Polish Recipes - Stuffed Cabbage and Kielbasa & Sauerkraut

Here are some great recipes for your 
Polish-theme Euchre Card Party!!

There is something about good cooks .... they frequently don't use a set recipe, but just "know" the amounts and "feel" of a recipe!! Unfortunately that is the case with these two great recipes. LoL When I asked my good friend who did the Polish pot luck for our daytime ladies Euchre group for her recipe, she said she just knows what to do. Fortunately, I was able to find a similar recipe online. This Stuffed Cabbage recipe seemed the perfect choice.


Stuffed Cabbage (Wolowe Golabki)

large head of cabbage
1.5 pound ground round or ground turkey
tomato paste
1 stick of margarine (optional)
1 onion
3/4 cup of rice
2 large carrots
salt and pepper

1. To prepare the stuffing, mix ground beef (or turkey) with cooked rice and shredded sauted onion. Add salt and pepper for flavor. Set the stuffing aside.

2. Place the head of cabbage in a large pot of slightly salted boiling water. The intent is to soften the cabbage with steam and water in order to peal off individual leaves without tearing them apart. Continue steaming and pealing leaves until your cabbage is almost gone. Do not dispose of the water.

3. Lower the heat under the pot to a minimum and line the bottom with about half of the sliced carrots and remaining parts of the cabbage head.

4. Using a knife, carefully remove the thick rib from the center of each leaf without puncturing it. Spread each individual leaf on hard surface such as a cutting board and place a large spoon of stuffing in the middle. The amount of stuffing really depends on the size of the leaf and personal preference.

5. Start with the bottom of the leaf Cover the stuffing by folding the bottom (thick) part of the leaf toward the center. Next, fold the two sides of the leaf toward the center. Lastly, hold the two sides with your fingers and continue rolling it on to itself.

6. When it is done, place golabki in the pot as well as the remaining sliced carrots. Pour watered-down tomato paste over everything. Add stick (or less) of margarine for extra flavor. Cover the pot and cook on low to medium hit for approximately 1.5 hours.

Kielbasa and Sauerkraut

Most years for our family gatherings my sister-in-law brings the Kielbasa and Sauerkraut dish below. It is SUCH a favorite for the family, we won't let her bring anything else!! Again when I asked her for the recipe, she said there is no set recipe but gave me a description of the ingredients and what she does. So I did my best to transcribe. I don't know if this is a "traditional" Polish Kielbasa and Sauerkraut because the sauerkraut is more sweet than sour ... but what I do know is it is REALLY delicious!!

 
1 32oz jar of silverfloss sauerkraut (large jar)
1 pound of bacon
3 tablespoons of applesauce     
1 pound package of kielbasa
bacon grease

 
1. Rinse the sauerkraut before cooking. In a sauce pan cook the sauerkraut with 1/3 cup water for 30 minutes.

2. Cut the kielbasa in pieces and cook in a little water in frying pan.

3. Cook bacon and crumble 

4. Mix the kielbasa, sauerkraut, crumbled bacon, applesauce and add a little of the bacon grease together in a pan. 

5. Simmer on low heat for 1 hr. Stir occasionally. Can be put in a slow cooker after cooking to keep warm for serving.

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