Are you all familiar with Instagram? I know some of you are (since I follow a few of you who follow this blog). Instagram, for those of you who don’t know, is a fun little photo-inspired social media hang out. It’s a happy place, a community of some sort, where you can keep up with others (and vice versa) through the eyes of the camera on your phone. And if you aren’t into the whole sharing thing, it’s all good because there’s also a private option which enables you to use all the creative filters Instagram offers without having to make those photos public. Fun stuff.

So what does Instagram have to do with this Stuffed Cabbage Casserole? Well, I’ve met some pretty cool people through Instagram, not sure how honestly, but I can tell you if you post any picture that happens to do with food, healthy living, the beach or flowers then I pretty much get sucked in. I follow a gal named Powercakes on Instagram and have spent some time exploring her blog lately. It’s full of fitness inspiration as well as really great clean recipes, one of which inspired this version of Stuffed Cabbage Casserole.

Cabbage is one of those foods I want to love. I always pick it up with intentions to make something delicious with it, like this slaw, but I have to be honest – it sometimes goes to waste. One cabbage dish I have always LOVED is stuffed cabbage rolls. My grandfather makes them all the time and I’ve made them a few times myself (remember these Asian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls?). But let’s be real, we don’t always have the time for the whole rolling step do we? That’s why when I saw this recipe over on Powercakes, I got excited. Not sure why I never thought of this myself, but let me tell you it was absolutely DELICIOUS. Total comfort food, especially on a night where you are really in the mood for something saucy and baked. I made this casserole with lean ground beef because I’ve been really craving it lately, but it could easy be made with ground turkey as well.

I served it alongside simple green beans, but next time I am going to try it out over some Cauliflower Mash!

Note: give yourself enough time to bake this up, it took about an hour and due to poor planning on my part, I got a little HANGRY waiting around for dinner. I prepped the entire casserole earlier on the day that I was going to serve it for dinner, covered it in saran wrap and threw it in the fridge till dinner time. Leftovers for lunches ROCK.

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole
Recipe adapted from Powercakes
1 sweet onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb lean ground beef
1 medium head of cabbage, shredded
2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (I used the green pepper and onion variety)
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 small cans of mushrooms, drained (or 8 oz containers sliced mushrooms)
a good pinch of salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a nonstick skillet over medium, cook onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add your ground beef and continue to cook until browned.

While beef is browning, shred your cabbage by cutting in half, removing the core, then cutting in quarters. Slice each quarter into thin pieces. Set into a large casserole dish.

Top shredded cabbage with browned beef, mushrooms, diced tomatoes and sauce. Add about a 1/4 – 1/3 cup water to sauce cans to “clean” them out and add the saucy water to the cabbage mixture. Sprinkle everything with dried oregano, salt and pepper.  Bake for about 60 minutes in 375 degree oven until sauce is bubbly and cabbage is cooked through.

So I joined a CSA. If you follow me on Facebook, then you know I was excited about it…I went a little nuts with posting photos of all of our pretty vegetables after our first pickup. Here’s a little glimpse of what I’ve been taking home every week…

Holy veggies!

Beautiful lettuces…

Broccoli rabe and arugula…

And lots of cabbage. Green cabbage as well as lots of Asian cabbages like bok choy and napa cabbages. Also, lots of carrots, kale, and even got some collards this week.

So needless to say, I’m drowning in produce. And it’s not a bad thing…it’s keeping me on my toes, trying new recipes (and juicing what I can’t eat!) and I love that my kids are sharing in the whole experience of it all.

I posted a new recipe for Asian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls over on Family Kitchen yesterday. The whole family enjoyed it so it’s definitely a keeper! And it’s one of those recipes you can prepare ahead of time and pop into the oven when it’s time to cook, can’t beat that. I think you’ll like it. Go check it out!

Happy Wednesday!

on the Family Kitchen… (disclaimer: prepare to get hungry)

Oldies but goodies:

Sesame Noodles

Mexican Baked Penne (thanks for the delicious photo Kim!)

Fresh Corn Salad

Watermelon Mojitos

And a new recipe for you…

Cheesy Black Bean and Pepper Enchiladas

Have a great weekend!

I feel like I’ve been neglecting some of the carnivores in my life (my husband).

My husband loves his steak. I’m sure many of you do too. I personally don’t love steak, but I have nothing against it either. I just didn’t grow up eating it very often. As a matter of fact I actually don’t think I had my first “good” steak until I was dating my husband (hello filet mignon…).

When my mom did make steak back in the day, she always marinated it in homemade Italian dressing. I always remembered it having such a great zesty flavor when she made it that way. I actually really liked it, though now I know I prefer my steak medium vs well done (thinking back, I think there was a fear of undercooked meat in my childhood household).

