Stuffed Cabbage With Three Cheese Recipes

Steps:

• Using a paring knife, remove center core of cabbage. In a large nonreactive stockpot, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Add cabbage and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until outer leaves are bright green and tender. Lift cabbage from water, and remove outer leaves. Return cabbage to boiling water, and repeat brief cooking and removal of leaves until all leaves are cooked. Reserve 2 cups cabbage cooking water. Trim thick center vein from bottom of each leaf. Reserve four large outer leaves to line bottom of pan.
• In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook until golden and tender, about 8 minutes. In a large bowl, combine onion mixture, rice, beef, pork, salt, pepper, parsley flakes, green pepper, and celery. Stir to combine.
• Add about 1/3 cup rice filling to one cabbage leaf. Fold sides of cabbage over filling, and, starting with the stem end, roll the cabbage up. Repeat with remaining leaves and filling.
• Line a 5-quart Dutch oven with reserved outside leaves. Transfer stuffed cabbage leaves to Dutch oven.
• In a large bowl, combine tomato puree and the reserved 2 cups of cabbage cooking water. Pour some of the tomato sauce over cabbage to almost cover. Sprinkle apple over top of cabbage leaves. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a gentle simmer; cover. Cook for 1 hour or until cabbage is very tender, adding additional tomato sauce as needed.
• Place sour cream in a small bowl, and ladle in about 3/4 cup of tomato sauce from the cooked stuffed cabbage rolls. Whisk to combine. Add sour cream mixture back to Dutch oven, and stir to combine. Serve with additional sour cream.

Steps:

• For the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the onions, and cook over medium-low heat for 8 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the tomatoes, vinegar, brown sugar, raisins, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Remove the entire core of the cabbage with a paring knife. Immerse the head of cabbage in the boiling water for a few minutes, peeling off each leaf with tongs as soon as it s flexible. Set the leaves aside. Depending on the size of each leaf, you will need at least 14 leaves.
• For the filling, in a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, eggs, onion, breadcrumbs, rice, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add 1 cup of the sauce to the meat mixture and mix lightly with a fork.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• To assemble, place 1 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a large Dutch oven. Remove the hard triangular rib from the base of each cabbage leaf with a small paring knife. Place 1/3 to 1/2 cup of filling in an oval shape near the rib edge of each leaf and roll up toward the outer edge, tucking the sides in as you roll. Place half the cabbage rolls, seam sides down, over the sauce. Add more sauce and more cabbage rolls alternately until you ve placed all the cabbage rolls in the pot. Pour the remaining sauce over the cabbage rolls. Cover the dish tightly with the lid and bake for 1 hour or until the meat is cooked and the rice is tender. Serve hot.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• For the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, brown sugar and Worcestershire and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes.
• For the cabbage cups: Meanwhile, add the cabbage leaves to the pot of boiling salted water and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Remove with tongs and place in a colander. Rinse under cold water, then drain and pat dry.
• Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, green pepper, celery and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the paprika and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beef and pork and cook, stirring and breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Add the cooked rice and stir to combine and warm through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the parsley.
• Finish the sauce by stirring in the sour cream until fully incorporated. To serve, divide the beef mixture among the cabbage leaves and top each with some sauce.

Steps:

• Combine sauce ingredients; set aside. Line a medium bowl with cheesecloth, allowing 6 inches to overhang edges of bowl. Place cabbage in bowl with core facing up. Remove core and center of cabbage, leaving a 1-in. shell. Discard core; chop center cabbage leaves. , Heat large skillet over medium heat; add oil. Cook onion and 1 cup chopped cabbage in oil until tender, 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. In a small bowl, combine beef, onion mixture, 1 cup sauce, rice, egg, salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into cabbage shell. Gather cheesecloth around cabbage and twist tightly to securely enclose cabbage leaves and filling. , Place 1 cup water, remaining chopped cabbage and remaining sauce in a Dutch oven; mix well. Carefully add stuffed cabbage, with twisted cheesecloth facing down. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until whole cabbage is tender and a thermometer inserted in the middle of the cabbage reads 165°, 1 to 1-1/4 hours. Remove cabbage and discard cheesecloth. Place cabbage on a serving platter; keep warm. , Combine the cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup water; add to Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil until thickened, about 2 minutes. Cut cabbage into wedges; serve with sauce and Parmesan cheese. If desired, sprinkle with fresh thyme and oregano leaves.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut deeply around the core at the base of the cabbage but do not remove it. Immerse the cabbage in the boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes, then use a strainer and large fork to remove it from the water. Peel off as many of the large outer leaves as come off easily. Return the head of cabbage to the water, boil for a few more minutes, remove from the water again and repeat until you have 8 leaves. Drain on paper towels.
• Halve the remaining cabbage and remove the core. Cut the halves into wide ribbons and gently squeeze out any remaining water. Melt the butter in a large skillet and add the leek, juniper berries and 1 tablespoon of water and cook over medium heat until the leek is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the cut cabbage and cream, cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Put 1/2 cup of chopped cabbage and 1 cheese cube in the center of each leaf. Roll up the leaf, folding in the sides as you go. Steam the cabbage rolls until heated through, about 10 minutes, and serve.