rice

Dinner

Lazy Cabbage Roll Casserole (aka: Mush)

We had our first official sign of winter today – snow. The dip in temperatures and the cold, wet morning reminded me of my favourite things in life: family, warmth, and comfort foods! This recipe encompasses all three and is a childhood favourite of mine. I don’t know why my brother and I started calling this dish “Mush”, but we did. And it stuck. To this day, with both of us in our 30’s, we continue to call it “Mush”. Actually, so does everybody in my family! This dish is traditionally called Lazy Cabbage Roll Casserole by others because it incorporates pretty much everything in a traditional cabbage roll, without the pain of rolling it into a nice, neat package. This dish is hearty and warm – perfect for the season’s first snowfall. It’s also super easy to make.

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Healthy, Soups

Hearty Soup

I’m not really a carboholic. I’m more of a sugarholic. I like sweets..the more chocolate in those sweets, the better. However, there is something to be said about the weather changing your eating habits. As the weather continues to flirt with below freezing temperatures, I find myself craving heavier foods. Casseroles and soups have been my addiction the past few weeks. I can’t get enough. Not to mention this is probably one of the busiest times for me professionally, so the easier that carb-loaded meal is to make, the happier I am.

Hearty Soup is probably the easiest recipe Claudia has in her cooking repertoire. It’s so easy that while my Dad watched me and Claudia make this soup for the blog, he proclaimed that even he could make it and continued to copy the recipe for his own meal arsenal for an upcoming hunting trip. Beats his pickled eggs recipe he currently has that’s for sure. This soup is so delicious, it leaves you wondering how something so simple can be so good.

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Dinner, Ukrainian Dishes

Cabbage Rolls

Claudia's Cookbook - Cabbage Rolls

You don’t get any more Ukrainian than Cabbage Rolls. I wouldn’t be surprised if I was fed these as my first experience with “real food” as a baby. Not one special dinner has gone by in our family without cabbage rolls being served. There are many variations. But I can tell you now that nobody’s cabbage rolls compare to the ones that Claudia makes. They are simple the best. Not too tomato soupy, not too cabbagey. They are perfect little delights. However, I learned in this blog process that I apparently haven’t inherited the Ukrainian cabbage rolling gene, as I found the process extremely frustrating. My 1/4 Slovakian genes took over my hands and rendered me incapable of “tucking and rolling” the rice and cabbage. But do not fret kids….if you weren’t blessed with the Ukrainian cooking gene like me, it just takes a bit of practise and patience. …and Claudia laughing at you when you curse the rice that fell from your hands and onto your clean floor.

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Dinner

Nasi Goreng

First off, we want to say a big thank you to those who follow our lovely blog on Facebook and Twitter. We really appreciate all the comments and support! The comments inspired the next few recipes that we will be sharing on our blog. As the temperatures continue to cool down (well, unless you’re in Los Angeles), we asked our readers what their favourite meals are in the autumn season. The theme was easy to pick out – simple, warm and comforting.

Claudia and I thought her Nasi Goreng was the perfect mix of all those elements which our followers love in a recipe. Hearty wild rice, warm curry flavour, and buttery chicken. What more could you want on a cool autumn evening….besides a blanket that is.

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Dinner, Healthy, Soups

Curryflower Soup

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Curry is not a typical spice in the Ukrainian chef’s arsenal. But this soup has been a great addition to Claudia’s cooking over the past few years. I didn’t really grow up having this dish, which is a good thing. Both me and my brother were pretty fussy kids growing up. If it wasn’t in the realm of BBQ hamburgers, perogies,  and my personal favourite – Cheese Whiz sandwiches (yes, believe it!), we weren’t eating any of it. So, if Claudia put this in front of us prior to 1996, we would have probably made such a fuss that she never would have attempted this dish again. That, in itself, would have been a tragedy.

Curry (and other Asian culinary influences for that matter), began showing up in our household well after us kids became adults.  Curryflower Soup is now one of the more “exotic” dishes  in regular rotation. Its mellow curry flavour and hearty vegetables are perfect for the rainy days of summer and the freezing cold temperatures of winter.

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