maybe it was the russian in me that immediately jumped on this recipe when i saw it.
maybe it’s because we have had the largest head of cabbage ever to be seen by mankind.
and i needed a final meal that would use it all up — we’ve had 10 servings of cabbage-filled meals (one not pictured, i forgot), adding this one it will be 14. thats 14 meals from one giant head of cabbage. is this real life?
after dinner jason and i were discussing what we were nostalgic for, and i said i was nostalgic for doing cartwheels down the long hallway and into the living room of my parent’s buffalo grove house when i was a kid. every time i did it the whole house jumped (including all the glass tables with vases on them), but i never broke anything…that i remember. anyways, we then wanted to prove to each other that we can still do cartwheels. they weren’t pretty. i was sure we were going to hurt ourselves or break the TV. i guess we’re too old for cartwheels…
- ½ cup rice, dry
- 1 small-medium head savoy cabbage
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 carrot, shredded
- 1 celery stalk, minced
- 1 parsnip, shredded
- 1 pound ground beef (or turkey, for a healthier option)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 cups tomato sauce
- Cook rice according to instructions. Transfer to large bowl.
- Meanwhile, using a teapot or a pot, boil 3-4 cups of water. Cut out the core of the cabbage and discard. Place the remainder of the cabbage in a large bowl. Once water has boiled, submerge the cabbage in the hot water for 10-12 minutes. This will allow the leaves to soften so they are easier to work with.
- While that soaks, heat olive oil in a dutch oven. Cook onions until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add in carrots, celery, and parsnips and cook for a couple extra minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer vegetables to a bowl with rice.
- Add ground beef or turkey and tomato paste to dutch oven and cook until it browns. Transfer meat to the vegetable and rice bowl, then mix well.
- Drain the head of lettuce and select the biggest and thinest leaves. Place the leaves on a flat surface and place ¼ to ⅓ cup of filling into the bottom part of each leaf, depending on the size. Tuck the sides of the leaves in and roll closed.
- Arrange the rolls single layer in the dutch oven. Pour tomato sauce over the top, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and cook for 25-30 minutes.
recipe adapted from smitten kitchen. recipe rephotographed March 2016.
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