Muffin Tin Chef by Matt Kadey (good beach reads .TXT) 📕

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/3 cup tightly packed chopped fresh basil leaves

2 tablespoons fresh oregano or

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

For the Cabbage Rolls: Bring the rice and water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the rice is tender, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken or turkey, onion, carrot, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook until the chicken or turkey is browned throughout, then carefully drain away any excess liquid. Stir in the cooked rice and the mozzarella cheese.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and fill a large bowl with ice water. In batches, blanch the cabbage leaves in the hot water for 1 to 2 minutes to soften slightly and then plunge into the ice water. Drain, and slice off the tough lower spine of each cabbage leaf. Press the cabbage leaves into 12 medium muffin cups and fill each cup with the chicken or turkey mixture. Fold over the tops of the leaves to seal. Bake for about 20 minutes, being careful not to burn the leaves. While the rolls bake, prepare the sauce. When the rolls are done, let cool for about 5 minutes, and invert to unmold.

For the Sauce: Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse several times until well combined but still slightly chunky. Transfer the sauce to a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot. Serve over the cabbage rolls.

WILD RICE CABBAGE ROLLS

Wild rice and shiitake mushrooms give these meat-free cabbage rolls an earthy taste, while brie cheese provides ooey-gooey goodness. If you’re like me and lack the finesse to properly roll cabbage leaves, making cabbage rolls in a muffin tin removes any angst. You’ll want to use the inner, more delicate leaves, as the most outer ones will be too tough to properly fit into the muffin cups. Serves 6 V, G, F

3/4 cup wild rice

2 cups water

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

2 celery ribs, sliced thinly

1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms

2 tablespoons fresh thyme

6 to 8 ounces brie cheese, diced

12 savoy cabbage leaves

salt and pepper

Bring the wild rice and water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the rice is tender, about 40 minutes. Drain the rice and add to a large bowl along with the walnuts, celery, mushrooms, thyme, brie, and salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and fill a large bowl with ice water. In batches, blanch the cabbage leaves in the hot water for 1 to 2 minutes to soften slightly and then plunge into the ice water. Drain, and slice off the tough lower spine of each cabbage leaf. Press the cabbage leaves into 12 medium muffin cups, making sure a generous amount of leaf hangs over the sides. Fill each cup with the wild rice mixture. Fold over the tops of the leaves to seal. Bake for about 20 minutes, being careful not to burn the leaves. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then place a flat object such as a cutting board over the muffin tin and invert to unmold.

SWEET-AND-SOUR TOFU EGG ROLLS

This is very different from take-out sweet and sour. Low-fat tofu replaces deep-fried chicken and the sauce tastes much lighter and fresher than the mystery neon goop often served at restaurants. Serves 6 V

1/3 cup reduced-sodium vegetable broth

1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar or

other granulated sugar

1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch, divided

1 large egg white

1 tablespoon water

3 tablespoons coconut oil or other oil, divided

1 block firm tofu (about 12 ounces), cut into 1/4-inch cubes

1 small green bell pepper, chopped

1 small red bell pepper, chopped

2 green onions, green and white parts, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1 cup cubed pineapple

12 egg roll wraps salt

To make the sauce, in a small bowl, whisk together the vegetable broth, soy sauce or tamari, sesame oil, rice vinegar, ketchup, sugar, 2 teaspoons of the cornstarch, and salt to taste. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg white and water. Add the tofu cubes and toss to coat. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup cornstarch and mix well.

Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil, swirl to coat the pan, and add the tofu. Cook until golden on all sides, about 6 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan, swirl to coat, and add the green and red bell pepper, green onions, garlic, and ginger. Cook until the peppers are tender, about 1 minute, stirring often. Pour in the sauce and cook until slightly thickened, about 30 seconds. Add the tofu and pineapple, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Remove the pan from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Press the egg roll wraps into 12 medium muffin cups. Fill each egg roll cup with the tofu mixture, fold over the tops to seal, and brush with oil. Bake until golden and crisp, about 15 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before unmolding. Serve warm.

SWEET-AND-SOUR TOFU EGG ROLLS, page 86

PORK CAKES WITH APPLE-PLUM CHUTNEY, page 88

PORK CAKES WITH APPLE-PLUM CHUTNEY

Pork and apple is a classic combination that’s hard to beat. The sweet apple chutney gussied up with dried plums just might be the star of the show here. The flavors of the pork cakes actually get