Cabbage Soup with Beef

This time of year is soup and stew season to me. I love soups (I think I got it from Dad) and stews. Something so warm and comforting.

Trying to eat low carb makes some soups and stews difficult. I stumbled onto this recipe and it seemed to have everything I loved. So I decided to make it. I bought all the ingredients and came home tonight to make it. Only then did I realize it was an instant pot recipe...so I improvised.

The first recipe is  my version. At the bottom is a link to the real version.

Cabbage Soup with Beef
Recipe from Savorytooth.com

Photo courtesy of SavoryTooth.com

Serves 8

28 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 pound 90% lean ground beef
1/2 cabbage, chopped
3 c beef stock
3 c vegetable stock
1 c riced cauliflower (I used an entire bag of frozen riced cauliflower)
1/2 c diced onions
1/2 c diced carrots
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 T Worcestershire Sauce (my add)
1 T Tomato paste (my add)

Put ground beef in a stock pot and start browning. Then add the onion, cabbage and carrot when the beef is mostly browned. Then I tossed in everything else, stock and seasonings.

I let it simmer for about 20 minutes then served myself.

Here's the real recipe. If you have an instant pot and try this, let me know how it is.

The Best Swedish Meatballs

For my birthday this year, I did a birthday party where people bring their favorite appetizers. We always have enough to feed a small army and this year was no different.

I hadn't put much thought into what I was going to make so I sat with my recipe book (aka Paprika - an online recipe keeper) and went through my recipes.

I stumbled onto this gem. I knew I wasn't going to be up for making the meatballs so I bought frozen ones. They were fine, for tonight. I definitely want to make the real ones some day.

The Best Swedish Meatballs
Recipe from Cafedelites.com

Photo courtesy of CafeDelites.
She takes the best photos of her food.

Serves 6
Meatballs:
1/3 c breadcrumbs
1/2 c milk
1 large egg
1 large clove garlic , grated or minced
1/3 tsp salt
1/4 tsp EACH of black pepper and ground white pepper
1/4 tsp all purpose seasoning
1/2 of an onion , finely chopped
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
2 T fresh , finely chopped parsley
1 T butter
2 tsp olive oil

This is the part that I did make from scratch and it was delicious!
Gravy Sauce :
1/3 c butter
1/4 c plain / all purpose flour
1 c vegetable broth (or stock)
1 c beef broth (or stock)
1 c thickened (or heavy) cream*
2 tsp regular soy sauce
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper , to season

In a large bowl, mix the breadcrumbs together with the milk, cream (If using), egg, garlic, salt, peppers and spice. Allow the milk to soak into the breadcrumbs for at least 10 minutes.

Once the milk has absorbed some, add in the onion, meat(s) and parsley. Mix well with your hands to combine.

Roll meat into about 24 small balls, or 16 larger balls.

Heat 1 tablespoons of butter and 2 teaspoons of oil in a pan on medium-high heat. Fry meatballs in batches of two so they don’t stew or simmer. Transfer to a warm plate and cover with foil.

Add the 1/3 cup butter to the juices in the pan to melt. Whisk in the flour until it dissolves and turns brown in color. Pour in the broth (or stock), cream, soy sauce and Dijon. Bring to a to simmer and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix the sauce through well to combine all of the flavors together.

Continue to simmer until thickened.

To serve:

Non Swedish way: Place meatballs into the gravy in the pan and serve

Traditional Swedish way: Do not make the cream sauce at all. Serve meatballs over plain or stewed macaroni, plain or mashed potatoes, and lingenberry jam (optional)

Creamy White Chicken Chili

This recipe just fell into my lap today! It sounded so good I knew I needed to make it immediately. It's comfort food at the highest quality! So delicious. And so very easy.

Creamy White Chicken Chili
Recipe from Pillsbury
Serves 6

Photo from Pillsbury

1 carton (32 oz) chicken broth
2 cans (19 oz each) cannellini beans or 2 cans (16 oz each) great northern beans, drained, rinsed
2 c shredded or cubed cooked chicken
1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso chopped green chilis
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp pepper
2 c shredded pepper Jack cheese (8 oz)
3/4 c sour cream

In 4-quart saucepan, mix chicken broth, beans, chicken, chilis, cumin and pepper over medium heat.

Heat to boiling, reduce heat; simmer uncovered 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Gradually add cheese; stirring until melted. Remove from heat, stir in sour cream.

Calories: 410
Total Carbohydrates: 24 g
Dietary fiber: 6 g
Protein: 30 g

Cheesy Hash Brown Potato Casserole

I have heard of these types of potato casseroles as "funeral potatoes".  I think it's the type that people can bring to church potlucks or funerals. It' makes a good amount (9x13) and can I just say...are incredibly delicious.

I would modify this recipe ever so slightly when I make them again.

First, I'd saute the onions. Putting the raw onion in without sauteing it made the onions a bit crunchy and they still had a bite to them.

Then, I don't think cream of chicken soup is the right flavor for this. I think you could either, do away with that soup because there's already a lot of liquid going on in this. Or add mayo, or use another cream of something. It's really a very versatile recipe.

Bacon on top would have really made this fantastic...oh and maybe green onions. MMM. I didn't use corn flakes or Ritz as the topper. I had panko so I used them and it was fantastic.

So, bottom line... 5 stars for sure.

Cheesy Hash Brown Potato Casserole
Recipe from Cooks.com
Serves 6 - easily

Photo from The Salty Marshmallow

2 lbs. hash browns, defrosted (JW Note, and you might want to ring them out a bit)
1/2 c melted butter
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 c chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c milk
1 c sour cream
2 c grated sharp cheese (Colby or cheddar)

TOPPING:
2 c crushed corn flakes (can use Ritz crackers)
1/2 c melted butter

Mix above ingredients and put in a 9"x13" pan.

Melt butter and add corn flakes to mix. Sprinkle topping over potatoes and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

JW Modifications:
1. Cream of Chicken didn't add much flavor. Can use any cream of whatever soup
2. Need to sauté the onions before putting into the casserole. They were still pretty strong after cooking
3. Bacon on the top would be a nice topper to this. As would green onions.
4. I used Panko instead of corn flakes for the top.

Norwegian Orange Cake

I like to try to make new things for Sunday Dinners and Book Clubs, but all too often I get to lazy. This particular book club I got my act together and made this fantastic Norwegian Orange Cake. It was so fantastic that I gets 5 stars! And then some...

Norwegian Orange Cake
Recipe from: Sippitysup.com
Serves 12

1½ sticks butter
1 c sugar
3 large eggs
zest of 1 orange
⅓ c plus 2 T orange juice, divided
1⅓ c flour
1½ tsp baking powder
3 ounce dark chocolate (preferably 70%), finely chopped
.75 c powdered sugar
candied orange peel as garnish

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the beater attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly incorporated. Beat in the orange zest and one-third cup juice.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. With the mixer running, slowly add the flour mixture until combined to form the cake batter. Fold in the chopped chocolate.

Place the batter into a greased and floured 9-inch bundt pan, smoothing the top of the batter. (The batter will come slightly less than halfway up the sides of the pan.)

Bake the cake until puffed and lightly browned on top and a toothpick or cake tester inserted comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan on a cooling rack, then remove from the mold. The finished cake will be about 3 inches tall in the center.

While the cake is cooling, make the icing: In a medium bowl, sift the powdered sugar. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons orange juice and whisk to form the icing.

Drizzle the icing over the cooled cake, then garnish with the candied orange.