Nana's Pigs in a Blanket ...p47

Perhaps to you, pigs in a blanket conjure up "Pigpen" from Peanuts...or little teeny sausages swaddled in biscuits, but that's not what I see.  I see a full kitchen table, populated with my lovely family - think the 1960s (yes, there was still a semblance of family in that decade - not everyone was drinking the Kool-Aid, and many of us didn't camp out at Woodstock, but on the family farms...in our dresses and pearls).

Think mom in her cigarette pants, hair done up in a bun, dad coming home from a hard day's work, and "cabbage rolls" waiting to be dished up on nine empty plates.  Happy times.

Simple ingredients.  Cabbage, beef (not pork as the name infers), rice and tomato sauce.

Mix beef, onions, egg, s&p together

Parboil a head of cabbage

Place beef mixture on leaf, fold sides over and roll up

I make any extra beef into meatballs

Cover with tomato sauce and extra leaves, then bake!

I've assembled pigs in a blanket countless times just by remembering what mom did, but this time I followed her recipe, and wished I was doing it in cigarette pants. 

I'm sure you know nana's opinion without even clicking on "recipe."  We all agree, these are wonderful. 

Hardy Appetit!

Easy Enchiladas ...p44

An excellent accompaniment to Easy Enchiladas is another Cooking Up Family History recipe:  Pico de Gallo, found on page 14.  Some recipes the family and the critic just don't agree on.  The men devoured these enchiladas, while the critic proclaimed them "just alright... kind of tasteless." 

Of course, the pico de gallo livened up the dish which we all felt made for a great combination. 

Spice it Up!  Serve with the Pico and some spicy carrots!

Without the pico, however, I don't think I'd recommend these enchiladas either.  I'd add more beef or diced onions and jalapenos to the beef to add more flavor...or just load the sour cream and pico on top as we did tonight. 

Hardy Appetit!

CABBAGE CASSEROLE ...p66

If you're not one to fool with assembling cabbage rolls, make this easy mixed-up variation of the theme.  The critic enjoyed it, but suggested diced up tomatoes would make it more flavorful.  Jon modified his serving with lots of ketchup, but we others enjoyed it with nothing added but more pepper.  Accompany with something zingy like pickled beets or cucumbers and sour cream. 

I used brown rice which gave it a slightly nuttier taste.

Hardy Appetit!

Hawaiian Hash ...p44

For the life of me I can't figure out why this hash is Hawaiian.  Maybe I've been eating too many Fiery Hawaiian Pizzas from Domino's....but to me, pineapple and ham means Hawaiian and both are missing here.  Regardless, it's a change from the ketchup-drowned, potato-beef hash of my youth - to the hash of my husband's youth....it's his mama's recipe.  This could easily stuff a cabbage leaf if you desired; my inclination was to pop the leftovers into the freezer for just that very future....hey, thinking like that comes from raising eight hungry young'uns.  While the dish prompted an "it's ok" from the critic, my youngest son loved it, proclaiming it "crumbled up meatloaf" to his delight.

Hardy Appetit!