A Leek & A Head

Culinary adventures from two Nashville newlyweds. Simple, affordable recipes without the extra stuff you don't want to read. Click a picture to see its recipe! Or, click "All Recipes" below for a categorized list of everything we've made so far!

[aleekandahead]

Spicy Peanut Chicken with Thai Cucumber Salad

Unfortunately, we can’t take credit for this recipe; we owe it all to Williams Sonoma and our amazing wedding guests who gifted us so many awesome sauces and cookbooks! 

For the chicken:

2 skinless chicken breasts Williams Sonoma ThaiFusions Spicy Peanut Sauce

1. Place chicken breasts in a baking dish, and top with about 1.5 T peanut sauce per breast; spread evenly. 2. Bake chicken uncovered for 10 minutes at 350. Transfer to a George Foreman grill or skillet to finish cooking.

Thai Cucumber Salad:

1/8 c lime juice 1 T rice wine vinegar 1 T fish sauce 1 T light brown sugar, packed 1 cloves garlic, minced 1.5 T canola oil 0.5 tsp toasted sesame oil salt 2 English cucumbers, ends trimed 1/4 c fresh mint leaves, julienned 1/4 c roasted peanuts, chopped 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1. There are two ways to prepare the cucumbers: the recipe calls for cucumbers spiralized with a straight blade, stopping every 3-4 rotations; this results in spiral, ribbonlike slices. We didn’t have this tool on hand, so we sliced the cucumbers thinly using a mandolin--you can also just use a knife. Ok, so that’s three ways.

2. In a bowl, mix lime juice, vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, garlic, canola oil, sesame oil, and a pinch of salt. Toss with cucumbers.

3. Top with mint, onion, and peanuts.

Enjoy!

[aleekandahead]

Keto Mojito

After buying a mint plant for another recipe, one warm summer night we decided that a mojito was just what we needed! Here’s a low-carb, sugar-free version. Feel free to use whatever vodka and whatever sweetener you like! Sub rum for vodka if you like, but be wary of the carb and calorie count.

1 c chilled vodka 1 c club soda (we just made carbonated water with our SodaStream) 1/4 c lime juice Pure Via sweetener to taste - we used a full packet 5 muddled mint leaves

Mix lime juice, vodka, sweetener, and mint leaves in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously for about 10 seconds. Strain and pour over ice; top with club soda (note: if you shake with the club soda, the top of your shaker will likely pop off, or the shaker will leak---take our word for it!)

[aleekandahead]

This recipe comes to us from Taste of Home, but more importantly, from my mom--she made this for us during her visit to Nashville over July 4th and we wouldn’t change a thing. It’s easy, beautiful, fresh, and so, so yummy--a great summer side dish.

Tomato, Avocado, and Grilled Corn Salad

1 medium ear sweet corn, husks removed 3 large red tomatoes, sliced 3 large yellow tomatoes, sliced (these can get expensive but do NOT skip them! It is totally worth it, both for taste and aesthetic.) 3/4 tsp salt, divided 1/2 tsp pepper, divided 2 medium ripe avocados, peeled and sliced 1/4 c olive oil 2 T red wine vinegar 1 T fresh basil, minced 1/3 c crumbled feta cheese

1. Grill corn, covered, over medium heat for 10-12 mins or until lightly browned and tender, turning occasionally. (We don’t have a grill so we used a cast iron square grill pan and it worked just fine). 2. Cool corn slightly and cut from cob. 3. Arrange tomatoes on a large serving platter and spring with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Top with avocado slices. 4. Whisk together oil, vinegar, 1 T basil, and remaining salt and pepper. Drizzle half over the tomatoes and avocado. 5. Top with grilled corn and cheese, and drizzle remaining dressing. Garnish with additional basil.

[aleekandahead]

It’s definitely not keto, but red/white/blue potato salad is a 4th of July must in my family. This year, C and I hosted my mom and brother for the 4th and made it ourselves for the very first time! Check out our other recipes that completed our July 4th dinner below!

