Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients:
1 head of cabbage, tough outer leaves & core removed (rinse and save the outer leaves to line the bottom of your baking dish... prevents the cabbage rolls from burning while in the oven)

(for the filling)

1 slice of bacon, diced
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, diced finely
1 rib of celery, diced finely
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
2 tsp. sweet paprika
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste
2 Tbs. flax seeds
1/4 cup quinoa
1 cup liquid of choice (I used veggie stock)

(for the sauce)
24 oz. tomato sauce or marinara (dealer's choice)
1 cup liquid of choice (I used more veggie stock)
1  Tbs. brown sugar (I actually used Splenda brown sugar blend)
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs. sweet paprika
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large pot over high heat, bring 1" of salted water to a boil and drop the whole head of cabbage in, core-side down. Cover and steam for 1 minute before using tongs to start removing the leaves and laying them out flat on a large cutting board to cool. I was able to remove 2 leaves at a time, would cover and steam for another minute, then repeat until I had 12 good sized leaves. Remove the remaining bit of cabbage (mine was softball sized by this time) and set aside to chop later and serve with finished cabbage rolls. (I read quite a few recipes, and many of them said to boil the entire the head of cabbage, but I liked the thought of steaming instead because the leaves retained good color and I wasn't losing all the nutrients in the water.)

Next, add the diced bacon and olive oil to a large saute pan THEN turn the heat to medium, allowing the bacon to slowly render out its fat, about 5 minutes. Add in the vegs and spices and continue to cook for another 3-5 minutes, until the vegs start to soften. Stir in the ground chicken, stirring often to break up the meat and coat it in the vegs/spice mix. Continue to cook over medium heat until the meat is slightly browned, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the flax seeds and quinoa, then add your liquid of choice, cover the pan, and simmer over medium-low heat until the quinoa starts to bloom, about 10 minutes. Feel free to add some more liquid if the meat mixture starts to dry out. Remove from the heat and let the meat mixture cool slightly.

In a large bowl, mix together your tomato sauce/marinara with all other sauce ingredients. Adjust the seasoning as you like.

To prepare the cabbage leaves: Remove the tough part of the stem from each leaf with a paring knife, leaving the rest of the leaf intact.

Now that all of the components are ready, time to assemble...

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a glass baking dish with nonstick spray (makes for easy clean-up) then line the dish with the reserved outer leaves of the cabbage. (I tore mine to better cover the entire bottom of the dish.) Pour on just enough tomato sauce to cover the bottom of the dish.

To assemble the rolls: Lay out each leaf and spoon a mound of the meat mixture in the center. Fold the sides in, then wrap the longer bits of the leaf around the filling. Think egg roll or burrito making technique... but really, if the meat mixture is covered by the cabbage leaf, you've met the goal, no matter how you get there.

Lay each cabbage roll seam-side down in the prepared baking dish (they should fit rather snugly) then pour over the remaining tomato sauce, making sure to completely cover the rolls. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 90 minutes. Uncover the dish and bake for another 30-45 minutes or until the top is slightly caramelized. Best if you can allow the cabbage rolls to rest for 30 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!