My marinade is very basic: olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, thyme, crushed garlic cloves, onion powder, salt and pepper, no real measurements, I mostly eyeballed everything. I whisked it all together in a bowl and then added it along with two NY strips to a large zip lock bag. I let it marinate for about an hour in the fridge to let all those good flavors soak into the steaks. Feel free to marinate your steaks overnight.

We grilled our steaks, but these would be great under the broiler or in a cast iron skillet (or both).

(when I say “our” steaks…I actually mean my husband and my daughter’s, my son and I sat this one out.)

Sunday Steak Marinade

Recipe from Aggie’s Kitchen

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar (I used Holland House Red Wine Vinegar)
small palm full of dried oregano
small palm full of dried thyme
big pinch of onion powder
big pinch each of coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
2-3 cloves garlic, smashed with your knife

2 NY strip steaks (or steaks of your choice)

Whisk together all ingredients in a bowl. Add steaks and marinade into large ziplock bag. Squeeze all air out and seal tightly. Gently massage marinade into steaks for about a minute. Place steaks and marinade into refrigerator for at least an hour, or up to overnight.

Grill steaks to desired doneness. (Here’s a great page of tips for grilling.)

Our steaks were served with homemade roasted peppers, grilled sweet potato wedges and garlic onion rolls.

“Get Grillin’ with Family Fresh Cooking and Cookin’ Canuck, sponsored by Ile de France Cheese, Rösle, Emile Henry, Rouxbe and ManPans.

I’ve partnered up with Holland House vinegars this month for their Everyday Cooking campaign that is simply about how to include Holland House vinegars in your everyday meals. I use different types of vinegar almost daily, whether it be part of a salad dressing or a marinade just like this one.

For more ideas on how to use vinegars to spruce up some of your everyday meals visit Holland House Everyday Cooking on Facebook!

(Disclosure: I received products and compensation from Holland House for this post, but my thoughts and opinions are always my own.)

I know a lot of you will be entertaining over the upcoming July 4th weekend holiday so I really wanted to share this great recipe with you.  I originally came across it sometime last year here and then recently saw it again where it was originally created on Big Red Kitchen.  Robin Sue shows a great step by step that I always love to see on recipe sites (and secretly wish I could provide you all…but my kiddos and dogs just are not for it!)…

So here’s the deal with these sliders…they are awesome.  And part of the awesomeness is that they are super easy to prepare.  They are a little tedious in the plating department but if you set yourself up a little assembly line (pre-sliced rolls, plate of pickles and serving plate is all you really need) you will breeze through it.  The recipe makes 24 little sandwiches, so alongside some grilled hot dogs and some summery side salads then you are set to feed your family and friends without too much trouble!

Enjoy!

White Castle-like Sliders

Recipe from Big Red Kitchen

(printable recipe)

1/2 cup dried onion flakes
2 pounds ground chuck- 80/20 ground beef
1/2 t. seasoned salt (I used Montreal Steak seasoning)
6 slices cheddar cheese
24 small party rolls- (recommended:  Martin’s Potato Bread Party Rolls)
24 dill pickle slices

Evenly spread the onions on the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Gently press the ground beef on top of the onion flakes. Press evenly making one giant pattie. Sprinkle with seasoned salt. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Using a paper towel, pat the excess grease from the top of the pattie. Top with cheddar cheese, return to oven for 2 more minutes. Remove from oven, let set 5 minutes then cut into 24 patties. Slice open and separate each party roll. Place bottom of rolls on a large platter. Using a spatula lift patty with onion layer onto each bun bottom. Top each slider with a pickle slice then the bun lid. Serve immediately. Makes 24 Sliders.

Note- Store these upside-down in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This will prevent the bottom bun from getting soggy from the onion layer. To reheat, place a few on a microwave safe plate and heat in the mircowave for 20 seconds then 5 second increments after that until warm through.

Not sure what I loved more about this sandwich…how unbelievably delicious it was or that I didn’t have to cook it! 

If you remember this post, my sweet non-cooking husband had the urge to make something and blog about it. After watching Next Food Network Star with me one night he picked this recipe from the runner up Jeffrey Saad.  I must admit, I was pretty impressed by my hubby’s ambition and the outcome of it all.  If you can get your hands on some harissa (which we found at a local butcher/gourmet shop) please make this sandwich.  Make it exactly as it’s shown…the yellow tomatoes, the cuban bread…the harissa mayo.  It’s heavenly.  So heavenly that we decided it will be our last meal of 2009.  That’s right…Larry is going back into the kitchen for an encore, and I am thrilled!

Happy New Year to all of you!  Wishing everyone Love and Laughter in 2010!

See you next week with lots of new healthy recipes to kick of the New Year!

