Ukrainian Red Cabbage Kapusta Recipes

UKRAINIAN KOBASA KAPUSTA

Steps:

• Remove the skin from the kobasa, and cut into bite sized pieces. Place in a bowl.
• Dice onion and place in a bowl.
• Crush fennel seed using a mortar and pestle.
• Drain and throughly rinse the sauerkraut using a colander. I like to use some boiling water for this.
• Heat a frying pan over medium heat, and add the oil.
• Add the onions and seasonings, and cook until browned (about 5 minutes).
• Add the cut up kobasa and cook until nicely browned (about 6-8 minutes).
• Add the drained and rinsed sauerkraut and cook until heated through (about 8-10 minutes).
• Remove from heat and place in a serving bowl. This is a great main course, or side dish.
• ENJOY!

HOMEMADE SAUERKRAUT RECIPE (KVASHENAYA KAPUSTA)

Steps:

• Remove the outermost leaves of the cabbage, cut it into quarters and shred cabbage finely (use a mandolin to do this faster and discard the core.
• In a large silver bowl, place cabbage, carrots, 2 Tbsp sea salt and 1 Tbsp sugar and scrunch and knead it together really well for the juice to be released from the cabbage (4-5 min). You don't want it to be super juicy, just enough to cover the lettuce when you really pack it down in a jar.
• Scrunch it until juices start to come out.
• Fill a glass jar with the cabbage mixture and pack it in very tightly so that the juice from the cabbage covers the cabbage completely. You want a jar big enough to be filled only about 2/3 full so it has room to expand.
• Make a press over the top of the cabbage by pushing down with a plate (or the lid from a large sour cream container). Top with a small jar of water, a super clean rock or whatever else would make a good weight. Place the lid on the jar but do not tighten. Its a good idea to keep the bottle in the sink or over a dish since there is risk of it overflowing (this is also why we only fill it 2/3 full; it grows!). Let stand at room temp for 4 days or until sour. It will stop fermenting/rising when it's done.
• While it sits at room temperature, once each day: poke a few holes through the cabbage with the back of a wooden mixing spoon to release the gas that this process produces and pack the cabbage down tightly.
• After 4 days, refrigerate until ready to serve. Can be stored for a few weeks if kept very cold.

KAPUSTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Heat 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat; saute onions and mushrooms until tender.
• In a medium saucepan over high heat, boil cabbage for 10 minutes.
• In a 9 x 13 inch baking dish combine onions, mushrooms, cabbage, sauerkraut, sugar, thyme, salt and pepper; mix well. Dot remaining 2 tablespoons butter on top. Cover.
• Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes.

UKRAINIAN RED CABBAGE - KAPUSTA

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the apples and the onion and sauté until the onion is tender and translucent, approximately 8 minutes.
• Stir in cabbage and stir until wilted, approximately 8 minutes. Stir in the sugar, vinegar ,salt, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Cover and cook until the cabbage is tender, stirring occasionally, aproximately 10 minutes.
• Add the stock and jam and continue to cook uncovered for 5 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper and serve. Delicious!

KAPUSTA (UKRAINIAN SOUP)

Steps:

• 1. Sautee bacon, kielbasa and onion together.
• 2. In a large stock pot - add sauerkraut, 2 cans soup and bay leaf. Add enough water to cover sauerkraut 1 inch above and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper.
• 3. When bacon, kielbasa and onions are ready, add to sauerkraut (grease and all). Mix and simmer covered for at least 1 hour.

UKRAINIAN CABBAGE

Steps:

• Combine the cranberry sauce, tomato sauce, 4 cups tap water and brown sugar and bring to boil.
• Reduce to a simmer and add white raisins. Simmer 5 minutes.
• Core the heads of cabbage and place into a large pot. Cover with boiling water. Cover the pot and cook about 10 to 15 minutes, until cabbage is wilted.
• Remove from hot water. Then cover the cabbage with cold water and separate the leaves. You may have to replace the inner half of the cabbage into the hot water, in order to soften the rest of the leaves. When the rest of the cabbage is done, place that into the cold water and separate those leaves. You will want to tear the large leaves in half.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Drain all of the cabbage well and place the cabbage into a roasting pot. Pour the sauce into the same pot and mix the cabbage and sauce with a wooden spoon.
• Cover pot with lid or with heavy duty aluminum foil and bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 15 minutes.

UKRAINIAN MEAT FILLED CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sautee onion in butter until tender. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool. When the onion is cool enough to handle, mix together the ground pork, bread crumbs, egg, salt and pepper until well blended.
• Place the head of cabbage in a large pot, and add enough water to cover the cabbage halfway. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 2 minutes. As the outer leaves become translucent and soft, remove them one at a time by peeling them off with a wooden spoon. Trim off the thick ribs at the leaf stem.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish, and line the bottom with outer cabbage leaves. Lay a few more leaves on a clean work surface. Place a large spoonful of the pork mixture at the base of each leaf. Roll up towards the top. Repeat until filling is used up. Arrange the finished rolls over the leaves in the dish, and pour in just enough broth to cover the rolls. Place extra cabbage leaves over the top.
• Cover, and bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven. When finished, drain off broth from the dish into a small saucepan. Whisk together the flour and sour cream. Gradually stir the sour cream into the broth. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until heated, about 5 minutes.
• To serve, arrange cabbage rolls on a platter, cover with sauce and sprinkle with dill. This goes perfectly with homemade noodles, or millet kasha.