I am (almost) officially done in my duties as a dance faculty member at IU, I've finished my semester of teaching yoga for Recreational Sports, and have an entire month before I begin my new job with Career Services. The prospect of occupying myself for an entire month without a job (not counting my biweekly yoga classes at Panache Dance Studio) is terrifying! I'm not sure what I'll do with my time. I remember so looking forward to summer breaks as a child - but as an adult, it is absolutely unthinkable.
To occupy my time, I will (hopefully) be choreographing and preparing for the next Panache Dance showcase, running, reading, cooking, blogging (yay), and maybe checking out some volunteer work? I'm not sure where...but I thought it would be a nice way to spend my oodles of free time. If you have any suggestions, let me know.
Anyhoo, I've already started cooking more since my workload has fizzled and I've got two really great recipes for you tonight. Enjoy!
Cabbage Rolls
This recipe is modified from Devin Alexander's The Biggest Loser: Flavors of the World Cookbook. Cabbage rolls are featured in many different ethnic cuisines of Europe and Asia. The recipe may seem extremely involved, but it's quite simple (and tasty).
- 1 head cabbage
- 1 lb. extra lean ground turkey
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1 small onion, minced or finely chopped by hand or in a food processor
- 3/4 cup cooked short-grain brown rice
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Add the cabbage to the boiling water, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Cook for 10 minutes. Using two large spoons or a set of tongs, carefully remove the cabbage from the water to a large bowl over the sink. Gently rinse the cabbage in cold water until cool enough to touch. Gently peel whole leaves from the head of cabbage without ripping them and stack them on a plate covered in paper towels. When you get to stiff leaves that don't peel easily, return the cabbage to the hot water for an additional 10 minutes of simmering. Repeat the process of rinsing and peeling the cabbage until you get 12 intact large leaves (this took me two rounds of steaming and peeling). Discard the remaining cabbage or save for another use.
In a large bowl, mix the cooked rice, turkey, onion, pepper, and 1 cup tomato sauce until completely combined. Place a small handful of the rice/turkey mixture in each of the cabbage leaves and fold like a burrito (tuck in the sides first and then roll down the top). Place the stuffed rolls seam side down in the baking dish.
Combine the remaining tomato sauce with the vinegar and sugar, mixing until the sugar dissolves. Evenly pour this mixture over the cabbage rolls. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for an hour and a half, until the meat is cooked through and the leaves are translucent. makes 12 cabbage rolls, serving 3-4
Lowfat Chocolate Cheesecake
This scrumptious dish comes from Marlene Koch's wonderful and thorough "diet" cookbook Eat What You Love. Koch champions Splenda in her baking, so those who don't use it might want to steer clear of this recipe (or her book). I don't have an issue with Splenda, so I love her stuff!
- 1 store bought chocolate or graham-cracker crust
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips
- 12 oz nonfat or lowfat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup Splenda
- 8 oz tub fat free whipped topping, thawed
- handful chocolate chips and chocolate syrup, for topping
Heat the chocolate chips in the microwave for one to one-and-a-half minutes, until completely melted.
In a standing mixer (or in bowl using hand mixers), beat the cream cheese until creamy. Slowly pour in the melted chocolate and beat until mixed. Next, add the cocoa powder and Splenda and beat again until incorporated. Gently fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture with a spoon and mix until thoroughly combined. Spoon the mixture into the crust, sprinkle with chocolate chips, and lightly drizzle with chocolate syrup. Let refrigerate for at least two hours before slicing and eating. serves 6-8
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