Favorite Food Friday: Unstuffed Cabbage

I really like stuffed cabbage, but I don't like all the prep work. Having to make meatballs, precook cabbage, wrap the meatballs with the precooked cabbage... I like easy. These meatballs remind me of the flavor of stuffed cabbage and are delish. To me they were begging to have cabbage wrapped around them. So, to satisfy my yearning for stuffed cabbage I always serve these meatballs with sauteed cabbage. It's just like having stuffed cabbage - just unstuffed!



what you put in it:

1 lb. ground beef

2 cups cooked long grain rice (I use Jasmine)

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper, divided

1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt, divided

1 - 28oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 head of cabbage, shredded

how you make it:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine ground beef, cooked rice, onion, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Shape mixture into eight meatballs and place into a 7 x 11 inch baking pan.

Pour crushed tomatoes over the meatballs, sprinkle with the remaining salt and pepper, and add the bay leaf.

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

While the meatballs are baking, shred the cabbage and saute in a large skillet until soft, about twenty minutes.

Enjoy!

(To play along with Favorite Food Friday click here!)

Favorite Food Friday: Chicken Chilaquiles with Broccoli Slaw

We love Mexican food in our house, so when I stumbled upon this on the pages of Cooking Light magazine, I knew I would have to make it. We really liked it and I have made it several times. It's not spicy at all and we like spice, so I always serve it with a side of Salsa Verde.

The picture in the magazine showed it being served with coleslaw and watermelon. I also like broccoli slaw (and my store doesn't carry coleslaw, but they do carry broccoli slaw) so I whipped some up to serve along with it.

Both recipes are easy, although the Chilaquiles does take some time to prepare.

Chicken Chilaquiles

(adapted from Cooking Light)

what you put in it:
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 - 12-ounce can tomatillos, drained
12 6-inch corn tortillas



how you make it:
Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine chicken, green onions, 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, Parmesan, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Place milk, cilantro and tomatillos blender; process until smooth.

Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and heat in the microwave for forty-five seconds.

Pour 1/3 cup tomatillo mixture into bottom of an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 corn tortillas in dish, and top with half of chicken mixture, top with 1/3 cup of tomatillo mixture. Repeat layers with remaining tortillas, chicken mixture, tomatillo mixture, ending with tortillas.

Pour the remaining tomatillo mixture over tortillas; sprinkle with 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Broccoli Slaw

(my own recipe)


what you put in it:
12oz. bag broccoli slaw
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup dry-roasted, salted peanuts
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt




how you make it:
Place broccoli slaw, cilantro, green onions and peanuts in a medium bowl. Set aside.


In a small bowl combine lime juice, olive oil, sugar and salt, stirring well with a whisk.


Drizzle over broccoli mixture and toss to coat.






Enjoy!

(To play along with Favorite Food Friday click here!)

Chimichurri Sauce

I am so in love with Chimichurri sauce. I could (and do) eat it on absolutely EVERYTHING! The recipe I have for it was made to put a small amount (like a tablespoon) on top of a steak. One tablespoon is simply not enough of this yummy-ness for me. When I make it I usually double the recipe at the very minimum - usually around one batch per person - sometimes more. Besides smothering topping steak with it, I use it on baked potatoes and baked fries, as a salad dressing, eat it with a spoon, put it on chicken & pork chops... now I am craving it and will have to run to the market to get the ingredients. (It has crushed red pepper in it, but it is not at all spicy)

Ingredients
1/2 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 large garlic clove
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon water

Place all the ingredients except for olive oil and water in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add water and pulse a few times. With processor running add oil through chute and process until well blended.