Craving comfort food this winter but want a healthy option? Try stuffed cabbage rolls
I don’t know about you, but in the wintertime I crave comfort food. I want something that is going to stick to my ribs.
I have a little bit of a post-holiday food hangover and it's hard to find comfort food that isn't going to prevent me from reaching my health goals. But based on the ingredient list you will find this dish to be very low-fat and relatively low in carbs. It will definitely stick to your ribs. It’s likely the fiber in the cabbage and rice helps with that.
As a child I did not necessarily love stuffed cabbage, but after hearing my brother-in-law’s rave reviews of the stuffed cabbage rolls at Dolce (a local Italian favorite), I decided to give them another try. I am so glad I did.
After experimenting with a couple of recipes, I have come up with my own concoction that seems to check off all the boxes. They fill my bottomless pit of an appetite, they provide comfort and the flavors are spot on. A bonus is that they are healthy.
This is one of my favorite recipes and now that I have an Instapot, cooking the cabbage and separating the leaves is so much easier.
I have included multiple cooking methods and an easier “deconstructed.”
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Sauce:
2 tbsp of olive oil
3/4 cup chopped sweet white or yellow onion
2 16-oz. cans of crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup raisins
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 large head of green cabbage
Heat the olive oil in the skillet. Sauté the onion for 8-10 minutes until it's soft and translucent. Add thyme, salt and pepper. Sauté another minute, then add crushed tomatoes, red wine vinegar, brown sugar and raisins. Remove from heat and allow it to cool.
Filling:
1 1/4 lbs. ground chuck or ground turkey — or you can use 1/2 half turkey and 1/2 half lean beef for a healthier version
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped yellow or white onion
1 cup of sauce (recipe above)
1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1/4 cup instant white or brown rice or 1/2 cup of precooked rice or rice blend in a pouch
1/2 tsp dried thyme
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, add instant rice, bread crumbs and ground meat, salt and pepper; stir to combine. (I use disposable food service gloves to mix the filling; it's so much easier.)
Preparing the cabbage leaves:
If you have an Instapot, core the whole head of cabbage and set it on the trivet. Add 1 1/2 cups of water. Set to pressure-cook for 7 minutes. You can use quick release or allow it to release on its own; it doesn't matter.
Remove cabbage from the Instapot and let it cool. Gently peel each leaf off. If the cabbage is large, you will use 7-8 leaves. If it's a smaller head, it may take more leaves. Cut a triangle at the base of each leaf, removing the tough spine.
To prepare rolls:
Form 1/3 to 1/2 cup of filling into a football shape. Place the mixture 3 inches above the base of the leaf. Fold the bottom of the leaf up over the filling, then fold in each side and roll it. Place in a dutch oven seam side down.
Dutch Oven: Pour 3/4 cup of sauce into the bottom of the dutch oven or casserole dish with a lid, Place all the rolls, seam side down, on the sauce. Pour remaining sauce over the rolls, cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour 15 minutes. Check for doneness; depending on the tenderness of the cabbage leaves, you might need to bake longer. If you have extra cabbage, you can chop it into cubes and place it around and on top of the rolls before you add the sauce.
Crockpot: After assembling the cabbage rolls, place 3/4 cup of sauce in the bottom of the crock pot, place rolls on top, pour remaining sauce over top. Turn on high for 1 hour, then cook for another 3 hours on low. Check for doneness; if leaves seem tough, then cook longer.
Instapot: Place 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of the inner pot, place prepared rolls seam side down on top. Add additional sauce. Seal and pressure-cook for 20 minutes. Allow to release on its own if time permits; otherwise you can do a quick release.
Notes:
If you don't have an Instapot, you can bring a large pot of water to a boil and place a large cored head of cabbage in the boiling water. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes. Uncover. You will notice leaves starting to separate from the head. Remove and place on a towel to dry. For this recipe you will need 7-8 large leaves. You can let the rest of the cabbage boil another 6-8 minutes, then remove and chop into cubes. You can place this in the dutch oven on top of the cabbage rolls and bake.
Cook time on all the methods is a guide. You might need more time depending on the tenderness, size and age of the cabbage leaves you have on hand.
Deconstructed stuffed cabbage
Make sauce and add to the bottom of a large casserole dish.
Make the filling as directed above
Remove the core and cook the whole head of cabbage in boiling water for 7-10 minutes; remove and allow to drain. Then cut cabbage in half, and then cut into 1-2 inch cubes.
Layer sauce, then chopped cabbage, then filling scattered atop cabbage. Repeat, cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes, check for doneness.
Melinda Malott of Williamsport is a self-taught baker and cook. Follow her on Instagram @Melindaluvs2bake.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: A healthy comfort food: Stuffed cabbage rolls