Ribs:Click Here  Homemade BBQ sauce:Click Here Deviled eggs: Click Here

Red, White, and Blue Potato Salad

2c small red potatoes 2c small blue potatoes 2c fingerling potatoes 4 green onions 2T chopped fresh parsley 1T chopped fresh dill 1.5T chopped fresh basil 1/4c red wine vinegar 2T olive oil 1.25tsp sal 2tsp dijon mustard 1 garlic glove, minced 1.5 celery ribs, sliced in thirds lengthwise and then chopped 1/2lb bacon, crumbled 1/2c chicken stock

1. Cut potatoes into quarters and place in a Dutch oven or large pan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook uncovered for 10-15 mins (until tender).

2. Drain potatoes and transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle with chicken stock. Toss and set aside.

3. Mix the olive oil, red wine vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl until blended. Add to potatoes with celery, herbs, and bacon. Toss to combine. Serve warm.

[aleekandahead]

C and I recently spent 2 weeks in Thailand on our honeymoon and, at the encouragement of my sister-in-law and her boyfriend, visited a restaurant in Chiang Mai called Cooking Love 2 with the sole goal of trying their Tom Yum Soup. It immediately became one of our favorite Thai dishes, and we ordered it twice more over the course of our trip. Here, we combine two recipes: one from EatingThaiFood.com and the other from TheSpruceEats.com; additionally, we recognize that this may *technically* be more of a Tom Kha Kai because of the chicken and coconut milk, but it tastes pretty darn close to what we had at Cooking Love! We hope you enjoy. And if you’re in the Nashville area, all of these ingredients can be found at King’s Asian Market in Antioch.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients 2 L (8.4 cups) water 6 chicken bouillon cubes (you can also replace 6 cups of the water with chicken broth or stock if you have it) 2 stalks of lemongrass 15-20 kaffir lime leaves 1/2 T nam prik *caution - this stuff is not a joke; if you don’t like spicy, leave this out or add it in very small quantities until you reach a level you can tolerate–it does have a great flavor apart from being very spicy 2 large chicken thighs, or a large chicken breast, cooked and coarsely shredded 2 roma tomatoes 3 c whole oyster mushrooms 2 medium white onions or 1 large white onion 3 T fish sauce *also caution - this stuff does NOT smell good and it is an acquired taste. The original recipe called for 10 T but we were fine with 3. Juice of 1 medium to large lime Rice vinegar to taste 5 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups full-fat coconut milk

1. Bring 2L of water to boil and add chicken bouillon cubes. 2. Add lemongrass. To use lemongrass, cut the bottom off and remove any dried leaves. Use a rolling pin and beat the lemongrass on a cutting board to mash it slightly, which releases the flavor. Cut into 2-3″ sections and put in the water. Note: don’t eat the lemongrass! 3. Coarsely tear the kaffir lime leaves and add them to the water. 4. Add nam prik, fish sauce, and garlic and boil for 10 minutes. 5. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and add the chicken. 6. Slice the onion into chunky wedges and add. 7. Add coconut milk and mushrooms (make sure to rinse them first) and simmer for 4-5 minutes. 8. Slice roma tomatoes into big wedges and add to soup; remove from heat so the tomatoes become soft but not mushy. 9. Squeeze the lime as much as possible into the soup and stir to mix. 10. Depending on your taste preferences, you can adjust with more fish sauce, lime, rice vinegar, or sugar. Traditionally, Tom Yum is sour and salty. Serve hot and enjoy!

[aleekandahead]

Asparagus Kale Burger Bowl An original #keto recipe!

1 Kale & Mozzarella Chicken Burger, grilled and cubed (can be found at Costco, but you substitute your favorite turkey/veggie burger!) 4 spears asparagus cut lengthwise into 1 inch pieces Half of an avocado, cubed 1/2 T whole grain mustard of of your choice 1/2 T lemon juice

1. Grill the burger or cook it in a pan and cube it - set aside. 2. In the same pan, saute the asparagus until it is bright green and crisp. Season with salt and pepper if you like! 3. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and mustard until mixed. 4. Combine the mustard dressing, cubed avocado, burger, and asparagus. Toss to coat in the dressing and enjoy!!

