Cabbage Rice

I have decided that I need to stop buying ingredients.  I love to try new recipes and this often means that I have to buy ingredients to make these recipes, obviously.  But I am talking about ethnic things.  The things that I wasn't educated on how to use or have a wealth of recipes in which to pull from to use it up or make use of it.  Like coconut flour.  I just recently finished it off.  I did not like the recipes necessarily that I used that for and coconut flour isn't exactly on my radar.  I also did not know that coconut flour can be drying.  You cant necessarily just replace it for flour in a recipe.  Tricky tricky.  

This recipe has everything I have in my pantry.  Unless you have Indian spices, this may not be things you have in your spice rack. But you can replicate some of them.  Like the asafetida, a little onion and garlic will nearly create that flavor. The curry leaves although I love them and can snort their intoxicating aroma for hours is not crazy important to this recipe. If you take much else away, it will be a different recipe I am afraid but you fo course can tailor it how you like and make it yours!

Cabbage Rice

2 cups Basmati rice, cooked
2 tablespoon oil
1/4 teaspoon asafetida optional for gluten free
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 cup peanuts
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
15-20 curry leaves
2 tablespoon ginger grated
4 green chilies minced
8 cups shredded cabbage packed
2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup cilantro chopped
3 tablespoon fresh coconut grated


Heat oil, add asafetida and mustard seeds and allow them to pop. This may take 3 to 4 minutes.  Add peanuts and sauté for a minute. Add turmeric, curry leaves, ginger and green chili. Mix everything together and cook until peanuts are golden brown.  Add grated cabbage and salt. Mix again. Add cooked rice and mix everything together.

Sprinkle cilantro and coconut over top before serving.

Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake with Mint Italian Meringue Frosting

Long time, no see!   I am back with chocolate cake!  Yeah.  Italian meringue seems to be a bit of a pain but it is actually quite easy.  Just get everything ready and it will go super fast.

Old Fashioned Italian Chocolate Cake

3 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 buttermilk
1/2 cup water
1 cup oil
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350°.  Combine dry ingredients, set aside.  In a large bowl mix sugar and oil, beat in eggs, then add vanilla.  Add 1/2 of the dry ingredients to oil and sugar mixture. Combine.  Add buttermilk and water. Combine.  Finally add the remainder of the flour mixture. Pour into well greased and floured pans or into a greased 9 x 13 pan.  Bake at 350° F for about 35 to 45 minutes.  Insert toothpick in center of cake to check to see if it is done.

Mint Italian Meringue Frosting

8 egg whites
1 3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup water
1 pound butter
2 teaspoons peppermint extract.
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon green coloring

In a saucepan pour sugar in.  Drizzle water over sugar evenly.  Do not stir.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Separate all of the eggs, insuring no yolk gets in the white. Place egg whites in bowl of mixer.  When the sugar and water begin to boil place candy thermometer in.  At 230°F, start beating egg whites. When the sugar water reaches 250°F slowly pour into whipped egg whites as the mixer runs.  Continue whipping for 8 to 10 minutes.  Side of mixer bowl should feel cool to the touch when ready to add butter. Add butter a little at a time.  Once all butter is in, add extract and coloring.  Beat until combine.  If it looks curdled just let it keep mixing, it will come back together.