TRANSYLVANIAN STUFFED CABBAGE – “ ERDELYI TOLTOTT KAPOSZTA”

TRANSYLVANIAN STUFFED CABBAGE – “ ERDELYI TOLTOTT KAPOSZTA”

There’s no Christmas Eve in my house without the delightful aroma of the stuffed cabbage cooking for hours and hours, filling up the house with that all familiar smell of Christmases long gone back in Transylvania.  My usual portion is 70-90 cabbages in this household but I will give you the smaller version here.  We love to have them even for breakfast during the Holidays.  I can reassure you, your day is set on a positive note after this meal.

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 head of SOUR CABBAGE ( it must be sour cabbage!!!!!! You can find heads of already soured cabbage in ethnic Eastern European stores)
2. 3 Lbs. of ground pork
3. 1 egg
4. ½ chopped onion
5. ¾ cup of rice
6. 3 Tbs. of thyme or the more authentic spice: “CIMBRU” in Romanian or “CSOMBORD” in Hungarian.
7. Vegeta, black pepper and paprika to season
8. 1 smoked pork knuckle – cut in pieces, but leave the bone in during cooking
9. 1 pair of smoked sausage – cut in slices
10. 1 Lb. of smoked bacon, Keiser – sliced in larger chunks
11. 1 huge lobster pot for cooking
12. water
13. 1 tomato – sliced
14. 1 red onion- round sliced
15. 3 Tbs. of thyme on top

Clean your kitchen sink thoroughly and fill it up with cold water.  Take apart the sour cabbage one leaflet at a time and place them in the water to take out the extra salt.

Mix the ground pork with the spices, egg and rice and put it aside.

Take your big pot and start layering: smoked pork knuckle, sausage and Kaiser (smoked bacon) pieces to cover the bottom of the pan. Use only half of the smoked meats.  You will need the rest for the top layer.

Now, you’re ready to fill those babies.

You must cut off the very hard middle part core section of the cabbage leaves and try to keep them intact so the filling will not burst out during cooking.

Get a handful of pork filling and start rolling it up from the harder part of the leaf towards the softer top of the leave, making sure you closed the sides also.

Now place them very close next to each other and fill up your pot only up to ¾, because during cooking the little cabbage people like to rise and overflow.

When you’re done and you might still have some leaflets unused, chop them up and sprinkle them on top.

 Now you can use the rest of the smoked meats and sprinkle them on top with the onion and tomato slices and the extra thyme or “CIMBRU”. Add water to cover it and some Vegeta and a pinch of paprika and start cooking it on medium flame. Depending on the size of the cabbage of course, it could take 3-4 hours until it’s done.

Occasionally you should check the water level and add some more so the cabbage heads are always covered.

You might want to cut one up and test the doneness of the cabbage.  It should be soft and not crunchy. Don’t worry about overcooking the meat; after all it’s covered by the cabbage pillow. 

Enjoy it with a dollop of sour cream and some fresh bread and wait for the gates of Heaven to open up with an angelic “Alleluia!”

EGESZSEGEDRE!                                                            BON APPETITE!

PRESSURE COOKED AND ROASTED TURKEY LEG

PRESSURE COOKED AND ROASTED TURKEY LEG

Who said you can only eat turkey around the Holidays? This fabulous recipe is for you to use all year around, especially in the summer months because it’s fast and won’t heat up your kitchen, unless you really want to :)

The only accessory you will need is a PRESSURE COOKER!

Any parts of a turkey you desire to make will become the tenderest and juiciest meat you’ve ever tasted in your life. Women in menopause or peri- menopause are in desperate need of Triptophan the so called calming amino acid found in turkey.  Believe me, I should know :) I’m a turkey addict, and proud of it. :)

 

INGREDIENTS:

1. Pressure cooker
2. 3-4 turkey legs, thighs, wings or breast, whichever parts you desire
3. 1 red onion, coarsely chopped
4. ½ green Italian pepper – sliced lengthwise
5. ½ red Bell pepper – sliced lengthwise
6. 8-9 cloves of garlic – sliced
7. 1 Tbs. of Vegeta or Garlic salt
8. 1 pinch of paprika
9. 3 cups of water
10. 3 Tbs. of olive oil

Clean and spice up your turkey legs with garlic salt, black pepper and paprika. 

