How to Make Cabbage Rolls

Stuffed with random kitchen leftovers for centuries, the humble cabbage roll has never tried to hide its peasant origins, even when disgraced in our mother's slapdash cabbage roll casseroles. But now, at last, a dazzling (and healthy!) new cabbage roll recipe has rescued our leafy friend from further neglect with a sweet and savory medley of flavors that promises gourmet redemption.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 12 cabbage leaves
• 1 cup brown rice
• 2 cups chicken broth, preferably low-fat or fat-free
• 1 tsp. celery seed
• 1 lb. sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
• 3 small fennel bulbs, trimmed and chopped
• 2 medium onions
• 10 whole fresh dates, pitted and chopped
• 1 28 oz. can seasoned diced tomatoes
• Salt
• Pepper
• Fennel fronds for garnish

1. 
    

   Boil cabbage leaves. Place 12 cabbage leaves in a large pot of boiling, salted water. Boil for 5 minutes (or until tender but not mushy), then drain and let cool.

2. 
    

   Cook rice. Place 1 cup rice, 2 cups broth, and 1/2 tsp. celery seed in medium saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat and cover. Check and stir the rice occasionally until all moisture has absorbed, about 15 minutes.

3. 
    

   Cook sausage. Pour 1/2 cup water in large skillet and heat on high. Squeeze sausage out of casings and into skillet, separating the sausage with a spoon and cooking until no longer pink, about 10 minutes. When cooked through, remove with slotted spoon and transfer to a plate. Reserve drippings.

4. 
    

   Cook fennel, dates and onions. Turn heat to medium high and place fennel, dates and onions into the large skillet with the sausage drippings. Cook until tender and golden, about 10 minutes.

5. 
    

   Mix tomato sauce. While fennel, dates and onions are cooking, place diced tomatoes in a bowl and add 1/2 tsp. celery seed and salt and pepper to taste. You can use a pre-made tomato sauce, but this method allows you avoid unnecessary fat and sugar (and the type of seasoning).

6. 
    

   Combine ingredients. Return the cooked sausage to the fennel, onion and date mixture. Stir in rice and 1 cup of the tomato sauce. Combine well. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

7. 
    

   Assemble and cook cabbage rolls. Spoon 1/2 cup to 1 cup of mixture into each cabbage leaf (depending on size of leaf), tuck in sides and roll. Place cabbage rolls in casserole dish or Dutch oven (it's OK to stack them on top of each other). Once all are rolled, pour remaining tomato sauce over cabbage rolls, cover tightly, and cook for 1/2 hour.

Tips & Warnings

• Run a sharp knife along the back of your cabbage leaves to remove most of the cabbage leaf ribs. This will make them easier to roll.
• If you have trouble keeping your cabbage rolls together, you can use a toothpick to hold each roll in place while cooking.
• Garnish with fennel fronds to add some pizzazz and signal that these are not your average cabbage rolls.
• You can use this recipe (without the cabbage) to make stuffed peppers or as a side dish.

[UncleDud]

on 5/18/2009 Not a bad recipe.