Mediterranean Stuffed Cabbage Recipes

VEGETARIAN STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• Remove and discard the first couple leaves of cabbage. Wash in cold water. Cut approx 1/4" off the bottom of the head and place the whole head of cabbage in boiling water. Boil about 2 minutes. Peel off the softened leaves, using a pair of tongs. Continue the same process, peeling off the blanched layers of cabbage leaves as they soften. Set aside to cool briefly.
• Once cooled, cut each cabbage leaf into halves or thirds, removing any thick veins.
• Now prepare the rice stuffing mixture. In a large mixing bowl, combine the rice, shredded onions, chopped tomato, herbs, salt and pepper, spices, oil, 1/2 can of tomato sauce and 1/4 cup water. Mix together with a spoon.
• Lightly oil a large Dutch oven or heavy cooking pot. Line the bottom with the sliced onions and sliced tomatoes.
• Take a piece of cabbage and place on a flat surface, coarse side up. Add 1 tsp (more if leaves are larger) of the rice stuffing mixture at the end of the leaf closest to you (see photo). Roll up the leaf to completely enclose the stuffing. Repeat with the remaining cabbage.
• Layer the cabbage rolls, seam-side down, in the prepared Dutch oven/pot. Top with the remaining 1/2 can of tomato sauce, and about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups of water (water should barely reach the top layer of cabbage rolls). Add a pinch more ground cumin.
• Top the cabbage rolls with a small plate. Cook on high heat for 5-7 minutes until the liquid reduces to half. Reduce the heat to low. Leaving the small plate in, and cover the pot with its own lid. Cook for 30 minutes, then remove the plate but cover with the lid only. Cook for another 15 minutes or until the liquid has been completely absorbed and the rice stuffing mixture is cooked through.
• If you're not in a hurry, leave the cabbage rolls undisturbed before transferring to a serving platter or individual plates. Enjoy!

HUNGARIAN STYLE STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Boil the cabbage head in salted water until the leaves can be removed easily, about 4 minutes. Separate 12 of the largest leaves. Remove the thick stem in the center of each, not cutting through the entire leaf.
• Render the bacon in a medium saute pan over medium heat until crispy, about 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a large mixing bowl, leaving residual fat in pan.
• Add garlic, onion and paprika to pan and cook until garlic and onion have softened, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer to bowl with bacon and let cool to room temperature.
• Fold in the beef, ham, pork, rice and eggs. Season with salt and pepper.
• Place 1/3 cup of the mixture at the tip of a cabbage leaf. Roll up, tucking in the sides to seal the filling within the cabbage leaf. Repeat with the remaining filling mixture and cabbage leaves.
• Combine canned tomatoes with their juice, sauerkraut, caraway seeds and tomato paste in a small bowl.
• Transfer half of the tomato mixture to a medium Dutch oven and spread it across the bottom. Place the stuffed cabbage on top, followed by the remaining tomato mixture. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover and transfer to the oven. Bake 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the sour cream, milk, Dijon and dill.
• Drizzle the sour cream sauce over the cabbage. Serve.

STUFFED CABBAGE RECIPE AND MEDITERRANEAN PALEO COOKING GIVEAWAY

Steps:

• Boil 3 cups of water in a steamer pot over medium heat. Steam the cabbage leaves for 3 to 5 minutes, until soft, and set them aside.
• In a large saute pan, melt the fat over medium heat. Add the stew meat to the pan and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, cinnamon sticks, and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook another 3 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.
• Cover the mixture with the beef broth and bring to a boil with the lid on. Remove the lid and simmer for 30 minutes.
• While the stew meat is cooking, mix the stuffing ingredients together in a large bowl. Place ¼ cup of the stuffing mixture in the middle of steamed cabbage leaf. Roll the leaf halfway, then tuck in the sides and finish rolling. Place the rolled leaf aside on a plate, seam side down. Repeat until all the stuffing is used up.
• Using tongs, carefully add the stuffed cabbage leaves to the sauté pan. Cover and simmer the cabbage rolls for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the cinnamon sticks and top the dish with fresh cilantro to serve.

GRANDMA'S HUNGARIAN STUFFED CABBAGE, SLOW COOKER VARIATION

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook cabbage in boiling water until outer leaves pull away easily from the head, 3 to 5 minutes. Separate leaves and let cool. Reserve 1 1/2 cup cooking water.
• Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in wet rice; cook and stir until moisture evaporates, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool, about 5 minutes.
• Mix beef, sausage, and egg together in a large bowl. Stir in cooled rice mixture.
• Place a golfball-sized amount of the beef mixture on the ribbed end of a cabbage leaf; roll up, tucking in the sides. Repeat with remaining beef mixture and cabbage leaves.
• Place rolls seam-side down in a slow cooker. Cover with tomato juice. Pour reserved cooking water on top.
• Cook on High for 30 minutes. Switch to Low and cook for 6 1/2 hours.

