Sorry, another recipe - Stuffed Cabbage for Dummies!

I must have written at least 5 blog posts in my head the past month - about our trip, about the Israeli elections, about place, about Obama's inauguration and gay marriage.  I even sat down to write at least one but got sidetracked.

So here is nothing profound - just another recipe.  It's my adaptation of Madhur Jaffrey's "Tembel Dolma" from World Vegetarian.  The title means:

Stuffed Cabbage for Dummies!

It's not stuffed.  The recipe might seem daunting but it's actually really easy and after you do it a few times it gets easier.

1 small cabbage, cored and shredded
1 1/2 cups rice (I use basmati)
1 onion, thin sliced
2 tablespoons chopped almonds (buy them chopped already)
2 tablespoons craisins (that's hamutziyot)
1/2 cup fresh dill (or less - I don't measure nor do I "finely chop")
oil for frying onions
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon sugar

Boil a big pot of water, add the cabbage, and blanch it.  She says boil 1 minute but every time I make this I say "I could have boiled the cabbage less".  It just needs to wilt a little.  Drain the cabbage and save 3 cups of the liquid.

Fry the onion till it just starts to brown.  Turn down the heat and add the rice and almonds.  Stir that for a minute or two, then add the dill, cranberries, salt and pepper.

Now you layer the stuff - 3 layers of cabbage, 2 layers of rice mix.  In the big pot, put a layer of the wilted cabbage, then half the rice mixture, then another layer of cabbage, then the rest of the rice, then the last layer of the cabbage.  On top sprinkle the teaspoon of sugar.

Now you put a plate on top of it - I never have the right size plate so I use 2 small plates.  Use corelle ware, because the plate is going to boil.  Now add the 3 cups of liquid.  And put a lid on the pot.

Boil and then turn down the heat and cook 20-25 minutes (or longer if your rice takes longer).  Turn off the heat and leave the pot for 30 minutes.

You are supposed to be able to turn this dish out in one piece, but I have never succeeded.

Did I mention this is a vegan (parve) dish???

Take it to a pot luck!

A great oatmeal molasses cookie

I played around with a couple of recipes and made them like this:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda (maybe 3/4 would be better)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
I would have loved some cloves

2 eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
1 Tbsp Blackstrap Molasses (aka the universal mineral healing potion)
3/4 cup sugar

Sift dry ingredients, mix up wet ingredients well, mix the two together

Add 1/4 cup chopped almonds, 1 1/2 cups oatmeal, 1/4 cup raisins or craisins or if you don't have raisins and want the cookies to be really good like mine were - chopped prunes!!!

Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes - they will be golden or darker.  Don't overcook.

Let me know if you try it, ok????