Stuffed Cabbage

This is an all-natural, sugar-free version of my grandmother's stuffed cabbage. Try it with the Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Purée.

Ingredients
1 large head green cabbage
1 tablespoon high heat sunflower oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 pounds ground meat
¾ cup brown rice, parboiled for 30 minutes
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons agave nectar
2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
juice of 2 lemons
1 28-ounce can whole peeled plum tomatoes, drained and crushed
⅔ cup agave nectar
1 cup water
fine sea salt, to taste

Equipment
chef’s knife
cutting board
4-quart Dutch oven
wooden spoon
large bowl
measuring spoons
liquid measuring shot glass
liquid measuring cup
lemon juicer
can opener

Directions
1. Take leaves off cabbage. Reserve outermost leaves. Boil rest for 10 minutes. Remove from water and set aside to cool.
2. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until just starting to brown. Reduce heat to low. Cover and let sweat until translucent, about 7 minutes.
3. Mix together ground meat, rice, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons water and 2 tablespoons agave nectar.
4. Fill cabbage leaves with meat mixture and roll like a burrito. Set aside.
5. To the Dutch oven, add remaining ingredients, including reserved cabbage leaves, and allow to simmer.
6. Push cabbage leaves to bottom of pot, lining the pot to prevent the stuffed cabbage from burning. Add stuffed cabbage to pot. Cover with sauce and cook over medium heat, covered, for 2 hours.

Serves 8

© 2009 by Allison Lattman