What do you call the 4th addition to a trilogy? Foursome? Quartet? Freelogy?

I gave you Flaky and Creamy recipe…

then we had Crunchy…

and then Sweet and Smoky…

and now this Buttery thing.

Well, when you have half a cabbage left after a crunchy cabbage salad you will need a recipe for the leftovers, right?! And so, I proudly give you a Buttery recipe for the two halves of cabbage you will have left after The Crunchy.

But before, it seems that cabbage, maybe like zucchini, needs a little PR, so here goes: you should really try this cabbage sautéed in butter recipe. It’s a totally different experience than what you think it will be or anything you had before. This one is sweet and caramelized, and soft, and melts in your mouth… How does this sound to you?

AND if you happen to have a good Bolognese sauce around in the house, mix the two together for a very very good Buttery Bolognese & Cabbage Sauce for your pasta. Do you want to taste a bite?

Check out the new Ray’s Boathouse cookbook giveaways! Click here for details.

Buttery Cabbage
Based on a recipe from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters
 
1/2 red cabbage
1/2 green cabbage
3-5 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoons salt

Remove the outer leaves and the core of the cabbages, cut to quarters, and thinly slice them.

Place the cabbage in a large skillet with 1/2-inch water, butter, and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, turn down the heat and cook at a simmer until the cabbage is almost tender, stirring from time to time.

Remove the lid, raise the heat to medium and cook until the cabbage browns a little.

Follow to Bolognese sauce recipe next to create your won Buttery Bolognese & Cabbage Sauce.

You will enjoy this.
I just know you will…

Whenever I manage to create a beautiful dish out of leftovers, I think about my grandmothers. Strong, hard working, stubborn and resourceful women (I got those genes), they could cook something great out of anything. (I got those genes too!) Back in the old days there was no such thing as throwing food away.

I think my cooking style is a bit old-fashioned in that way. As much as I enjoy a gourmet this or that, mid to high-end restaurants, and following top chefs’ cookbooks and magazines, my way of cooking is a “no-nonsense cooking”. The most important thing above all is, of course, having a family meal at the end of the day with my husband and my kids.

I felt very proud of myself with the results of this pasta & leftovers dish. Orecchiette is my favorite shape of pasta because it has a fun and funny shape and a chewy texture. It is like having plenty of little cups on your plate, each one has a bit of the filling and sauce in it. It works so well with a mish-mash or mix and match kind of dish just like this one.

I had so many different leftovers from previuos dinners and I didn’t feel like reheating any of them and eating them again–it’s boring. I added some crème fraiche–which I hesitated about, not being sure if it will match with all the different flavors–but it worked like magic, binding and bringing everything together. So this is how it went:

Leftovers:
1/2 onion, small chopped
1/3 roasted whole chicken, pulled/cut to large bite-size pieces
3 breakfast sausages, diced
3-4 cups roasted vegetables (potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, rutabagas), diced if not already
Blanched kale and chard, chopped
½ cup crème fraiche left from this lovely onion tart (substitute with heavy cream. Sour cream might work as well)
1/3 cup grated cheese

Pantry items:
Olive oil
1 clove garlic
½ box of orecchiette or any kind of short pasta

Bring water and salt to a boil and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the box.
Meanwhile, in a big big skillet sauté onion in olive oil until it softens. Add the garlic clove. Move to the side of the skillet and add the leftovers. Warm it all up good.
When pasta is ready, drain and add to the leftovers, add salt, ground black pepper, and crème fraiche. Mix and toss it all together. Serve with grated cheese.

Makes 6 servings

Tell me about your winner leftover & pasta recipes and I will post them here. E mail me at nurit AT familyfriendlyfood DOT com, or in a comment below.

