The Whole Wheat

My mother-in-law taught me how to make this traditional Slovakian/Hungarian dish. It is not a family dish, she learned from a friend. None of us can vouch for its authenticity but it is a very hearty simple meal that is perfect for winter! I learned how to make the dish over the Christmas holidays and recently found myself with quite a lot of cabbage from my CSA boxes. I had some potatoes that needed to be eaten also. So what to make – haluski! I did a bit of online research and modified the recipe to match what sounded good to me as well. I added bacon, cut down on the butter, etc. Its a game of proportions and I personally will use fewer potatoes next time. Here is the recipe as I made it:

Ingredients:

• ~6 pcs bacon, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 head cabbage, shred (in the food processor) or cut finely
• 2-3 potatoes (I used 3 but I think 2 would have been better), peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 eggs
• flour
• 3 T. butter

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Cook the bacon in a large skillet. Once crispy, add the shredded cabbage and season with salt & pepper. Cook until cabbage has begun to brown. Turn off the heat.
3. In a food processor, run the potatoes until they turn to liquid. This may be brown which is fine. Add the eggs and process to mix. Add flour and process adding flour until mixture is stiff.
4. Using 2 spoons, scoop little balls of potato mixture into the boiling water. (You will use one spoon to scoop, the other to scrape it off into the water) Cook until they float – about 10 minutes.
5. In a small saucepan, cook the butter until it browns. Add butter and dumplings to the cabbage and bacon and cooking until mixture is well mixed and heated through.