Sauerkraut

I have NEVER liked sauerkraut, on anything. Until, that is, I made it myself. Now I'll eat the whole jar by myself in a few days, and be wanting more. Time to start growing cabbage, seriously.

Ingredients

1 head of Cabbage, just over 2 lbs or so - I prefer Purple

1 Tbsp Caraway

2 Tbsp Salt

Directions

Remove any broken or wilted outer Cabbage leaves. Cut the head in half, and remove the core. Shred the cabbage any way you want - food processor is fastest, but a good sharp knife works just as well, and so will a mandolin (just don't slice off the tip of your finger - it hurts!).

Place the cabbage in a heavy duty gallon-size ziploc bag, and dump both the caraway and salt in with it. Close the bag, leaving the air inside. Give it a good shake, making sure the seasonings are evenly distributed. Squeeze the air out of the bag, and then place it inside a second bag, just to be safe.

Here comes the fun. Place the bag on a solid surface, like your cement front porch. Take a rolling pin or a meat tenderizer and just start beating the crap out of it - hard enough to break down the cabbage, but gently enough to not break through the bags. Beat it until all the cabbage is releasing juices, and then keep beating it for a few more minutes.

Pack the cabbage into quart-sized mason jars, leaving about two inches at the top - it should fill two jars. Pack it down really well, and then slowly add a bit of water to the jars until the water level just rises above the cabbage level.

Cover with a lid, and store at room temperature for three days or so, then place in the refrigerator.

Verdict

I really love this stuff! It satisfies my salt craving, and it's good for me. It's great on a pastrami sandwich, on a slice of rye bread with some mustard, or even just by itself.

Homemade Ranch Dressing

I have a Raw Ranch Dressing recipe that is really pretty decent, but I honestly prefer the non-raw variety so much more. I was at the grocery store the other day, trying to decide which commercial ranch variety was the lesser of the evils. To tell you the truth, none of them are! They are all evil - VERY, VERY, VERY Evil! So, I made my own.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup Buttermilk
• 1 cup Mayonnaise
• 1 small clove Garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp fresh Parsley, minced
• 1/2 tsp dried Onion
• Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper to Taste

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, and blend using a hand blender to break up the Parsley and Garlic even further (you could do this in a food processor, but I don't have one).

Verdict

This was amazingly good! I think it may need a dash of dill, but other than that, I don't think I'd change anything. My only fear is that the fresh garlic will take over as it sits in the fridge. I guess only time will tell.

I know it doesn't qualify as dairy-free by any means, but this is one of our few indulgences, and it helps us eat more fresh veggies, so I think we'll be okay. Yummy!

Veggie Calzones

This recipe was super yummy and still pretty healthy, so I'm not going to feel too guilty for using two eggs in the bread and a bit of cheese.

Ingredients

• 1 pkg Chebe (gluten-free) Foccacia Bread Mix, dough prepared as directed, but not cooked
• 1/2 Red Bell Pepper, finely diced
• 1/2 sm Red Onion, finely diced
• 1 sm Zucchini, finely diced
• 4-5 Mushrooms, finely diced
• 1/4 cup Shredded Parmesan
• 1/2 cup dry-packed Sun-Dried Tomatoes, super-finely diced
• 1/4 cup Pesto (your favorite recipe)

Directions
In a small bowl, mash the Pesto into the Sun-Dried Tomatoes to make something of a chunky but spreadable sauce. Divide the Bread Dough into three equal parts and roll them into balls. Spray your work space and rolling pin with cooking spray, and roll one dough-ball out into an oval (lengthwise) - no more than 1/8 inch thick. Spread some pesto sauce on what will be the top half. Place some of each of the Veggies on the dough and sprinkle with a little bit of Cheese. Carefully fold the top half over and crimp the edges (the dough is a little finicky, so be patient). Transfer the calzone to a baking sheet (using a spatula makes this step easier) and brush with a bit of Oil. Repeat for calzones two and three. Sprinkle a small bit of cheese on the top of each one and bake at 375 for 25 minutes.

Verdict
These were really great! Matthew kept asking for more, more, more. Really he just liked the bread part and was tolerating the veggies so he could get more bread - until the end when he refused to eat the veggies but still wanted the bread. This was unusual for him because he usually eats all his veggies so I don't know what the problem was, except that he is his Daddy's son and Daddy is addicted to bread. But really, these were good and are going in the 'Make Again' file.

Salad-in-Hand Rolls

I came up with these after watching a video of a chef making spring rolls with all kinds of strange stuff in them - lettuce, avocado, noodles, peanut butter, and chili garlic sauce don't really go together in my book, but to each his own. Anyway, I had some rice paper laying around for some other spring rolls I never got around to making, so I thought I'd give it a shot. They turned out pretty good, and the idea is really versatile! It's basically a no mess, no fuss salad to go.

Ingredients

• Rice Paper
• Lettuce - coarsely chopped
• Sprouts
• Tomatoes - diced
• Olives - coarsely chopped
• Cucumber - diced
• Avocado - diced
• Drizzle of Olive Oil
• Drizzle of White Wine Vinegar
• Salt and Pepper
• Oregano

Directions

- Hint: Prepare ALL your Veggies BEFORE you Dip your 1st Paper -

Put all Veggies except Lettuce and Sprouts in a bowl, and drizzle with the Olive Oil and Vinegar. Add the Seasonings and mix well.

Dip a sheet of rice paper in water and place in on your workspace. Put a small handful of Lettuce on the paper, then some of the veggie mix, and top it with a small handful of sprouts. Once the paper is sufficiently soft, roll it up burrito-style, tucking the ends in as you roll.

Verdict
Honestly, these are great! They make a great, simple but filling meal. I'll be making them regularly, I'm sure.