Month: September 2023

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Stuffed cabbage rolls

– 1 green or Savoy cabbage

– 1 lb ground beef

– 1 lb ground pork

– 2 teaspoons salt

– 3 teaspoons pepper

– 2 small onions, chopped

– 2 cups white rice, rinsed

– 1 cup milk

– 3 cloves garlic, chopped

– 2 eggs, beaten

Sauce

– olive oil

– 1 onion, finely chopped

– 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

– 1 large can of good tomatoes

– 5 Italian tomatoes, diced

– 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

– 2 teaspoons Worcestershire

– 1 tablespoon brown sugar

– Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut out the heart of the cabbage and plunge it into boiling water for 5 minutes. Take out and carefully remove the leaves, leave to cool and cut off the center rib for easy rolling.

Mix meat, salt, pepper, onions, rice, milk, garlic and eggs together.

In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and sauté onion for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat and add the garlic. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes, cider vinegar, sugar, and Worcestershire. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Place about 4 tablespoons of the meat mixture on a cabbage leaf. Roll into a cigar shape and tie or secure with a toothpick. Repeat.

Place a thin layer of tomato sauce in an ovenproof dish. Place the cigars side by side in the dish and cover with the remaining sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 90 minutes.

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Berkshire or crossbred pork rack roast

  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 sprigs fresh tarragon or rosemary
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • Salt and pepper
  • New potatoes halved and coated with olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper

Whisk Dijon and herbs together and add salt and pepper. Rub the rack with the mix and let rest for 30 minutes on the counter. Preheat oven to 425F. You can sear the rack before placing in oven, but I didn’t and it was great nonetheless! Place rack in roasting pan and add your new potatoes. Roast pork for 1.5 hours or until internal temp reads 145F. Remove and cover with foil to rest for 20 minutes. Slice between bones and serve with a side of green beans or buttered cabbage! Beautiful!

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Bitterballen, a tasty Dutch snack

–          500 gr Leftover roast meat, shredded (chicken, pork, beef, lamb)

–          1.5 cup braising liquid, fat removed, from your roasts, alternatively make some broth with meat bones of your choice, onion, garlic, carrots, small piece of star anis, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper.

–          40 gr butter

–          40 gr flour

–          ¼ tsp allspice

–          Half a bunch of parsley, finely chopped

–          Salt and pepper

–          Panko

–          4 eggs, beaten

–          200 gr flour

–          Your favorite mustard for dipping

Shred your leftover meat and cut up finely (you can use a food processor to pulse the meat a bit to avoid getting big chunks in your mix. Melt butter in pan, add flour and whisk, cooking over low heat until a blonde roux is made, 3-4 minutes. Add braising liquid little by little whisking to avoid getting lumps. Once all liquid is mixed add meat, allspice, parsley and pepper. Cook gently until it thickens, 2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Let cool on a cookie tray for 10 minutes then cover with plastic wrap and store in fridge for at least two hours until completely cooled. Roll mixture into balls a bit smaller than a ping pong ball. Dredge balls in flour, then dip in beaten egg and finally panko breadcrumbs. Once breaded you can freeze on a tray and transfer to ziplocs to avoid them sticking together. Fry at 350F for 5 minutes or until golden colored and hot in middle. Enjoy with a good strong mustard and a beer or a gin (bitter).