Beyond Cabbage Rolls
Like you, I’m stuck at home these days. For me, quarantine means transforming my dresser into a standing desk, fostering a sweet pup from Family Dog Rescue, regularly rearranging my living room furniture to make space for yoga, washing my hands all. the. time. and cooking...a lot. Now, I love cooking (welcome to my food blog), but when dining out ceased to be an option and staying in didn’t have an end date, I felt a wave of dread. How am I going to keep things interesting for myself? Whilst minimizing grocery store trips. And not washing dishes constantly. And also not eating pasta every night.
A few weeks in, I’m no master. There have been lots of pasta nights and I feel like I spend most of my non-working, non-eating waking hours washing dishes. Working from home means boundaries are hard. Because I’m perpetually online and don’t have a socially influenced lunch break, taking time away mid-day has been tough and working late is easy. While I’m improving on establishing those boundaries, boundaries will not beget the necessity to minimize time spent cooking. I’m wanting recipes that fill me up, give me energy, aren’t totally boring and can stretch out for a few meals.
These Cabbage Rolls check all the boxes. They’re a vegan recreation of a special dish called Golubsti that Andrew and I enjoyed at a neighborhood Russian restaurant, Red Tavern, before all this madness ensued. They’re comforting and filling. Beyond Sausage gives meaty texture and umami flavor and is mixed up with rice, sauteed fennel, walnuts, golden raisins and an egg to keep it all together. So. Much. Texture. Sweet and savory. I feel cozy just thinking about it. All that goodness gets wrapped up like a burrito inside steamed cabbage leaves. Then those puppies get lined up in a dish, doused in simple tomato sauce and baked off for a while. Good for dinner, and then lunch, and then dinner again. It is a rare occasion that I’m excited by the idea of leftovers. In this case, I was stoked until the last bite. Shelter In Place Approved!
Please visit the CDC Website for up to date information on Coronavirus. And then wash ya hands!
Ingredients (makes 6 portions)
1 cup cooked long-grain brown rice
1 ⅔ cups vegetable stock
1 head cabbage, core removed
½ yellow onion, diced
Salt and pepper
1 28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
Olive oil
1 package Beyond Sausage (chopped) or Beyond Beef (or use 1 pound ground beef)
1 bulb fennel, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon paprika
Small handful golden raisins
Small handful chopped walnuts
2 eggs, beaten
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Make The Rice: Cook the rice in the vegetable stock in a small, covered pot over low heat until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. (Or use a rice cooker! This one is a workhorse perfect for households of 1-2)
Prepare The Cabbage Wrappers: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop in the cored cabbage and let cook for 5-8 minutes, until the leaves are tender and pull apart easily. Let cool slightly, and then gently peel the leaves off and lay them flat. Set aside.
Make The Sauce: In a medium pot, sautee the onion with salt and pepper until translucent. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 10-15 minutes, gently crushing the tomatoes and stirring regularly. Pour the contents into a blender and blend on high speed for 60 seconds until completely smooth.
Prepare The Filling: Heat some oil in a heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) and cook the meat 5 minutes (or until fully browned, if using animal meat). Remove and set aside. Add the fennel, shallot and paprika to the pan and sautee for 3-5 minutes, adding a bit of oil if the pan seems dry.
Assemble The Filling: To the pan, add the cooked meat, raisins, walnuts and rice and mix to combine. Taste for spice level and add more paprika, salt and pepper to your preference. Then, fold in the eggs.
Assemble The Cabbage Rolls: Place a large dollop (about two tablespoons) of the filling at the base of a cabbage leaf. Fold in the sides, then roll it up longways, like a small burrito. Repeat with remaining leaves and filling and nestle the rolls closely together in a 9x14 inch baking dish. Pour the tomato sauce over the top, covering each roll equally.
Baking and Serving: Bake for 45 minutes, then let cool for 10. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream.