Meatless Meals for Fridays during Lent!

Not sure what to make as a Meatless Meal for a Friday night during Lent?

Well…..

We’ve got some ideas for you! Here is one of our Windish/Slovenian Favorites:

Cabbage and Noodles!

List of Ingredients:

• 1 head of Cabbage
• 1 bag of Egg Noodles (my hubby likes the extra wide ones by Pennsylvania Dutch or Light n Fluffy, doesn’t matter to me lol!) ALSO…any noodle will do 😉
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Little bit of Vegetable Oil or your choice of cooking oil

Directions:

Chop up the cabbage into small bite-size pieces. Place cabbage in a large skillet with a little bit of cooking oil, salt and pepper (we use a large stock pot cuz we’re gonna mix it all together anyway lol). Sauté the cabbage until soft and lightly browned…salt and pepper to taste. While sautéing the cabbage, prepare the noodles according to package instructions. Strain the noodles and mix together with the sauteed cabbage.

Enjoy some Cabbage and Noodles hot off the stove!!! YUM!!!

Some people use this as a side dish, but we eat it as a meal! I absolutely love it!!! I usually eat way too much of it and get way too full…oops! But I do it every time! LOL!

Now, back in the day, my Grammy would chop the cabbage, place it in a large bowl with about a Tablespoon of salt sprinkled on top and let it rest for about an hour. She would then squeeze the cabbage (really builds the muscles lol) to release any water in the cabbage (the salt helps pull it out) and then sauté it. Sometimes I still like to do it Grammy’s way 😉

On the other hand, my mother-in-law would boil the cabbage in salt water until soft and then brown it lightly. And others like to put some chopped onion in too…that’s up to you! Different ways to come to the same delicious Cabbage and Noodle outcome! 😉

Let us know if you try our recipe and how you liked it 😉

More Meatless Meal recipes to come….

Filet Mignon Roast & Cookbook: Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom

This is truly one of my favorite cookbooks!  It is by a chef I absolutely adore!…. the one and only, Julia Child!  I have such respect and deep, soul, “cooking passion” emotion for this woman it is hard to put into words.

That said, this is one of those cookbooks that I refer to often and give as gifts to new brides, friends & family members.  My personal little green, hard back version is precious to me and it is centrally positioned in my “creating” kitchen.

Her famous, very detailed, 2 Volume Set, my husband Bob, gave to me as a gift one Christmas.  So special!  It was written with Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck — “Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volumes I and II.”  I also cherish these cookbooks —  for just the mere pleasure of reading and “dream” cooking with them.    This book however… is always near me… my favorite… my little green one.

In describing Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom book, I will use her words: “This book aims to give quick, snappy answers to many…questions.” “It is, rather,  a mini-aide-memoir for general home cookery…. ” “It began as my loose-leaf kitchen reference guide gradually compiled from my own trials, remedies, and errors — corrected as I’ve cooked my way through the years.  Now that it has evolved into a book, information is arranged according to the large categories of soups, eggs, bread, and so forth, with the emphasis on technique.” As for the essential techniques, “….in the roasting section for instance, the master recipe, though brief, details the technique.… Once you have mastered a technique you hardly need look at a recipe again and can take off on your own.”

And only as Julia can express with her heart on her sleeve… “My own little loose-leaf served me well, and I am hoping this book version will give you too, as well as me, many of the essentials needed for brief instruction and problem solving.”

Here’s a recipe selection under the category of “Meats, Poultry and Fish” — Technique, Roasting — Master Recipe: Our Filet Mignon Beef Roast!

This is a tried and true, favorite family recipe – used throughout the course of the year and consistently for our New Year’s Eve Celebration which I call…. “Foodie Wish Fest Celebration!”

To note… this recipe is always delicious and perfect —— every time!  
Enjoy!!  From our family to yours!
Or as Julia would say…..  “Toujours bon appetit!”  

