Time in the kitchen

I've been itching to try new recipes lately, possibly because I've been limited in what I can serve to Gregg while he waits out all this dental work. He's at the point now that he can eat soft pasta and rice dishes along with soups and stews as long as the meats and vegetables are very tender. That's a step up from the mashed potatoes, yogurt, and applesauce he was subsisting on for a while there!

A fun recipe I decided to try was a traditional Polish dish called Golabki, or stuffed cabbage rolls. This was a nod to my Polish heritage. (The recipe I linked to is just a sample, not exactly the one I used). The meat stuffing mixture was 50/50 pork and beef combined with cooked rice, a beaten egg, sauteed onion, and herbs like marjoram and dill. All rolled into braised cabbage leaves and slow cooked in a covered pan in tomato sauce at 325 degrees. I also used leftover cabbage leaves to line the bottom of the pan and on top of the rolls while they baked. Here's a picture of my finished Golabki, right after I took them out of the oven and removed the top cabbage leaves. They're not very pretty, I'll admit.

And here are some of the leftovers that are now stashed in the freezer, ready for another meal. They're supposed to freeze well. We'll see.

Gregg wouldn't eat the cabbage leaves (he doesn't care for cabbage) but he liked the steamed meat mixture inside with the tomato sauce. It was soft enough that he had no trouble eating it, and served with mashed potatoes, he had a good meal. I enjoyed it, too, but after careful consideration, I only rate the Golabki a 6/10. They tasted good, but lost points for being time-consuming to make (which wasn't a very big deal) as well as the smell (which very much was). I've discovered that slow cooking cabbage and boiling cabbage leaves will make your whole house smell like ass body odor. * It took me two days to rid our home of the noxious smell! So that's definitely a downside to this otherwise lovely dish.

Another new recipe came to me from my friend Marla. We've been getting together most Sundays lately (for breakfast or thrift store browsing or crafting) and sometimes we make or bring snacks to share. She's recently discovered homemade hummus and has been making it a lot, and a couple of weeks ago she brought a bowl to my house to share. Wow, was it good! She was happy to give me the recipe, which couldn't be simpler. So on Sunday (when Marla was coming over again) I tried making it myself. And it was awesome, just like hers! It couldn't be simpler: just canned chickpeas (drained and rinsed), fresh lemon juice, tahini from a jar, olive oil, cumin, salt to taste, and a few spoonfuls of cold water all blended together. I used a blender for simplicity's sake. I dished some out into a pretty bowl, added more olive oil to the top and then a generous sprinkling of sesame seeds...and it was *chefs kiss*: fast, easy, cheap, and delicious. 10/10 would recommend! 

Another thing I cooked recently was a large pot of chili on Saturday afternoon. The weather has finally cooled way down and so chili can go back into the monthly meal rotation. I pack it full of veggies and beans and (occasionally) lean beef and cook it on low for anywhere between 12-24 hours in the crockpot. It's a good way to use up vegetable odds and ends, so it's both economical and healthy. I've been known to add things like shredded carrots, mashed sweet potato, or slightly wilted spinach to my chili, just to use them up. It's always delicious and gets better the more stuff I add. Or we think so, at least. A large pot of chili can stretch out for several days, turning into burritos or taco salad topping or chili cheese fries...there are loads of possibilities. 

A couple more cooking-adjacent photos for you:

I bought these beautiful fresh veggies and apples from a local farm stand. I roasted the brussels sprouts and carrots with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and topped them with parmesan cheese when they came out of the oven. So good! And as for the apples, I made homemade applesauce for Gregg. 

*Anybody have any tips for cooking cabbage so that the smell is contained, or better yet, neutralized?