Barley Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Herb-Ginger Sauce

Savoy Cabbage

It's not fair when a nutritious vegetable like Cabbage gets a bad rap for the stink.Did you know,cooking with aromatic spices and herbs considerably reduces the odor while cooking cabbage?.And most importantly over cooking should be avoided with cabbage.
Cabbage was never a hostile vegetable in my family,in fact the way mom used to cook the vegetables ,enriching with herbs and spices,all the strange odor was pleasantly masked.So if you have been avoiding the vegetable for this reason,try the flavorful way of cooking the cabbage,that might just change your view of the healthy vegetable.



The antioxidant rich member of cruciferous family of vegetables,Savoy cabbage, is the frilly kind of cabbage,its large outer leaves are perfect for the rolls.And the inner core is excellent for the coleslaw.


The mellow stuffing consists of wholesome barley(you could use any other whole grain - freekeh,whole millet,brown rice or broken wheat),bell peppers,onions and spices.The wilted leaves are rolled with the stuffing ,then can be steamed and drizzled with the herb-ginger sauce or cooked with the sauce,which ever method works.I for one,used the former method.

Recipe : Barley Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Herb-Ginger Sauce
Ingredients
12-14 large outer leaves of Green or Savoy Cabbage
1/4 teaspoon salt.

For Stuffing
2 cups barley,cooked
2 cups of bell peppers(red or green or orange or all),sliced
1 medium onion ,sliced
1 teaspoon spice mix(I used ground cumin,coriander,cinnamon and cloves)
1 clove garlic,chopped
1/2 inch ginger root,minced
1/2 teaspoon hot chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoon canola oil

Method
Wilt the leaves in salted boiling water for a 4-5 minutes.Drain and drop in cold water to stop any further cooking.Drain all the water.

Heat the oil on high and saute the onions and sliced peppers,for 4-5 minutes.Add the garlic,ginger,salt and rest of the spices.Cook for 2-3 minutes.Mix in the barley ,turn off the heat.

Start rolling the leaves,place about a tablespoon of filling on each leaf,roll up firmly,folding in sides to enclose filling.

Steam the rolls in a bamboo or other kind of steamer until soft 8-10 minutes.Then to serve ,drizzle with the herb-ginger sauce.

If you don't use the steamer.Pour the herb-ginger sauce over the rolls and cook in covered skillet for 8-10 minutes or bake at 375F for 10-12 minutes.


Herb-Ginger Sauce
Ingredients
2 cups of fresh herbs and greens(I used spinach,mint and cilantro)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger,minced
1 medium onion,finely chopped
1 hot pepper(green chilli or jalapeno),seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon spice mix(I used ground cumin,coriander,cinnamon and cloves)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon canola oil

Method
Saute the onions in oil until lightly browned,add the spices,greens and herbs.Cover and cook for 5-6 minutes.Blend for smooth sauce.Use as directed in the above recipe.



The rolls are sent to the CWF - Whole grains : Barley event.And also the real food event,Two for Tuesdays.

In case you missed ,get more recipe ideas of Cabbage and other Cruciferous vegetables.

Homemade Whole Grain Bagels and Citrus Coleslaw

Though not as good-looking as the bakery bread ,these Chubby bagels were satisfying enough for my first attempt.Also the fact these are enriched with different kinds of whole grains,low in fat and devoured warm out of the oven ,the pure pleasure of baked bread.Likewise,it was exhilarating to bake them in choicest flavors.
I'll save the sweet kind for another post and focus on the savory and spiced for now.Each of these are enjoyable in any meal of the day.Breakfast ,slather on some low fat cream cheese or nut butter spread and for a more hearty lunch or dinner fill in with any combination of veggie stuffing ,like citrusy no-mayo cabbage slaw(coleslaw) for instance.Chopped up in the slaw ,are two kinds of the cabbages -savoy and red cabbage,the citrus dressing remains same for both.

Here is the line up of wholesome Homemade Bagels

Spiced Whole Grain Bagels has whole grains - whole wheat flour,barley flour ,seeds - Sesame and flax seed meal,Spices - Whole crushed red chillies,garlic and ground coriander.


