Tuesday's Twist: Easier Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Tuesday's Twist:  A basic recipe with a fun twist.  In other words, just another excuse for me to play around with weird recipes I've been dying to try.

Stuffing and rolling something like a tortilla is one thing, but the extra step of boiling an entire head of cabbage just to get the outer leaves doesn't rate very high on my to-do list.  In fact, it rates so low that I've never actually made cabbage rolls by this method.  Instead of boiling a huge pot of water I tried a hassle-free freezer method.  Freezing and then thawing the leaves makes them soft enough for rolling.  (Please note I'm resisting the urge to explain the science principles at work here. You're welcome.)

You can pop the entire head of cabbage into the freezer, or if this weather keeps up just leave the grocery bag in your car.  (Kidding, but ugh I am so ready for spring...)  If you want to use the center of the head in another recipe then just freeze the outer leaves.  Allow a longer freezing and thawing time if using the entire head.

Random Recipe Wednesday: Cauliflower Casserole

Let's talk about impulse purchases again.  The good thing about food is its short shelf life, meaning there's less chance to accumulate clutter.  Cookbooks, on the other hand, have a very long shelf life.  In fact, they spend most of their life on the shelf.  As my cookbook collection continues to grow I must be very careful about what I allow to live on my shelves.  A friend of mine recently introduced me to The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen.  She received it from her grandma as a wedding gift and has been enjoying it ever since.  I was immediately drawn in by the unique recipes and new ideas.  However, I was determined that no matter how much I wanted to finish reading it, I wouldn't go home and impulse buy a copy. (Why yes, I do read cookbooks like books, thanks for asking.)

In order to delay my purchase I decided to first check out a copy from the library and see if it was truly shelf-worthy.  After paging through and noting numerous recipes I couldn't wait to try, I was on the verge of a decision.  Is this cookbook really unique and inspiring enough to deserve a spot on my shelf?  While teetering on the edge of this decision, I found a used copy at a second hand store.  You may remember I'm a sucker for a good deal.

Weird Recipe Wednesday: Onion Flowers

Weird Recipe Wednesday: Because some recipes are so weird I just HAVE to try them.  My curiosity always gets the better of me.

Instead of Weird Recipe Wednesday let's pretend it's Way Too Many Onions Wednesday.  I bought another bag of onions without double checking how many I had on hand.  And now I have, well, way too many.

In other words, it's the perfect time to try out the onion flowers I first saw here.  These flowers require almost zero effort, just a few slices with a knife.  Thanks to the inherent layers in an onion, the petals open up all on their own in the heat of the oven.

As the bulb blooms into a flower the natural sugars in the onion caramelize.  Strong and crunchy gives way to sweet and soft, talk about a transformation.  If you happen to have way too many onions, you can find the recipe and instructions as they appeared in LCBO's Food & Drink magazine here.

Food for Thought: "Don't be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better." -Ralph Waldo Emerson