Friday, July 16, 2010

My Polish Mum's Gwomki Recipe (Cabbage Rolls)

When I feel like vegetarian...I just change the meat to lentils or mashed up chick peas!!
Also I add more vegetables into it...like pumpkin or sweet potato.
Ingredients:
Whole round cabbage (blanch each leaf separately)
Pork and veal mince, just pork will do if I cant get veal.
Bacon,(chopped) 1 egg
Boiled rice (gluggy so it all sticks together I dont rinse it)
Garlic, Onions, Parsley, Mixed Herbs, Capsicum, Salt and Pepper to taste. Maggi Seasoning, Olive oil.
Cook in the olive oil,onions, garlic, chopped bacon, chopped capsicum.
In large bowl mix pork and veal mince together with cooked onion & bacon mixture....salt and pepper and Maggi seasoning to taste.
Add rice and meat and egg to bind it all. Throw in parsley or whatever other green herbs you like.  Now place a handful of mixture on blanched cabbage leaf and roll up like a parcel, place in  baking tray in rows. 
Now throw on some olive oil on top and bake in moderate oven until brown, turn over and brown other side.
With leftover cabbage I cook up some chopped bacon, throw in chopped up cabbage and throw
in a packet of chicken noodle soup with enough water to soak up the noodles so its moist but not a runny consistency.
That is my late polish mother's recipe. Its delicious, and simple.....the kids and grandkids love it.
Plus the son in laws, plus all the visitors who have tasted it. The grandaughters actually cook it themselves now, the cabbage mash that is... they havent quite got the gwomkis yet!! 
You may put tomato sauce on top when served. (fresh tomatoes are best)
The vegetarian version is also delicious and easy.



Saturday, June 12, 2010

My Blogg Followers!

I was absolutely thrilled to meet one of my Blogg followers whilst  having coffee the other day with my daughter Krista...who was celebrating her nomination in Cosmo's woman of the year recently....in the entrepeneur section...for her self started online fashion magazine "MYLOOKBOOK".com.au.... which is doing imensely well......started and run as a  one man show...while juggling a household including a husband and two teenage daughters....four chooks... one snake and one guinea pig.... Anyhow........
Lovely Danni from "One on La Balsa" overlooking the water at Point Cartwright on the Sunshine Coast...is one of my followers!
What a delightful spot to meet up with friends, a truly relaxed atmosphere......great decor.....fabulous outlook.....I didnt have a chance to have a meal there.......but...."Damn Fine Coffee".......and "Damn Fine Friendly Service" and what a Location...how refreshing to be looking out on a park and water whilst having coffee or dining......instead of the usual footpaths next to busy roads...inhaling all the petrol fumes...YUK. I know which one I will be going back to.
I'm just about to take off on that long awaited trip around Australia in Betsy (silver bullet) named by  the old boy after painting her "silver" (how very original...what an imagination......what would I do without him!!!)

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Pumpkin and Feta Pie Recipe

As promised in my last entry, here is the recipe for the Pumpkin and Feta pie (pictured below)...

RECIPE: 700g butternut pumpkin....4 garlic cloves.(unpeeled)...5 tblspns olive oil.....2 small red onions.....halved & sliced....1 tblspn balsamic vinegar....1 tblspn soft brown sugar....100g goats or feta cheese broken into small pieces.....1 tblspn chopped rosemary....1 large sheet ready rolled shortcrust pastry........
Preheat oven to 200ÂșC. Place pumpkin & garlic cloves on baking tray drizzle with 2 tablspns oil... bake for 25-30 mins.
Leave to cool. Meanwhile heat  2tblspns oil in pan, add the onion & cook over medium heat stirring occasionally for 10mins. Add vinegar & sugar & cook for 15 mins or until onion is caramelized.
Remove from heat & add to the pumpkin. Cool completely.
Add the cheese & rosemary to the pumpkin....squeeze out the garlic flesh & mix it through the vegetables. Season with salt & pepper.
Roll out the pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper to a 35cm circle. Remove the top sheet of paper & place the bottom paper with the pastry on a tray. Arrange the pumpkin & cheese mixture on top, leaving a 4cm border. Fold over edges, pleating as you fold, and bake for 30mins or until crisp & golden.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Look at Old Betsy Bedford now!!

Now I feel we're finally getting somewhere....she's a looking swell now. (the old Betsy Bedford) Starting to shed the "messy" and looking kinda "sassy."  Now all we have to do is give the old sheila a bit of a facelift on the outside and she'll look as good as new. (the boys are supposed to be starting to prepare her for her paint job this week) meanwhile Katie's cafe has turned into Helena's cafe as I do the cooking and cleaning for the hard workers in the household.
Love the vegetarian food we have stuck to eating....havent had caffeine for a month...but I think I will this morning (run out of herbals) oh well hello Earl Grey ....nice to taste you again.
Made the best pumpin and goats cheese and caramelised onion pie (yum)........(stay tuned for the recipe)...  (TO DIE FOR).   Katie made some great eggplant antipasto and gorgeous salad. (good enough to serve in a Cafe)

Better get back to work.....come to think of it the "oldboy" could do with a bit of a face lift too......well......so could I......I guess.....travel or facelift.....tavel is more FUN!!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

More De-Tox meals for all the "Foodies" (Scrumptious)

Our De-Tox Food Photos...YUMMY.....Breakfast, Lunch & Dinners!

                                                                  

Still With the family at... ( Katie's Cafe )

Having a bit of a juice & vegetable De-tox while staying at my daughter's place. WOW....headaches...backaches...body aches galore...we thought we were dying at one stage while all the toxins were being expelled from our bodies..( was this really supposed to be good for you) ....but after a week the pain started subsiding...until it disappeared altogether.....and we noticed our skin getting firmer and clearer...some weight was coming off...and the recipes were absolutely fantastic.....(highly recommend the Womens Weekly Detox mag) we've decided to stick to VEGO food for now as it all tastes "sensational" and so many recipes out there its unbelievable and so good for you.....( best part is how nice the kitchen smells after cooking and preparing without meat ) dont even want to eat meat anymore.
The vego food is so photogenic...I will load some onto my blogg as soon as I find out how to work my new I-phone and work out how to get the pictures onto my computer......
Havent had a game of golf yet.....cant wait......need some exercise!!