Slice up your onions, garlic, green and red peppers and put them in the pressure cooker, fill it up with the water and olive oil, add the Vegeta and paprika and place the pre seasoned turkey legs inside.  Cover it with the lid and put it on high flame until you hear the steam sounds coming out.

 CAREFUL! STEAM IS HOT!

Lower the flame to medium and start reading your favorite book. In about 1 hour you can stop cooking it.

Place the pressure cooker under the cold water faucet in the kitchen sink and release the knob/s. When the cooker cooled off and the inside steam is gone, the lid will fall in by itself.  Do NOT handle it yourself. Now you can take out your turkey in a ceramic or any oven proof serving dish and pour half of the cooking juices over the bird parts.

Prepare your oven at 375 degrees and place the turkey inside the oven to roast for 20 minutes. 

If you are like my hubby and prefer anything meaty without the bones in it, be a good housewife and before putting your birdie in the oven to roast, take out the bones.

I know, he’s spoiled rotten :):)

You can serve this with any garnish you desire and a nice side salad. I made it with roasted garlic mashed potatoes with fried apple and onion garnish on top and a red onion, baby tomato and arugula salad with honey Dijon home made dressing and a dollop of cranberry sauce.

  

EGESZSEGEDRE!                                                           BON APPETITE!

BREADED CHEESE- "CASCAVAL PANE"

BREADED CHEESE – “CASCAVAL PANE”     

This is really a Romanian specialty but we embraced it immediately in Transylvania.  It’s one of the favorites in any Romanian restaurant, a quick and easy, delicious appetizer and I’m sure a kid’s favorite. But you must use a cheese called Cascaval (hard and tangy cheese) to make it authentic.  The finished product will melt in your mouth.  A great filler up or quick lunch idea.

INGREDIENTS:

1. 6-8 , ½ inch slices of cascaval or similar hard cheese
2. Salt, black pepper to season
3. For the breading: 3 separate containers: 1 with all purpose flour

                                                                      1 with 2-3 eggs, beaten

                                                                            1 with bread crumbs

4.   Olive oil for cooking

Slice your cheese and season it on both sides. Coat it with the flour first, then in the eggs and last in the bread crumbs. If you desire a fluffier coat, dip it back into the egg mixture and in the bread crumbs.

Heat up your olive oil and when hot, place your breaded cheese slices in the pan, turning it only once until golden brown. And you’re done!

You must eat this immediately or the cheese will harden if cold.

Serve it with lemon wedges or a side salad with some vinaigrette dressing.

EGESZSEGEDRE!                                                       BON APPETITE!

AVOCADO SALAD WITH A TWIST

AVOCADO SALAD WITH A TWIST

Healthy, hearty and God almighty!  Another fantastic appetizer you can serve at your dinner parties and see the guests eyes roll in delight.  Serve it with tiny crusty breads, or a scoop on top of some greens, delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

1. 2 ripe avocados
2. 4 eggs –hard boiled in salt water
3. ½ white onion – chopped
4. Vegeta or Seas salt, black pepper (freshly gound)
5. 1 Tbs of mayonnaise
6. Chopped parsley to garnish

Cut your avocados in half, discard the seeds and scoop out the insides in a mixing bowl. Clean your hard boiled eggs from the shells and add them to the avocado.  Use a potato masher to break the eggs and the avocado.  Add your seasonings and chopped onions, and the mayo.   Mix all your ingredients well and sprinkle it with chopped fresh parsley leaves.

You will have to work fast so the color of your avocado doesn’t turn brownish.  A good tip is not to use metallic spoons to handle the avocado but only plastic or wood. 

Now you can refrigerate it until ready to serve.  Before serving, turn the salad and mix it , again so the eventual green-brown color is not visible and mixes with the rest.

Enjoy!

EGESZSEGEDRE!                                                       BON APPETITE!