Joan Nathans Ultimate Stuffed Cabbage Recipes

STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• For the sauce: Heat oil, then cook onions and garlic until soft. Add 8 cups water and stir, then add tomato puree, sugar, raisins, salt, pepper and citric acid and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes.
• For the filling: Meanwhile, mix beef, eggs, onion, peppers, rice, garlic powder, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup water in a bowl by hand until well blended. Work in breadcrumbs until mixture is firm. Roll the meat into logs approximately 2 inches by 1 1/2 inches. Refrigerate while preparing cabbage leaves.
• For cabbage leaves: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Place entire cabbage in pot, core-side down, until outer leaves are softened and easily removed. Remove the outer leaves, then replace cabbage in water until next leaves can be removed. Continue in this manner until you have about 30 leaves.
• Lay a few leaves flat, overlapping them, to make a piece big enough to enclose a ground beef log inside. Place a ground beef log on top of the leaves. Roll the leaves up from the bottom, turn the sides in and continue to roll up. Repeat with next leaves. Place on cookie sheet until all logs are rolled.
• Transfer rolled leaves to a 12-by-10-inch baking dish and pour the sauce over the top. Bake, 1 hour 30 minutes.

JOAN NATHAN'S ULTIMATE STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• 1. Defrost the cabbage the night before cooking. When it is completely defrosted, separate the leaves. 2. To make the filling: In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, salt, pepper, eggs, rice, ketchup, and chopped onion; set aside. 3. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of the filling on each cabbage leaf. Tuck the ends in and roll up like a big cigar. Place them, open side down, in a 6-quart casserole. 4. To make the sauce: Cook onions with oil in a saucepan for a few minutes, then add the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper to taste, onions, ketchup, the juice of one lemon, brown sugar, and raisins. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 15 minutes, covered. 5. Pour the sauce over the cabbage. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for one hour and a half, and then uncover for an additional half hour, adding water if too dry. Taste for sweet and sour and, if needed, squeeze the juice of the remaining lemon over all. 6. Turn the stuffed cabbage rolls onto a serving platter, spoon the sauce over, and serve. This is even more delicious the second day.

STUFFED CABBAGE WITH CRANBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Mix the cranberry sauce, tomato sauce, 1 cup water, lemon, and sugar in a saucepan.
• Bring to a boil; then add the raisins and the fresh cranberries.
• Peel, core, and dice the apple and add.
• Simmer for another 5 minutes.
• Core the cabbage and place in a large pot with water to cover.
• Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, about 10 minutes or until wilted.
• Cover with cold water and drain.
• (Alternately, you can place the cored cabbage in the freezer for several days. Defrost 24 hours before making the cabbage. It will wilt naturally.) In a large bowl mix the meat, rice, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, egg, onion, 1/2 cup water, and ketchup, blending with your fingers until well mixed.
• Trim the ribs off the cabbage, remove the outside leaves, and line a large flameproof casserole with them.
• Pull off the inside leaves and place them one by one on a board, outside down.
• Fill with a heaping tablespoon or two of the filling, depending on the size of the leaf.
• Fold up like an envelope, top first, then bottom and then the 2 sides.
• Place seam side down in the lined casserole.
• Repeat with the rest of the cabbage and the filling.
• Pour the sauce over the stuffed cabbage and simmer, covered, for 2 hours.
• Then place the stuffed cabbage in a preheated 300 degree Fahrenheit oven and bake, uncovered, for one half hour more.
• Tip: Another American way to make this dish is to make a sauce of 3/4 cup ketchup, 1- 1/2-2 cups tomato juice, 3/4 cup brown sugar, the juice of 1 large lemon, and sour salt to taste.
• Make this dish ahead.
• It tastes much better the next day.
• Also, this is a good recipe to double.
• Freeze one portion for unexpected guests.

NANA'S STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Boil cabbage in water about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and cool.
• In a bowl, mix the ground beef, rice, grated onion, ketchup and egg, and season with salt and pepper.
• In another bowl, combine canned tomatoes, tomato soup, brown sugar and lemon juice.
• Separate cabbage leaves and roll about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the beef mixture into each leaf, tucking in the sides. If you have leftover beef, roll it into tiny meatballs.
• Pour some of the tomato mixture into a deep pot. Crumble a handful of ginger snaps into it, then cover with a layer of rolled cabbage leaves (and tiny meatballs, if you have any), then one layer of sliced onion rings. Repeat until all cabbage rolls are used.
• Cook on low heat, covered, about 2 1/2 hours. When nearly finished, prepare buttered noodles, and serve with stuffed cabbage.