Cole Slaw Plain and Simple

For this summer cookout salad you will need 1 head of cabbage or 1/2 head each of a green cabbage and a red cabbage, cider vinegar, salt, sugar, mayonnaise, prepared horseradish, baby carrots, raisins and or dried cranberries.

I start by hand shredding some cabbage. I like to mix green and red cabbage, about half a head each. Here is just a small head of green cabbage because I didn't have any red on hand.

It shreds to about 8 cups. Then add 1/4 cup of cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons of salt, and enough water to cover the cabbage. Allow to soak in the vinegar water for at least 30 minutes to an hour while you prepare the rest of the ingredients and go read a chapter of my memoir.

I like the baby carrots because I am too lazy to peel carrots; besides we always have some in the fridge because our dog, Benni, likes them as a bedtime snack. 

 Grate up about a cup of carrots.

Drain the cabbage, but do not rinse it.

Add about 1/3 cup of mayonnaise, 2 heaping tablespoons of prepared horseradish and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Mix well. Then add the shredded carrots, 1/2 to 2/3 cup of raisins and/or dried cranberries.

NOTE: This is not my preferred brand of horseradish - there is a local brand - Martin Rosol's White Horseradish - that is much better and I think it makes all the difference in the flavor. It is coarse ground white horseradish.

Add those ingredients and mix well to coat all the cabbage with the mayo and horseradish. Let the coleslaw sit in the refrigerator for several hours. (read a couple of chapters of my memoir).

Serve with your barbecued chicken, grilled hot dogs, bratwurst, or kielbasa.

Happy summer! Dinner's (almost) Ready!

Grilled Salmon, Green Bean Salad and Cabbage and Fennel Slaw

Summer is the time for grilling and salads. This simple meal is healthy and easy. Prepare the salads ahead of time.

The simple dressing for the beans consists of olive oil, sliced garlic, shredded fresh basil (traditionally made with mint, but Leon does not like mint), ground black pepper, a dash of salt and a splash of white wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar. (Actually the vinegar can be optional, if you like).

 Clean the green beans. Steam them briefly (al dente) and drain and run under cold water.

Cut the beans and toss in the dressing. Refrigerate.

Hand shred (slice thinly) a medium cabbage - I had green cabbage, but I think this would be great with red cabbage for contrasting colors. I soak the shredded cabbage in vinegar and water while preparing the other ingredients: shred a cup of baby carrots in a chopper or processor; clean a large bulb of fennel, cut and shred in a chopper or processor.

Drain the cabbage but do not rinse. add a pinch of salt, 1-2 teaspoons of sugar, a tablespoon or two of mayonnaise, the shredded fennel and carrots and a small handful of raisins. (I usually add horseradish to my slaw but that would overpower the delicate flavor of the fennel, so I left it out). Refrigerate.

The market had salmon on sale (silverbrite, wild caught - not considered high quality salmon) for $5.99. I bought just over a pound for the two of us. A little black pepper and some blackened seasoning and onto the grill. I find this salmon affordable and tasty.

Let it sizzle with the grill cover closed. Do not turn over. It is done (slightly under-cooked, but not sushi) when the color turns a lighter shade of salmon. 

 A little white wine and dinner's ready!

Re-run: Unstuffed Cabbage

I have posted unstuffed cabbage or lazy stuffed cabbage before, but without photos. Here are some pics.

Green Cabbage, Onion

Saute The Beef With Onion, Garlic, Salt, Pepper,
Set Aside

Shred And Saute The Cabbage in Butter And Oil,
a Bit Of Salt

Use Some Kind Of Tomato 

I Prefer Unadulterated

I Put Uncooked Rice In The Pot With Oil and/or Butter,
Toss It Around, Then Add Water or Stock, Salt and Simmer

Mix Together The Cooked Rice, Beef and Cabbage
Eat It As Is OR
Put In A Casserole and Warm In the Oven
(Helps the Tomato and Flavors Absorb In The Rice)

This dish is great for a cold winter night, for a pot-luck (double the recipe) or, if you're frugal, to stretch some ground beef.  It's a healthy "hamburger helper" without the box and chemicals (really - you can google that yourself).

Gotta go, Dinner's Ready!

Unstuffed Cabbage

I grew up in a very ethnic town.  Polish and eastern European friends and families introduced us "Italians" to the golumpki or golabki, along with pierogi and garagekis.  Never heard of garagekis?  That's what you used to use to open the garage door - before they invented remote controlkis.  Groan.

Well,  this cabbage dish is for lazy cooks.  It has all the right elements for golumpki but is a lot less work.  I made it for New Year's Eve.  Serves eight.  You'll need a pound and a half of ground beef; one small head of green cabbage, an onion, one and a half cups of (raw) rice, two small cans of Hunt's tomato sauce (not spaghetti sauce unless thats all you have), some seasonings.

Chop the onion and saute it in a little oil and butter in a large cast iron skillet.
Add the ground beef, salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste and cook, breaking up the meat until the meat is cooked through.  Remove the meat from the pan.

Prepare the rice by melting a tablespoon of butter or oil in a sauce pan.  Add the rice and stir to coat the rice in butter/oil.  Add three cups of water and some salt.  Bring the rice to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until all the water is absorbed (about 12-15 minutes).  Remove from heat and fluff the rice.

Core and shred the cabbage like you were making cole slaw.  Add a little oil to the skillet along with any juices from the beef.  Braise the cabbage, stirring it until it is well wilted and softened.  Return the ground beef to the skillet, add the tomato sauce and cook the cabbage, sauce and beef together for 5 or 10 minutes.

Transfer the meat mixture to a large roasting pan or casserole, add the cooked rice, mix it all together evenly and place in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes.

Serve Hot. Yum.
Photo not available just yet - the guys ate it (the Unstuffed Cabbage, not the photo) before I even thought to take a picture!