Leftover bread turned into Bread pudding with spiced rum sauce for dessert
Mashed Potatoes with Cheesy Crunchy Topping
Mashed potatoes turned into Light-as-a-feather potato pancakes
Black Forest Chocolate Roulade, using Leftovers Egg whites
Roasted Chicken

Creamy mashed potatoes with tanned and crunchy and cheesy topping. A combination of all good things together in one dish. Doesn’t this make it the ultimate comfort side dish? I assume that you don’t really need a recipe for mashed potatoes, do you?! But I will share a few tips for making an even better one.

* If you have time, cook the potatoes whole and unpeeled. I find that it gives the potatoes maximum flavors because they absorb less water while they get cooked.
* When the water boils, lower heat to low. It should simmer gently so the potatoes don’t break.
* After the potatoes are cooked, drain, let cool a little (but not get cold), peel and continue from there.
* If you do peel and cut them, drain them after they are cooked, and return to the hot pot, uncovered, to release their steam. This will result in mashed potatoes that don’t taste so watery and with a diluted texture.
* I like to make them with butter and milk/cream/half and half. First I add the butter and mash the potatoes, and continue from there with the rest of the ingredients.
* For a variation, try to add sour cream.

OK, for the crunchy cheesy topping:

In this recipe I used leftover mashed potatoes, but of course you can use a fresh batch.

Place your mashed potatoes in a baking dish.
Mix together:
Seasoned fresh breadcrumbs (recipe here)
Good soft cheese/s, like goat, feta, Bruson
Good yellow hard cheese/s, like parmesan, pecorino

Spread on top and bake at 350 degrees until potatoes are heated through and the top is lightly browned, about 20-30 minutes.

I use both canola and extra virgin olive oil when frying. Canola oil for the higher cooking temperature (Burnt oil is not a good thing) and evoo for the flavor and health.

Also, when frying, the food needs only to visit the oil, not move in together. You don’t want the food to stay too long in the oil because then it soaks too much oil and you end up with oily food (not a good thing either). If you see that the pancakes take forever to fry, turn the heat up a bit and see how it goes. Adjust heat as you go along.

Also, don’t overcrowd the pan with batter since it lowers the temperature too much which will end up with the pancakes taking forever to fry, and we have already covered up that point.

If you don’t want the pancakes to stick to the pan, make sure the oil is hot enough (by placing a little batter in the oil. It should sizzle), or use a Teflon coated skillet, or use stainless steel but don’t be tempted to turn them over before they are done/browned.

Nurit

And now to the cake.

I made this cake so many times, that finally I felt it needs a spin, some new twists. So I turned it into a Black Forest type of cake. And boy, oh, boy, those few little changes turned it into an almost new cake. And a very delicious one too.
It is so good. You must try to make it.

The good news: it bakes in no time at all! 10 minutes to bake and 20 minutes to make! Can you believe it?!
The bad news: you need some practice in rolling the cake over the filling. But hey, that’s OK, I wasn’t born rolling cakes either, you know… so you can do it too!
Good news again: I took some photos to show you how to do it AND there is a trick if you mess up – just cover it up with cacao powder or powdered sugar to hide the messy parts. And then again, this cake tasted soooo good, your people will forgive you if it doesn’t look so pretty.

My recipe is based on a recipe from 2 legendary chefs, Julia Child and Jacques Pepin. The original recipe – Julia’s and Jacques’ Chocolate Roulade appears on Martha Stewart’s web site.

Black Forest Chocolate Roulade
Serves 10 to 12

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for buttering the baking sheet
2 cups heavy cream, divided
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (or use chocolate chips)
7 egg whites, room temperature
3 1/2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 tablespoon cocoa powder, plus more for garnish
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cherry brandy (or use any berry flavored liqueur you have, or cognac )
Confectioners’ sugar, for garnish, optional
1 cup raspberries*, sliced

* OK, I know, I know, Black forest cake has cherries, but you don’t really care. Do you? Well, if you do, use cherries.

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees with the rack in center of the oven.
Butter a large baking sheet (an 11-by-17-inch or a 12-by-17 1/2-inch sheet pan), and line with parchment paper.

