, and potatoes from CSA,
tossed salad with radishes from CSA, cabbage rolls - cabbage
from CSA and beef from our ranch. 

I even found a quote about cabbage I like. From Mark Twain, "Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education." Humble as the cabbage may be, it can be tasty in a variety of ways.

Hamburger Stroganoff - comfort for a cold day

Temperatures dropping and a 90% chance of snow coming our way. Time for another comfort food recipe. This one is from my well-worn copy of the Greenwood County Cattlewomen's cookbook. These recipes are tested and true and are all about BEEF! And this week has been declared Eat Meat Week, so a perfect time to make this warming and tasty dish. The original recipe, from Anna Curry, who was our Extension Ag agent at the time, lists 1 pound of ground beef. I usually increase the amount of beef in a recipe. Our ground beef comes in 2 pounds packages, and often I use the whole package, or that minus a couple of patties for later. 

HAMBURGER STROGANOFF

1 ½ pound ground beef

1 (8-oz) can sliced mushrooms

¼ cup chopped onion (or 1 Tablespoon dehydrated onion)

¼ clove garlic, minced (or 1 teaspoon minced garlic in oil)

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 Tablespoons flour

2 Tablespoons chili sauce

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 (8-oz) carton sour cream

Directions:

Brown ground beef with onion and garlic. Add mushrooms, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in flour and chili sauce. Add cream of chicken soup and heat well. Just before serving add sour cream. Serve hot over cooked pasta or rice. 

Carnitas for Cinco de Mayo

 Tomorrow is May! Yea! Time to think about Mexican themed food for Cinco de Mayo. The May 5 holiday is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, but in the U.S. it is a good time for celebrating with Mexican flavors whether you have Mexican heritage or not. 
This recipe for Beef Carnitas is now a favorite of ours. Carnita means 'little meats' and is traditionally done with pork. But we love our beef and this recipe from Chef Alli is easy to get to the table or will wait until all the cattle workers get in. Since I started using my Electric Pressure Cooker, I won't cook a beef roast any other way! Cutting it into chunks and browning it not only makes it cook quicker, it improves the flavor ('brown' is a flavor as well as a color). And I've just discovered a quick thaw trick - put frozen roast in the refrigerator overnight (it starts thawing, but will still be frozen in the morning), then a quick microwave 'defrost' for ½ pound, followed by a short time sitting in a heavy cooking pan (still wrapped) with another pan sitting on it. There is some trick about the metal drawing the cold out! The roast will soon be thawed enough to cut into smaller chunks. 

Happy Cinco de Mayo

Big Bold Beef Carnitas

Ingredients:

3 lbs. chuck roast, cut into 3-inch chunks, trimmed if needed

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. kosher salt

2 tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. oregano flakes

1 tsp. chipotle sauce or minced chipotles in adobo

1 yellow onion

3-4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

1 cinnamon stick

Zest of 1 orange

½ cup orange juice

½ cup lime juice (can use lime zest too, if you want)

Directions:

1.    Set electric pressure cooker (EPC) to sauté setting; add oil, salt, cumin, paprika, chili powder, oregano, and chipotle sauce; when mixture is nicely hot, add cubed beef. Brown beef in batches, removing to a plate as you work. 

2.    Return all beef to EPC pot; add onion, garlic, cinnamon stick, orange zest, and juices; cover pressure cooker, lock EPC lid into place. Choose High Pressure setting for 45-50 minutes. When times sounds, use a full natural release to allow protein fibers to fully relax. 

3.    Remove EPC lid and transfer beef to a large cutting board; shred beef apart. Add shredded beef to a preheated, oiled cast iron skill set over high heat. 

4.    Sear beef over high heat just until it gets a good ‘crisp’ on the outside, watching carefully so beef doesn’t bur, adding cooking liquid from pressure cooker, a little at a time, as needed. 

5.    Serve beef with warm corn or flour tortillas, salsa fresca, sour cream, cilantro, and shredded cheese, as desired. 

Make Mine Beef

Our ranch's new sign

May is Beef Month, and while our meals include a lot of beef year round, we appreciate the month to call attention to our product. With warm weather and salad meals we may find ourselves using other meats, but here is a tasty beef and pasta salad recipe to enjoy this summer. 

It is best eaten the same day, after mixing at room temperature, since the tomatoes will continue to break down. But leftovers that have been kept in the refrigerator are also great. Sometimes I warm my serving just a little in the microwave to enhance the flavors after it has been chilled. It makes a lot! Good for a salad lunch when you need to take a big salad, or for when you need leftovers for a few days. 

COWBOY PASTA SALAD      

 

Serve with crackers or rolls for a complete light meal. 

Ingredients:

½ pound dried mini pasta shells

5-6 slices bacon, diced

1 ½ pound ground beef

teaspoons cumin

pinch red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

1 cup mayonnaise

¼ cup barbecue sauce

2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon hot chili sauce

2 cups frozen corn, thawed

1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

(I altered the original recipe to reduce the pasta and increase the ground beef, as well as a few other tweaks)

Directions:

1.     Bring a large pot of water to a boil; cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drizzle with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.

