Up and Running

Kicking off the new year in the kitchen to jump start these resolutions. In order to ease myself into things, I'm sticking with what I know. Comfort food is the quintessential commodity that carries me through the cold midwestern winter months, so up first is  an old favorite with a twist: MK's Cabbage Rolls

Even if you don't eat vegetarian, I think you'll like these crumbles; Mike does; but, he basically eats everything...If you're truly resistant, some sort of italian sausage should do the trick.

I remove and boil the leaves of a medium sized head of cabbage for about 15minutes, or until they change color and become mostly translucent and tender.

At the same time, I sauté some mixed veggies. I like easy, so I used a frozen variety containing different squash, asparagus, carrots, onion and peppers.

Next, I add the crumbles, 32oz crushed tomatoes, 2 cups of prepared long grain/wild rice, and 1/2c grated parmesan cheese to the vegetables. Remove from heat.

Strain the cabbage and allow it to cool to a manageable temperature.

The next part is the key to my success. I use a small (spice) bowl and piece of plastic wrap to form my rolls (pods).

With the plastic over the bowl, I set a cabbage leaf inside the bowl and fill it with the vegetable/rice mixture.

Next, I gently fold the exterior portions of the leaf toward the center and draw-up all sides of the plastic around the cabbage.

To form a firmly sealed pod, twist the plastic tightly down toward the cabbage roll.

When you remove the roll, you should have a beautifully shaped, secure little cabbage 'pod'. At times, I find it necessary to use more than one cabbage leaf to assure enough coverage. It's especially helpful to overlap smaller leaves in order to guarantee you don't end up busting out on all sides.

Continue in this fashion, recycling your plastic pod former, until you've used up all your cabbage and filling. When/if I have extra filling, I like to pour it over the top of the rolls.

Next, I sprinkle the rolls with a handful of grated parmesan and bake them at 350 for approximately 40-50min.

Super delicious! And, they make easily transportable leftovers for weekday lunches! Bon Appetit! 

I hope your New Year resolutions and ambitions are off to a shining start!