GOLUMPKIES (STUFFED CABBAGE)



Ingredients:
3 1/2 - 4 lbs. ground beef
3 large heads green cabbage
1 - 1 1/2 lbs. long grain rice, cooked
7 onions fried to golden brown, diced
1 lb. bacon
48 oz. jar tomato sauce, water added
garlic or garlic powder to taste
salt and pepper to taste



Directions:
Fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a full boil. Cook cabbage, covered, at medium heat for 15-20 minutes.
Peel leaves away carefully and stack them.

Put sauce in pan, add approximately 1/2 jar water or more if needed and cook very slowly over low heat.

Add garlic to sauce and season to your taste with salt and pepper.

Combine ground beef, rice, onions, eggs, salt and pepper together.

In large roasting pan, cover the bottom with a few the cabbage leaves.

Fill each of the cabbage leaves that you have with the mixture of ground beef, rice, onions, etc. Roll up each leaf, turning in sides to make a packet that is like an egg roll. Lay each one open side of leaf facing down on the bottom.

Place a layer of cabbage leaves on top of each layer to separate the layers, then layer again with more cabbage rolls. Continue until all ingredients are used.

Cut bacon and layer on top of each layer.

Pour sauce on top, only filling up half of the pot since the golumpkies will add liquid.

Sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic on top and bake at 300-325F about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, basting every hour, adding more sauce if required.

Serves a Hungry Crowd!

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1626,152177-252197,00.html

Hehe, these last few ethnic items mentioned by us are are certainly not for the diet conscious but are darn tasty.

During the 1970s, a smart unknown California chef, realizing that many Americans did not like the though of eating raw fish, created the now famous California Roll, made with crab, avocado, and cucumbers. Since then, American sushi chefs have created many variations with unique names such as Spider Roll, Philadelphia Roll, and Rainbow roll. Most people in Japan have never heard of the California Roll, though, and I would advise not trying to order one there.


Making sushi at home is easy to do. Ingredients and equipment can be found at Japanese and Asian foods stores as well as at most large food or grocery stores. I did a large amount of reading on how to make sushi rolls before attempting my first ones. Sushi making does requires a small amount of initial practice. Don't be afraid to try!

You can use the techniques for making the California Rolls to make other variations with different fillings as sushi rolls are extremely versatile and you can make endless varieties. Think of a sushi roll as a sandwich and it's sure to get your imagination rolling as to what to fill it with. Be creative!

Let's Make Sushi!




Equipment Needed:
Bamboo sushi-roll mat
Clean cutting board
Sushi knife or very sharp knife
A pack of roasted-seaweed (Nori)
Wood spoon or wood or plastic rice paddle for spreading rice Plastic wrap

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups uncooked Japanese short or medium grain rice
4 cups water
5 sheets or sushi nori (seaweed in big squares)*
1 large cucumber
2 to 3 avocados
Fresh lemon juice
Cooked snow crab meat or imitation crab sticks**
Wasabi (Japanese horseradish)
Soy Sauce
Pickled Ginger

* Sheets of thin seaweed which is pressed and dried. As a general rule of thumb – good Nori is very dark green, almost black in color.

** Imitation crab sticks are the easiest to use. They can by found in Japanese food stores.





Directions:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Heat mixture just until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool.

Wash rice, stirring with your hand, until water runs clear. Place rice in a saucepan with water; soak 30 minutes. Drain rice in colander and transfer to a heavy pot or rice cooker; add 4 cups water. If you don't have a rice cooker, place rice and water into a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; bring just to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and leave pan, covered, for 15 additional minutes.

Wash, peel, and seed cucumber. Slice in half lengthwise, then cut into long, slender strips. Cut the avocados in half lengthwise, then remove the pit; cut each section in half again (lengthwise), and carefully remove the peel. Cut the section in long slender strips. Sprinkle the sliced avocado with lemon juice to keep from discoloring. If you are using snow, crab, remove the crab meat from the thicker portion of the legs and cut in half lengthwise. If you are using imitation crab sticks, remove the plastic wrapping and cut each in half lengthwise. Place the cucumber slices, avocado slice, and crab slices on a plate; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to use.

When rice is done cooking, transfer to a large bowl; loosen rice grains gently with a wooden spatula or spoon by cutting and folding (do not stir, as this will crush the rice). Sprinkle the vinegar mixture over the rice, mixing together as you sprinkle (add enough dressing to coat the rice but not make it damp - you may not need to use all the vinegar dressing). Spread the hot rice on top of a large sheet of aluminum foil and let cool.

