Stuffed cabbage rolls

These require some effort but are delicious. Cooking 16 rolss means using 2 big pots at the same time. You can use either ground turkey, which had a milder texture when cooked, or pork, which is more flavorful.

120 kcal per roll

Cooking time: 1 hr plus 1 hr for cooking

Instructions

1. If you don't have cooked rice available, cook about 3/4 C dry rice.
2. Finely chop 1 medium onion. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pan and fry the onion for about 5 minutes, until very lightly browned.
3. In a large bowl, mix 1 lb ground turkey, 2 tbsp bread crumbs, 2 C cooked rice, the fried onion, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp finely ground black pepper. Use up to 1 tsp pepper if you like it more peppery.
4. Pour about 3-4 inches of water into a large pot and bring to a boil.
5. Remove the outer leaves from one cabbage, then cut out the stem by removing a cone-shaped piece about 2-3 inches deep. If you run out of good leaves halfway through making the rolls, repeat with the second cabbage.
6. Put the cabbage into the boiling water, stem-hole down. After about 1-2 minutes, turn it over. After another 1-2 minutes, remove one outer leaf and place it on a cutting board. If the leaf stem is thick, trim down a little of the spine without slicing through or breaking the leaf, so it rolls more easily.
7. Place the leaf top-side up and inside-side up. Put about 3-4 tbsp filling in the center. Fold the sides toward the center, then fold the bottom of the leaf up over the filling and continue rolling upward to form a cabbage roll. Set aside.
8. Keep rotating the cabbage in the pot, pulling off leaves, and filling them. If you run out of large leaves from the first cabbage, start using the second. You should get about 16 cabbage rolls. (If you are short on time, you can start cooking the first half of the cabbage rolls while you continue making the second half. This can save you about 15 minutes.
9. Divide the 24 oz jar tomato sauce, 2 C chicken or vegetable stock, and 2 tbsp tomato paste between two pots and mix. Place about 8 cabbage rolls in each pot, bring to a boil, and simmer for 1 hour. The internal temperature of each cabbage roll should reach at least 165 F.
10. Serve with some of the tomato sauce on the side. Enjoy!