Sweet Tender Cabbage Rolls Recipes

CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• Wash rice thoroughly. In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups rice and 4 cups water. Bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until all of the water is absorbed.
• In the meantime, remove the core from the cabbages using a thin, long knife. Place 1 cabbage in a microwave proof container with a lid with core side down. Pour 1/2 cup water into the container with the cabbage, cover and microwave on HIGH (full power) for 10 minutes. Carefully turn cabbage over and cook covered for an additional 10 minutes. When cabbage is cooked, let sit until it is cool enough to handle. Separate leaves carefully, removing any tough ribs. Cook the second cabbage in the same manner.
• Divide chopped onions in half. Saute one half of the onions in 3 tablespoons butter; cook just until translucent (do not brown). In a large mixing bowl, mix together both the cooked and uncooked rice, cooked and uncooked onions, ground beef, pork sausage, garlic, dill weed, salt, black pepper and sugar and mix well to blend.
• Spoon about 2 tablespoons of mixture onto each cabbage leaf. Bring one end of cabbage leaf over mixture, roll and tuck ends in to prevent any filling from falling out.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare two 9x13 inch casserole dishes by placing some left over cabbage leaves in bottom of each. Arrange cabbage rolls in a single layer tight against each other.
• In a food processor or blender, process condensed tomato soup and tomatoes. Pour tomato mixture over the cabbage rolls until just covered. Place 4 bay leaves on top of sauce in each dish. Cover each dish tightly with aluminum foil.
• Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 2 hours. Once cooked, remove the dishes from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before removing aluminum foil. Serve hot.

SWEET 'N' TENDER CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• Cook cabbage in boiling water just until leaves fall off head. Set aside 14 large leaves for rolls. (Refrigerate remaining cabbage for another use.) Cut out the thick vein from the bottom of each reserved leaf, making a V-shaped cut. , In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, rice, mushrooms, onion and seasonings. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Place about 1/2 cup on each cabbage leaf; overlap cut ends and fold in sides, beginning from the cut end. Roll up completely to enclose filling. , Place seven rolls, seam side down, in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Combine sauce ingredients; pour half over cabbage rolls. Top with remaining rolls and sauce. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until a thermometer reads 160°.

STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS WITH SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring 4 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to boil in large dutch oven over high heat. Add cored cabbage and cook until outer leaves just begin to wilt, about 3 minutes. Use tongs to gently remove leaves (outer 20) one by one and transfer to a colander to cool. Remove any remaining head of cabbage and let cool. Do not discard water.
• Return water to boil over high heat. Add rice and cook until tender, about 13 minutes. Drain the rice through a strainer, rinse it to cool, and let drain thoroughly. In a medium bowl, combine cooked rice, onion, beef, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.
• Trim tough ribs from cabbage leaves and tightly roll 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture into each leaf. Shred the remaining blanched cabbage both the head and any remaining leaves.
• Scatter half the shredded cabbage leaves in a large dutch oven. Arrange rolls seam side down snugly on top of the shredded cabbage. Sprinkle any remaining shredded cabbage on top of rolls.
• Combine diced tomatoes w/ juice, tomato puree, water (I use water left over from rice) 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pour liquid over cabbage. Stud peeled onion with cloves and submerge in liquid. Bring mixture to boil, then reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
• Discard clove studded onion. Sprinkle crushed cookies and raisins (if using) into the pot and shake to incorporate them without disturbing rolls. Simmer uncovered until sauce begins to thicken, about 1 hour.
• If you desire more liquid, add 1 cup of beef broth.
• Transfer rolls to serving dish and add remaining 3 tablespoons of brown sugar to sauce and season with salt pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over rolls and top with sour cream and chopped parsley if desired.

OLD-FASHIONED CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• Cook cabbage in boiling water just until outer leaves pull away easily from head. Set aside 12 large leaves for rolls. In a small bowl, combine the beef, pork, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, onion, rice, parsley, salt, dill and cayenne; mix well., Cut out the thick vein from the bottom of each leaf, making a V-shaped cut. Place about 1/4 cup meat mixture on a cabbage leaf; overlap cut ends of leaf. Fold in sides. Beginning from the cut end, roll up. Repeat., Slice the remaining cabbage; place in a Dutch oven. Arrange the cabbage rolls seam side down over sliced cabbage. Combine the tomatoes, sugar and remaining tomato sauce; pour over the rolls. Cover and bake at 350° until cabbage rolls are tender, 1-1/2 hours.

SWEET & SOUR CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• Core the cabbages and place into large pot; pour boiling water over the cabbage and let stand until the leaves start to get soft enough to bend and can be easily pulled from th heads (5 minutes or so); you may need to pull off some of the outer leaves, then return the cabbage head to the pot to soften the middle ones; drain leaves well in a colander.
• This leaf peeling process takes some time, but you want to get enough intact leaves to make 28 cabbage rolls.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Combine meat with seasonings, ketchup, eggs, and crushed crackers, mixing by hand just until combined- don't overwork.
• Using a 1/4 cup measure, scoop up a scant 1/4 cupful of the meat mixture, then use hands to form the meat into an oblong shape- about 3" long; make 28 oblong meat shapes.
• Place a meat shape onto one of the cabbage leaves, folding the top of the leaf over the meat snugly, then folding in one side, then rolling forward a bit, then the other side, and rolling all the way up.
• Repeat until you have 28 filled cabbage leaves.
• Place chopped onion into the bottom of a very large roasting pan (12"x11" size).
• Place cabbage rolls neatly on top of the onions in rows.
• Combine chili sauce and jelly with 1/4 cup water in a small pan over medium heat, stirring until jelly melts.
• Pour over cabbage rolls.
• Cover pan tightly with foil and bake for 2 hours.
• Remove foil, baste rolls with sauce, and then return to the oven uncovered for 40 minutes more- or until sauce has thickened and rolls are glazed.
• Ladle sauce over rolls to serve.

PERSIAN SWEET-AND-SOUR STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• To detach the cabbage leaves, cut a deep cone into the core at the stem end with a pointed knife and plunge the whole cabbage into boiling salted water. This will soften and loosen 1 or 2 layers of leaves. Detach these, and plunge again into boiling water to detach more leaves, and continue until all of the leaves are separated. Cut very large leaves in half, but leave small ones whole.
• Prepare the filling. Wash the rice and cook in boiling water until it is almost tender-about 10 minutes-then drain. Boil the split peas separately until tender. Fry the onion in 3 tablespoons oil until soft and transparent. Add the meat and turmeric and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the meat changes color, then remove from the heat and add the rice and split peas, tomato paste, parsley, and more salt and pepper. Mix well.
• Lay the cabbage leaves on a plate one at a time. Shave off the thickest part of the hard rib if necessary. Put a heaping tablespoon of the mixture at the bottom of each leaf, bring the sides up over it, and roll up into a bundle. Put a little oil at the bottom of a heavy pan, cover with a few broken leaves to protect the others from burning, then arrange over them rows and layers of stuffed cabbage rolls.
• Mix the vinegar with an equal quantity of water, stir in the sugar, and pour over the rolls. Put a plate over them, cover the pan, and cook gently on a very low flame for 3/4-1 hour, until rolls are very tender and the liquid has been absorbed, adding water if necessary.
• Serve hot or cold.