Cabbage Rolls from Tammy's Kitchen

This afternoon my dear friend Barb came over to help me make cabbage rolls for the head table at our son's wedding.  Jason and Karyann are both vegetarians so I use black beans in the rice mixture instead of ground beef. Here is my recipe:

Missing from the ingredients photos above are celery stalks, chili powder, paprika, coarse table salt, white vinegar and curry powder.

1 head green cabbage

Filling:
1 large Spanish onion
1 cup brown basmati rice
1/2 cup of butter
2 tablespoons canola oil or vegetable cooking oil
2 celery stalks
one large can of black beans or 2 pounds of lean ground beef
one large red, yellow or orange pepper
4-5 large cloves of fresh garlic
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh ground peppercorns
1 heaping teaspoon chili powder
1 heaping teaspoon  paprika
1 heaping teaspoon curry powder (optional)

Sauce:
1 19 oz can diced tomatoes
1 can of condensed tomato soup
2 cups sour cream
1 can (use the soup can) of V8 vegetable juice

Procedure:
Fill a large stock pot 3/4 full of water add one tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon vinegar, cover and  heat the water to boiling.  While the water is heating remove the entire core from the head of cabbage.  Barb used a sharp fish filleting knife for this.  Once the water is boiling put the head of cabbage in and reduce the temp to medium for a slow boil.  Boil the cabbage head for ten minutes (set a timer).

Put the brown rice to cook, 1 cup rice, 2 cups water, 2 tablespoons butter.

 Cover rice, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 50 minutes.

Dice onions, celery and garlic saute in crushed peppercorns, canola oil and remaining butter until veggies are cooked. Dice red pepper.

This is Barb dicing onions, they made her cry!  Onions really are such sad vegetables.

Once the timer goes off for the boiling cabbage head, use a pair of tongs to remove the leaves off the outside of the cabbage head. Put the loose leaves in ice water.  Usually 3-4 leaves will come off easily at one time and then cook the head another ten minutes until all the leaves are free.

Dice the pepper.  We used double of everything because we made vegetarian cabbage rolls for the wedding and regular cabbage rolls for our dinners tonight.  The only difference is instead of the canned black beans use two pounds of lean ground beef.  For meat cabbage rolls brown the ground beef.

Combine the rice, sauteed onion mixture, diced peppers with black beans (drained and rinsed) or browned beef.  Mix in the paprika, chili and curry powder.  Taste it!  It should taste yummy! Cut the thick vein (centre piece) out of the cabbage leaves. If they are big leaves from the outside cut the leaf in half.  Put the cut out pieces in the bottom of the baking dish.  Take a large tablespoon of filling and place it at one end of the cabbage leaf fold it over the back and sides then roll it up.  Place the end of the roll side down in the baking pan.

 In large mixing bowl combine:
diced tomatoes
condensed tomato soup
1 can V8 juice
2 cups sour cream

Scoop sauce over cabbage rolls, use left over small leaves of cabbage and vein pieces on top of cabbage rolls. Cover and bake in 350 preheated oven for two and half hours or until cabbage is tender.

 Bon a petite!  Enjoy.