Heat 1 cup heavy cream and the chocolate in the microwave. Do this in 1-2 minutes intervals and mix each time, continue this until the chocolate melts into the cream. As soon as mixture is a uniform dark color, remove and let cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl and using a (hand) mixer, whip egg whites and 2 tablespoons sugar to stiff, glossy peaks, about 1 1/2 minutes. Use a timer, if you have it. (I turned my back on the mixer for a minute to wash some dishes and overbeat the egg white! Oh no, you think? Well, it turned out just fine, so relax. You can do it even if you have never ever whisked or beat eggs before.)

Next, whisk one-quarter of the egg-white mixture into the chocolate mixture. Gently fold chocolate mixture back into the original egg-white mixture, and mix until smooth and well combined.

Pour batter into the prepared pan, and spread it in an even layer with a spatula. Bake until cake is set and puffy, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and cool to room temperature.

Make the cream filling:
Whip the remaining 1 cup cream with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, the vanilla, and liqueur. Spread evenly over entire surface of cake. Using a fine-mesh sieve, lightly dust cake with cocoa powder. Then spread the raspberries.

Rolling the cake:
Lift the parchment paper to roll the cake lengthwise, pressing against parchment paper to make a tight spiral. Gently peel parchment paper off as cake layer rolls away. Complete the roll with seam on bottom.
Serve or refrigerate for up to 4 hours. (it’s good after 3 days too).

rolling…
rolling…

rolling…

By the way, I took all these photos by myself. Yes, including the ones when I am rolling the cake with 2 hands! I am a wonder-woman.

…and there you have it. Ta-da!

To transfer roulade to serving platter:
The cake is long, so I have a trick. I cut in 2. Then transfer each half to a serving platter. You can dust it with cacao powder or powdered sugar to hide the cut and throw some raspberries on top.
No one will notice, and hey, you are going to slice it anyway…

Julia and Jacques have a trick too: If roll has slumped or twisted, lay a piece of plastic over top and sides, and reshape with hands. I guess they messed up too

For another variation of this cake, click here.

Have fun and enjoy.
Nurit

So here are few ideas for using your __X__-days old bread. If you are not going to do any of them right away, cube your bread, without the crust, and freeze it in a Ziploc bag. Write the date on the bag. Keep frozen until needed.

1. Home-made fresh breadcrumbs

Thaw the bread a bit, if it is frozen. Process it in the food processor until you get fine crumbs.
Use this for breaded food like pan-fried breaded chicken breasts, or pork schnitzel, or to make a crunchy top for baked savory dishes like quiches, Mac and cheese, casseroles.

Even better, if you have leftover herbs like parsley, cilantro, oregano, thyme, add those to the bread and process all together. What the heck, while you’re at it, throw in a garlic clove or two, and season with salt and black pepper to make your own home-made seasoned breadcrumbs to be used in other home-made yummy dishes.

2. Sweet bread pudding

A few years ago, while on a trip to Oregon’s beautiful sea side, we went to an English pub where we ate bread pudding for the first time (I wish I’d remembered its name).
The concept was new to me. I was somewhat shocked by the idea of “bread pudding????” But oh my my, it was oh so good, warm and sweet and soft, and fluffy, and I think it had a splash of alcohol in it. Heavenly.

Here is my favorite recipe for bread pudding from Epicurious Magazine which everyone who ate it in my home just loved. Give it a try.
And, if want to be able to say “I’m in heaven” while living on this planet, I encourage you to make the rum sauce as well.

This is the easiest recipe on earth to make. To make a smaller pudding with less servings, you can reduce all the ingredients by half and the baking time to 45-50 minutes. Use an 8 * 8-inch, or 9 * 9-inch pan.

Bread pudding with spiced rum sauce
Bon Appétit
October 2001
The Seafood Buffet at Grand Casino, Biloxi, MS
Makes 12 servings.

