Golumpkis (Stuffed Cabbage)

This traditional polish dish is easy to make and was a lot of fun for my son to help me with. It can be made with tomato sauce or sauerkraut, we used tomato sauce as the young'un doesn't like sauerkraut.

Golumpkis



-6 cabbage leaves

-1 cup rice uncooked (makes 2 cups cooked)

-1/2 lb ground hamburger

-1 can crushed tomatoes (can use sauerkraut)

-salt and pepper to taste

 

Carefully peel 6 cabbage leaves off head and save remainder for use in other dishes (cole slaw, corned beef and cabbage, fried cabbage, egg rolls...). Wash the leaves then boil for 3-5 minutes until soft then remove from boiling water and cool. Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Put the rice on to cook following package directions. While rice is cooking fry hamburger. When the rice and hamburger are done, combine them in a bowl with salt and pepper to taste. Pour a little of the crushed tomatoes on the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish. Split rice mixture between 6 cabbage leaves then roll and place seam down in baking dish.  Pour the remainder of the crushed tomatoesover the top of the cabbage rolls and bake for 30-45 minutes until cabbage starts to be see through and contents are heated through. Serve hot and enjoy!

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Another of my personal favorites, biscuits and gravy are good anytime time of day, whether it be a meal or a large snack. Many people don't make this as they believe it to be difficult to make a quality sausage gravy.  As can be seen here, if you're willing to take the time to prepare it properly, it is fairly easy to make.

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

 

- 1 dozen of your favorite biscuits

- 1 lb fatty pork sausage, this is good with either spicy or mild sausage

- 4-6 Tbsp all purpose flour

- 3-4 cups milk

- 1 tsp cayenne pepper

- 1-2 tsp sage

 

In a large, deep skillet, cook the sausage until fully cooked. Add the flour one Tbsp at a time, making sure to brown each Tbsp before adding the next to avoid having a starchy flavor/feel to the gravy. Slowly add the milk, it will look very soupy once the milk has been added. Add the cayenne and sage and simmer, stirring constantly, until gravy thickens to desired consistency. Serve hot over, preferably fresh, biscuits.

 

Enjoy!

Quick and Easy Personal Pizzas

I got this idea from one of my brothers who made a cold veggie pizza this way, and decided to mix it up a bit.  If you have picky eaters who all like different toppings on their pizza, this is a great way to make pizzas for everyone to love.

Personal Pizzas

Store bought crescent roll dough (one tube makes 2 pizzas)

Your choice of sauces and toppings

Pre-heat oven to temperature listed on dough's packaging.  Unroll dough and separate into sections along the perforation down the center.  Press the remainder of the seals together*.  place flat on cookie sheet and bake until they are lightly golden brown.  Remove from oven and spread sauces and toppings as desired.  For hot pizzas place back into oven until toppings are hot and cheese (if used) is melted.  The options I have enjoyed so far are listed below.  Feel free to use your favorite sauces and toppings.

*If you want to make these into appetizers separate at all perforations for triangular mini pizzas.

Buffalo Chicken

Sauce:

Cream cheese with chives

Hot sauce

Toppings:

4 microwave chicken nuggets (per pizza)

Hot sauce**

Broccoli

Mozzarella

Combine 2 parts cream cheese with 1 part hot sauce and spread on cooked crust.  Microwave nuggets according to package directions and cut each into 6-8 pieces.  Dredge nugget pieces through hot sauce and place on pizza.  Cut broccoli into small pieces and place on pizza.  Cover with desired amount of Mozzarella.  Bake until cheese is melted.

**If you want the buffalo flavor without so much kick you can omit the hot sauce on the nuggets.

Alfredo Chicken with Broccoli

Sauce:

Your favorite alfredo sauce

Toppings:

4 microwave chicken nuggets (per pizza)

Broccoli

Crushed red pepper flakes

Mozzarella

Spread alfredo sauce on cooked crust.  Microwave nuggets according to directions and cut into 6-8 pieces each.  Place on pizza.  Cut broccoli into small pieces and place on pizza.  Sprinkle pepper flakes lightly on pizza and top with desired amount of mozzarella.  Bake until cheese is melted.

Cold Veggie

Sauce:

Garden vegetable cream cheese

Toppings:

Cucumber

Tomato***

Broccoli

Any vegetable you desire

When the crust had finished baking put it aside to cool.  Cut the vegetables into small pieces.  Once the crust is cooled spread the cream cheese and top with the vegetables.

***I would suggest cherry tomatoes halved or quartered.

Enjoy!

Taco Casserole

I wasn't sure what to make for dinner tonight, all I knew was I wanted to use taco meat and I didn't want run of the mill tacos.  Looking around what I had I gathered a bunch of things and made this delectable taco casserole.  You can also use this concept to make a delicious dip*.

