Stuffed Cabbage

This past Sunday, after seeing the gorgeous cabbage already at the market readying for St. Patrick's Day, I decided to make Stuffed Cabbage. This is a departure from this Irish girl's usual Italian sauce Sundays... And it was a yummy one!
<3 Lishie
PS- no worries, I will be bringing my Irish for St. Patrick's Day too! 

Stuffed Cabbage (or Galumpkis)
adapted from All Recipes.com via Pinterest

1 c cooked white rice 8 cabbage leaves 1 pound ground beef 1/2 small onion, chopped 1 egg, beaten s & p 1 tsp garlic powder fresh parsley 1, 29 oz. can tomato sauce

	Bring a large, wide saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add cabbage leaves & cook for 2 to 4 minutes or until softened; drain.
	In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, 1 c cooked rice, onion, egg, s & p, garlic powder & parsley, along with 1/2 c of tomato sauce. Mix thoroughly.
	Divide the beef mixture evenly among the cabbage leaves. Tuck them under & secure them.
	In a large skillet over medium heat, place the cabbage rolls, tuck down, & pour the remaining tomato sauce them. Add 1/2 c water. Cover & bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low & simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring and basting with the liquid often.

Crockpot Lasagna

OK, this recipe is good if you really have no time to put together a traditional lasagna & want to eat it that night. Also, if you have no luck with lasagna noodles, this is your recipe! It was ok for me. It was filling, my hubby liked it enough but 2 bothersome things- the "crunch" on top of course is missing & al dente? Ha! The noodles are VERY well cooked. Still, if you want lasagna fast, without much prep, make this:
<3 Lishie

Crockpot Lasagna

• 1 lb.  ground beef
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large can (24 oz.) tomato sauce
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 container  (15 oz.) ricotta cheese
• 2c shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/4c  grated parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 egg
• 2 TBSp  chopped, fresh parsley
• 6 lasagna noodles, uncooked

Brown meat in large skillet until most of the pink is gone, then drain & return to stove. Add in onion & garlic. Stir in sauce & oregano. Simmer for 20 minutes.  Mix ricotta, 1-1/2 c mozzarella, 2 TBSp Parmesan, egg & parsley.
Layer into Crock-pot:  Meat sauce/noodles (broken to fit)/spread cheese mixture. Meat sauce/noodles (broken to fit)/spread cheese mixture. Meat sauce/noodles (broken to fit)/spread cheese mixture. Cover & cook on slow for 4 hours or until liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses & allow to melt before serving. 

Sunday Dinner

Is there something that you always make & always look forward to eating as a family? Something that you will never tire of having? We have a few “somethings” like this but I have to say, nothing else exists that comes close to a huge pot of sauce & homemade meatballs.  This is other-wise known as “Sunday Dinner”. And yes, I am Irish. Ha! But my hubby is Italian. His mom makes the most delicious sauce…  & when we have hers, well she adds in sausage & braciole (A thin slice of meat, usually wrapped around a stuffing & cooked in its own juices). Well, for this Irish-woman, I have to say, I make a prêt-tee GOOD sauce!!! And my meatballs… Heavenly spheres on a plate…

I changed my meatballs up a bit this Sunday. Oh they were the same, huge size… But I made them caprese-style… Just add pasta & good, crusty bread. Oh we love a dab of cold ricotta on the side too!

What is your Sunday tradition?

<3 Lishie

Caprese Meatballs

• 1lb. ground beef (80%)
• 1/2 c bread crumbs
• 1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 c shredded mozzarella
• 1 clove minced garlic (I microplane it)
• 2 TBSp fresh Basil
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c AP Flour, for dipping/dredging
• 2-3 TBSp olive oil *add more between batches if needed

Place the ground beef in a large bowl. Add the next 6 ingredients onto the top of the beef, ending with the egg. Using your hands, gently fold all of the ingredients into the beef, combining them but not overly mixing them. Shape into 8 good sized round mounds.

In a saute pan, heat the oil on medium-high.

One batch of raw meatballs.