8 large eggs
3 1/2 cups whole milk
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1-pound loaf cinnamon challah or cinnamon-swirl bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (or white plain bread – N.)
1 cup golden raisins

Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Whisk eggs in large bowl to blend. Add milk, sugar, cream, and vanilla; whisk to blend well. Stir in bread and raisins. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake pudding uncovered until puffed and golden, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool slightly (pudding will fall). Serve warm with Spiced Rum Sauce.

Spiced rum sauce

1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons spiced rum or dark rum
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Stir brown sugar and butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add cream, rum, and cinnamon and bring to simmer. Simmer until sauce thickens and is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 5 minutes. Serve warm. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before serving.)

3. Savory bread pudding with cheese

If your leftover bread is a savory one, make a savory bread pudding. Makes sense, right?! It is a good opportunity to use your leftover cheese as well.
This is a wonderful and sophisticated side dish to serve with steak, lamb chops, roast, pork, chicken, etc.
It is based on the sweet bread pudding recipe, but I have changed it a bit. Well, more than a bit, so I call it my own.

Nurit’s savory bread pudding with cheese
Makes 6-9 servings.

4 large eggs2 ½ cups whole or 2% milk
1 – ½* loaf bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (*depending on the size of your bread)
1 teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper
About 1 – 1 ½ cups cheese, crumbled/grated (like Brouson, Parmesan, Feta, Goat, Gruyere, Ricotta, Gouda… whatever you have in the fridge)

Butter 9x9x2-inch glass baking dish.
Whisk eggs in large bowl. Add milk, salt, pepper, and cheeses. Whisk to blend well. Add the bread and mix well.
Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours. (But if you need to make it NOW, like I did, just make sure all the bread cubes have soaked the liquid).
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake pudding uncovered until puffed and golden, about 45-60 minutes. Cool slightly (pudding will fall).

I’m sure you’ll love these.
I think my grandma will be pleased.

Check out this post: Leftovers: Roasted Chicken

Nurit

Here is a winner recipe for beef goulash by one of my favorite top chefs, Wolfgang Puck (you will find more recipes on his web site if you click the link).
I make this Goulash very often.

The recipe is adapted from the one in his cookbook, one of my favorite cookbooks:

Other recipes I have cooked and liked from this book:
Whole Roasted Chicken with Chardonnay-Tarragon Sauce, Roasted Potatoes and Carrots
Marjolaine cake
White and dark chocolate chunk cookies
Minestrone soup
Chinese five-spice spare ribs
Wine braised brisket of beef with caramelized pearl onions and dried apricots
Honey marinated beef satay
Pan-seared steaks with port-Dijon-cream sauce
Eggs en cocotte with smoked salmon and horseradish cream (it is much easier than it sounds)
Buttermilk-marinated chicken breasts
Linzer cookies
Pizza
The list goes on and on…

Wolfgang’s Beef Goulash
Serves 6-8

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or vegetable/canola oil)
4 cups onion, thinly sliced (2 onions)
1 tablespoon sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon caraway seeds, toasted and ground (or 1 teaspoon ground cumin, no toasting)
3 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon hot paprika (or regular paprika/Spanish)
1-2 tablespoons minced fresh marjoram leaves (I use oregano)
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves (I just put the whole thing with the stem)
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 cups chicken stock (or 3 cups + ½ cup water)
2 1/2 pounds beef shank, cut into 2-inch cubes (I use beef chuck)
1-2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the onions and sugar until caramelized. Add the garlic and caraway seed. Cook another minute.
2. Add the sweet and hot paprika, marjoram, thyme and bay leaf. Sauté another minute, until fragrant (1 minute).
3. (add all the other ingredients at the same time…) Add the tomato paste. Deglaze with the vinegar and the stock and add the pieces of beef shank, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook until very tender, about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
4. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

If there are any leftovers, I add them to other soups, like this Lentil soup where I use the leftpver sauce from the Goulash.

I highly recommend this book. It is one of my most favorite cookbooks. Many very easy recipes, quick, perfect for a weekday cooking when I don’t have a lot of time.

And of course, add your chicken to it.

Now, doesn’t this make cooking life easier?!