#1 Harissa Steak Sandwich

Harissa Steak Sandwich

Recipe courtesy of Jeffrey Saad

1 10-12 oz. New York strip steak or steak of your choice
3 Tb Harissa (Can buy it in the tube at many grocery stores or on line at www.kalustyans.com or www.surfas.com )
Salt and pepper
1 Tb olive oil
1/2 C. mayo
1/4 C fresh chopped mint
1/4 C chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic chopped
Pinch of salt
Sandwich rolls or bread of your choice
1 yellow tomato or tomato of your choice
2 C arugula leaves (watercress is good as well, spinach if you want less spice)

Heat up your grill, grill pan or sauté pan to medium high.
Season the steak with salt and pepper. Rub 1 Tb of the harissa on each side of the steak.
Wipe down grill with a little oil. Place steak on grill and cook for about 3 minutes. Flip. Cook 3 more minutes (this will yield MR depending on the thickness of the steak. Adjust for your taste and for the size of the steak).
While the steak is cooking place the mayo in a medium size bowl.
In a small sauté pan over med heat add the olive oil. Once hot add the mint and garlic. Cook for 30 seconds just until you smell the perfume of the garlic and mint. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Turn the heat off and stir. Stir mixture into the mayo. The warm mixture will immediately permeate the mayo with flavor and give it a beautiful color. Stir the remaining 1 Tb of Harissa into the mayo.

Grill the bread if you like. Spread mayo on both sides of the bread.
Slice the steak and lay across the bread.
Top with sliced tomato and arugula.
Enjoy!!

Makes 2-4 tasty sandwiches depending on how much meat you like!

Notes to insure tastiness!!

*New York, Rib eye or Filet mignon will be a treat and will be very tender. The thicker the steak the better because you can get a nice crust on the steak and still have a MR, juicy center. A thin steak will often over cook by the time you get a crust. You can use a less expensive cut that will also be flavorful but I would recommend cutting it thin before grilling so it is more tender. The key is to not overcook the meat or you will lose the juiciness and tenderness. Also, make sure to let the steak sit for ten minutes before slicing to allow the juices to re-absorb. They will then absorb into your bread instead of being left on the cutting board.

*Don’t let the mint and garlic turn brown unless you like the more toasted flavor. I like to preserve the delicate perfume of the mint and garlic which then permeates the mayo and creates a fresh, bright balance to the deep, spicy richness of the harissa.

*Make sure your grill, grill pan or sauté pan is hot and oiled before you place the meat down or the moisture of the harissa will make the steak stick.

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I picked up a London Broil the other day on sale at Publix.  I wanted to treat my husband to a good steak dinner….since that is his favorite…since I’m watching my calories, I compromised by picking up a leaner cut of beef like this one so I wouldn’t feel too guilty eating it with him.  I love how economical London Broil is…it’s often on sale and you can get several meals from one good sized steak.  You can use your leftovers for so many things…quesadillas, salads, stir fries, sandwiches…the ideas are endless.  You can also throw those leftovers in the freezer for a future meal.

The few times I have made London Broil I have grilled it and it’s turned out great.  This time, I really wanted to cook it in the oven, alongside some veggies to keep things quick and easy.  Earlier in the day I put together a marinade of balsamic vinegar, stone ground dijon mustard and lots of garlic and let the steak marinate for the afternoon.  My steak marinated for only about 5 hours, but you can easily let it sit in the marinade overnight and/or all day…the longer the better as far as I’m concerned.

To keep things simple, I decided to roast some tomatoes and asparagus as well.  These sides are super easy, super good for you and well…just plain super.

London Broil with Mustard, Balsamic Vinegar and Garlic Marinade
Recipe from Aggie’s Kitchen
(Printable Recipe)

1.5 lb London Broil
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
2 TB stone ground Dijon mustard
1 TB Worcestershire sauce
4 garlic cloves, minced (or less depending on your love of garlic!)
salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl, combine Balsamic vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic and salt and pepper. Place London Broil in a zip lock bag. Pour marinade into bag, making sure to coat and massage the steak with marinade. Place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight and/or all day.

Preheat broiler/oven to 450 degrees. Using tongs, pull steak out of ziplock bag and place on broiler rack. Spoon over about 2 tablespoons of marinade over steak. Place in oven a cook for approximately 5-7 minutes per side (for a 1 inch steak) for medium. Add more time for a thicker steak or if you like it more well done (I recommend medium rare – medium for most tender). Once steak is done cooking, let rest on cutting board for at least 5 minutes before slicing. Make sure to slice against the grain (click here for a demo).

Simply Roasted Tomatoes and Asparagus
(Printable Recipe)

handful of asparagus, trimmed and rinsed
plum tomatoes, halved
salt and pepper
olive oil
basil, chopped finely (optional)

Preheat broiler/oven to 450 degrees. Place vegetables on a baking sheet (use aluminum foil to line the pan for easier cleanup). Drizzle or spray olive oil over vegetables, sprinkle salt and pepper and gently toss asparagus. If using, sprinkle tops of tomatoes with basil.