Calories: 325 Net carbs: 8.6g Fat: 19g Protein: 23g

[aleekandahead]

Keto Mousse: Chocolate or Peanut Butter

Well, today was snow day #2 although I’m not entirely sure why, since our front yard--which originally was covered in snow--now has barely enough to make a snowball. But I’ll take the day off. And of course, my free time led me to the kitchen, this time motivated by some serious chocolate cravings. Below are two different recipes, both for mousse. I have to say the chocolate mousse is my favorite, because I’m not used to the taste of the Stevia in the peanut butter mousse (I also used Naturally More Extra Protein Peanut Butter Spread, which tends to have a slightly bitter taste, so that could also be a contributing factor.) Overall, they’re both incredibly easy to make and are sure to satisfy those cravings without the extra carbs! Before you dig in, though, keep in mind that it may be low-carb but it is definitely not low-calorie.

Keto Chocolate Mousse Recipe adapted from ThisSouthernGirlCan

Ingredients: 1 box sugar-free, fat-free Jell-O chocolate pudding mix Heavy whipping cream

1. To determine how much whipping cream you’ll need, consult the pudding instructions on the pudding box; I bought a small box, which calls for 2 cups of skim milk. Use the designated amount, but of whipping cream instead of milk!

2. In a mixing bowl, mix the whipping cream and pudding mix until thick and fluffy. Refrigerate and enjoy!

Nutrition (per 1/4 cup mousse) Calories - 217.5 Fat - 20g Carbs - 7.5g* Protein - negligible

*Compare to one serving of Trader Joe's Chocolate Mousse, which has 510 calories and 54 carbs.

Keto Peanut Butter Mouse Recipe adapted from AllDayIDreamAboutFood

Ingredients: 1 cup heavy whipping cream (about 2 cups whipped) 8 oz. cream cheese 4 T natural, unsweetened peanut butter. I used Naturally More Extra Protein peanut butter spread, although it is not unsweetened. 2 tsp. vanilla extract 14-20 drops liquid organic stevia extract, or to taste

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whip your whipping cream until it forms stiff peaks. 2. In another bowl, beat together the cream cheese, peanut butter, vanilla extract, and stevia until smoothand creamy. 3. Add whipped cream and mix on medium speed for about a minute, or until the mousse is light and fluffly. 4. Refrigerate and enjoy!

Nutrition (per 1/4 cup mousse) Calories - 125.8 Fat - 11.46g Carbs - 3.23g Protein - 2.6g

[aleekandahead]

Crustless Spinach & Feta Quiche Recipe from The Big 15 Ketogenic Diet Cookbook

4 T butter, divided 1 onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 C fresh spinach, chopped Salt & pepper 10 eggs 1 C heavy whipping cream 2 C shredded cheese, divided 1/4 cup crumbled feta 1/4 red onion, sliced thinly

1. Preheat the oven to 375.

2. Grease a large round baking dish with 2 T of butter.

3. In a medium skillet over medium heat, combine the onion, garlic, spinach, and 2 T of butter. Season with salt and pepper, and saute for 4-5 mins. Remove from heat.

4. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and cream. Add spinach and 1 cup of cheese. Mix to combine. 

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and top with remaining 1 cup of cheese, feta, and red onion. 

6. Bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until the eggs are set. Cool slightly, slice, and enjoy!

Nutrition (Makes 6 servings; nutrition facts are for 1 serving, or 1/6 of quiche)

Calories - 496 Net carbs - 4g Total fat - 44g Protein - 22g

[aleekandahead]

Cream Cheese & Bacon Stuffed Peppers An original recipe!

Ingredients 8 oz. cream cheese 8 T crumbled real bacon bits Mini sweet bell peppers, with tops cut off & seeds removed

Mix bacon & cream cheese on a cutting board, kneading similar to how you would with bread or pizza dough, until bacon is evenly distributed. Spoon into bell peppers and enjoy as a mid-day snack or appetizer!

Nutrition (per pepper) Calories - 52 Fat - 3.8g Protein - 2.3g Total carbs - 1.7g

[aleekandahead]

Steak with Ginger, Asparagus, and Mushroom Saute Recipe from PaleoFlourish

2 beef medallions (approx. 1/2-3/4 lb or 500-750 g)

6 asparagus shoots, chopped into small slices

4 cherry tomatoes, halved [omit for AIP]

2 button mushrooms, chopped

1/4 onion, chopped

1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped

1/2 Tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped

Coconut oil to fry in

Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Rub salt over the beef medallions (you can use a beef steak of your choice).

