HOLUBSTI--UKRANIAN CABBAGE ROLLS

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Holubsti--Ukranian Cabbage Rolls image

I spent 18 months in central Canada, serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While I was there, I fell in love with the people and the food, specifically Ukrainian and Filipino food. The cabbage rolls were my favorite, and when I returned to the US, I began searching for recipes, but could never find one that I liked. This recipe comes from me combining elements of two or three different recipes that I found. The resulting recipe is surprisingly easy--if a bit labor intensive. I included instructions to make a sauce, but, if you run out of energy, the stuff in a can works just as well. If I want to do a homemade sauce, I usually do it a day or so in advance., By omitting the meat, this can be a vegetarian dish. By also omitting the sour cream and using margarine instead of butter, it can be vegan.

Provided by CorianneCooks

Categories     One Dish Meal

Time 3h

Yield 30-35 rolls, 10-18 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 head cabbage
2 cups uncooked rice (I prefer wild rice, but long grain white or a mix of the two will work)
2 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup butter
1 medium onion, peeled, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 lb ground beef (optional) or 1/2 lb ground sausage (optional)
1 1/2 cups tomato juice
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1 pinch black pepper

Steps:

  • Place the cabbage in a microwaveable bowl with a small amount of water. Cover with plastic wrap with a small hole to allow for escaping steam. Microwave on high for five minutes. Remove the cabbage, turn it over, and microwave for another five minutes. Remove, and let cool.
  • In a saucepan, combine boiling water, salt and rice, bring to a boil, cover and simmer just until the water is absorbed, about 14 minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand.
  • Preheat your oven to 350.
  • In a large skillet, melt the butter and sauté the onions until golden. Mix with the rice. Gently stir in the ground meat if you choose to use it.
  • Grease the bottoms and sides of a large casserole dish.
  • Carefully peel off a leaf from the cabbage head. You may need to cut the leaves in half, and trim the large center vein. Place a spoonful of the rice mixture in the center of the leaf, and roll it up like a burrito, carefully tucking sides in first, then rolling the leaf. Place crease side down in the casserole. Repeat until the casserole is filled, or you run out of cabbage or rice mixture.
  • For the sauce:
  • Combine the tomato juice with the melted butter, salt and pepper and pour over the cabbage rolls. Bake for 1 ½ to 2 hours. Serve with sour cream, if desired, or more tomato sauce.

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