Recipe cabbage rolls

The Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 14-ounce cans of diced or crushed tomatoes
• 3 cloves or garlic minced
• 2 cups of water

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over a low flame.
2. Add the onions and sweat them until translucent. Sweating is when you cook the onions over a low flame. Stir them occasionally to keep them from caramelizing. Once the onions are translucent move on to the next step.
3. Add the garlic and heat until fragrant.
4. Add the tomatoes and water and bring to a simmer.
5. Simmer for at least fifteen minutes.

The Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients

• 8 large cabbage leaves
• 1 large pot of boiling salted water
• 1 1/2 pounds ground meat you like
• 1 medium onion diced
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon of ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons of oregano
• 2 teaspoons of basil
• 1 teaspoon of thyme
• 3 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 1 cup of cooked rice

Instructions

1. Place the cabbage leaves into the boiling salted water for three minutes or until they are tender.
2. Remove the leaves from the water and let them cool.
3. If the stem of the leaf is very thick, carefully cut it out leaving as much of the leaf intact as possible.
4. Mix the ground beef, onions, salt, pepper, herbs, garlic, egg, tomato paste, and rice.
5. Combine thoroughly.
6. Separate the beef mix into eight equal portions.
7. Place a portion at the top of one of the cabbage leaves and roll the leaf until the beef is just covered.
8. Fold in the sides and roll to the end of the leaf.
9. Repeat for each leaf.
10. Place the cabbage rolls, seam side down, into the sauce.
11. Cover and simmer for one hour.

If you opt to use chopped portobello mushrooms rather than meat, be sure to sauté the mushrooms until they are tender first.


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