Week 17: Cabbage Rolls

Source: Pioneering Today

Overall Impression: St. Paddy's Day deliciousness

Cabbage Rolls

Time = 1/2 hr active (8 hrs total)

Servings = 6

Ingredients:

1 large head cabbage

1 lb ground beef

3/4 c uncooked rice

1/2 onion, diced

1 garlic clove, diced

1 egg, beaten

1/3 c milk

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 jar prepared marinara sauce

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

1.  Bring a very large pot of water to boil.  

2.  Cut the bottom off the cabbage and add to water.  Boil for 2 minutes.  Remove  from water and pull off soft leaves.  Add back to water for 30 seconds.  Remove and pull off soft leaves.  Keep going until you have 12 leaves softened and removed.

3.  In a bowl, mix beef, rice, onion, garlic, egg, milk, salt and pepper.  Use an ice cream scoop to put roughly 1/4 cup of beef/rice mixture into each cabbage leaf.  Fold leaf like a burrito and place, seam side down, in crock pot.
4.  Pour marinara sauce and Worcestershire sauce over.  Cook on low for 8 hours.

Notes: 

* I served with a side spinach egg noodles and kale with a garlic infused olive oil.  It was a perfect green dinner for St. Patrick's Day.

Week 16: Swedish Meatballs

Source: The Joy of Cooking

Overall Impression: Perfect party meatballs

Swedish Meatballs

Time = 1 hr

Servings = 12

Ingredients:

2 slices day-old bread
1/4 cup milk
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 small yellow onion
2 eggs
2 lbs ground beef or lamb*
1 1/2 Tablespoon dried parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon allspice

Directions:

1.  Cut off the crusts from the bread and cut into 1 inch cubes.  Place in a large glass dish and pour milk over.  Let sit.
2.  Melt butter over medium-high heat.  Dice the onions and saute in butter until softened.  Remove from heat to let cool.
3.  Preheat oven to 375 F.
4.  Stir eggs into the bread/milk.  Add remaining ingredients and the onions.  Mix well - I used my hand to mix.
5.  Form meatballs approximately 1-inch in diameter.  Place on greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 F for 30 minutes or until done throughout.

Notes:

* I used 1 lb ground beef and 1 lb ground turkey.  The mixture turned out a little soft which made the meatballs not stay in a perfect round ball.  If I use half turkey again, I'll add a third piece of bread to stiffen up the mixture.
** We served the meatballs with a sauce made of 10 oz grape jelly and 1 jar of Henze chili sauce.  It was the perfect dipping sauce and a big hit at the New Year's Eve party.  But I'll add a few dashes of Tapatio next time to give it more kick.
*** To keep everything warm, you can mix the meatballs into the dipping sauce and place in a crock pot on the warm setting.