On a separate plate, place the flour for dipping. Using tongs, dip each meatball into the flour, gently tapping off the excess (flour). Place into the heated pan, 4 meatballs only in the pan at a time. Now watch the meatballs carefully- do not let them brown too much or burn... roll each around to make sure they equally brown on all sides. This technique "seals" the meatballs together, keeps them intact once they hit the sauce & allows for a delicious, juicy interior!

After the first 4 meatballs are "sealed", add them into the simmering sauce, covering them in it. Then repeat with the last 4 meatballs. Once all 8 meatballs are in the sauce simmering away, stir. Then allow your sauce to simmer for a minimum of 3 hours!!! Stirring every 15 minutes if the stock pan is on the stove. If in the crock-pot, leave be & stir at the very end. I allowed this evening's to simmer for 8 hours.

Go here for the Sauce recipe.

Stuffed Cabbage Meatloaf

I still had cabbage leftover from St. Patrick’s Day & had been hankering for stuffed cabbage. I just did.not.have.the.time to roll a whole bunch of little loafed-leaves… The word “loaf” resonated in my brain… Hmmmm how can I mimic the recipe while doing one large meatloaf? And this came about. It’s yummy & quicker than the traditional stuffed cabbage with the same charm. And if you ask a selection of Polish & Eastern European cooks how they make theirs… you will get so many different versions! The beauty of old traditions. I like to think of this as sort of my Italian-wife version…

<3 Lishie

Stuffed Cabbage Meatloaf

• 6 large, green cabbage leaves
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 c bread crumbs
• 1 large beaten egg
• 2 c marinara or tomato sauce
• 1/2 c finely chopped onion
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• s & p
• 2 TBSp olive oil
• 1 c water +more.

Place cabbage leaves in a pot of boiling water, cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook 4-5 minutes or until the leaves are soft. Drain & cool.

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, 1/2 c sauce, onion, garlic, oregano & s & p. Create a free formed “loaf” mound.  Wrap the mound in the cabbage leaves.

In an oven-proof skillet, heat the olive oil on medium. Add the rest of the tomato sauce. Stir… Place the cabbage-wrapped mound in the center of the skillet. Allow to simmer, then lower the heat… Add water slowly, as needed, as the liquid thickens for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven. After the meatloaf has steamed for 20 minutes, spray the top with cooking spray & place the skillet in the oven for another 30 minutes or until done. Serve sliced, topped with the sauce.

Stroganoff Pockets & a "Mommy" tip!

The stroganoff pockets are yummy but after them, this is pretty much a "mom" post... Sorry everyone if it doesn't pertain to you, just ignore the latter part... Here's a yummy & easy recipe that AGAIN, allows me to proclaim my love for these rolls (& nope, I do not get paid to advertise for P-Bury!!!!)

Stroganoff Pockets
adapted from Pillsbury.com

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 c mushrooms, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• S & P
• 1/4 c beef stock
• 1 c sour cream
• 1 c fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 cans Pillsbury® Crescent Rolls 
• 1 egg white

Saute the onions over medium-high heat until translucent. Add the ground beef & garlic, stirring frequently, until beef is only partially pink; drain oil from meat mixture & return to heat. Stir in the mushrooms, the garlic & the S & P. Add the beef stock & allow to simmer till the stock is nearly gone. Turn off heat & add the sour cream & parsley.


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prep a baking sheet with spray, set aside. Roll out the crescent dough on a lightly floured surface. Using two "rolls" create rectangles... On one half of the rectangle, dollup meat mixture. Overlap the other half of the rectangle & "secure" together. Do the same with the remaining crescent rolls. Place the pockets on the baking sheet, then brush each with the egg white. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.

And the mommy tip?!

Oh it is great (forgive me if you know this already BUT...) while crafting a lightbulb came on in my head.  Rare, but yes, it happens... And I realized that pipe cleaners are the PERFECT thing to use to clean out those persnickety straws from sippy cups!!! AHA! I soaked the sippy cup parts in warm, suddsy water then wet & pipe cleaned. It was wonderful.

They were originally used to clean pipes so... And I love me some pipe cleaner crafts too!

And what was the pipe cleaner craft?! Here's a peep at our Egg Buddies:

I know it is early for Easter crafting but these are so cute. And a great way to repurpose egg cartons. Just make sure you wash the styrofoam beforehand in case of salmonella.

