Best Mamas Cabbage Recipes

MAMA'S CABBAGE

Steps:

• Bring water to boil, using 1/2 cup water if cabbage is small or up to one cup if cabbage is larger. Add the cabbage and oil, cover and cook for about 15 minutes. The cabbage should be soft. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot with cornbread. Yield: 2 servings
• TIP: NO MORE BLUE CABBAGE
• Always add some lemon or acid such as apples to your cabbage to prevent the cabbage from turning blue.

MAMAS CABBAGE PATCH SOUP

Steps:

• In a large pot (or Dutch oven) over medium heat, heat olive oil. Addonion, carrots, and celery, season with salt, pepper, and chili powder.
• Cook, stirring often until vegetables are soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir inbeans, garlic, and thyme and cook until garlic is fragrant about 30 seconds. Add broth and water; bring to a simmer.
• Stir in tomatoes and cabbage and simmer until cabbage is wilted, about 6minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in red pepper flakes, and parsley. Season totaste with salt and pepper. Garnish with more parsley, if using.

MOM'S CLASSIC STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• Remove core from cabbage. Place whole head in a large pot filled with boiling, salted water. Cover and cook 3 minutes, or until softened enough to pull off individual leaves. If the leaves do not pull off easily, return the cabbage to the pot to boil a minute or two more. When the leaves are cool enough, use a paring knife to cut away the thick center stem from each leaf, without cutting all the way through.
• In a large bowl, add in the ground beef, pork, rice, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, eggs, ketchup, tomato paste, and parsley. Mix gently to combine. Add in 2/3rd of a can of tomato soup (almost 3/4 of a cup) and mix.
• To stuff the leaves lay down a single large leaf with the cut edge facing you (where the stem was) and place about a 1/2 cup of the meat mixture in the lower third of the leave. If the leaf is huge add more, if smaller add less meat. Fold the sides of the leaf over the meat and roll the cabbage up (like rolling a burrito). Repeat until all of the leaves are stuffed. If you have extra meat just roll it up as meatballs and place it in the baking pan with the stuffed cabbage.
• Preheat oven to 350F, rack in the center.
• In a large deep dish (4" at least) baking pan (or two 9×13" glass pans), spread out the remaining soup from the open can on the bottom of the pan. Open up a 2nd can and pour out 1/2 of it and spread out until the bottom of the pan in covered in a light coating.
• Place a single layer of stuffed cabbages on the bottom of your pan. Add the remaining half of the 2nd can of tomato soup. If you have leaves that are too small to stuff or are badly torn, add them on top of the soup.
• Add the 2nd layer of stuffed cabbage (you must make sure you have a 1/2" gap at the top of your pan and stuffed cabbage. It cannot go over the top of the pan. Top with the remaining can of tomato soup and spread out evenly.
• Spray the underneath of a large piece of foil. Place foil side down on the pan and close tightly around the dish. Place the pan on a larger cookie sheet to catch any spillovers.
• Bake for 3 - 4 hours or until the cabbage is tender when pierced with a knife. (I start to check mine after 2 hours 45 minutes).
• Remove from the oven, uncover and allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

MAMA'S OLD-FASHIONED ALBONDIGAS (MEATBALL SOUP)

Steps:

• Pour water into a large stockpot over high heat. Stir in 3 cups tomato sauce, yellow onion, chicken bouillon, garlic, and 1 tablespoon dried oregano. Bring broth to a slow boil.
• Combine ground beef, eggs, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, white rice, 1/4 cup cilantro, seasoned salt, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and cumin in a large bowl. Squeeze mixture with your hands until thoroughly mixed.
• Scoop 1/4 cup of beef mixture and form in a ball. Lower gently into boiling broth. Repeat with remaining beef mixture.
• Stir potatoes, carrots, and celery into the broth. Cover and simmer until meatballs and potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in zucchini and cabbage. Cover and simmer until cabbage is tender, about 10 minutes.
• Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and garnish with avocado and 1/4 cup cilantro.

MOM'S CABBAGE SOUP

Steps:

• For the soup: Heat the olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent (not browned), about 8 minutes. Add salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes to your desired preference. Then stir in the fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes and vegetable stock and bring the entire mixture to a boil.
• Once boiling, stir in the cabbage and beans and keep it simmering, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Add more stock or water if you prefer more liquid and taste and season with more salt and pepper, if necessary. When finished, sprinkle over and stir in the parsley for color and flavor.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with crostini or garlic bread, if desired.
• For the crostini: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the bread slices on a baking sheet. Brush the tops with olive oil. You can also smear minced garlic over the top, if desired.
• Bake until crunchy and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Take the crostini out of the oven, drizzle the tops with olive oil and sprinkle sea salt over the top.