When the wind is tossing the treetops and the rain beats against the window panes, there's nothing more comforting than the smell of a savoury casserole bubbling away in the oven.
Casseroles have been a reliable stand-by meal for generations of thrifty cooks, and great recipes are jealously guarded family secrets. I won't be risking disinheritance by sharing this recipe, but it is a good one. I love cabbage rolls, although making them is a fiddly and time-consuming process; the recipe below gives you all their wonderful flavour for a fraction of the work. Serve with a simple green salad on the side.
Cabbage Roll Casserole
1 lb lean ground beef
½ lb lean ground pork
1 medium/large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp paprika
Pinch of dried thyme
Half of a large cabbage, chopped into half-inch pieces
1½ cups uncooked long-grain rice
2 cups tomato sauce (or a mixture of crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce, 1 cup each)
1 tsp brown sugar (stir into tomato sauce)
½ tsp balsamic vinegar (stir into tomato sauce)
3 cups beef broth
Parmesan cheese and/or sour cream
Preheat oven to 350° F. Brown the beef and pork in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain off all the grease; stir in onions, garlic, salt, pepper, paprika and thyme. Cook on medium-low heat until the onions have softened and become transparent; remove from heat. Stir in the remaining ingredients, then transfer mixture to a deep 13x9-inch lasagna dish. Cover securely with aluminum foil and bake for 90 minutes. Remove casserole from oven and stir halfway through the cooking time, then replace foil and continue baking.
If you prefer the cabbage and rice to be very soft and tender, stir in another quarter cup of water after the 90 minutes; cover and cook for another half hour. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese and/or sour cream. Makes six generous servings.
Midwinter Fruit Salad
¾ cup granulated sugar
One three-inch cinnamon stick
½ of a vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
8 plump dried apricots, cut in half
4 dried figs, cut into quarters
¼ cup dried cranberries
Two two-inch long pieces of lemon zest (use a vegetable peeler)
Two two-inch long pieces of orange zest
Juice of one lemon
3 firm, ripe Bosc pears
1 large, firm tart apple
1 cup Greek yogurt mixed with 1 Tbsp honey
Place four cups of water in a medium saucepan. Add the sugar, cinnamon stick, vanilla bean, lemon and orange zest. Bring to a boil and boil gently until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat; let syrup cool for a few minutes, then stir in the apricots, figs and dried cranberries. Let mixture cool completely. If you don't have cinnamon sticks or a vanilla bean, stir one-half teaspoon ground cinnamon and one-half teaspoon vanilla into the syrup after it has boiled.
Meanwhile, peel and core the pears and apple. Cut them into thin lengthwise slices; place in a large bowl and toss them with the lemon juice. Once the syrup with dried fruit has cooled, pour mixture over the pear and apple slices; stir gently to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for several hours or preferably overnight. To serve, ladle fruit into serving bowls with a slotted spoon (remove vanilla bean, cinnamon stick and citrus peels). Top each serving with a dollop of the honeyed yogurt. Makes four to six servings.
Decadent Hot Chocolate
This is a comforting drink to chase away the chills.
2½ cups homogenized milk
2 cups light cream
4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
4 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp instant espresso powder
Whipped cream
In a large heavy saucepan, heat the milk and cream over medium heat to just below simmering point; remove from heat and add dark and milk chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla and espresso powder and whisk vigorously. Reheat the chocolate gently until steaming (don't let it boil). Ladle into mugs and top with whipped cream. Makes four to five servings.
Angela Shellard is aself-described foodie. She has done informal catering for various functions. Contact: [email protected].