Family Filet Mignon Roast* – A Foodie Wish Fest Celebration Favorite

Roasting time at 325 degrees – preheat oven

• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• Salt & pepper, freshly ground

For the Deglazing Sauce

• 1/2 cup each – carrots and onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup plum tomatoes, fresh, chopped
• 2 cups beef broth

1. Rub the exposed ends of the roast with oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
2. Arrange the roast in a roasting pan and set in the lower third of the preheated oven.
3. After 1/2 hour, baste the ends of the roast with accumulated fat, strew the carrots and onions into the pan, and baste with the fat.
4. Continue roasting, basting again once or twice, to a meat-thermometer reading of 125 – 130 degrees at the large end – for medium rare.  
   We prefer to roast it until medium – 140 degrees / medium well.   December 2012, 160 degrees was perfect for us!
5. Remove the roast.
6. Spoon fat out of the roasting pan.
7. Scraping up the coagulated roasting juices, stir in the tomatoes.
8. Blend in the beef broth and boil several minutes to sauté the tomatoes and create a concentrated flavor.
9. Correct the seasoning, strain and pour into a warmed sauceboat.

Enjoy!

*Adapted from the book’s recipe: Roast Prime Ribs of Beef

 

Family Recipe: What is a Rosette?

 

Rosette Cookies – A “Generation” Family Recipe*

 

1 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg (2 – if a flakier pastry is desired)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour, sifted

oil for frying
Rosette iron
paper towels

Mix the first five ingredients together and then slowly add the flour until the batter is smooth.
Heat enough oil (in a wide pan) to be able to deep fry.

For each rosette follow these instructions:
Dip “batterless” (rosette) iron into the hot oil until the iron is hot.
Dab the iron onto a paper towel – then dip into the batter.
Make certain you — do not — go over the top of the iron! It will run the entire batter.
Dip the “battered” iron into the hot oil — the batter will loosen itself – if you need to, nudge it off with a fork.

When it looks light brown… Turn the Rosette cookie to brown the other side.
When that side is light brown…. remove and drain on paper towels until cool.

Sprinkle with confectioners’ / powdered sugar.
Serve! and Enjoy!

We always know when people sample our cookies…….. by the powdered sugar on their shirts! 🙂 Enjoy!

*This family “generation” recipe was submitted to a local cookbook:

1992 – Ethnic Recipes, Traditions and Customs — St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church – Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Compiled by Mary Ann Lipsky
Illustrations and Narrative by Janet Kovalchick (a local artist and dear friend)
Small Drawings Assistant – Robin Gwen Lipsky (age 18)

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LifeDesigning 1 Team Confesses…

Foodies 101!

LifeDesigning1 is Admitting:  WE ARE FOODIES!

 

There comes a time when one has to confess… and the time is now!

 

We are……. FOODIES!

 

We are……. foodies from way back!  It’s actually generational!  

 

 

My Grandparents (mom’s) came to the United States from Austria, Hungary & Yugoslavia (specifically, in an area which is now Slovenia) with many wonderful hopes, dreams and passions!  The United States was a promise of opportunity, freedom… starting a new, abundant, prosperous life!

 

With them they brought many skills and talents… compassion, a strong work ethic, cooking, baking, farming…. and love!  The love of family, children, friends & community! 

 

What we will venture into here is the extension of their passion — ours now  — for Food!  

 

In the early 1900’s, my grandparents were Growing and Nurturing their food, initially, on their farm and then, on small plots of land.  

 

And…. 

 

They were Cooking and Baking It!  Surrounded by family, friends and community… they cooked and baked often and they did it with Passion and Love! 

Being Foodies… we will be posting about our favorites here:  

• Our Favorite Foods
• Recipes
• Cookbooks
• TV programs
• Classes
• Places we’ve explored, munched / dined at & purchase some of our favorite foods 
• And… of course, Restaurants!  Where we’ve dined and dine, some rather frequently!

 

This is our Adventure — Food!  🙂  

 

Good Times Ahead! 

A little example of what’s to come 😉