Cabbage Rolls
This is my own concoction
I make it "by eye" but decided to measure the ingredients the last time I made them. So you can always use more or less of an ingredient and use this recipe as a general guideline. Hope you enjoy!
1 lb lean ground beef, raw
1-¼ cups Uncle Ben’s converted long grain rice, uncooked and rinsed
1 can Bravo spaghetti sauce, oregano and basil flavoured (approx. 643 mL can)
1 large onion, chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp Italian seasoning
¾ tsp paprika
pinch salt
dash pepper
Combine raw lean ground beef, uncooked and rinsed rice, ¼ of the can of Bravo sauce (about ½ cup), and the rest of the ingredients.
Fill cabbage leaves as usual (don’t fill them too much). Pour a little sauce to coat bottom of shallow baking dish and place cabbage rolls on top of sauce in a single layer; pour remaining sauce over rolls and cover with foil or lid.
Place baking dish in cold oven, set oven temperature to 325 F degrees, and bake for 1 hour. Reduce oven temperature to 275 F and bake for another 1-½ to 2 hours (basting with sauce occasionally).
** Because my family really loves garlic, I use 4 to 5 garlic cloves. Remember, using this much garlic also makes it “hot” as with the paprika!
** You can use a thick spaghetti sauce for the filling and use tomato juice to cover the cabbage rolls, if desired. Add sliced onions over top of rolls too! Adding thick sauce to the filling keeps it moist and adds great flavour.
**
To prepared cabbage leaves: cut out part of cabbage core and remove first outer leaves. Place cabbage core-side up in pot of boiling water; cover for a few minutes to allow steam to separate leaves. Carefully turn cabbage over to allow some hot water to get into the cut-out core area if leaves do not remove easily. Boil the leaves just until they are "
pliable" (you can fold them without breakage). Continue until all leaves are removed. Before filling the leaves, take a paring knife and carefully remove some of the thick “stem” part of the leaf so that it can roll easier without breaking the leaf. Just cut off enough to just thin out the “stem” part. Place a little of the filling at the “stem” end of leaf; roll once, fold in sides and continue rolling.
** Remember that there’s a difference in texture when using summer cabbage or winter cabbage. Summer cabbage softens more. Cooking the cabbage rolls slowly and long period of time and using winter cabbage, it allows the filling to be cooked while still leaving a little crunch to the cabbage. If you don't like that little "crunch", boil your leaves a little longer before filling them.
** You can freeze uncooked cabbage rolls. To cook frozen rolls, place them in a PREHEATED oven and cook them for about 30 minutes more than indicated above. OR you can cook them all at once and freeze them cooked and separated into serving size and then just put them in microwave to reheat.
Cabbage Rolls
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