quickie halushki

I've been working in NYC for the past few weeks, commuting from Philly every day -- hence my recent absence from the blogosphere. I usually arrive home tired, starving and ready to sucuumb to my extensive take-out menu collection.

Halushki is a humble Polish-Slovak dish from my childhood. It's simply noodles, cooked cabbage, and onions [I also tossed in some mushrooms, for good measure]. It may look austere, but the flavor combo is sublime: the sweet onions and cabbage dance a mean polka with the starchy noodles. Halushki is pure comfort food. It has prevented me from ordering out many times, since it's so pathetically easy to make – especially if you use store-bought noodles or pasta. It's also incredibly economical.

Halushki How-Tos

Halushki is one of those recipes that everyone makes differently, so it would be sacrilege to give you exact proportions. However you make it, you really can't go wrong with these complementary flavors.

1. Roughly chop one head of green cabbage, an onion or two, and some garlic and mushrooms, if you like. Saute in Earth Balance until soft.
2. Season with salt and plenty of fresh ground black pepper.
3. Meanwhile, boil your noodles--about 2 or 3 cups dry. Ideally, you should make your own noodles, and cut them in shapes to mimic the squarish chopped cabbage and onions [For a recipe, see my cookbook]. But if you're too busy or tired, store-bought pasta is absolutely fine.
4. Gently toss the drained, cooked noodles with the cabbage. Adjust seasonings and enjoy.