Onion and Garlic Bagels has whole grains - whole wheat flour,ragi millet flour,oat flour ,seeds - flax seed meal ,topped with onion,garlic and spices


Seed topping Bagels has whole grains - whole wheat flour,ragi millet flour,oat flour ,seeds - flax seed meal,sesame and poppy as topping.


Key to baking a soft on inside and crusty on outside whole grain bagel :

1.Use only fine ground whole grain flours,coarse ground will not yield soft bagels.
2.Use a natural sweetener like honey,agave ,jaggery or dark brown sugar to boost the yeast.
3.Proof(allow the dough to rise) after shaping them for at least an hour .
4.Boil them at right temperature,hot but not boiling.
5.Shape it right.There are two ways to roll the bagel,either by rolling it in to a little rope and pinching the ends together or poke a finger through the middle of the dough ball and work the fingers around the inside to shape the bagel.Using the first method couple of my bagels opened up ,hence the later method was more reliable for me.


Recipe : Whole grain Bagels adapted from recipe at Real Food Living
Makes 8 bagels
Ingredients
1 pack active dry yeast(about 1 teaspoon)
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour[or 2 cups whole wheat flour ,1/4 cup barley or oat flour and 1/4 cup Ragi millet flour]
1 tablespoon flax seed meal or 2 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon Agave nectar (or honey) or Dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Toppings for the bagels such as seeds,chopped onion, or garlic

Method
Prepare the Dough
Dissolve the yeast in warm water, stir in the sugar and allow the yeast to rise and get frothy, about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl combine the flour, salt,flax seed meal and agave or sugar. Add the yeast mixture and olive oil and knead until well combined.Apply some more oil on the sides of the bowl cover and allow to rise until double it size about 3-4 hours or leave it overnight in a dark corner.

Shape and Proof
Remove the dough onto a dry counter (you may need to wet your hands slightly). Divide the dough into 6 or 8 equal pieces . Roll each into a round ball and cover with a damp cloth. Let them rest for 20 minutes.

Now comes the shaping. You can roll each ball into a rope and pinch off the ends making a bagel-shape, or poke finger through the middle of the dough ball and work the fingers around the inside to shape the bagel evenly. The hole should be about 2 inches in diameter.Place the shaped bagels 2 inches apart on a baking sheet,Cover all the shaped bagels with damp cloths. Let rest for an hour at room temperature.

Place your 2 oven racks in the lower middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400F. If you are using a stone, make sure the stone is in the oven for the preheating.


Boil Bagels:
Fill a large wide stockpot with water and bring to a boil.

When the water comes to a full boil, gently drop 2-3 bagels ONE AT A TIME into the water. They will sink and then float. Let them boil for 2 minutes. With a large slotted spoon, turn the bagels over to boil on the other side for 2 minutes. If you like them less chewy, boil only 1 minute per side.

Remove each bagel (tapping the slotted spoon to remove any excess water) and place them back on the same greased parchment paper. They will have almost doubled in size.

If you wish to top your bagels, do so when they are right out of the boiling pot. Sprinkle on your toppings.

Bake
When all your bagels have been boiled and topped, place 2 baking sheets into the pre heated oven, one on each shelf and bake for 15 minutes until crust is brown.Remove the baking sheets from the oven. Transfer the baked bagels to cooling racks and let sit for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Flavor Variations
Spiced : Mix some fresh crushed red chili flakes and ground spices(pinch of coriander or cumin) in the dough.
Topped with Onion and Garlic Lightly sauté chopped onions,garlic and ground spices of choice,and top over the bagels after boiling them.