2.     In the meantime, sauté bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crispy, about 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Wipe out skillet, leaving a little of the bacon grease. Add the ground beef; cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until cooked through and no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Season with the cumin, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Drain off fat. Set aside to cool completely.

3.     In an extra large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and hot chili sauce until combined and smooth. Add the cooked pasts, bacon, beef, corn, tomatoes, and cheese; toss to combine and coat.

4.     Enjoy right away or refrigerate until ready to serve.

You will need a large bowl to mix the ingredients together.

Kansas Style Bierrocks

Bierrocks, Runzas, krautburger, fleischliche, stuffed rolls, what ever you call them, this is a true midwest comfort food. With the weather teasing spring but keeping temperatures chilly, it was time for a warm, comforting supper. This recipe by Mariam Rubin, a food journalist for the Pittsburgh (PA) Post-Gazette, combines an easy dough with a savory midwest favorite.  Ms. Rubin had visited Kansas and the Kansas Wheat Commission to learn about wheat and flour and discovered our Kansas and Nebraska favorite. Her recipe adds some whole wheat flour and features a Kansas Wheat Commission dough recipe. There's also a neat trick for rolling out the dough so it doesn't stick to the surface!

HOT POCKETS – KANSAS BIERROCKS

Bierrocks:

For the Dough:

1 package active dry yeast

1 cup lukewarm water (105° - 115°)

4 tablespoons butter cut up and softened

2 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon fine table salt

2 – 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup whole wheat flour

For the Filling:

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil

1 pound lean ground beef

2 cups finely shredded cabbage

½ cup finely chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)

1 teaspoon kosher salt or ¾ teaspoon fine table salt

¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Hot pepper sauce, to taste

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 3 - 5 minutes until frothy.

Stir in butter, sugar and salt. Add 1 cup all-purpose flour and beat at medium speed until smooth. At low speed, beat in whole-wheat flour and as much remaining white flour until dough comes together in a ball.

Knead with dough hook or by hand, adding additional flour, as needed, 6 – 8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover dough in bowl and let rest 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Crumble in beef and cook until the pink color is gone. Mix in cabbage, onion, garlic (if using), salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until vegetables are tender. Drain well and cool slightly. Taste, adding salt and pepper, plus hot sauce, as needed. The mixture shouldn’t be spicy, just well-seasoned.

Punch dough down. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°. Grease a heavy baking sheet or line with parchment paper.

Lightly grease counter or a large plastic cutting board with shortening or cooking spray. Stretch and roll the dough to a 12-by-8-inch rectangle. Cut into six 4-inch squares.

Place ½ cup filling on each square. Pick up the corners of each square and pinch together. Pinch each diagonal seam so square is sealed well, making a fat bun. Place seam-side down on prepared baking sheet.

Bake 15-20 minutes, or until well browned on top and on sides. Serve warm or freeze and reheat.

 

Here are the steps for wrapping the meat mixture.
Notice the oiled plastic cutting sheet - it kept the dough
 from sticking to the surface it was rolled on.
1. Roll out, cut into squares
2. Add meat mixture
3. Pinch corners together
4. Seal edges

Turn the sealed edges down for baking

This was a good comfort meal for a cool evening with bierrocks, fried potatoes and onions,
and salad with ranch dressing. 

Meatballs for the Covered Dish Dinner

Covered dish dinner, potluck meal, faith supper, bring-and-share, carry-in, bring-a-plate. What ever you call it, it is the season for shared meals with our community groups. It may be church, quilting club, or study group, but this month we celebrate food and friends in many ways.

Recently I've taken covered dish offerings to several events.This recipe for meatballs is a favorite. Because we have a freezer full of beef and lots of hamburger, I like to take a main dish. This is a different flavor that the usual barbecue and not too sweet. I think you'll like it, make extra meatballs and freeze them for a quick dinner for yourself or a gathering.

MINI MEATBALL APPETIZERS WITH APRICOT DIPPING SAUCE

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef

½ cup seasoned bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons water

½  teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Sauce:

¾ cup apricot preserves

¾ cup barbecue sauce

2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard

Directions:

1.     Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, water, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into 1¼ -inch meatballs. Place on rack in broiler pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in 400 degree oven for 15-17 minutes. Be sure the internal temperature of the meatball reaches 160 degrees.

2.     Meanwhile, heat preserves, barbecue sauce and mustard in medium saucepan over medium heat Bring to a boil; reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 3 – 5 minutes, stirring occasionally or until sauce thickens slightly.

3.     Add cooked meatballs and continue to cook 2-3 minutes or until meatballs are heated through, stirring occasionally. (I did this in small batches) Serve or keep warm in slow cooker. (this worked well, I prepared the meatballs and put them in the slow cooker on low for 2 hours before the event. Stir occasionally)