Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Yasmin's Stuffed Cabbage

Recipes: Stuffed cabbage rolls and other stuffed vegetables


Our friend Yasmin is staying with us for a week while she does some work in the Bay Area. Yasmin and her entire family emigrated to the U.S. from a small town near Jerusalem in Israel about ten years ago. For a few years they were our next door neighbors, although they have now moved on to Denver. We have remained good friends with the entire family, who are lovely, generous people and very warm-hearted.

Yasmin's mother was originally from Portugal and lived also in Mozambique in her young days. Yasmin's father's family was originally from Poland and then Israel. Both Yasmin and her mother are fabulous cooks, so I was really happy that she was willing to make dinner for us one night. This is one of the many delicious foods she makes at home, and I think it must have originally come from her father's Polish background, although it contains mint and other things that tie it to the Middle East.

Yasmin's family is larger than ours, so out of habit she made enough for an army rather than for just the three of us. Fortunately, stuffed cabbage rolls and other stuffed vegetables are even better after a night in the refrigerator, so we'll be enjoying them again today. I've altered the recipe so it makes two dinners for two, because you simply must taste the delicious benefit of letting the flavors meld for the second day meal.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls and other Stuffed Vegetables


Cut a slice off the core end of a small green cabbage and discard any damaged outer leaves. Put the whole cabbage into a large pot of boiling water and boil gently over medium heat until the leaves are soft, about 20 minutes. Peel and cut the root end off a large yellow onion - it could also be a sweet onion, like a Vidalia or a Maui onion - and put it whole into the same pot to cook with the cabbage.

Meanwhile, make the stuffing.

Stuffing
Soak 1/2 cup of white basmati rice in a small bowl with hot water, and let it sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Into a large mixing bowl, put:
  • 1/2 pound ground turkey, or ground beef, or ground lamb. We used ground turkey because that's what I had, but I think ground lamb would be amazing in this dish too.
  • 1/2 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
  • A handful of parsley, chopped
  • A handful of cilantro, chopped
  • A handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
If you have a food processor, you can process all the chopped vegetables and herbs together, then add them to the bowl with the ground meat.

Add to the ingredients in the bowl:
  • 1/2 small can tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons sweet red paprika
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder
Drain the rice and also put it in the mixing bowl. Mix all the ingredients very well with your hands.

When the cabbage is soft, drain it and the onions and place them on a counter surface to cool. When the cabbage is cool enough to handle, begin to peel each leaf off until you have a pile of separate large cabbage leaves. You will probably not be able to use the small leaves near the center of the cabbage.

Cut a slit in the side of the boiled onion, right to the center but not through to the other side. Peel the layers off the onion until you have a small pile of cooked onion layers. Now you are ready to stuff.

Lay one cabbage leaf with the root end toward you and put a large spoonful of filling near the edge closest to you. Fold each side over the filling and then roll the leaf away from you until the filling is enclosed. Put the stuffed roll into a large pot that can be used on the stovetop - possibly the same pot you boiled the cabbage and onion in (that's what we did). Continue this process until you have used up the cabbage leaves. Then do the same with the onion layers, putting a spoonful of stuffing at one end and rolling it up. Lay the stuffed onions in with the stuffed cabbage rolls.

Yasmin made twice as much stuffing as we are making, so there was plenty left after stuffing the large cabbage she used and some onion. So, she also stuffed two washed, cored, and seeded red bell peppers. And she says at home she often stuffs whole zucchini, the insides scooped out with a spoon to make room for stuffing, and even potatoes, peeled and again with the inside scooped out with a spoon. It seems the possibilities might be endless!!

When you have finished stuffing the cabbage, the onions, and whatever else your little heart desires, fill the pot with water just barely to the top level of the stuffed vegetables. Turn on the heat to medium high and bring it to a boil. Meanwhile make the sauce.

Sauce
Mix together in a smaller bowl:
  • The other 1/2 can of the tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon sweet red paprika
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
  • 1-1/2 cup water
When the water in the stuffed vegetables come to a boil, pour the sauce into the pot. Turn the heat down to medium low and cook the pot, covered, for 45 minutes. It should be simmering. After 45 minutes, uncover the pot and cook for 15 more minutes to cook the sauce down. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 15 or 20 minutes while you set the table. Buon appetito!

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