Lay the bamboo sushi rolling mat on a cutting board with bamboo strips going horizontally from you. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on top of the bamboo mat. Place the nori on top of the plastic wrap (shiny side down). Spread a thin layer, 3/4 to 1 cup, of rice over 3/4 of the nori leaving approximately one inch of uncovered nori at each end (it helps to wet your fingers with cold water when you are patting the rice onto the nori).

NOTE: To make the Inside-Out Rolls, after spreading the rice on the nori, sprinkle with poppy or roasted sesame seeds. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap on top. Lifting with the bottom plastic wrap, turn over the nori/rice sheet onto the bamboo rolling mat. Remove top plastic wrap and proceed as below.

Arrange strips of avocado and cucumber along the center of the rice; top with crab meat. Placing your fingers on the ingredients, carefully bring the bottom end of the rolling mat and the plastic wrap up and over the ingredients (tucking the end of the nori to start a roll). Pull back the rolling mat and plastic wrap, as necessary, so it does not get rolled into the sushi. Continue rolling the sushi and pulling back the rolling mat and plastic wrap, as necessary, until you have approximately 1 to 2 inches of the top of the nori showing. Rub a small amount of cold water on the edge of the nori and bring the nori around so that it completes the sushi roll. Gently squeeze the rolling mat around the sushi roll until it is firm and forms an even roll (be carefuly not to squeeze too hard, as you may crush the ingredients or squeezed them out). Wrap the plastic wrap around the roll and set aside until ready to cut or refrigerate or for longer storage. Repeat with remaining 4 nori sheets to make additional rolls.

Place rolls on a flat cutting board and remove plastic wrap. Using a sharp knife, cut each roll into 8 pieces (wet the knife between each cut to make it easier to cut and keep the rice from sticking to the knife). Arrange California Rolls on a serving platter and serve with wasabi, soy sauce, and pickled ginger. Always serve sushi rolls at room temperature.

Makes 40 California Rolls.

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Appetizers/CaliforniaRoll.htm

Since winter is still dragging along, I thought this calorie dense comfort food would go well as it's easy to make and darn tasty for such a simple dish.

Kugelis (Lithuanian Potato Casserole)

1/2 lb bacon (rendered) or you can also use salted pork belly fat
1 lg. onion (minced)
8 potatoes (russets work the best and use the food processor not to grate your knuckles bur grating gives one the best texture)
4 eggs (you don't need eggs if you like it dense like I do)
Salt to taste
1/2 glass milk ( not needed either)
1/2 c. flour (you don't have to use flour either)
1/2 tsp. baking powder (see egg comment)

Brown onions in butter and cool. Grate potatoes, add eggs, milk and butter with onions, also salt. Add flour and mix well. Bake in 400 degree oven until brown (about 1 1/3 to 1 1/4 hours). I like the clear Pyrex dishes, more crust! Yummy! Enjoy with sour cream if so desired.

I found that %5 sour cream is great with this instead of %15 but just don't go below that to save calories. Just reduce the bacon. I did try the no fat and %1 but had to scrape it off and just pour butter over it. That stuff is vile! Enjoy!

EDIT: If there are leftovers, fry them up sliced thin lengthwise in some of that bacon fat you saved to make more crust.

Chicken-Fried Steak for One

1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup (60 ml) milk
1 6-ounce (170 g) thin boneless beef steak, pounded to
tenderize
All-purpose flour for dredging
2 Tbs (30 ml) butter
2 Tbs (30 ml) vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

For the gravy:
1 Tbs (15 ml) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (125 ml) milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Beat the egg and milk together in a small bowl. Dip the steak into
the egg mixture and coat with flour on both sides. Heat the butter
and oil in a skillet over moderate heat and fry the steak until golden
brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Season with salt
and pepper and serve immediately.

For the optional gravy, remove the steak from the skillet and set
aside. Stir the flour into the drippings in the pan and cook for
about 2 minutes. Stir in the milk, salt, and pepper and bring to a
boil, stirring constantly. Spoon the gravy over the steak and serve
immediately. Serves 1.