Place 1 tablespoon of coconut oil into a frying pan and pan-fry the beef medallions. Alternatively, you can grill the beef. In the frying pan, it only takes 2 minutes on each side for a medium rare level. Cook for longer if you prefer your steak medium or well done.

Sit the beef on a plate as some of the liquid will drain out.

Meanwhile, in a frying pan, place 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and add in the chopped onions. Pan-fry the onions until they’re translucent. Then add in the asparagus and mushrooms. Saute until the vegetables are soft. Then add in the tomato halves, chopped parsley and ginger. Saute for a few extra minutes and serve with the beef on a new plate.

NUTRITION

Calories: 450

Sugar: 2 g

Fat: 33 g

Carbohydrates: 5 g

Fiber: 2 g

Protein: 31 g

[aleekandahead]

Carb-Free Cloud Bread Cloud Bread recipe adapted from Genius Kitchen

If you know me, you know I live on carbs--well, I did until 10 days ago when we started our keto diet. Pasta, dill pickle chips, salt and vinegar chips, tortilla chips, french fries, sweet potato fries, fried pickles, breaded chicken strips...you name it. If it’s made of carbs or covered in carbs, it’s my favorite. That said, I have been NEEDING something that at least resembles bread. I can dip celery in guacamole all day, but it’s not quite the same as a tortilla chip. Right when I was about to break down and break out the pita chips, C came to the rescue with a recipe that is worth every second and every dollar: **~**cloud bread**~**

We topped the bread with Yucatan guacamole and Costcos’ real bacon crumbles for a snack that truly hits the spot. You can also use cloud bread to make sandwiches, as a dipper in your favorite low-carb dip, or as a garlic bread substitute. Top with your favorite ingredients and enjoy! You’ll be amazed.

Ingredients 3 eggs, separated 3 T plain cream cheese (try subbing veggie, jalapeno, or chives & onion cream for a great flavor!) - make sure the cream cheese is room temperature/soft but not hot/warm 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cream of tartar 1 packet artificial sweetener, preferrably without aspartame OR if you want a more hearty, salty flavor, add a pinch of salt instead of sweetener

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees 2. Separate the eggs and make sure there is NO YOLK in your egg white! 3. In one bowl, mix the egg yolks, sweetener/salt, and cream cheese until smooth. 4. In a second bowl, add 1/4 teaspoon to the egg whites and beat them on high speed until they’re fluffy and form “nice peaks.” 

Alright. Moment of truth. We’ve made cloud bread twice and both times we beat the egg whites with a fork instead of an electric mixer. After about 20 mins and a lot of finger/hand/wrist/arm/body pain, we gave up and used egg whites that were frothy, but still runny. The second time we made the bread, we added about 1/2 tsp of cream of tartar instead of the 1/4 tsp it calls for, and gave up once we achieved thicker, frothier eggs, but definitely not fluffy/peaking ones. 

The bread turned out fine each time, but it will be breadier and fluffier if you beat the whites until they form peaks. 

5. Fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites, and be careful not to break down the fluffiness of the egg whites, if you have achieved it.

6. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

7. With a large spoon, scoop the mixture on to the cookie sheet in approximately 10 even rounds; the original recipe describes them as the size of the top of a McDonald’s hamburger bun.

Here’s a trick: canning lids have two parts; the flat circle, and the ring part that you twist on. C’s mom loves to can, so we had about 10 of the rings at our disposal. We found that placing them on the sheet and pouring the mixture (since ours was quite runny) into them helped form perfect round little breads.

You can also bake it in a muffin pan to make more muffin-like bread, but make sure the pan is v e r y well greased so the bottoms don’t stay stuck in the pan.

8. Bake for 15-30 mins. Yes, this is an obnoxious range of time. Apparently the cooking time is not the same between any two batches, but it has taken about 15 mins for each of ours. When they are golden brown and set, they are done!

8. Remove from pans and cool.

9. If your cloud bread is crumbly and resembles cooked meringue, don’t worry - once it cools, store it in a tupperware container overnight and the texture will soften and become more breadlike. Ours was never crumbly and was remarkably breadlike right out of the oven - probably due to the egg white mishap.