What you need: 

• 2 egg holder pieces
• 1 pipe cleaner per "buddy"
• marker for the face

Use the pipe cleaner to connect both pieces.

Egg Chickadees:

Egg bunny (Just look at his little 'ol tail!):

<3 Lishie

Cottage Pie

So most call this a Shepherd's Pie but it's really called Cottage Pie. The difference? A Shepherd's Pie is only made with lamb or mutton... all other meat pies (except fish) are the Cottage variety. Call it what you'd like... I call it DeLish! My hubby doesn't like it (something about the carrots, peas & meat touching ;) ) so I make mine in individual baking dishes or ramekins which works perfectly for me.

<3 Lishie

Cottage Pie

• 2 TBSp canola oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 carrots, cleaned & diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 TBSp dried seasoning (I used rosemary)
• S & P
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 cup peas (frozen, but I used fresh)
• 1 cup beef broth
• 4 russet potatoes, cleaned, skinned, cubed
• 3-4 TBSp butter
• Splash of milk or cream
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• chives, to top

Heat the oil in a saute pan on medium-high. Add in the onion & carrots. Allow to cook a little, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, set the potato pieces in a sauce pan, then add enough water to cover the raw potatoes. Set the saucepan on high; bring to a boil.

When the onions are translucent & the carrots have softened, add the garlic & seasonings. Combine, the veg & seasoning. Add the ground beef. Stir, mix, combine the ground beef with the veg for a couple of minutes. Add the peas here. Pour in the beef broth & allow to simmer until the broth is reduced & the meat is no longer pink. Transfer to a sprayed & prepped baking dish.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Check on the potatoes...  When the potatoes are soft enough to slide right off a fork after being prodded, they are ready. Drain them, then add the potatoes back into the sauce pan. Add the butter. Mash the potatoes to the consistency you like, adding the milk. At the end, add the parmesan cheese. Spread the mashed potatoes over the meat & veg mixture in the baking dish. Sprinkle with more parmesan cheese.

Place the cottage pie in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the top is browned.  Top with chives if desired. Serve & enjoy!

Mom's Helper!!!

Bet you thought I meant my REAL helper, my little Gabriel, huh? Well he's awesome but I am talking about this super quick dinner that is a kid pleaser & mom pleaser (due to the ease) too! It's my take on Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper. Why buy that box mix when it's simple to make this yourself with fresh ingredients & less salt?!?

<3 Lishie

Mom's Helper

• 2 TBSp canola oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried herbs (I used a tsp parsley)
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 8 oz. elbow macaroni (or other small pasta)
• 4 TBSp butter
• 1 TBSp flour
• 1-2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large saute pan, with deep sides, heat the canola oil on medium. Saute the onion until translucent, add the garlic & dried herbs, stir to combine. Add the ground beef, browning it, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, boil the water for the macaroni. Cook the pasta al dente. Drain.
Drain the oil & liquids from the beef mixture. Combine the beef mixture & the macaroni back in the saute pan. Set aside.

Using a small sauce pan, melt the butter... Continuously whisking, add the flour. Still whisking, slowly add the milk... allow to thicken a little then the cheese until melted. You should have a creamy sauce.

Pour the cheese sauce over the hamburger/macaroni-mix & incorporate until combined. Serve & enjoy!

Ziti for Two made with Bolognese

& this is how "she" does it... I am so often asked, "How?! How do you work full time & get home, enjoy your child AND cook dinner?" Well, like I say time, & again, prep! I have this wonderful All-Clad Stainless Cassoulet with Lid & it really makes things easy for those nights when you just want to toss something prepped into the oven. In this case, from leftover sauce & pasta, I prepped a small ziti on Sunday in the cassoulet, burrowed it in the refrigerator & it made for a quick weeknight dinner/side. 

Enjoy! (We did :) ) 

(& Don't forget to enter my

Ella's Kitchen Giveaway &/or 

Sabra's Giveaway!!!)