Citrus Cabbage slaw(coleslaw)



Recipe : No-mayo Citrus Cabbage slaw(coleslaw)
Ingredients
4 cups Cabbage(I used savoy cabbage),finely shred
2 oranges,segmented
2 spring onions or scallions,thinly sliced
1 carrot,finely grated
1/2 cup mixed toasted nuts and seeds(I used soynuts,pumpkin seeds,sunflower seeds,black sesame seeds)
1 cup escarole(can also use romaine lettuce),chopped
1 tablespoon cilantro,chopped

For Citrus dressing
1/2 cup orange juice,freshly squeezed
1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice,freshly squeezed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper,freshly ground

Method
Prepare the dressing by whisking together all the dressing ingredients.
Mix all the other ingredients in large salad bowl.Pour over the dressing and toss to combine.Let sit in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the flavor come together.Serve Cold.Can be stuffed in a hearty whole grain sandwich or bagel.

The bagels taste best the same day however I also cherished it toasted the next day.


The bagels are my entry for Susan's Yeast Spotting and Citrus Slaw for the Health Nut Challenge 5

Pita Wedges with Green Almond Hash and Hummus

Tender ,green and fuzzy ,these tangy morsels ,is how the amazing almonds start off.Exclusive to the spring season,green almonds are considered a rare delicacy for its short lifespan and incredibly succulent flavor.The tender spring fruit,has a soft white almond core,is completely edible,while the green almonds harvested in late summer have harder shell,with a more firm and brown almond in the core.Originating from Middle East and Mediterranean,these are also grown in California and can easily be spotted in Middle Eastern and other specialty stores,at an affordable price.


The grape-sized green almonds with a sprinkle of salt makes an enjoyable tart snack.Or makes a wholesome addition in stews and pasta.The grated or shaved green almonds can be tossed in salad or used as garnish.

These strikingly attractive appetizers , made with crunchy baked whole grain pita wedges slathered with creamy hummus and garnished with finely shred green almonds, red cabbage and fresh herbs,is one another simple and pleasing way to savor the spring delicacy.

Ingredients
For Pita wedges
2 large or 3 medium whole grain pita bread
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon hot chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

For Green Almond Hash
1 cup tender green almonds,rinsed
1 tablespoon lemon juice,freshly squeezed.
pinch of salt

1 cup home made hummus

1/4 cup of other vegetables like carrots or red cabbage,finely shred
few leaves of fresh herbs(I use tender fenugreek leaves)

Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Using a chef's knife cut each pita in to 2 halves. Cut each half in 4 or 8 triangles each,depending how big you like the wedges. Lay the triangles on a cookie sheet.
Combine Olive oil and spices in a bowl. Brush the mixture over each of the cut pita.
Now bake for about 7-8 minutes until lightly browned and crispy.Keep a close eye as these can burn easily.Cool for rack for a minute before spreading hummus.

While the pita wedges cool,prepare the green almond hash.Snap off the step part of the almonds.Process in a blender or food processor along with salt and lemon juice until finely chopped.

To assemble the wedges,spread about a tablespoon of hummus over,then sprinkle the green almond hash all around ,then finally sprinkle other shred vegetable and some fresh herbs and serve.

The recipe is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging #229 ,hosted this week by Katie of Eat this

Peruvian Causa ,a layered Potato and Vegetable Salad

Potato salad never looked so gorgeous before,I was overwhelmed to see this kaleidoscopic salad at Veggie belly.Causa is a Peruvian layered salad served as an appetizer,made using a variety of potatoes and other vegetables.
I stacked mine with pretty much what I had in hand.The tomato layer is the spiciest and rest of the layers are mildly flavored.And unbelievably I didn't buy any special mold , but reused the tall Pringle can,halved it for an open end on both sides,the smooth interior worked out very well for a mold.
Thanks to Veggie Belly I learned to stack a potato salad with a wholesome makeover :>

Makes 4 stacks about 8inches tall & 4inches wide

Spicy tomato Layer
Ingredients
4 plum red tomatoes,chopped
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
pinch of turmeric
2 clove garlic,chopped
1 tablespoon chick pea flour(besan)
1 teaspoon coriander powder(Dhania)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Method
Heat the oil on medium heat,add the garlic ,after few seconds add the chopped tomatoes and spices.cover and cook until tomatoes are tender,about 10 minutes.Season with salt,then stir in the flour,keep stirring until completely mixed and cook for another 6-7 minutes until mixture is thicken.Allow to cool.