Taco Casserole

1 lb ground beef

1 packet taco seasoning

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 Tbsp minced garlic

Salsa

1 package hard taco shells

Cream cheese with chives

Salsa

3 cups shredded cheese of choice (I used a Mexican Blend)

Cook the ground beef over medium high heat.  When it is fully cooked reduce heat to medium and add onion and garlic, cook until they start to become translucent.  Add the taco seasoning, mix well and remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 350F. Cover the bottom of a pie pan, you can use a casserole dish if you prefer, with a thin layer of salsa.  Crush 1/3 of the taco shells and spread over the salsa.  Spread a layer of the cream cheese over the taco shells, followed by half the meat mixture.  Atop the meat spread 1 cup of cheese then repeat the layers again: salsa, crushed taco shell, cream cheese, meat mixture, cheese.  Atop the cheese spread another layer of salsa then cream cheese and crumble the rest of the taco shells over it.  Cover the top with the last cup of cheese and bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted.  Enjoy!

*If you want to make a 4 layer dip to serve with chips just layer the cream cheese, salsa, meat and cheese and bake.

**You can also add anything else that you would like with tex-mex food, like jalapenos, black olives, artichoke hearts, sour cream, refried beans and/or guacamole for added layers.

Pulled Pork

A delicious crockpot recipe for pulled pork.  You can use it for sandwiches, in calzones, or as an entree by itself.  A few simple ingredients and 8 hours and you have delicious pulled pork.  I served mine on Ciabatta rolls with this Garlic Aioli.

Pulled Pork

1 3lb pork roast

12 oz root beer

Your favorite barbecue sauce

Put the pork in the crockpot and pour root beer over the top.  Cook on low for 7 hours.  Drain out the rootbeer, add barbecue sauce and stir, the pork should literally be falling apart.  Cook on low for another hour and your pork is finished.  Enjoy!

General Tso Chicken

This is a recipe I inherited from my father, and it is the best General Tso Chicken I have ever had.  If you are not a fan of spicy foods you can remove or reduce the amount of hot peppers and/or chili paste you use, I used 5 diced USA Hots in place of chili paste and left out the hot peppers external of the seasoning sauce and will be using less next time so my son can manage to eat it.  As you can see I served mine with rice and miniature egg rolls.

General Tso Chicken

2 whole Chicken Breast, cut into 1½” x 2” strips
2 Hot Peppers (or more)
Cornstarch, for coating
 
Batter:
1 Egg                                                  ¼ c. Flour                                            
1/8 c. Water                                               ¼ c. Cornstarch             
2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce                                    ½ tsp Baking Powder                        
½ tsp. Salt                                               1 dash Pepper
 
Mix Batter. Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat.  Cover and chill for ½ hour.
 
Mix seasoning sauce.
 
Seasoning Sauce:
6 Tbsp. Sugar                                               1 tsp Chili Sauce (hot peppers)
4 ½ Tbsp Cider Vinegar                                    Black Pepper
7 Tbsp Soy Sauce                                               3 drops Sesame Oil
1 tsp Cornstarch
 
Coat each piece of chicken well with cornstarch.  Arrange chicken on well-floured wax paper.  Heat 2-3” of oil in a pan until very hot.  Fry chicken for 30 seconds. Drain well on a cookie sheet covered with paper towels.  Reheat oil over high heat until very hot.  Refry chicken until crispy and golden brown.
Drain again and keep hot in oven.  Heat 2 tablespoons oil in wok over medium heat.  Add chili sauce, stir-fry 20 seconds. Mix in seasoning sauce and heat to boil, stirring constantly until foam subsides and the sauce thickens slightly and turns to glaze (about 2 minutes or more, do not over thicken).  Add fried chicken and cooked broccoli, tossing to coat well.
Serve immediately

P.S. - For the picky eaters, leave some of the chicken out of the sauce and feed them some delicious popcorn chicken.

Apple Glazed Kielbasa

I went apple picking with my son's godparents this past weekend, and hence have many apples to use.  In preparation of another idea in the works I decided to make an apple jam.  While reducing the jam I realized it was getting close to dinner time and I had not yet determined what I was making, but I had some kielbasa thawed in the refrigerator.  Kielbasa in the fridge, apple jam on the stove, and a light flicked on in my head.  That light inspired me to make some apple glazed kielbasa which we enjoyed with egg noodles and broccoli.

Apple Glazed Kielbasa

- 1 lb kielbasa of your choice

- 1/3 cup apple jam

Dice the kielbasa and put in a large frying pan.  Fry it over medium heat until the kielbasa starts to brown then add the apple jam.  Keep cooking, stirring continuously as the jam melts then forms a glaze on the kielbasa.  Serve hot with your choice of accompaniment.