Cuban Roast Pork Sandwiches

1 clove garlic
1 tsp (5 ml) ground cumin
1 tsp (5 ml) salt
1 tsp (5 ml) freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 to 2 lb (700 to 900 g) pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat and membrane
4 thin slices Swiss cheese (or cheese of your choice)
8 slices sourdough bread
1 tsp (5 ml) olive oil
Pickled onions and peppers (see below)

Mash the garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin together to form a paste. Rub the paste on the pork tenderloin and place in a small roasting pan. Roast at 450F (230C) for 20 to 25 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 155F (70C). Remove from oven and let rest 10 to 15 minutes. Cut the pork into thin slices. Layer the pork, pickled onions and peppers, and cheese between slices of bread. Heat half the olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat until the surface shimmers. Add two sandwiches and cover with foil. Weigh it down with a heavy skillet and one or two heavy cans, or a brick covered with aluminum foil. Cook until the sandwiches are brown on the bottom (3 to 5 minutes), remove the weights, turn the sandwiches over, and cook until brown on the other side. Repeat with the remaining oil and the other two sandwiches. Cut sandwiches in half and serve immediately. Makes 4 sandwiches.

I made this yesterday, ooh sooo goood! Careful with the pork to not overcook it as it will really dry out. Enjoy

This isn't a recipe per se, just the way I like to do it. Get rid of the silk as that will burn, soak the unhusked corn for half an hour and grill it at medium until you can feel the kernels going soft or husk the suckers, oil the cobs and apply five-spice powder for an Asian twist. I never use salted butter, use the sweet butter instead and add kosher salt to taste to get that crunchy feel. Enjoy.

Grilled Frozen Five-Spice Pork Tenderloin

OK, thaw the tenderloin for an hour (unless your area is hot then a half hour would do), rub it dry and apply toasted sesame or peanut oil, (don't burn the sesame oil) salt and pepper and 5 spice powder, about one TBSP per tenderloin, grill it on high until you get the grill marks and then wrap it up in tin foil. It will be done when using an instant read thermometer at 150, don't go past it much as this will make the tenderloin like shoe leather. Cut it thinly. Man, is that a moist meat for such a lean cut!

1 pound of bacon cooked crisp
1,2 or as desired heads of broccoli, trim the buds close to the stems , breaking up the clusters, you may if you wish chop trim some of the tender stems as well, peel stocks and chop hearts up as well, this is not for the dieter( this is going into a large bowl sutible for salad)
chop large spanish onion(you can use regular onion for tangier result)
grate mozzorella and or chedder cheese( 1/2 pound of each or to taste)
crush bacon into bowl and mix all together.
Proportions are approximate, adjust to individual enjoyment.
3 cups miracle whip
1 cup vinager(white)
1 cup sugar
mix well , be cautious with the vinager, don't add all in at once , mix some and taste result until it pleases pallet, then add reasult to broccoli mixture and enjoy.

Well this thread has been silent for far too long. Here's a good rib sticking Chili con Carne that even the novice can make. I have to admit that I grabbed this from Foodnetwork.ca and made this yesterday. It says that this recipe serves 12 but I doubt that as two of us finished off half of it and the rest will be leftovers to be served with rice. Cooking the spices with the onion is the most important thing I found.

* 1 lb. chuck steak, minced or best minced beef
* 2 medium onion
* 1 clove garlic
* olive oil
* 2 tsp chili powder
* 1 tsp ground cumin, heaping or 1 tsp crushed cumin, seeds, heaping
* 7 oz sun-dried tomato, in, olive oil
* 1 fresh red chili, seeded, and, finely, chopped
* 2 x 14 oz cans chopped tomato
* 2 x 14 oz tins red kidney beans, drained
* 1/2 stick cinnamon
* sea salt
* freshly ground black pepper


Directions:
Chili con Carne

1. If you are going to use the oven method then preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2. Chop up the onions and garlic in the food processor and fry in some olive oil until softened. Add the chilli powder and cumin and a little seasoning.
3. Chop up the meat in the processor and add to the pan, cooking it until slightly browned.
4. Place the sun dried tomatoes and chillies in the processor with the oil and blend to form a paste. Add these to the beef with the tomatoes, cinnamon stick and a wineglass of water. Season a little more if need be.
5. Bring to the boil, cover with greaseproof paper and the lid, then either turn the heat down to simmer and cook for 1 1/2 hours or transfer the pan to the oven for about 1 1/2 hours.
6. Add the red kidney beans 30 minutes before the end of cooking time.