MEDITERRANEAN STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• Cabbage -- I like to blanch my cabbage just in the microwave. Remove the leaves and put them in a flat dish with some water and nuke 1-2 minutes it doesn't take long. I do about 15 leaves at a time. It is quick and easy. If you prefer to blanch them in a large pot of boiling water to get the cabbage soft, that is fine too. You just want the leaves soft enough to roll but not cooked. Cool once soft so they are easier to handle.
• Filling -- In a large bowl mix the couscous, egg, seasoning, herbs, pine nuts, olives, cheese and onions. Stir well until everything is combined. Add the lamb and mix until combined.
• Time to roll up the cabbage -- Add a tablespoon or two to the cabbage leave and roll, folding in the sides. Secure with a tooth pick. Add to either a large pot for stove top cooking or a crock pot. Personally I love the crock pot for this. They both work equally as good.
• The sauce -- Add to the pot the wine mixed with the tomato paste, the canned tomatoes, chopped well, and the shallots. Cook on medium low on the stove for 2 hours. Or in the crock pot on low for 6-8 hours depending on the size of your crock pot.
• Serve this with grilled pita bread to soak up all the sauce and a fresh green salad with a lemon and oregano vinaigrette.

TRADITIONAL GREEK STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS (LAHANODOLMADES)

Steps:

• Prepare the rice mixture: Mix together the rice, ground beef, onion, spring onions, carrot, olive oil, parsley, dill, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for half an hour.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and stir in a teaspoon of salt.
• Remove the entire core of the cabbage using a sharp pairing knife. Immerse the cabbage in the boiling water, cored side down. The water should be almost to the top of the cabbage. Continue cooking over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, or, until the leaves can be easily separated (Note: If you use Savoy cabbage the cooking time is much shorter, at just under 5 minutes). Using tongs, carefully remove each leaf from the pot, as soon as they become soft and flexible, and place them on a drainer to cool. Set aside and reserve any hard, torn, or very small leaves to line the bottom of your pot later.
• To assemble the cabbage rolls: place a cabbage leaf on a work surface. Place a tablespoon of the filling (the size of a walnut) near the bottom of the leaf. If necessary, cut into the leaf's stem (in a V shape) to remove the hard and thick spine. This will make them easier to roll. Fold the bottom end up and over the filling, then fold the two side ends of the cabbage leaf towards the center. Roll the leaf up to enclose the mixture, making sure not to roll it too tight because the rice filling will expand while it cooks. For the leaves that are a bit too small, you can overlap two of them to form a larger leaf before filling, or, you can also patch up any tears the leaves might have. For the leaves that are too large, cut them in half along the hard stem.
• To layer the cabbage rolls: line the bottom of the pot with those reserved leaves that were too hard or too small to fill. This will protect the stuffed cabbage rolls from over browning. Arrange the rolls seam side down in the pot. Make sure they are placed snuggly against each other so they do not move during cooking. Repeat with a second layer of rolls. Top with more of the leftover harder cabbage leaves, if you have them.
• To cook: Pour the stock and water over them, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover the top of the stuffed cabbage rolls with an inverted, heatproof, shallow plate or bowl. The plate should be large enough that it covers the rolls, but small enough to not touch the sides of the pot. This will keep the rolls in place while cooking and will ensure that they cook properly. Reduce the heat to a medium-low and simmer for about 45-50 minutes. Check to make sure the rice is tender. Turn off the heat and uncover the pot.
• Make the avgolemono sauce: Whisk the eggs very well until frothy; for best results, use a hand-held mixer. Add the lemon juice and the cornstarch and whisk again. Start "tempering" the eggs by adding a ladle of hot liquid from the pot to the bowl while whisking constantly. Add one more ladle and whisk again until combined. Stir in the egg-lemon broth into the pot, shaking the pan to distribute evenly. Bring to a very gentle simmer over medium-low heat for just a minute or so, making sure it does not come to a boil. Remove from the heat. Taste and adjust the broth for seasoning.
• To serve: arrange the rolls on individual serving plates and then top them with the frothy hot sauce (do not drown them). Garnish with lemon slices, fresh dill and some freshly ground pepper.

MEDITERRANEAN STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Cut the thick hard part out of the cabbage leaf bottoms and boil until soft, about 10 minutes.
• Roughly chop the cauliflower and boil until soft, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the cooked couscous, cottage cheese, raisins, oil, half of the lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons each of the parsley and mint in a bowl.
• Remove cabbage leaves to a colander to drain and cool.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• When the cauliflower is very soft, drain well and add to couscous mixture. Mash well with a potato masher and add the remaining spices to taste.
• Carefully lay out each cabbage leaf on at a time and add an egg-sized mound of filling. Fold sides in first and then roll from the bottom to the top, and lay in a casserole dish seam side down.
• Combine sour cream, milk and remaining parsley, mint, and lemon zest until smooth.
• Pour over cabbage rolls.
• Cover casserole and bake for about 30 minutes.