Cook for about 15 minutes under broiler or until soft and slightly browned.

What to do with your leftovers?  Here are some great ideas:

Steak and Gorgonzola Quesadillas

Leftover Steak Salad

Leftover Steak Hash

Thai Curry Spaghetti Squash

Rigatoni with Steak Sauce

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Don’t forget to vote everyday! 

Thanks!

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This week is the last week of the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner Wednesday Challenge.  I was pretty happy to see that this last week’s recipe was one that I’ve been wanting to try.  After seeing Julie & Julia with me, my husband requested I make Beef Bourguignon.  Although it sounded and looked delicious in the movie, I wasn’t sure if a dish like it would just casually enter my weekly dinner menu.  Well it did.  And it was surprisingly simple enough thanks to Mr. Crockpot!

I successfully transformed the Beef Bourguignon recipe given to me by the Beef people into a slow cooker meal.  I usually turn away from recipes that call for beef browning, but this time I planned ahead and browned the beef cuts the night before and stored them in the slow cooker bowl in the fridge over night.  The next morning I dumped in some carrots, onions, mushrooms, wine and seasonings and plugged in.  It was so easy and I can’t tell you how thankful I was when I got home from a really busy day of running around to the smell of beef stewing in wine.  It was well worth the extra effort the night before, I promise.

I have never had Beef Bourg (as I will lovingly refer to it as from this point on…that is one long word!) before so I don’t know what to compare it too.  I omitted the bacon in the recipe to save on some calories, and added extra carrots and onions.  And instead of beef broth, I added 1/2 cup of water to the beef drippings in the pot I used to brown the meat, deglazed the pot and added the flavored liquid to the slow cooker.  After cooking on low for 8ish hours, the meat was totally fork tender.  It was delicious, and so were the mashed potatoes I made to go with it.

Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
Recipe adapted by Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner

2 pounds beef chuck shoulder pot roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup beef broth
2 cups Burgundy or other dry red wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 crushed garlic cloves
2 teaspoons dried marjoram leaves, crushed
8 ounces baby carrots (about 1-3/4 cups)
8 ounces fresh pearl onions, peeled or frozen pearl onions
8 ounces mushrooms, cut in half if large
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Lightly coat beef with flour. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in stockpot over medium heat until hot. Brown 1/2 of beef; remove from stockpot. Repeat with remaining beef, adding oil as needed. Remove beef from stockpot and into slow cooker; season with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup water to stockpot and deglaze beef drippings.  Add this broth to slow cooker.

Stir in wine, tomato paste, garlic and marjoram. Add carrots, onions and mushrooms.

Cook on low heat for 8-10 hours.

Simply Mashed Yukon Golds
Recipe from Aggie’s Kitchen

8 yukon gold potatoes, quartered on halved (depending on size)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 -3/4 cup lowfat milk
2 TB non fat Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
1 TB butter (I use Smart Balance)
4 garlic cloves, pressed
chives, optional

Place potatoes (with skin on) in pot, cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are fork tender. Place cooked potatoes into mixing bowl (I use my handy Kitchen Aid). Add butter, Greek yogurt and milk and start to mix. Start with 1/2 cup milk and add more if needed to taste.  Add pressed garlic, chives (optional) and salt and pepper and continue to mix until it reaches desired consistency.

The winner of The Vegetarian Family Cookbook is Christina!  I drew the number 12 using Random.org and the 12th comment was:

Christina said… Ok, I just posted a comment on the other blog. These look so yum too!!

Congrats Christina!  I will contact Nava and she will send you your cookbook!  Thank you all for your comments and participation!

Ok…on to another great giveaway…

The folks over at Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner are generously giving away a gift bag full of great goodies to one of you lucky readers!  The Beef Cooking Gift Bag includes: a copy of The Healthy Beef Cookbook, a set of Crate & Barrel Grilling Tools, Sur La Table Mini-Steak Thermometers, a reusable shopping bag and other items to help you shop for and cook healthy beef meals.  I received one recently and LOVE it!

Leave a comment on this post to enter the giveaway.  Giveaway ends Thursday at 10pm.  Giveaway is open to US residents only.  I will announce the winner on Friday.  If you link to this giveaway post on Twitter, Facebook or your own blog, come back and leave an additional comment for a second entry.

PS…I had to laugh when I realized that my two giveaways this week consisted of a “vegetarian” cookbook and a “beef” cookbook…how ironic and funny…but it’s all good in Aggie’s Kitchen! 

Check out these other great blogs that have been participating in the Beef challenge this month!  Have a great day!

Kristen – Dine and Dish

Amy – Dinner’s for a Year and Beyond

Tiffany – Eat at Home

Andy – Dinner’s On Me

Kate – Cooking During Stolen Moments

Heidi – Tried and True Cooking with Heidi

Patsy – Family, Friends and Food