Almost My Grandmas Rouladen Melissa Darabian Recipes

(ALMOST) MY GRANDMA'S ROULADEN: MELISSA D'ARABIAN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a Dutch oven over medium-low heat, cook the bacon crisp to render the fat. Once the bacon is cooked, remove from pan and set aside. Reserve the rendered bacon fat in pan.
• Begin prepping the meat: If the meat is too thick, you may butterfly to make thinner.
• Salt and pepper the steaks and lay flat on a large cutting board. Pound to tenderize. Flatten to 1/2" if possible. Flip & pound the other side. Repeat as necessary to ensure thinness. I like to cover the meat over & under with a piece of clear plastic wrap to minimize messiness while tenderizing the meat.
• Brush the top side of the slices with enough mustard just to coat.
• Spread with dill pickle relish and bacon / lardons.
• Sprinkle HALF the onion on top of the pickle relish.
• Starting at the short end, roll the meat up jellyroll style, and secure with kitchen twine in 3-4 places. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Reheat the bacon fat to the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the meat and brown all sides of the meat.
• Remove the meat from the pan. Add oil if necessary and add the remaining onion, carrot and celery; cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
• Deglaze the pan with the wine. Scrape up any bits off the bottom of the pan, then add in the canned tomatoes with their juice. Add the beef stock.
• Nestle the meat back into the pan, bring to a simmer, cover and bake until the meat is tender, about 90 minutes. Turn the meat once halfway through cooking. If you need to add a bit more stock, do so. The sauce will be on the thick side and full of the veggies.
• Let rest for 5-10 minutes. Do not remove the twine just yet.
• Slice meat 1" thick with the twine in place or not. It will be fall apart tender and the beef may shred. No worries, it still tastes fantastic! I would suggest using a sharp knife or an electric knife.
• Serve with mashed potatoes, YUM! Ladle the sauce over the meat and potatoes. Enjoy!

BEEF AND BECHAMEL LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the meat sauce: In a large saucepan or small Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until nearly crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the onions and carrots, season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened, another 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the ground beef and cook until the beef is no longer pink, 6 to 7 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the wine and add the marinara sauce and cinnamon. Fill the jar one-quarter full with water, swish it around to pick up any sauce left behind, and add it to the pot. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• For the bechamel sauce: Heat the milk in the microwave for 2 minutes. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, and then whisk in the flour. Cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes. Whisk in the warm milk and cook until thickened, whisking frequently, about 10 minutes. Add the nutmeg, garlic, salt, and pepper and set aside.
• For the cottage cheese layer: In a blender or food processor, add the cottage cheese, egg, and Parmesan, and pulse until the cottage cheese curds are small (the mixture will resemble ricotta). Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• To assemble: Spray a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1/4 cup water plus 1/4 cup meat sauce in the bottom of the pan. Lay 3 noodles crossways in the pan. Divide the cottage cheese mixture in half. Divide the remaining meat sauce in thirds. Divide the grated cheese into fourths. Divide the bechamel into thirds. Add the layers in the following order: cottage cheese, meat sauce, grated cheese, and bechamel. Then, add another layer of noodles, cottage cheese, meat sauce, grated cheese, and bechamel. Finally, add the remaining 3 noodles, meat sauce, grated cheese, and bechamel. Spray a large piece of foil with cooking spray and cover the lasagna tightly. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove the foil and top with the remaining grated cheese and cook an additional 10 minutes, or until the lasagna is bubbling. Allow the lasagna to rest 15 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.

MY GRANDMA'S BRAISED CABBAGE

Steps:

• In a medium pot or Dutch oven, cook the onions in the butter over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add the apple, brown sugar, wine, vinegar, and water, and bring up to a simmer, stirring. Cover and braise for 30 minutes, stirring once and checking on the texture. Cook a little less for a firmer cabbage; a little more for softer cabbage.
• Add a small splash of cider vinegar just before serving.