Cabbage Rolls With A Twist

Cabbage Rolls With A Twist
Ingredients:
1 small cabbage, remove any discoloured leaves and core
2-1/2 lbs. uncooked extra lean ground beef / turkey / a mixture of lean ground beef and pork
1-1/4 cups couscous/quinoa -> YES you can also use uncooked rice
1/2 cup tomato juice
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs OR homemade bread crumbs
1 large OR 2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, rinsed, dried and chopped
1 egg, beaten
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
a dash or two(2) of hot sauce OR a dash or two(2) of Worcestershire sauce OR both ;)
2 29 oz. cans diced tomatoes, seasoned with basil, garlic and oregano OR 1 29 oz. can + the same amount of tomato cocktail juice
Method:
1. You can freeze the cabbage then thaw it and gently separate leaves OR you can core the cabbage and boil it until the leaves are loose enough to separate easily.
2. Trim off the white portion or the spine of each leaf to make leaves easy to fold. Then set aside on paper towel.
3. Combine ground meat, couscous/quinoa, tomato juice, bread crumbs, grated carrot, onion, garlic, parsley, beaten egg, cumin, salt and pepper, hot sauce OR Worcestershire sauce OR both in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.
4. Spoon approximately 3 heaping tablespoons of beef mixture onto the center of each leaf.
5. Fold up bottom of leaf to cover filling, tuck in sides and then continue rolling to make rolls.
6. Heat oil in a large heavy saucepan / Dutch oven over medium heat then add rolls.
7. Saute until lightly browned on all sides, turning frequently for about 5 minutes.
8. Add diced tomatoes and bring to a simmer.
9. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until cooked thoroughly, checking them every 20 minutes and gently nudging cabbage rolls to prevent any sticking.
10. Cook for approximately 1 hour.
Note: If the sauce thickens or reduces just add more tomato cocktail juice. You can skip the browning stage and just place the cabbage rolls and tomatoes in a slow cooker. Yummmmmmmy :D