Tonights late night snack.

Thanks for the advice.

Thanks! You inspired me and I remembered to pick up some wraps yesterday. I grabbed some bok choy, since it is easier on my tummy and will try a practice run, before I try and serve them to company.

Since changing my diet, food bills have almost doubled.

yea, When i started eating nothing but good dinners it got expensive.... so it still get pizza shop sandwiches, mexican to go n what not too...

I still whip up something amazing about 3-4 times a week though...

Bah... Most of what I make is just a few bucks per serving. Just a matter of having a well stocked pantry and shopping properly. Hell you know how cheap cabbage is?

Anyways, It is about 3am so I am off again to find my get me fatter meal (not working yet damn it). No idea again what I will come up with. Just needs to be fast.

I have never seen won ton or egg roll rappers in the UK supermarkets ..though spring roll ones you can get. London has a huge China Town though and I have no doubt I can get them there if I just get off my bum and go into the city.

Coleslaw Mix is another thing I never see in the supermarkets here but if you have a food processor it really isn't hard to blitz your own in seconds.

The odd thing is, that I have clear memories of making potstickers as a teen all the time but haven't since then. I must have found the recipe somewhere and figured out how to do them from stuff my mom had because I remember my sister asking for them all the time (I was her cooking slave until I left home).

btw..with Asian cooking I find Savoy cabbage works well.

Personally I love all cabbages. I explained why I used head cabbage this time as I already had it for my decronstructed cabbage rolls I had for dinner tonight. BTW Damn Yummy. Hell I will jot down the recipe for any who are curious in a few. I did mention baged mixed though cause it is often has multi uses and is available nearly everywhere stateside.

Well my snack, ok lets not lie these are full sized meals. I am trying to gain about 20 pounds (yeah hate me or whatever but it is as difficult for me as it is for others to loose weight, plus I naturally cook health concious). I regress.

Tonight I made a quick pasta with garlic clam sauce. Total time - cooking time of pasta (I cheat and start water in electric kettle) so water was boiling in 2 minutes and from there it was 8 more minutes to plating.

Salted water a good amount, tossed in about an candy bars width of long noodles (standard). In sauce pan, 1 small can of baby clams, 2 cloves of crushed garlic, splash of garlic oil (I keep cloves in some oil in fridge and just keep adding cloves), packet of crushed red pepper curtesy some pizza place, splash of white wine, finished it with two pats of butter after wine was near gone. Tossed in some chopped herbs (parsley and chives from window garden). Splash of pasta water and then mixed it up. No cheese on this.

Also had turned on toaster oven. Took out a hotdog bun. Opened it up and broke the seam so it was two pieces. Rolled it flat with a rolling pin. Brushed each side with garlic oil. Lightly salted it and toasted it on each side about 1-2 min.

Opened a small can of diced tomatoes. Diced up some kalamata olives. Cut up some basil (window garden), added some sea salt and pepper, stire in some olive oil. Put 3/4ths back in fridge for eggs in morning and piled rest on my toast.

Figure my total cost of this was about 4 bucks max. Though I had enough clams to make enough sauce for 2-3 servings. oh yeah and took about 12 min including plating.

I love cabbages too..in fact, there aren't many brassicas I don't like..probably my favorite veggie group next to mushrooms

Ok my deconstructed cabbage rolls. See I love cabbage rolls but alas they were always an ordeal to make, much like tamale's or stuffed grape leaves. So I never could have it as often as I wanted it and well cabbage is always so damn cheap and is a great fiber and good for you. Though it can make some people gassy so some beano may be in order. Well I thought about it and figured out why in the hell do I even roll them up? so here it goes after a few experments.

2 pounds ground beef or 1 pound ground beef 1/2 pound ground pork 1/2 pound ground veal (I like the mix best but its more expensive)
1 1/2 cup chopped onion
2 (16 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (16 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
2 (16 ounce) cans beef broth or one of those resealable boxes.
1 head cabbage chopped (1 inch or so pieces)
1 cup uncooked white rice (short or long grain, I like jasmine)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
1 pair latex gloves (optional)
katchup (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Brown your meat in a pan, season with salt n pepper while it is cooking, not to much salt though just a tad. Drain when done.
In a large bowl toss in the tomato sauce, the tomatoe soup, the beef broth, the worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, nutmeg, garlic. Stir well to combine. Add in your rice, onions stir again, then put on some rubber and mix in the cabbage and cooked meat.
Dump it all into a 9x13 oven safe baking dish. Cover it with foil or a cover if your pan has one. Place in preheated oven and leave alone for an hour.
Then open it up, stir it up and cook another 20 or 30 minutes covered. (20 if your not going to use katchup). After 20 min squirt katchup over top, be creative and liberal. Crank oven to broil and cook 5-10 min more to carmalize katchup. Or just leave covered and cook the final 30 minutes after stiring.

Walla, its very tasty and no damn hassle of blanching a cabbage head, pulling off leaves, rolling the fuckers up, and all that jazz. It may not look as pretty but trust me your mouth will not complain nor has anyone else who has tried it.

Ohhh talk dirty to me...

BTW for others to save you any trouble, it is the large grouping of plants that belong to the mustard family. Which are also full of 3,3'-Diindolylmethane which is being looked into for anti viral and anti cancer stuffs. Ok just eat your greens they are damn good for you

Cabbages, greens, sprouts, cauliflower, etc...what is not to love?

okay..besides the wind ;)

Thx for sharing the recipe!
Woot