This twist on a classic favorite is versatile and can be adapted based on the ingredients you have available.
Ingredients:
1 large head of cabbage
1 pound lean ground beef, pork, poultry (uncooked)
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce, divided (see Notes)
1 cup cooked brown rice (see Notes)
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped bell pepper
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon oregano
¼ to ½ teaspoon paprika or cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup chopped parsley, dill or cilantro (optional)
Directions:
Wash hands with soap and water.
Rinse fresh vegetables under running water before preparing.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Use these steps to remove 12 cabbage leaves from the head:
Trim off the bottom of the cabbage and carefully remove the core with a sharp knife.
Place cabbage, core-side down, in a deep microwave-safe dish along with one inch of water.
Microwave on HIGH for 10 minutes.
Carefully remove cabbage from the microwave.
Let cool until safe to handle.
Pull leaves from the outside of the cabbage and set aside. Return to the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, if needed, to remove enough leaves.
Spread ½ cup tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9×12-inch baking dish.
In a large bowl, mix together the beef, rice, ½ cup tomato sauce, onion, bell pepper, garlic powder, basil, oregano, paprika, salt and black pepper.
Put about ¼ cup meat mixture in the middle of a cabbage leaf near the core end. Roll the bottom edge of the cabbage over the meat, then fold each side into the middle and continue rolling tightly. Place the roll seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining leaves and filling.
Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the rolls.
Cover the dish tightly with a lid or foil and bake for 1 hour. The cabbage leaves should be tender and the inside temperature at least 160 degrees F on a food thermometer.
Spoon a little sauce from the bottom of the dish over a serving cabbage rolls and top with chopped parsley, if desired.
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Notes:
Use any cooked beans or grains in the filling, such as white beans and barley.
For a flavorful tomato sauce, add 1 teaspoon sugar and ¼ teaspoon each cumin and coriander before dividing. You can also make a sauce with chopped vegetables such as carrots and zucchini.
Use the remaining cabbage for a salad, soup or stir-fry.
No microwave? You can soften the cabbage leaves other ways:
Place the trimmed and cored cabbage in a deep pot. Cover with boiling water and simmer for about 4 minutes. Remove leaves with tongs as they soften.
Place the trimmed and cored cabbage in the freezer. Defrost cabbage in the refrigerator. The leaves will peel off easily.
Rinse or scrub fresh vegetables under running water before preparing.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place fish in a baking dish.
In a medium bowl, mix lime juice, tomato, onion, cilantro, oil, peppers and salt. Spoon the mixture on top of fish.
Cover dish loosely with aluminum foil to keep fish moist.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until fish is opaque and separates easily with a fork. If you have a food thermometer, the internal temperature should reach 145 degrees F.
For the slaw: In a large bowl, mix cabbage and onion. Add sour cream and salsa; stir until mixed.
Divide cooked fish among tortillas. Add ¼ cup of slaw to each. Fold over and enjoy!
2 cups whole kernel corn (fresh, frozen or canned and drained)
2 cups lima beans (fresh, frozen or canned and drained)
2 cups cut okra (fresh or frozen)
1 can (14.5 ounces) stewed or diced tomatoes
1 cup water
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Directions
Wash hands with soap and water.
In a large saucepan on medium heat, sauté onion in the oil until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients, reduce heat to medium-low and slowly cook until the veggies are tender, the liquids reduce and the flavors are blended, about 30 to 45 minutes.
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Notes
The amounts of each vegetable are provided as a guide and do not have to be exact. Create your own combination according to your taste and what’s available!
Try adding other vegetables such as black eyed peas, chopped bell pepper, hot pepper or zucchini.
Try adding other seasonings such as garlic powder, thyme, basil or hot sauce.
If using fresh corn, slice 2 cups kernels from 2 to 4 ears, uncooked or cooked.
If using fresh tomatoes, use 4 large to 6 medium (3 cups chopped, peel first if desired).
Since the Food Stamp Act passed in 1964, qualifying low-income Americans have had access to benefits to buy groceries. Known now as SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program also provides nutrition education and obesity prevention under its SNAP-Ed component. The goal of SNAP-Ed is to improve the likelihood that persons eligible for SNAP will make healthy food choices within a limited budget and choose physically active lifestyles consistent with dietary guidelines. Oregon SNAP-Ed supports this goal by providing evidence-based educational programming, using social marketing, and supporting or implementing policy, systems, and environmental changes that affect the food and activity environments where people live, learn, work and play.
The Oregon State University Extension Service developed the Food Hero initiative to support the State’s SNAP-Ed program. On the Food Hero website at www.FoodHero.org you can find information on food safety, how to cook for a crowd, cultural toolkits, activities for kids, instructional videos, recipes and much more. All recipes on the website go through testing. In addition to being tested for overall flavor, color, and texture, recipes with low-cost and easy to find ingredients, easy to follow instructions, and a reasonable preparation time are selected. Each recipe is tasted and rated by several people before making its way to your kitchen.
In addition to the Food Hero site, a monthly newsletter called Food Hero Monthly has great information that is helpful for the season like how to freeze garden veggies in the summer, or healthy holiday dishes in the winter. OSU’s SNAP-Ed also provides in-person classes and talks. Take a moment to check out the site and you can become your own Food Hero.
