Moms Cabbage Rolls Holubtsi Recipes

Steps:

• With a large, sharp knife, cut out the core from the cabbage.
• Place the cabbage in a deep pot and pour boiling water into the core until the cabbage is completely covered.
• Let stand until the outer leaves can be separated, then parboil or steam the leaves just until soft and pliable.
• Continue with the remainder of the cabbage.
• In a saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil; add the rice.
• Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for 15 minutes; drain.
• Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, cook the bacon over medium heat until all the fat is drawn out.
• Add the onions; cook until lightly browned.
• Add to the cooked rice; season with salt to taste.
• Line a roasting pan with the outer cabbage leaves.
• Place a spoonful of the rice mixture onto each inner cabbage leaf; roll up, tucking in the ends, and place in the pan.
• If necessary, trim out the centre rib of the leaf to make rolling easier.
• Pour tomato juice over the cabbage rolls.
• Cover with more cabbage leaves.
• Cover and bake in a 350 degree F oven for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until tender.

Steps:

• Cook rice according to package directions and set aside to cool completely once done.
• Adjust oven rack to lower half of oven to allow for height of roasting pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Boil water in a large pot. While water is heating, remove tough outer leaves of the cabbage and reserve. Core around the stem of the cabbage at enough of an angle to remove. Gently place cabbage into boiling water core side down. Add additional water to ensure cabbage is not touching the bottom of pot.
• Reduce heat just a little and boil cabbage for about 5 minutes or until outer leaves become soft. Using kitchen tongs, remove the outer 2 or 3 leaves intact to a colander placed over a bowl to catch the water. Continue with remaining cabbage leaves one by one, allowing a minute or two between leaves for underlying leaves to soften. You want them to peel apart in one in-tact piece.
• In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, cooked rice, chopped onion, eggs, and salt. Using your hands, work the mixture until combined.
• Position your cooked cabbage leaves alongside your bowl with the mixture in preparation for rolling/stuffing the dumplings. Before stuffing, prepare a large roasting pan by emptying one can of condensed tomato soup or a bit of the canned tomatoes in the bottom and spreading to coat. You do not need much.
• Begin rolling/stuffing the cabbage leaves one at a time. Repeat until all of the meat mixture has been used.
• Once all of the cabbage rolls are tucked tightly in the roasting pan, scatter the pepper strips and the cherry tomatoes on top. If there are remaining unstuffed cabbage leaves left, chop them finely and scatter atop as well. Pour the canned tomatoes, the remaining can of tomato soup, and the Heinz Chili Sauce atop the dumplings. Sprinkle with dried basil and add bay leaves. Dunk the reserved outer leaves detached from the cabbage at the beginning of the recipe into the still hot water used to soften the cabbage. This is simply to remove any grit from the surface of the leaves. Use the outer leaves as a 'blanket' and cover the dumplings completely.
• Place the lid on the roasting pan and bake at 350°F for 2 hours. When 2 hours is up, turn off the oven heat, crack the oven door, and leave the roasting pan in the oven, undisturbed, for an additional hour.
• Let rest until rolls are set. Then, spoon sauce over the cabbage rolls and serve alongside fresh bread of choice.

Steps:

• Remove the core, and steam the cabbage. When steaming the cabbage don't over-do it--just long enough so the leaves will separate easily. - Fry onions in butter until they are transparent. Parboil the rice in a little water (just to cover the rice) and bring to a low simmer. Watch carefully - just until water is absorbed. The rice will still be a little 'hard'. It will soften up during baking. - Add raw ground pork, beef, and fried onions. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. - Grease a roaster (a small covered enameled roaster works well, but a covered casserole dish should be just fine) with a little oil and cover the bottom and sides of the roaster with the outer cabbage leaves. Roll filling in an inner cabbage leaf to make a roll. Place rolls in roaster, fitting them snugly together with the seam on the bottom to prevent unrolling. Rolls can be placed in layers to fill the roaster. When the rolls are all in place, pour the tomato juice on top. Note: It is not necessary to use a whole can of tomato juice; it may boil over in the oven. A tray under the roaster to catch any overflow is a good idea. Cover all of the cabbage rolls with left over cabbage leaves. Cover the roaster, then bake in the oven at 400 F for 30 minutes, then 350 for 1 to 1-1/2 hours.