Unstuffed Cabbage

Posted on March 12, 2015 by kitchenbelle

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This recipe is a weeknight standby in our house and has been for years. In fact, it was the first recipe I ever posted to this little blog seven years ago.

Check out the stats and you will see why it has survived the test of time:

  • One pot
  • Gluten free
  • Easy to make
  • Filling
  • Tasty
  • Reheats well
  • Not many ingredients

Most of Ellie Deaner’s recipes follow suit, which is why my copy of her cookbook is plastered with sticky notes. She is the weeknight dinner recipe queen in our house!

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If you are struggling getting home cooked meals on the table during the week, this is a good recipe to try. (Additionally, it is a  great one to introduce little ones to cabbage!)

Unstuffed Cabbage:

  • 1 lb. ground beef, turkey, chicken, or lamb
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 cup raw brown rice
  • 28 oz. jarred tomato sauce
  • 1 head of cabbage,shredded
  • 1 1/4 cup vegetable or chicken stock
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • grated parmesan cheese

Cook the ground meat and onion in a large pot stirring occasionally until meat is no longer pink and onions are soft. Add the rice, tomato sauce, cabbage and stock. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 20-25 minutes or until rice and cabbage are cooked. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve.

Adapted from So Easy, So Delicious by Ellie Deaner.

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Filed under: beef, cabbage, ground meat, rice | Tagged: , , , | Leave a comment »

Brown and Wild Rice Salad with Mandarin Oranges (and Cooking Matters)

Posted on November 3, 2011 by kitchenbelle

Over the past six weeks I have been a volunteer chef for Cooking Matters. If you haven’t heard of Cooking Matters, I suggest you check it out. Their website articulates their impressive mission:

Cooking Matters courses teach family members skills that will last a lifetime and more as they share them with relatives and friends. When families practice what they’ve learned in Cooking Matters courses—how to plan, purchase, and prepare healthy, tasty, and affordable foods at home—they are winning the fight against childhood hunger and protecting themselves from the destructive consequences of poor child nutrition.

Once a week, approximately 15 participants, a volunteer nutritionist, a volunteer assistant, the course coordinator, and myself all gathered to prepare a healthy meal together and discuss nutrition and technique. Each week we focused on something different and each week participants took home a bag of fresh groceries so that they could replicate for their families the meal we made in class. I find the whole idea brilliant!

Spending time with the participants was humbling. Their enthusiasm was contagious and their appreciation obvious.  At the end of the course, each one gave me a big hug and expressed the most sincere gratitude. It was incredibly touching.

Not only was I enthralled by the participants, but also I fell head over heels in love with the Cooking Matters recipes! They exceeded my expectations in the best way possible. Each recipe was interesting, delicious, loaded with healthy grains and nutrients, and easy to prepare. I found myself making several of the recipes over and over at home for my family. (In fact, there is a chicken recipe that I have made four times, yet every time we have eaten it before I have had the chance to photograph it!)

I found this Brown Rice and Mandarin Orange salad to be particularly wonderful. It is a perfect side to a protein, yet stands up well on its own for a vegetarian lunch or dinner. It is very filling and fresh tasting. I jazzed it up by adding one of my favorite ingredients, wild rice, however, using only brown rice works just fine. I left a large bowl of this in my fridge for a week and ate a healthy helping for lunch every day!

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If you are interested in reading about other blogger experiences with Cooking Matters you can check out these posts:

Brown and Wild Rice Salad with Mandarin Oranges:

  • 1 cup brown rice
  • 1/2 cup wild rice
  • 1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
  • 1 cup mandarin oranges, canned in light syrup
  • 3 scallions
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 cup canola oil

Cook both types of rice according to package directions and set aside.

Drain mandarin oranges and reserve juice.

Rinse and chop scallions.

In a medium bowl mix Mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, scallions,
almonds and rice.

In another bowl whisk together lemon juice, mandarin orange juice,
and pepper. While still whisking, slowly drizzle in the oil until dressing
forms.

Pour dressing over salad and mix well. Let rest at room
temperature for 10 minutes to allow flavors to combine.

 

Filed under: Main Dish, orange, rice, Side | 2 Comments »

Lentil and Brown Rice Soup

Posted on September 22, 2011 by kitchenbelle

The weather has been a little strange lately. We had a few gorgeously crisp fall days followed by some summer-like weather. Today is rainy and humid. That said, we are technically in soup season and there’s nothing like a pot of soup simmering on the stove to warm the house and beckon your family.  Soup is so practical too–make one large pot at the beginning of the week and reheat it for several lunches and dinners during the days that follow.  Better yet, freeze the leftovers. This recipe is chock full of nutrients and fiber.  It is also hearty, filling, and delicious.

Ideas:

–Transform this recipe to vegetarian by using vegetable stock in place of the chicken broth and beef stock.

–Serve with a warm crusty baguette for a wonderfully satisfying weeknight meal.

–For easy entertaining, make a pot and invite some friends over to watch a football game (go Patriots!)

–Perfect for a Halloween dinner because it won’t require your attention while you answer your door to trick-or-treaters!

Lentil and Brown Rice Soup:

  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 4 cups beef stock
  • 1 1/2 cups dry lentils (picked over and rinsed)
  • 1 1/2 cups long-grain brown rice
  • 1  28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 3  14-0unce cans diced tomatoes with garlic and olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 large stock of celery, chopped
  • 3 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 large carrots, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 2 handfuls of fresh spinach
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

In a large pot (I used Le Creuset) combine broth, stock, lentils, rice, tomatoes, onion, celery, garlic, carrots, oregano, thyme, bay leaf, and vinegar. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and cover pan. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 45-55 minutes or until the lentils and rice are tender. Stir in spinach, salt, and pepper. Don’t forget to remove and discard the bay leaf.