Enjoy! Eat as many as you want because IT’s. NOT. BREAD. Praise the Lord.

Nutrition Info Per round (1/10 of recipe)

Calories - 21.5 Fat - 1.5g Carbs - 0.15 Protein - 1.9g

[aleekandahead]

Crustless Mini Veggie & Herb Quiches

Classes were cancelled today because of the “snow.” And no, I don’t mean that it wasn’t actually snow, but there wasn’t actually a reason to cancel school. It snowed from at least 6am to 9:30am, and by noon the majority of it had melted. 

This recipe was largely inspired by boredom (which usually leads to the emergence of my inner--and untrained--kitchen wizard), and partially by having way too much salami in my fridge. Luckily, it turned out so, so well. We (I) hope you enjoy! If you don’t, it’s C’s fault. 100%. 

Makes 12 mini quiches. Ingredients: 1.5 cups egg beaters  3 T salted butter, melted 12 small slices salami lunchmeat, cubed 1 large slice bacon, cooked 1 T chopped fresh oregano 1 T chopped fresh chives 1/2 cup chopped spinach 4 T Herdez hot salsa casera 4 T El Pato jalapeno salsa Pinch of salt 6 T shredded cheese, Mexican or taco blend Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients except the butter and cheese in a bowl, and mix well. Melt the butter in a microwave-safe dish, and stir quickly with a fork as you pour it in to avoid cooking the egg. Spoon the mixture into a well-greased 12-muffin pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the quiches are puffed and set. About 3 minutes before they are done, top each quiche with about about 1/2 T of shredded cheese. Once cooled, run a knife around the edge to loosen the quiche. Enjoy!

Nutrition: (per 1 quiche) Calories - 72 Carbs* - 1.5g Protein - 5g Fat - 4.9g

*The calculated quantity is the most that each quiche could have, but they probably have fewer; some of the ingredients’ nutrition labels listed less than 1g carb per serving, so we calculated our nutritional info assuming that a serving had 0.9g.

[aleekandahead]

Keto Herb Salad Dressing Recipe adapted from KetoDietApp.com

¼ cup mayonnaise

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp MCT oil

2 cloves garlic 

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp freshly chopped herbs of choice (we used parsley, oregano, and chives)

salt and pepper to taste 

2 tsp sriracha (for flavor; optional)

Peel and crush the garlic. Put the mayo, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, olive oil and MCT oil in a jar*. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add finely chopped herbs. Cover with a lid and shake* until well combined. Store in the fridge for up to a week. Shake well before drizzling over salads. 

*If you have a magic bullet, it does a great job of mixing the ingredients evenly and chopping your herbs up. 

Nutrition (2 tablespoons) Net Carbs: 0.8g / Protein: 0.4g / Fat: 21.3g / Cal:192

[aleekandahead]

Keto Salmon Romesco (picture from FreckledItalian.com)

Recipe from: The Big 15 Ketogenic Diet Cookbook

Ingredients:

¼ cup almonds

4 garlic cloves, peeled

1 tomato

4 6-ounce salmon fillets

2 red bell peppers

¼ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375.

On a large baking sheet, spread out the almonds and add the garlic and tomato. Roast for 10 minutes or until the almonds are fragrant and just starting to brown. Remove the almonds and continue roasting the garlic and tomato for 15-20 minutes more, until the garlic is browned and the tomato has softened.

While the almonds, garlic, and tomato roast, on a separate baking sheet bake the salmon for 30-35 minutes, or until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

Meanwhile, roast the red peppers for 3-5 minutes over an open flame or on a hot (medium-high) grill until the skins are blackened. Cover with plastic wrap and let sweat until cool enough to handle. Peel off the blackened skin and remove the seeds.

In a food processor, combine the almonds, garlic, tomato, bell peppers, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, cayenne, and some salt and pepper. Puree until smooth. Serve over the salmon and enjoy immediately.

