Stuffed Cabbage Rolls or Golumki's

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Meatballs!

Oh this has been a ling time coming. I have truly wanted to make these things since my friend Jenn The Leftover Queen Posted about them last February. At that time I even bought a cabbage but it went bad and I threw it out :(!!!

This time when my CSA box had cabbage I knew I was gonna do it...but how? Guess what I did? I Twittered it! I love my Twitter friends. They respond to my every food whim in the form of recipes galore!!!

With all of the great recipes I got I was able to pick and choose and I also emailed T's Mom and got the original...

Coconut & Lime
The Leftover Queen
Sunday Nite Dinner
Kalofagas
To Market, To Market with San Diego Foodstuff

They all had great things about them. T. wanted his memories though and that didn't involve dill, Asian or dried fruit (bookmarked and will happen!!!)

One thing I did find out and can't wait to try is that you can eliminate the boiling process by freezing the head of cabbage for 24 hrs or longer. My idea is to buy one and freeze it until you need it. When it thaws the leaves will be limp like that lettuce that gets accidentally frozen! Easy to roll without all the boiling...I am truly all about simplicity!!!

Here is the recipe that I ended up with and it seemed to fulfill T.'s memories of all of the Polish and Italian women's cabbage rolls or golumki's that he grew up with!!!

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Golumki's)

Ingredients:

2 lbs lean ground beef (90% lean)
1-1/2 cups rice, cooked and cooled
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
29 oz can of tomato puree
2 Tbsp brown sugar
15 oz can of sauerkraut, drained and rinsed

Directions:

• Boil a pot of water large enough to hold your head of cabbage. Once boiled immerse cabbage in water for about 2 minutes. Remove from water and let drain. When cool enough to handle gently remove leaves. When you reach the point where they aren't soft enough dunk back into your still boiling pot of water. Repeat process until you have all the leaves you need. Alternate method that I want to try is freezing the head of cabbage for about 24 hrs. Allow to thaw. Leaves should be soft like lettuce leaves that you have accidentally frozen. Would save this tedious step.
• Mix the beef, rice, onion, celery, garlic, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and 3 Tbsp of the tomato puree.
• In a large roasting pan or casserole dish (I used a 10X15 glass pan) covered with aluminum foil, evenly spread the sauerkraut as the bottom layer.
  
• Lay your cabbage leaf on a clean work surface and fill with an amount that will be easily rolled. Not too full or it may split during cooking. Roll for the stem side in folding in edges as you go.
• Lay seam side down on the sauerkraut. Continue with this until you are out of leaves.
  
• I had some extra filling left over so I made little meatballs and stuffed them in spaces in the pan. Doesn't have to be perfect!
• Mix 2 Tbsp of brown sugar into the tomato puree and pour over rolls and meatballs. Add about 1/2 can of water to the edges.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 2 hrs or until everything looks nice and tender and the meat is cooked through!

I made these in the afternoon and refrigerated them. When T. got home he popped them into the oven and reheated them.

He said they were perfect. My girl's loved them. Even my tomato hater. She just ate the inside but that's good enough for me!

These worked out to be 6 weight watchers points per serving calculated at 8 servings. Not a bad meal!

As Always...

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com