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| Stuffed Cabbage 3 ¼ cup long grain rice, rinsed 1 pound carrots, chopped 1 pound onions, chopped 1 pinch salt 3 tbsp. tomato paste ½ tsp. dried dill ¼ cup oil 6 oz. parsley, chopped 1 medium head cabbage Place rice in a medium bowl, and pour boiling water over it. let soak for 15 minutes, then drain. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add the carrots, parsley, onions, and tomato paste. Cook and stir until the vegetables are tender. Transfer to the bowl with the rice. Season the rice and vegetables with the dill and some black pepper. Stir until everything is well blended. Set the mixture aside to cool. Carefully remove the leaves from the head of cabbage, and place them in a large pot with about 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until tender and flexible. Remove the cabbage leaves from the pot, but leave enough in the bottom to cover. On the remaining leaves, place about 2 tablespoons of the rice mixture in the center and wrap the leaf around to cover. Place the stuffed leaves into the pot. When the pot is full, place a few boiled cabbage leaves over the top. Pour boiling water into the pot to cover the cabbage rolls, and place over medium-low heat. Cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the rice is tender. Thai Shrimp and Cabbage 1 cup shredded cabbage 3 tsp. vegetable oil, divided half onion, sliced 1 garlic clove, minced 8 uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 tbsp. water 2 tbsp. soy sauce 1 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes In a small skillet, stir-fry the cabbage in 1 teaspoon of oil for 2 minutes, or until tender. Remove and keep warm. In the same skillet, cook the onion and garlic in the remaining oil, until tender. Add the shrimp, water, and soy sauce; cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the shrimp turns pink. Stir in the cilantro and red pepper flakes. Serve over cabbage. Sesame Romano Beans 1 tbsp. canola oil 1 ½ tsp. sesame oil 1 pound fresh Romano beans, washed 2 tbsp. soy sauce 2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds Warm a large skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, pour in the canola and sesame oil, then place the whole Romano beans into the skillet. Stir the beans to coat with oil. Cook until the beans are slightly browned in spots, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in the soy sauce; cover and let sit about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds. Strawberry Oat Muffins 1 cup rolled oats 1 cup milk 1 cup flour 1 tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 1 egg ¼ cup oil ¾ cup brown sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour a muffin pan. In a small bowl, combine the oats and milk, and let stand 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the egg, oil, brown sugar, and vanilla. Blend in the oat mixture. Stir in the flour mixture until just moistened. Fold in strawberries. Fill muffin cups 2/3 to ¾ full. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cucumber Tomato Salad 1 cucumber, unpeeled and cut into chunks 1 tomato, cut into chunks 2 tbsp. olive oil ¼ cup balsamic vinegar fresh ground black pepper dash red pepper flakes dash of oregano In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients and season to taste. Cover and place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. Grilled Tomato, Onion, and Bread Salad 2 red onions, sliced ½ inch thick 2 tomatoes, cored 4 tbsp. olive oil divided 4 cups cubed French bread 2 tsp. dried thyme salt and pepper to taste 1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced ½ cup fresh shredded basil 3 tbsp. red wine vinegar 2 tbsp. olive oil Preheat a grill over medium-high heat. Brush the onion slices and the tomato slices with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and set aside. Drizzle another 2 tablespoons of olive oil the cubed bread in a large bowl. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, and pepper; toss well. Skewer the bread cubes with metal skewers. Grill bread on the grill until golden brown on all sides, about 3 minutes. Grill onion and tomatoes until soft, about 5 minutes. Chop the roasted onions and tomatoes into large pieces, and place into a large bowl along with the toasted bread, cucumber, and basil. Whisk the vinegar together with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to make a dressing. Pour over the salad, and toss to coat. Leek-Tomato Bake ½ cup bread crumbs ¼ tsp. dried oregano ¼ tsp. dried thyme ¼ tsp. dried basil 2 leeks, sliced 1 pound tomatoes, sliced 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese ¼ cup olive oil Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together, the bread crumbs, oregano, thyme, and basil. Place leeks in the bottom of an 8 inch baking dish. Layer with tomatoes and mozzarella cheese; top with the bread crumb mixture and then drizzle with the olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. |