Foodie Friday: Cabbage Rolls

Red Cabbage Rolls

Several months ago I saw a recipe for cabbage rolls, but honestly, they looked unappetizing to me.  However, they stuck in my mind.  As I was searching for new recipes to try more recently, I stumbled on cabbage rolls again, but this time I saw them wrapped in red cabbage. Suddenly, they looked 100 times better, and I was ready to try them.  While the recipe sounded good, I have to admit that I wasn't sure my family would go for them.  I tried them anyway, and I'm glad that I did.  We all loved them!  Don't judge a cabbage roll by it's cover, right?  This one will stay on as a regular in our household.  The original recipe actually uses a pressure cooker, but since I don't have one (yet), I prepare them in the oven. It takes a little longer, but they still taste great.  If you try them, let me know what you think.    

Red Cabbage Rolls

Adapted from:  Everyday Paleo

{Print this recipe}
Ingredients for Sauce:
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup chicken broth, preferably reduced sodium
3 Tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped (or 1 Tbsp dried)
Black pepper to taste

Ingredients for the Cabbage Roll Filling:
1 lb lean ground beef
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1 small apple, finely chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 whole egg (or 1/4 cup chia gel - I've used this to make this dish egg-free, and it works just fine.)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
12 cabbage leaves (from cored cabbage)

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350F.
2.  Combine the sauce ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
3.  Place the cabbage leaves in a vegetable steamer, about 4-5 minutes.  (I use my bamboo steamer.)  Remove the leaves from the steamer and set aside to cool.
4.  Mix together the ingredients for the filling in a large bowl.  Place about 1/4 cup of the filling into each cabbage leaf.  Fold in the two outside edges of the cabbage leaf in and roll up the filling.  Place each cabbage roll seam-side down in a 13x9-in. baking pan or dish.
5.  Pour the sauce over the rolls.  Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes or until the meat is thoroughly cooked to an internal temperature of 160F.  Serve immediately.

Serves:  6 (2 rolls each)
Nutritional Information: 
Calories: 212   Carbohydrate:  17 g   Protein:  20 g   Fat:  7 g   Cholesterol:  77 mg  Fiber:  4 g   Sugar:   9 g   Sodium:  780 mg
Excellent source of:  riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, B12, C, A, iron and zinc
Good source of:  omega-3 fatty acid, thiamin, folate, calcium, magnesium, potassium