Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage

Red Cabbage, shredded (1 head)
Onions, sliced or diced (1 large)
Vinegar (1/2 cup)
Sugar (1/2 cup)
Water (1 cup)
Salt (2 tsp)
Cloves, ground (1/4 tsp or more to taste)
Cornstarch (2 tsp)

Add onions to large pot (Dutch oven) with the butter. Cook for a few minutes then add the shredded cabbage. Toss so the onions and cabbage are distributed evenly. Add vinegar, sugar, water, salt and cloves. Simmer for an hour or more on low heat until the cabbage is very tender. Add the cornstarch to some cold water and then add the mixture to the juices to thicken slightly.

Quick, No-Can Pickled Beets

My man loves pickled beets and whenever I have beets around, this is what I do with them because I don’t have a canner. You can also use store-bought regular canned beets for this recipe, which makes it much easier.

Beets (approx. dozen small-medium beets) OR 1 quart canned beets
Vinegar (1 cup)
Sugar (3/4 cup)
Salt (1/2 tsp)
Mustard Seed (2 tsp)
Celery Seed (1/2 tsp)
Cinnamon (1 tsp–to taste)
Cloves (1/8 tsp)

Peel and slice or quarter beets. This definitely where most of the effort comes in, hence the canned beets instead. Cook the beets in boiling water, which can take quite a while–over an hour, depending on how chunky your slices or quarters are. It’s extremely important that the beets are fully cooked, because no further cooking will happen to them after this process… and you don’t want crunchy pickled beets. When the beets are done, DO NOT REMOVE THEM FROM THE WATER. You want to keep enough of their cooking water so that they are mostly covered. This liquid will contribute to their “pickling” juice. If you’re using canned beets, likewise, keep all the beet juice they were canned in and add the entire cans to a pot and heat up the mixture.

Add vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard seed, celery seed, cinnamon and cloves to the beets and their juice. Cook until the sugar is dissolved. All done. Store in glass containers (or something that won’t stain–I use old pickle jars) and refrigerate for at least 24 hours for flavours to blend. Store in fridge for no more than a few weeks… these aren’t real pickles, after all, so enjoy quickly!

Glazed Meatloaf

This recipe is totally delicious and man-approved (mine voted it his favourite food ever).

Meatloaf
Oil (2 tsps)
Onion, chopped (1 medium)
Garlic, minced or pressed (4 cloves)
Eggs (2 large)
Mustard (2 tsps)
Worcestershire Sauce (2 tsps)
Salt (1 tsp)
Pepper (1/2 tsp)
Buttermilk OR Yogurt (1/2 cup)
Beef AND/OR Pork AND/OR Veal (2 lbs) — I used only beef
Bread Crumbs OR Crushed Crackers (2/3 cup)
Parsley, minced fresh or dried (1/3 cup)
Bacon (8-12 slices)

Brown Sugar-Ketchup Glaze
Ketchup (1/2 cup)
Brown Sugar (1/4 cup)
Vinegar, cider or white (4 tsps)

EQUIPMENT
Don’t make this in a loaf pan! Instead fold a few layers of foil to form a large rectangle. Place foil on wire cooling rack and place the rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Poke holes in the foil with a skewer about half an inch apart. Spray the foil with cooking spray.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.

First quickly mix up the glaze by adding all the ingredients to a saucepan and heating until thickened slightly. Set aside.

Saute onion and garlic with oil over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Mix eggs with salt, pepper, mustard, Worcestershire, and buttermilk/yogurt. Add egg mixture to meat in a large bowl along with the bread/cracker crumbs, parsley, and cooked onion and garlic. Mix with fork until evenly blended and the meat mixture doesn’t stick to the bowl. If it does stick, add more buttermilk/yogurt until it no longer sticks.

Turn the meat mixture onto a work surface. With wet hands, pat the mixture into a 9×5 in. loaf shape. Place the formed loaf onto your foil rack setup. Brush with half of the glaze and then arrange the bacon slices, crosswise, over load, overlapping slightly and tucking the tip ends under the loaf.

Bake loaf until bacon is crisp and loaf registers 160 degrees on a meat thermometer–about 1 hour. Cool for 20 minutes. Slice and serve with leftover glaze.

Inspired by: Cook’s Illustrated Glazed Meatloaf

Yummy Yummy Stir Fry

Chicken (2 breasts) [or tofu or other meat]
Ramen Noodles (1 package)
Broccoli, chopped into small florets (Small crown)
Onion, cut into large chunks (1/2 onion)
Leek, thinly sliced (1 small or medium, white part only)
Cornstarch (1 tbsp)
Sugar (1 1/2 tbsps)
Vinegar (1 tbsp)
Soy Sauce (1 tbsp)
Kung Pao sauce (1 tbsp) [I use Lee Kum Kee brand]
Garlic Salt

Chop all your veggies. While you’re chopping defrost your chicken in the microwave. When you’re done chopping the veggies, steam the broccoli and the carrots using your preferred method (I think microwave is easiest). Put your ramen noodles in some boiling water and let them soak until you’re ready for them. Slice the defrosted chicken breasts and put them in a frying pan or wok along with the onion and 2 tbsps of oil. Fry on high heat until chicken is browned and onions somewhat fried. Remove pan from heat.

Mix up sauce by adding cornstarch to 2 tablespoons water. Dissolve gently, then add vinegar, soy sauce, kung pao sauce, sugar and garlic salt. Adjust to taste.

Add sauce to chicken and onion pan along with steamed veggies, leeks, and drained ramen noodles. Cook at medium-low heat until sauce thickens.

I’ve done lots of stir fry experimentation (I like them as inauthentic as possible) and this is the yummy yummiest.

Refrigerator Pickles

Sugar (4 cups)
White Vinegar (2 cups)
Salt (2 tbsps)
Turmeric (1 tsp)
Celery Seed (1 tsp)
Mustard Seed (1 tsp)
Yellow Onion, large, sliced or diced (if you want relish)
10 Small Cucumbers, 4 Medium Cucumbers, or 3 English Cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced (approx.–add as much cucumber and onion as liquid permits)
Optional:
Red Pepper, sliced

Measure first six ingredients into large pot and heat to dissolve sugar. Move liquid to large container that will be used to store pickles in refrigerator (glass pickle jar, large tupperware–at least 1 liter sized). Add cucumbers, onions, (and peppers) to fill up to the level of liquid. Let stand for 2 hours; after it shrinks down, add more cucumber slices. Cover and store in refrigerator for up to six months (mine last for a year).

Inspired by: Company’s Coming Canning Recipes

Carrot Raisin Salad

Carrots, peeled, grated
Raisins
Cranberries, dried
Mayonnaise
Yogurt
Vinegar
Lemon Juice

Add it all together and mix it up!