As snow constantly falls in Saskatchewan, making the weather cold beyond compare, I had ideas for a hearty meal a few weeks back! There were a few choices, but one came supreme in the battle of lunch proportions: soup and buns. Why not use a can of Campbell’s soup or buy dinner rolls from the grocery store? I say no to that and yes to the challenges of trying new things through online learning!

Before getting to the recipe, you must read a few words about the history of beef cabbage soup and buns. Many cultures claim the dish as their own in Europe, from medieval Russia, England, and Italy, to preserve produce in the winter months, mainly for the peasant classes as early as the 9th century. It was also considered a cure or sickness medicine, described as the traditional Chicken Noodle Soup. They use salted meat like pork, which shows the evolution of ground beef, spices, and broth. Meanwhile, dinner rolls date back to the times of the pharaohs in Ancient Egypt with the start of breadmaking and later out of 18th century Germany called BRÖTCHEN. It has not changed much over the years besides different types of flour, liquid (water or milk), oil, and toppings typical to sweet treats. I hope you enjoyed the history and origin of these food recipes!

The websites I used were The Natural Nurturer and A Pretty Life In The Suburbs. Here is my feedback regarding their attention to cooking/baking. TNN was important to me because it focused on healthy, hearty, time-efficient meals for anyone in a hurry. Taesha is informative by telling the audience which cabbage to choose and cut it. This is great for a beginner in the kitchen with no experience besides my side endeavour during the Sweet & Sour week. They provide a visual step-by-step as I offer you each learning project post. I also enjoyed the section and variety of adaptations, including different cooking methods in a slow cooker, suggestions on meats, and how to change the recipe for your diet. In the future, TNN will be my go-to place to look for homemade soups; oddly enough, the site has a great selection of breakfasts. I will give this site five out of five chef hats for being delicious in taste and knowledge.

APLITS feels more like a standard blog-centred recipe website than the previous one, with a toolbar featuring sweet and savoury recipes. The dinner buns were created during the dark times of 2020 and bring joy to anyone who makes them. It has tips on baking the buns and different ways to use a bread maker. It is short and sweet without many instructions to help the 3 hour and 20 minute time. Also, Jo-Anna is from Calgary, Canada, focusing on recipes, home decor, simplicity, and approachability.   I would give A Pretty Life In The Suburbs a lovely and respectable 4.5 out of 5 chef hats because I wanted more on the baking progress to see where a person could improve next time.

One-Pot Unstuffed Cabbage Soup with Ground Beef Ingredients:

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  •  1 large onion, diced
  •  1 pound lean ground beef
  •  2 cloves garlic, minced
  •  1 Tablespoon tomato paste
  •  1¼ teaspoons salt
  •  ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 4 Cups low sodium beef or chicken broth*
  •  15 ounces diced tomatoes
  • 14 ounces crushed tomatoes
  •  2 large carrots, peeled and diced
  • 14 ounces green cabbage, cored & cut into bite-sized pieces, about one small head of cabbage
  • ½ Cup long-grain white rice
  •  2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, optional
  •  Chopped fresh parsley, optional garnish

Homemade Bread Machine Dinner Buns Ingredients:

  • 1 1/3 cup milk (at room temperature)
  • 1 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp butter (at room temperature)
  • 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 tsp bread machine or instant yeast

I started with a calm and collected head making the buns because they take the longest of the two recipes. Technology is fantastic since I only had to add the dry and wet ingredients into the breadmaker. After choosing the dough cycle, it did all the mixing and kneading for me in two hours and forty-five minutes. Next was a traditional rose under a tea towel for fifteen minutes. The dough ball/bun shaping was fun, but you must avoid over-touching them with floury hands. I discovered it is also essential to tuck the dough in the greased eight-by-eight baking pan to ensure that they don’t look clumpy or weird! Spacing the balls four in a row with ample room to expand, place them in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for twenty-five minutes. Then, brush some butter on the buns for a light, mouthwatering golden taste. Once they rest for twenty minutes, it is time to eat with the soup.

While that was all happening, I multitasked and cooked the cabbage soup. First, I got out my soup pot and added onions until soft and clear (two to three minutes). I messed up a little bit and forgot to add hamburger next. So, break it up into small pieces for five to seven minutes and don’t miss this step. Season the meat with tomato paste, S&P, and cook the garlic. The rest of the vegetables are added slowly with the broth and rice. Sidenote: I realized something was missing and cooked the beef in a separate pan while maintaining the flavour with garlic powder. Mistakes contain the lessons so as not to mess up again! Now let it lightly simmer for twenty minutes. The final touches include Worcester sauce and a little sugar to sweeten it up.

The lesson learned is that you control the kitchen, meaning you can add or experiment with the flavours. I also got to create a healthy dish for once with a delicate balance of ingredients and passion that is economical with the leftovers. For baking this time, it was all about management, the time around it, creating an appealing yet tasty bun, and trusting my instincts with knowledge because I might not know everything or things must be perfect. This was partly why I tried the bread maker; it was a tasty success. I would make both recipes again and want to start being more creative or adventurous with this. Next time, I will explore the jungle for Banana Cake and remember to try your best at everything you do!