Crock-pot Green and Red Cabbage Rolls in Sauce

Cabbage rolls are quick and easy to make in a steamer or pan. But sometimes, just the sheer joy of starting it early and having it ready hours later makes me turn to the electrical crock pot for this.

Red cabbage leaves are notoriously crispy and not pliable to facilitate easy rolling. Use slightly old red cabbage that feels wilted a bit, yet good for consumption. Outer leaves with thick ridges don't work as well, of course. Also, I prefer to par cook it in the microwave with some water to make it softer and easier to roll up.

For a quick filling, ready-made frozen veggie patties are perfect. Either TJ's Pizza Veggie Burger patties or Black Bean Chipotle patties are the current favorites at home. Simply cook the patties, crumble them to make the filling.

Start some tomato sauce with corn and onion cooking in a crock pot. Assemble the cabbage rolls: simply fill a layer of cabbage large enough to make a roll, roll like a burrito wrap or dolma, place gently in the crock pot with the sauce. Cover and cook for  5 to 6 hours till desired doneness. I start this in the morning before going to work, and it is ready for dinner that evening.

Pimientos y Pollo con Tortilla

While Pimientos y Pollo con Tortilla is just a Spanish translation of the primary ingredients, it somehow sounds more exotic than Chicken and Bell Peppers with Tortilla :)

And, that's all this recipe is. Much like a wrap. We simply call it fajitas at home for convenience even if it is technically incorrect as it refers to a specific cut of beef that was originally used to create this dish.

Cooked on a cast iron skillet, with a couple of drops of Liquid Smoke (I use Wright's Hickory Seasoning) and spicy McCormick's™ Taco Seasoning, these bell peppers and chicken and onions make a wonderful filling to wrap in a tortilla and enjoy.

I like to start the chicken and onions first on the skillet and add the bell peppers when chicken is nearly cooked so they can all finish together. While corn tortillas are traditional, I like the high-fiber (low-carb) wheat tortillas for the wraps.

We've been enjoying more of the usual soups with home-made dampers and breads, South Indian rasam with Poduthuvals and home-made pizzas for the last few weeks - just quick meals - nothing elaborate, nothing new and exciting to share here...

Curry Chicken Wrap

Wraps are wraps, nothing spectacular, easy to make with favorite choice ingredients... can be just a quick snack, or a filling meal.

This curried chicken wrap is for my mum-in-law. Mom, if you are reading this, let me know your version of it and how you'd like to serve it.

For this curry chicken wrap version, I had Ana in mind, so I threw in some green beans and peas along with the curried chicken. Adults may not fancy green beans and peas the way my toddler does :) Curried chicken can be prepared ahead of time and warmed up before wrapping and serving. Any other favorite vegetables can be added.

The sauce is pretty mild as well, nothing too spicy or overwhelming. It is basically my sun-dried tomato thokku mixed with some nonfat yogurt to desired consistency and mildness. Sun-dried tomato thokku can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated as well.

Alternately, if sun-dried tomato thokku is not handy, mix some canned chipotle in adobo sauce with yogurt to desired spiciness.

Ingredients

Curried Chicken: 1 boneless skinless chicken breast 1 cup frozen peas handful frozen petit green beans 1 medium onion sliced thin 1 tomato chopped 1-2 garlic cloves minced 2 Tbsp Madras curry powder (or Balti curry powder)* salt to taste 1-2 Tbsp canola oil 4 Tbsp coconut milk (optional)

other: mixed salad greens chopped walnuts dried cranberries and cherries whole wheat or spinach or sun-dried tomato tortillas (or rotis or any favorite wraps) 2-3 Tbsp sun-dried tomato thokku ¼ cup nonfat yogurt

*Available ready-made at Indian stores; sometimes Indian stores I shop at don't have Balti curry but I've always found that Penzey's Spices is well-stocked.

Preparation

Curried Chicken: chop the thawed chicken breast to bite size pieces; heat oil in a pan, add the onions, chicken, garlic and tomatoes, a pinch of salt, and sauté a bit; add the spices and coconut milk, a few Tbsp of water as needed, cover and cook on medium till chicken is cooked through, keeping the curry fairly dry, but taking care not to char or burn.

Allow the curried chicken to cool a bit before stuffing. This wrap is good served at room temperature. Warm up the tortilla a bit to make it soft and pliable.

I like to make a cone out of the tortilla and stick a toothpick through the bottom to make a sort of conical container and then stuff it. Spread some sauce on the tortilla before making the cone. Toss in some greens, curried chicken, walnuts and cranberries, drizzle more sauce if preferred.

Serve with a simple side salad - I just threw in some mixed greens, kiwi and home-made raspberry vinaigrette. Can use avocados instead of kiwi if in season...