<3 Lishie

Ziti for Two

• 1/2 lb. Ziti, cooked to al dente (see box directions)
• 1 & 1/2 cups Bolognese (see below)
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 & 1/2 cups mozzarella,shredded
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a bowl, mix the bolognese, ricotta, approximately half the parmesan & 1 cup of the mozzarella. Toss with the ziti. Place in small baking dish or casserole dish. Top with remaining mozzarella & parmesan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted & browning.

Bolognese

• 2 TBSp olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 TBSp tomato paste
• Splash of dry, white wine
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1-2 garlic cloves, whole but smashed
• 2 TBSp fresh basil, chiffonade
• S & P

Saute the onion in the olive oil on medium-high until translucent. Add the ground beef & stirring occasionally, brown it. Add the oregano & the tomato paste. Stirring, cook for another minute. Add the wine, stirring. Add the tomato sauce & garlic. Bring to a simmer & lower the heat to medium. Allow to simmer on medium for another 20-25 minutes (or longer since the longer, the better). Add in the basil & S & P, to taste.

Stove~top Stuffed Peppers

I can never get a good picture of stuffed peppers but believe me, taste trumps looks here! These are easy & delicious. I prepared the peppers for a night I had to work late, so my hubby could just place them on the stove. Turned out, it was a rainy, blustery day & I came home to this belly warming meal. 


<3Lishie

Stove~top Stuffed Peppers
4 bell peppers, cleaned out
 

Stuffing:
1 lb. raw, ground beef 
14 oz of tomato sauce 
2 cups of cooked, white rice 
I eye amounts: parmesan cheese, s & p, fresh parsley & basil & dried oregano & garlic powder & some bread crumbs

1/2 cup water

Mix stuffing, stuff peppers, add back their little cap hats :) Carefully place peppers standing in a deep sauce pan that has a cover. Extra stuffing I added to the bottom of the sauce pan. Pour the water into the bottom of the pot for the peppers to be slightly immersed. Simmer covered, on low heat, 1 hour watching that the pan doesn't overflow.

Enjoy!

Italian Meatloaf & Noodles

Hearty meatloaf is such a warm & comforting meal. When done right, it is delicious! With the weather these days, what more can you want?! Our family's tradition is to have it with egg noodles on the side. Try this recipe tonight- it's so easy, so juicy & beef, what's for dinner! :)

<3 Lishie

Italian Meatloaf

• 2 TBSp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 lb. ground beef (80/20)
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 c bread crumbs
• 3/4 c parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 TBSp balsamic vinegar
• 2 TBSp fresh basil, chopped
• S & P

In a small pan, heat the olive oil. Add & saute the onion until it is tranlucent. Remove from heat & allow to cool.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray or oil a loaf pan (I ove my glass Pyrex one).

Place all of the other ingredients in a bowl. Add the cooled onion & combine the ingredients. Form in a loaf~shape & place in pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until beautifully browned on top.

Serve with noodles & marinara.

Lasagna with Roasted Red Pepper Meat Sauce

Sunday went as planned, Church, then some shopping chores including the supermarket & home to food prep for the whole week & cook Sunday night dinner. I'm exhausted just typing all that. Sure weekends are suppose to be for resting, ha! What is that?!? Being a full-time working mom, I have to get chores done on the weekend & in order to get food on the table by 5/5:30, prep, prep, prep. So the prep begins with a meal plan as I writing my grocery list. I try to reuse ingredients at least twice... sauce & cheese on Sunday, then use some another day... etc. Then shop... get home & organize the food... clean the fruits & veg... And while making Sunday dinner, put together another for at least one other day. This would be that meal. 

Lasagna with Roasted Red Pepper Meat Sauce

• 1 TBSp Olive Oil
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 small Onion, chopped
• 3 cups Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
• 1 & 1/2 cups sauce
• 15 oz. Ricotta Cheese
• 1 egg, whisked
• 1 tsp dried Basil
• 1 package of OVEN-ready Lasagna Noodles 
• 3 & 1/2 cups shredded Italian Cheese mix  (provolone/mozzarella/asiago/parmesan/ romano)



Before

• Grated Parmesan
• 1 TBSp fresh Basil

Prep: Spray a 13"x9"x2" baking pan & set it aside. In a large sauce pan, saute the onion in the olive oil & add the meat. Cook until browned, then drain the mixture of all liquid. Stir in both sauces & the dry basil. 

