You Say Haluski, I Say Halushkin

Halushkin (or Haluski) is an Eastern European comfort food,  I was introduced to this decadent dish when I worked at a vegetarian restaurant, called Bloodroot, in college.  It’s buttery (VERY buttery!) and caramelized and irresistibly simple.  I serve mine the same way they did at Bloodroot, with cucumber salad and homemade applesauce.  The creamy, salty, crispy salad and the sweet, spicy, tender applesauce are the absolute best accompaniments.  I will not serve halushkin any other way!

For the Halushkin:

1 1/2 lbs. butter

1 small head of green cabbage, chopped

2 lbs. sauerkraut

24 oz. egg noodles (preferably extra broad or dumpling)

2 Tbsp. poppy seeds

salt and pepper to taste

Start by draining the sauerkraut.  I like to pour it into a strainer and press it to get rid of as much moisture as possible. Let it sit in the strainer until needed.

In a large saute pan, melt 1/2 lb. of the butter, then add the cabbage.  Saute until browned (this takes a while, but it’s so worth it.) It looks like this when it’s done:

Put the cabbage aside in a large bowl and add another 1/2 lb. of the butter into the saute pan.  Add the sauerkraut and saute until browned (this also takes quite a while, and be careful, the searing hot kraut sometimes pops out of the pan!)

While the kraut cooks, prepare the egg noodles as directed on the package.

Lastly, combine the cabbage, kraut and noodles, add the remaining 1/2 lb. of butter, salt and pepper to taste and poppy seeds.

For the Cucumber Salad:

about 2 Hothouse (or English) Cucumbers, sliced thin

3/4 c. sour cream

a handful of fresh dill, chopped

a splash of Vinegar (I like to use Rice Vinegar)

salt and pepper to taste

The first step to this salad is a bit tedious, but it makes for a much better salad.  Arrange the sliced cucumbers in a single layer on a cooling rack.  Then, sprinkle very generously with salt.  The salt helps to leech out some of the moisture in the cucumbers so the salad will be creamy, not watery and the cucumbers stay crunchy.

Allow to sit for about 20 minutes, then dump the cukes into a strainer and rinse well to get rid of excess salt.  Dry the slices with a clean dishtowel or paper towel.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and coat the cucumbers.

For the Applesauce:

3 lbs. apples (any kind you like, I like gala), peeled and sliced

1 cup apple juice (or cider is even better)

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cardamom

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.

Cook over medium high heat until apples are tender, about 20 minutes.

Add more apple juice to accomplish desired consistency.

Serve a heaping helping of Halushkin with some cucumber salad and applesauce and enjoy true comfort!

Tuna Salad

Tuna salad is often a bit boring.  I love my tuna salad recipe, because it’s light and herby and crunchy and creamy!  Plus, it makes for the perfect sandwich.  Here’s the recipe:

4 cans, white tuna in water, drained thoroughly and chopped

1 small onion, minced

3-4 celery stalks, minced

1 bunch fresh dill, chopped

1 cup mayonnaise (more or less to accomplish the desired consistency)

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients:

I like to use fluffy potato bread to make a soft delightful sandwich, but it’s great on crackers, crusty bread, as a tuna melt, or all by itself!Extra tips:

-Make this quick salad even quicker by throwing all the ingredients into a food processor and pulsing until combined and the desired consistency is reached.  This accomplishes a smoother, more spreadable texture as well.

-This salad keeps nicely in the fridge, but if it becomes “liquidy” after a while, you can add fresh (not dried) bread crumbs to soak it up.  The bread will blend right in with the texture of the salad,