The other day I was
checking what was in my refrig and found I had all the ingredients
to make cabbage rolls. It occurred to me that I had been making cabbage
rolls the same way for the last 60 years and I just needed to do
something different.
First I looked on
Google and there were multiple cabbage-roll recipes "like your
grandmother used to make." I am the
grandmother and I don't want cabbage rolls like I used to make--I wanted to
reinvent cabbage rolls.
When I checked out
some online videos, I found a lot of Hungarian, German, Polish, etc.
recipes, which is just like I always make. But I also found Vietnamese cabbage rolls,
Greek cabbage rolls with a white sauce, and Italian cabbage rolls.
So I started thinking about it and decided I was going to change almost
every ingredient in my recipe. I would use a different meat, a different
cabbage, a different sauce, etc.
In short, I was
going to reinvent my cabbage rolls. To
begin with, I had always used ground beef and will substitute ground pork
mixed with some deli corned beef. In
the past, I have always used rice. Now I’d
like to use barley instead. But I don't
have any barley. I do have some chickpeas, which I will put in the
blender. I replaced regular cabbage with milder Napa cabbage. A tomato-cream soup can replace the
tomatoes, and, a Swiss cheese instead of the usual sour cream.
These new
ingredients were reminding me of a Reuben sandwich. Anyway, I tried the
changes and it was different and delicious. I want to get
the ingredients for the Greek version and wlll use a lemon-wine sauce and
ground lamb.
You can tell I'm
bored when I start reinventing recipes. Also, this week I'm going to do an old pastry
recipe--a poppy-seed roll. I will add jam to the
filling as well...why not?
When what do you
have any garbage noWhen
My late MIL made wonderful cabbage rolls. Me? I just boiled cabbage and served it with pork chops. I come from English and Scots heritage; my late MIL was a Yiddish Mama. I couldn't make a cabbage roll if my life depended on it -- but I can do a great pot roast, rump roast of beef or meaty/veggy chicken soup. And yes -- Scotch broth! (a slow-cooker makes that easier) So enjoy what you make, and have fun. May it keep you warm and cozy -- and bless you in this new year!
ReplyDeleteI’ve been using chard in place of cabbage, which is very delicious
ReplyDeleteI love cabbage rolls but don't have them very often. It's been years actually. I think cabbage is an underrated cooked vegetable, I love it. Enjoy your new recipes for it!
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