Smoked Salmon Phyllo Pie

Not everyone grew up eating hunks of raw cabbage in their high school brown bag lunch...ok, almost no one. You can guess who is the exception!

But even if you do not share my love affair with cabbage, you will be bowled over by the transformation of humble green cabbage in this phyllo encased pie.

Sweating onion, cabbage and finely sliced fennel in olive oil brings out the sweetness in cabbage and blending it with a minimum of ingredients creates what looks fancy, but us cooks know was actually quite simple to make.

While this pie features smoked salmon or lox, you could easily make it with pork or veggie sausage or just make it a cabbage pie for those of you who share my love of this member of the brassica family.

Taco Smorgasbord

Have you seen the really small corn tortillas? They're ridiculously cute, about 5 inches across, and perfect for making taco smorgasbord.

Smorgas what?

Yes, I combined Mexican and Swedish food words to create a taco smorgasbord. Think of it as Mexico's answer to sliders, only they're mini tacos with a variety of fillings. Smorgasbord is a tradition in Sweden where a variety of dishes are offered buffet style, usually associated with holidays. Growing up, we always had Smorgasbord on Christmas Eve when we opened presents.

When offered a gift of a stack of mini tortillas, I crafted four different types of fillings. Putting them in a muffin tin was a stroke of genius for serving - only one dish to clean!

The smorgasbord just came together based on what I had in the house, so feel free to improvise based on what's in your refrigerator or pantry. Of course add all your favorite toppings, it's a party after all!

Winter Vegetable Saute with Caraway

People seem stumped as to what vegetables to eat in the winter time. While roots - pureed, roasted, in soups - have a place in my kitchen I still love to toss together quick sautees like this one when I need something quick for lunch. Using red cabbage and fennel ensures the dish is on the sweeter side but still savory enough for my sour-loving palate.

I intended to add this to some cooked grains but realized that it would also make a great side dish for dinner. Pair it with a pork chop or cutlet or some sweet Italian sausage and you have a great meal.

Quick Cheese and Dill Beer Bread

Bread is truly one of the most amazing foods on earth. Not only does it come in so many different forms - yeast breads, flat breads, pizza, quick breads - but it literally has endless variations based on regional cultures and ingredients. I never cease to be amazed, fascinated and enthralled with this food item. And I am always so excited to find a new one, especially one as quick and easy to make as this.

Eve of The Garden of Eating posted Cheddar Dill Beer Bread a few weeks ago and I knew that recipe would not languish long in my to-do pile. Although cheddar cheese rarely finds its way into my refrigerator (yes, despite the fact that my mother is a defacto "cheddar-head" having been born and raised in Wisconsin), this bread would be worth buying some just to make it. Since I was feeling impatient, I made it with muenster and some already grated romano that needed to be used up, but I trust Eve's suggestion that the sharp cheddar is the best choice.