Cabbage Rolls

I had a pound of gound beef and was in the mood to do something different with it. After looking at a few recipes for cabbage rolls I came up with my own version. It was very good. My skeptical husband even liked it.

Cabbage Rolls:

1/3 cup cooked white rice
8 cabbage leaves
1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 can diced tomato w/basil and oregano

1/2 cup sauerkraut

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp worcheshire sauce

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, chopped onion, rice, soy sauce, worcheshire sauce, garlic, Italian seasoning, 2 spoon fulls of diced tomato, egg, and salt and pepper.

Bring a large pot of water a boil. Separate 8 large cabbage leaves from the head, and place in boiling water. Boil until soft, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from water, and set aside.

Into the center of each leaf, place a small amount of the meat mixture. Fold in the sides, and roll up from the bottom.

Place a layer of sauerkraut in the bottom of a large pot. Arrange cabbage rolls in a single layer over the sauerkraut, seams down. Cover with remaining diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 40 minutes.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

While looking for mexican dishes I can across this recipe from Lovestoeat's Weblog and decided to give it a go. Glad I did because this was super easy and very good.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken:

4 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup salsa-Fresh

1 package taco seasoning

1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup (condensed) or cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream

Add chicken to slow cooker. Sprinkle taco seasoning over chicken. Mix salsa and soup; pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Shred chicken with a fork. Stir in sour cream until heated, then serve over rice or tortillas. I topped mine with cheese, chopped green onions, and leftover green chile sauce from my chimichangas.

Chicken Chimichangas with Green Sauce

I was in the mood for mexican again and wanted to try something different. I found this recipe from Allrecipes. It was so good. I served it with a side of mexican rice and black beans with pico de gallo (recipe below). I forgot to top mine with cheese but did the next day on the leftovers. It was good without the extra cheese but definitely better with it.

Chicken Chimichangas with Green Sauce:

2 (10.5 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
2 (4 ounce) cans diced green chiles
5 pitted green olives
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning
1 pound shredded cooked chicken meat
8 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 (8 ounce) package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped green onion
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

Pour the cream of chicken soup into a blender along with the green chiles, olives, jalapeno, and lime juice. Puree until smooth, then pour into a saucepan, and warm over medium-low heat while proceeding with the recipe.

In a large bowl, stir together the cream cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, and taco seasoning until well blended. Fold in the chicken. Evenly divide mixture among the 8 tortillas. Fold each tortilla into a rectanglular packet around the filling.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray top of chimis with Pam and place in heated oven. Bake 10-15 min or till crispy. You may also fry them but I wanted a healtier alternative.

To serve, place a chimichanga on a plate, and ladle the warm sauce over top. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese and green onions. Finish with a dollop of sour cream.

Black Beans w/ Pico de Gallo

Black Beans with Pico de Gallo:

1 large tomato, diced
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon bacon grease
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons water

Stir together the tomato, onion, cilantro, and honey. Season with lime juice, vinegar, salt and pepper; set aside.

Melt bacon grease in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and onion, cook until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Pour in the black beans and water, season to taste with salt and pepper, then simmer for 10 minutes or until hot. Serve topped with pico de gallo.

Crustless Spinach Quiche

Crustless Spinach Quiche:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
5 eggs, beaten

1 small red bell pepper, chopped
3 cups shredded Muenster cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9 inch pie pan.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and red bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft. Stir in spinach and continue cooking until excess moisture has evaporated.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, cheese, salt and pepper. Add spinach mixture and stir to blend. Scoop into prepared pie pan.

Bake in preheated oven until eggs have set, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Stuffed Pork Chops

These were very tasty but next time I will pound the meat before stuffing the chops!

Spinach Stuffed Pork Chops:

2 butterflied pork chops

1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed and blotted dry

1/2 cup Ricotta cheese

1/2 cup Spaghetti sauce

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Place pork chops in a baking dish and sprinkle salt and pepper inside. Place spinach on inside of pork cop followed by the ricotta cheese and spaghetti sauce. Fold top of pork chop over and top with spaghetti sauce. Bake for 30-45 min or till done.

Recipe Exchange: Mar-A-Largo Turkey Burger

It was time for the next recipe exchange and I got Mar-A-Largo Turkey Burgers. It is a recipe from Oprah that she found while dining at Mar-A-Largo, Donald Trump's private club in Palm Beach. Click here for the original recipe. I loved this burger. It was not what I was expecting at all! I did cut the recipe in half and still came up with 6 big burgers.

Mar-A-Largo Turkey Burger:

1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
1/8 cup canola oil
4 pounds ground turkey breast
2 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. black pepper
2 tsp. chipotle Tabasco™
1 lemon, juice and grated zest
1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup Major Grey's Chutney, pureed

Sauté the scallions, celery and apples in the canola oil until tender. Let cool.

Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Add sautéed items and the remaining ingredients. Shape into eight 8-ounce burgers. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Season the turkey burgers with salt and pepper. Place on a preheated, lightly oiled grill. Grill each side for 7 minutes until meat is thoroughly cooked. Let sit for 5 minutes. Serve with a side of Mar-A-Largo Pear Chutney (recipe below) and your favorite toasted bread, pita or hamburger roll.

Mar-A-Largo Pear Chutney:

1 Anjou pear, peeled and diced
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. sea salt
1 1/2 cups Major Grey's Chutney
1/4 cup dried currants or raisins

Preheat oven to 350°. Toss the diced pears with the cinnamon and salt. Bake on a parchment-lined cookie sheet for 10 minutes. Cool and mix with the chutney and currants or raisins.