Vegetable Layer 1 White potatoes
boil or bake 1 big or 2 medium potatoes, until cooked through.Peel and mash,season with salt and pepper.keep aside.
Vegetable Layer 1 -Purple Cabbage
Finely chop or coarsely grind in a food processor 2 cups of cabbage .

Vegetable Layer 2- Edamame
coarsely grind 2 cups cooked edamame ,mix with teaspoon of lime juice.

Vegetable Layer 3 -Sweet Potatoes
Boil or Bake 1 big or 2 medium sweet potatoes ,peel ,mash, season with salt and mix with some spices like coriander powder if desired.

To Assemble the layers
Place the mold on a serving plate.Assemble them in any order but make the top and bottom layer as a layer of potato or a firm layer.Take the about a 2 tablespoon of sweet potato and spread on the bottom.Over this spread 2 tablespoon of edamame,gently press down each layer.Next spread 2 tablespoon of cabbage ,then 2 tablespoon of white potato and finally the spicy tomato layer.
To unmold,slowly lift the mold ,don't panic if the stack doesn't unmold smoothly,as it happened with mine,lightly push it down on to the plate.Serve with some sprouts or Veggie belly's creamy avocado dressing.I figured this salad also made a good dip with baked chips.

This Unusually healthy Potato salad is now a part of Weekend Herb Blogging #188,host this week is Graziana at Erbe in Cucina(Cooking with Herbs)


And the stack is in for Click- Stack Photography event at Jugalbandi.

Sesame Chicken with Sauteed Cabbage Salad and Red Potato Oven Fries: A 30 minute Meal

It took me lesser time to cook this meal than to write down all the 3 recipes and put together the images along with the water marks.In other words this is a quick meal prepared under 30 minutes ;provided one can move and cook like Rachael ray in the kitchen,by quickly gathering all the ingredients and chopping ,mixing , baking and cooking all the dishes simultaneously .I was a regular viewer of Rachael show when I was a kitchen newbie,she is an inspiration for my quick cooking skills and home made meals to fit in our busy lifestyles.She took quick cooking to whole new level and charmed everyone with her bubbly personality and her favorite expressions "EVOO" ,Yum-O!,Delish! have become popular among foodies catch phrases.

Here is the recipe for a quick meal.For making this meal under 30 minutes,bake the chicken and fries together.When chicken is done,slightly increase the oven temperature for the fries.While it bakes ,cook the cabbage salad.
Sesame Chicken

Ingredients
1 chicken breast or 2 chicken tenders,sliced across(about 1/2lb)
1/2 teaspoon chilly powder
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon Extra virgin Olive oil(EVOO)
1 tablespoon Sesame oil
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
2 spring onions ,chopped
Dash of hot sauce
Salt as per taste

Method
Preheat the oven to 375 F.Marinate chicken in all the ingredients except the sesame seeds and spring onions for about 5 minutes while the oven is preheating.
Spread the chicken in a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes until chicken is tender.
Transfer in to the serving plate,garnish with toasted sesame seeds and chopped spring onions.

Sauteed Cabbage Salad

Ingredients
2 cups shred cabbage
1/2 cup sliced Red peppers
1/2 a small onion sliced
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 clove garlic
pinch of chilly powder
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt as per taste
Method
Heat EVOO in a pan on medium heat and saute garlic for few seconds until aromatic.Add rest of the ingredients and saute on medium high heat for about 8-10 minutes .Serve immediately.

Red Potato Oven fries

Ingredients
2 medium red potatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Paprika and\or 1/4 teaspoon chilly powder
1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper

Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut potatoes into wedges and drop in to a mixing bowl. Drizzle the oil and mix in the seasoning,toss to coat all over . Lay on a baking sheet and bake for about 20-25 minutes until lightly crisp on top and cooked through.

I'm sending my Rachael inspired quick meal to Aartee's Sapadu ready event.Guess we all have our own way of saying "Dinner is ready!";I say "Khana Taeyaar hai"(in urdu)..how do you say it?