posted by Emily 03-23-99 4:44 AM
Cabbage Rolls
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients:
1 large head Cabbage
2 lb. lean Ground Beef
1/2 cup uncooked Rice
1 small Onion, diced
1/2 Green Bell Pepper, diced
1/2 tsp. Paprika
1 or 2 cloves Garlic, minced
2 whole Eggs
2 qt. Tomato Juice
To prepare the cabbage leaves for stuffing, cut out the core of the cabbage and remove with a knife. In a half-filled pot of lightly salted water, place the whole head of cabbage core-side down and steam for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove the cabbage from the heat and let cool, slowly. Several layers of the outer leaves should be soft enough to remove from the head.
When you've removed as many layers of leaves as you can, simply return the head of cabbage to the heat to soften more leaves.
To prepare the filling, mix the ground beef, raw rice, onion, green pepper, paprika, garlic, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Hand-mix the ingredients make sure to gain an even consistency throughout the mixture.
Take a good-sized handful of the meat filling and set it in the hollow of a cabbage leaf. Fold over the ends and roll the leaf to seal the mixture inside. Place the stuffed cabbage leaf, seam-side down, in a large baking dish. Repeat the process until all the cabbage and filling have been used.
Cover the cabbage rolls with the tomato juice nd bake in a pre-heated 350-F degree oven for about a hour, then check one of the thickest cabbage roles to make sure the meat is cooked through. To serve, place a cabbage roll or two
in a bowl and cover with the tomato sauce.
Kitchen Staff Tip: Another way to prepare the cabbage leaves is to remove the core and freeze the whole head. Simply peel the leaves away from the head of cabbage as it thaws.
Steaming the leaves is recommended because the leaves are less brittle and easier to stuff when a bit limp from steaming.