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, egg & fresh basil. 

After

Putting it all together:

1.

Take the prepped baking pan & spread 1 cup of the meat sauce along the bottom. 

2.

Place 3 pieces of uncooked lasagna over the sauce, being careful not to overlap at all (they will expand!). Spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture evenly over the noodles. Spread 1 cup of meat sauce over the ricotta, then top the sauce with 1 cup shredded cheese...

3.

Place 3 pieces of uncooked lasagna over the sauce, being careful not to overlap at all. Spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture evenly over the noodles. Spread 1 cup of meat sauce over the ricotta, then top the sauce with 1 cup shredded cheese...

4.

Place 3 pieces of uncooked lasagna over the sauce, being careful not to overlap at all Spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture evenly over the noodles. Spread 1 cup of meat sauce over the ricotta, then top the sauce with 1 cup shredded cheese...

5.

Place the LAST 3 slices of uncooked lasagna noodles on top. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup of meat sauce over the top of these noodles. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese & some parmesan. Top with fresh basil.

6.

*If prepping for another day, tightly cover the pan in plastic wrap & refrigerate.

Once ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. <<< This direction is for my hubby ;) ~ Remove Plastic Wrap>>> 

Cover with aluminum foil & bake for 30 minutes. Take off the foil & bake for another 20-30 minutes, until the cheese is hot & bubbly.

For a Sunday night dinner, I won't use the "Oven Ready" Lasagna pizza because it does not taste fresh enough for me. But, for a prepared meal that will sit in the refrigerator for a weekday I will. I've found that is the best method for this oven ready pasta noodle variety. Why? Well, the pasta absorbs the moisture over night from the sauce. YUM! 

<3 Lishie

Sauce & Mini-Cheesy Meatballs

Sundays are always hectic & this past one was pret-ty busy! Between church & some chores including the market, time slipped though my hands. I had promised pasta, sauce & meatballs, only to get home around 4pm-ish. Uh oh. Well, well there's a will, there's a way... I ended up making sauce with mini-meatballs (as opposed to my gigantic, "normal" ones) & prepared a dinner for Monday (work begins to be extremely hectic this week), as well as some normal week prep within an hour! How? I twitched my nose, of course! Well really, this is how:

Sauce & Mini-Cheesy Meatballs

Prep the sauce first...

Sauce:

• 1 TBsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped & diced very small
• 1 clove garlic, kept whole, smashed
• 1 TBsp tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 large cans tomato sauce
• S & P
• 1 bay leaf (take out at end)
• Fresh Basil

Heat olive oil on medium & add the onions. Saute until they are translucent but not browned. Add in the garlic for a moment, stir. Incorporate the tomato paste into the onion garlic mixture & cook for another minute. Add in the basil & oregano, stir. Change the burner heat to low. Add in the bay leaf & tomato sauce... Stir in the sugar. Allow sauce to simmer on low while you prep the meatballs...

Mini-Meatballs:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese mix (provolone/mozzarella/asiago/parmesan/ romano)
• 1 clove minced garlic 
• 2 TBSp fresh Basil, chiffonade
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup AP Flour
• 2-3 TBSp olive oil

Place the ground beef in a large bowl. add the next 6 ingredients onto the top of the beef, ending with the egg. Using your hands, gently fold all of the ingredients into the beef, combining them but not overly mixing them. Shape into 24 tiny  round mounds.

In a saute pan, heat the oil on medium-high.

On a separate plate, place the flour for dipping. Using tongs, dip each meatball into the flour, gently tapping off the excess (flour). Place as many into the heated pan as you can. Now watch the meatballs carefully- do not let them brown too much or burn... roll each around to make sure they equally brown on all sides. This technique "seals" the meatballs together, keeps them intact once they hit the sauce & allows for a delicious, juicy interior!

After the first meatballs are "sealed", add them into the simmering sauce, covering them in it.  Once all the meatballs are in the sauce simmering away, stir. Then allow your sauce to simmer for an hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Make your favorite pasta & enjoy!!!! 

<3 Lishie