Simple supper-hillbilly haluski

This is one of my favorite dishes to make and one of the cheapest too. There are many variations of it out there and it is called many different things but the one I am most familiar with is haluski which is Eastern European /Polish in origin and it has tons and tons of butter. While it is lovely it is also not very healthy and not very economic in the modern world. Maybe back when we all owned a cow or two a pound of butter for a meal was budget minded. In today's world where I can only afford to keep a goat on the farm, it most certainly isn't. I am also a fan of one dish meals,while traditional haluski can be that, it is not all that balanced or healthy if made according to all the recipes I have found over the years.

I have taken it upon myself to adapt this recipe to my own taste buds and come up with something that still resembles haluski but is a bit healthier and is a much more nutritionally balanced one dish, simple, supper.

While the noodles can be store bought egg noodles, it tastes much better using your own noodles because the noodles for the recipe are actually more like a dumpling than a noodle. They are very simple to make and much cheaper too. There are egg noodles or potato noodles but I would be willing to say that squash could also be used in the potato noodle recipe and still taste good.

egg noodles
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp salt
2 cups flour
½ cup water

Mix all ingredients together and beat with a spoon. Drop batter by teaspoonful into boiling salted water. Cook about 5 minutes(they will float) drain; rinse in cold water and set aside. Drain well and set aside.

potato noodles
1 lb about 4 medium potatoes (cooked and smashed)
1/4 cup flour
2 egg yolks
Mix all ingredients and place dough on a floured board and form into a log. Cut into small pieces and drop in to boiling water until they float. Rinse with cool water, drain and set aside.

the cabbage
3 tbsp butter (olive oil can be substituted, adjust quantity as needed)
1 medium head cabbage - shredded
2 onions - diced
Melt butter in large skillet or pan. Coarsely shred cabbage with a knife. Dice the onions. Add salt and pepper to season. Stir well and cook covered over medium heat heat, stirring occasionally, for about a half hour. Add drained noodles and cook for 10 -15 minutes, stirring often.

For a plain haluski that is all that is added. I however like to add meat to the recipe. Chopped pork bits, bacon and breakfast or polish sausage are all good additions. I brown these in the same pan that I use for making the cabbage and then add the cabbage to it. I also like to add shredded carrots to the recipe. They add nutrition and add eye appeal to the dish. Add the carrot shreds when you add the cabbage. and increase the amount of butter by a tablespoon. I also like to add diced apple to the dish. I think it adds a nice flavor as well as the health benefits. I also like to add garlic at times or serve with green onions and sour cream as a garnish. Heck, I suppose one could also add in corn or other veggies too.

When made with a choice of meat, carrot and apple, this dish costs me approximately $1.50. If one had to buy all the ingredients it would cost 4-5 dollars depending on where you live and the time of year. This recipe will easily feed 6 adults as a main dish. When I do not add apple in to the dish itself I usually serve this meal along side applesauce.
(photo in post is not mine)