[aleekandahead]

Cheesy Keto Spaghetti Squash Casserole Recipe by Mellissa Sevigny Yield: 8 servings INGREDIENTS

For the chili:

1 lb lean ground beef (or turkey) 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 1 Tbsp chopped chipotles in adobo (optional) ½ tsp garlic powder 1 tsp dried oregano ½ cup prepared salsa** salt and pepper to taste **combine chopped tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, salt, and lime juice for fresh salsa! For the casserole

4 cups cooked spaghetti squash 2 tbsp butter, melted ¾ cup sour cream 1 ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese chopped cilantro (optional) sour cream, salsa, avocado to serve (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

For the chili:

In a medium saucepan brown the ground meat seasoned with salt and pepper. Pour off any extra fat and discard. Add the rest of the chili ingredients and simmer for about 10 minutes. For the casserole:

In a medium bowl combine the cooked spaghetti squash and melted butter, tossing to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste. Spread the squash out in a 12 – 14 inch casserole dish. Sprinkle with ¾ cup of shredded cheese. Spread the sour cream over the cheese layer. Spoon on the chili and spread it out, leaving a 1 inch border of spaghetti squash around the edge. Top with the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole or avocado slices as desired. Nutrition

Serving Size: Approximately 1.5 c Calories: 284 Fat: 20g Carbohydrates: 6g net Protein: 2g

[aleekandahead]

Tangy Peanut Beef & Broccoli Original recipe!

If spicy isn’t your thing, leave out the Sriracha and red pepper flakes for a tangy Thai twist on this American Chinese favorite.

1 lb stew beef 1 T olive oil 1.5 c sugar snap peas 2 c broccoli florets 2 c vermicelli noodles, cooked*

Peanut Sauce 4 T peanut butter 1 tsp red pepper flakes 3 T soy sauce 1.5 T white vinegar 1.5 T Sriracha chili sauce Beef Marinade 3 T olive oil 1.5 T soy sauce 1 T Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp garlic salt 1 tsp onion powder

*Follow instructions on package to cook; this usually involves soaking on hot water for 15 minutes and draining.  1. In a quart-sized Ziploc bag, combine ingredients for marinade. Put stew meat in bag, mix to cover, and marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes, turning halfway through. 2. In a wok or skillet, heat 1T olive oil on medium high heat. Empty beef and marinade into wok/skillet and cook to desired level of doneness (medium-rare recommended).  3. Remove beef from and add snap peas and broccoli. Cook until bright green but still crisp. Remove from pan and mix with beef in a medium-sized bowl. 4. In a small bowl, combine ingredients of peanut sauce - it’s okay if the peanut butter is still thick. Add sauce to skillet/wok and stir until peanut butter has melted and ingredients are well mixed.

5. Add cooked and drained vermicelli noodles to sauce. Toss to coat, and then remove from heat.

6. Mix vermicelli with beef, snap peas, and broccoli.

Enjoy!

[aleekandahead]

Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Adapted from TasteofHome

This is one of my favorite recipes we’ve made and I can’t believe we never posted it! Last week I made them for the second time and they are just so darn good. Enjoy!

1 medium head of cabbage, about 3 lbs 1 lb uncooked ground beef 1 lb uncooked ground pork 1 15-oz can tomato sauce 1 medium onion, chopped 1/2 c uncooked long grain rice - I used a box of Uncle Ben’s 2 T dried parsley flakes 1 T minced garlic 1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground black pepper Snipped fresh dill - the original recipe calls for 1 tsp, but to be honest I think I used the entire box of dill, which is about 4 tablespoons. I really like dill. 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained 1 tsp sugar

1. Cook the cabbage in boiling water until the outer leaves easily pull away from the head; I had to pull away the outer leaves and then boil it again until the next set started to peel off. You’ll need about 12 leaves for the rolls.

2. In a bowl, combine the beef, pork, 1/2 cup of tomato sauce, about half of the diced tomatoes, onion, rice (uncooked), parsley, salt, pepper, dill, garlic, sugar and cayenne.

3. Cut out the thick vein from the bottom of each leaf in a V-shaped cut. Place about 1/4 cup of the meat mixture on the cabbage leaf and roll, overlapping the cut ends and folding in the sides. Repeat until all the meat mixture is gone.

4. Lightly spray a Pyxrex baking dish - the one I used was 13x9. Slice the rest of the cabbage and cover the bottom of the dish. Arrange the cabbage rolls on top, and then cover with the remaining tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.

5. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 90 minutes, or until the cabbage rolls are tender and the meat is fully cooked.