I like to think of WJWE as a trendsetter- borscht has never been hotter, chopped liver is making a comeback, and stuffed cabbage is the new black. You heard me. Stuffed cabbage: all the cool kids are doing it.
Call me crazy, but I like comfort foods in the summer. Here in Austin, it has been 100 degrees now for weeks. I don’t remember what rain feels like. I break into a sweat on my walk to the pool. There is only one solution to this madness- book a few trips to cooler climates. Well that and cook up some stuffed cabbage. I am currently in NYC and CT for the weekend, where it is a balmy 75 degrees, but I didn’t want to leave you empty handed in my absence. AKA sans a delish Eastern European treat. I went with the Polish variety, as opposed to Hungarian or other types. (Who knew stuffed cabbage was such a versatile food?) And I even made it healthier with brown rice and ground turkey- it is bikini season after all.
Have you ever had stuffed cabbage? Yay or nay?
First, mix up your stuffing ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
In a separate bowl, mix all your sauce ingredients. Cover and refrigerate this too.
Yum. Next, take a large stockpot and fill with water and bring it to a boil. Once boiled, dunk in your cabbage (careful- boiling water is hot!) and boil for a few minutes until some of the leaves fall off and they are ready to roll. Peel off any additional leaves and wash with cold water. Cut off any hard pieces and you are ready to stuff!
Take two large leaves and put them on top of each other on a plate. Stuff with about 2/3 of a cup of meat and roll up tightly so the spine is in the middle. Take any remaining cabbage and chop into smaller pieces and mix with the sauce. Pour a layer of the sauce on the bottom of a stockpot and place rolled cabbages on the sauce.
Top with remaining sauce and simmer in the covered pot for 1 hour and 45 minutes or so.
And of course, Happy Father’s Day to the best Dad in the whole world!!! Jew are the best!
- 1 large green cabbage
- For the Stuffing :
- 1.5 pounds ground turkey
- ¾ cup uncooked brown rice, cooked (should make about 2.5 cups cooked)
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup water
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- For the Sauce:
- 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup vinegar (White or cider. I used white because I already had it on hand.)
- Juice 1 lemon
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- First, mix up your stuffing ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- In a separate bowl, mix all your sauce ingredients. Cover and refrigerate this too.
- Next, take a large stockpot and fill with water and bring it to a boil. Once boiled, dunk in your cabbage (careful- boiling water is hot!) and boil for a few minutes until some of the leaves fall off and they are ready to roll. Peel off any additional leaves and wash with cold water. Cut off any hard pieces and you are ready to stuff!
- Take two large leaves and put them on top of each other on a plate. Stuff with about ⅔ of a cup of meat and roll up tightly so the spine is in the middle.
- Take any remaining cabbage and chop into smaller pieces and mix with the sauce.
- Pour a layer of the sauce on the bottom of a stockpot and place rolled cabbages on the sauce.
- Top with remaining sauce and simmer in the covered pot for 1 hour and 45 minutes or so.
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Nothing like stuffed cabbage on a hot day in bikini. Right on Amy. P.S. I remember my asking my Eastern European Grandmother to make her stuffed cabbage for me and she would say “ok, but its a lot more work than meatloaf!” Thought you would appreciate that. xoxo
HAHA I could eat stuffed cabbage any day! And yes it does take a lot of time, but totally worth the effort I think!
My baubie used to make these. My husband is growing cabbage in our veggie garden and I completely forgot about stuffing it! I like the healthier ground turkey, but he’ll probably stuff it with beef (if I’m lucky, or something else if I’m not). I’m not complaining because he enjoys cooking!
Lucky you to have a man who not only enjoys stuffed cabbage, but will cook it too!
You have done it again. So interesting that you are cooking foods that I grew up on and never learned to make. You are making them and don’t have a clue what they are supposed to taste like. I think I am not making too much sense my dear, but this is what happens at an advanced age. Anyway, I love you!!!
Bubbe
Bubbe, I learned all my cooking techniques from you- more butter! Love you!
If I feel lazy, I just mix ALL the ingredients (cabbage included) and fry them in a pan. No stuffing and much faster – but a taste that comes very near stuffed cabbage!
Ha great idea! That is what usually stops me from making stuffed cabbage more- the time!