Adapted from So Easy, So Delicious by Ellie Deaner. Buy it!

Filed under: beans, Fall, Main Dish, rice, soup, spinach, tomato, VEGETARIAN | 2 Comments »

Beef and Green Beans

Posted on May 31, 2011 by kitchenbelle

Tonight I bring you another easy, fresh, week night, go-to dinner!  If you’ve followed this blog for a while, you may recall that I find it incredibly gratifying to prepare meals that have the flavors of takeout that I am drawn to, yet are healthy, fresh, and not loaded with MSG, unhealthy oils, and unknown ingredients.  My husband’s favorite Chinese food takeout is beef and broccoli. He orders it every single time. This recipe is very similar in taste to beef and broccoli yet the fresh garlic and ginger really bump up the flavor. Serve over brown rice and it is a delicious and filling week night dinner. We enjoyed every bite!

 Notes:

  • Flank steak is a reasonably priced piece of meat that cooks up quickly. Don’t forget to season both sides with salt and pepper prior to cooking.
  • Red pepper flakes add a hefty kick of spice. Add less or more depending on your preferences. Start with less–you can always add more!
  • Fresh garlic and fresh ginger are “superfoods.” I try to incorporate them into week night meals whenever possible.

If you like these types of meals you may also enjoy:

Beef and Green Beans:

  • 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
  • 1/3 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • a few glugs of cooking oil (olive or vegetable are fine)
  • 1 pound fresh green beans rinsed, trimmed, and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 lb. flank steak, seasoned with salt and pepper and thinly sliced against the grain
  • 1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
  • 4 scallions thinly sliced

{If you wish to serve over brown rice, prepare rice according to package directions and set aside.}

Whisk together first five ingredients. Set aside.

Heat a glug of oil in a large skillet over high heat.  Add green beans and cook until they are tender but still crisp.  Move beans to a bowl and set aside.

Heat two more glugs of oil in the empty skillet. Add steak slices and cook until brown.

Add beans back to pan and then add water chestnuts, garlic, and ginger. Toss to combine all ingredients. Add hoisin sauce mixture. Toss again to coat. Be sure sauce and vegetables are heated through. Serve over prepared brown rice. Garnish with scallion. Serve immediately.

 

Inspired by America’s Test Kitchen 30 minute Suppers, Summer 2011.

Filed under: beans, beef, Main Dish, rice, steak | 2 Comments »

Chicken Picadillo

Posted on June 9, 2010 by kitchenbelle

I’ve been slacking a bit in the dinner department lately and I haven’t liked it one bit!  A combination of plans filling the last couple of Sundays, very hot weather that makes me a bit lethargic and less than eager to hang out behind the stove, and a myriad of other excuses have prevented me from doing my usual weekly shopping and meal planning.  Therefore, weeknight dinners have been pulled together by combining a little of this and a little of that.  

This weekend I decided enough was enough and we did our shopping on Saturday.  I filled the cart with all sorts of fresh fruits and veggies and outlined some meal ideas so that we could eat well for both lunch and dinner all week.  Man do I find that gratifying!

The thing about meal planning that I find tricky is I don’t love setting a strict schedule. Tuesday:  chicken Marsala, Wednesday: rice and bean burritos, Thursday: baked fish etc. makes me feel restricted and who likes that? I don’t like being pigeon-holed that way. Every time I have tried to do something along those lines I end up coming home from work not feeling like whatever it was that I had planned. I much prefer to set up some loose ideas at the start of the week and then just kind of “go with it” during the week. So that’s what I did!

I found this Chicken Picadillo recipe in Tosca Reno’s Eat Clean Cookbook. While the methods and actual recipe instructions in this book aren’t exactly perfect, her ideas for fresh clean meals composed of wonderful flavors and ingredients are very inspirational.  And even more exciting is the fact that the photos in the book are stellar.

While I am sure this recipe is not a traditional picadillo (I wasn’t even sure what a picadillo was until I Googled it), it is a wonderful, hearty, delicious, and flavorful dinner. I made a few adaptations and I have included them in the recipe below. 

The garlic, peppers, cumin, and cilantro pack lots of fresh flavor punch. And the combination of fresh and canned tomatoes really boosted the texture freshness factor.

I served this over brown rice the first time we ate it and over baked potatoes the second time. (With the baked potato I added a small scoop of sour cream and a few extra tablepoons of fresh cilantro–wow was that a delicious dinner!)

Tip: I think grilled tofu would be a great vegetarian substitution for the chicken in this recipe!

Chicken Picadillo:

  • a few glugs of olive oil
  • 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts (If you have time marinate the chicken in some olive oil, a splash of vinegar and some salt and pepper before cooking. If not, rinse the breasts, pat dry and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a few dashes of ground cumin before cooking.)
  • 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 large red pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
  • 1 large yellow pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
  • 1 large orange pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
  • 1.5 Tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes, each one sliced in half
  • 1 14.5 ounce can of chopped tomatoes with jalepenos (I like Delmonte brand)
  • 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • handful of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Cook chicken using your preferred method. Poaching or grilling both work well in this recipe. Once it is done cooking, cut into cubes.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add onion and peppers. Cook until soft.

Add chili powder, tomatoes, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Continue cooking until veggies reach desired texture (we like them a bit soft but still with a little crunch).

Stir in chicken cubes and stir until mixture is heated through. Stir in fresh cilantro.

Peppers, tomatoes and spices simmering

I love using my grill pan to cook chicken breast

Adapted from Tosca Reno’s Eat Clean Cookbook.

Filed under: chicken, Main Dish, peppers, rice, tomato | 5 Comments »

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