Stuffed Cabbage
Leah and Mike Klein, close friends of ours from Jerusalem, ISRAEL, spent
several years in Urbana, IL. Leah is a wonderful cook and a kind, generous
friend. During the summer of 1985, she brought meals to our home to help us
after our youngest daughter, Eve, was born. On one such visit, Leah brought
us some great stuffed cabbage. This recipe is my attempt to duplicate her
dish. Stuffed cabbage is one of the traditional filled or stuffed dishes
served at the fall festival of Sukkoth as a symbol of abundance.
Ingredients:
- 1 head of green cabbage, frozen and thawed (to separate the leaves)
- 2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup tomato catsup
- 1 T. wine vinegar
- 4 ounces dried salami, cut in small chunks
- 2 bay leaves
- black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp. brown sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 T. oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1/2-3/4 cup cooked rice
- 1 large egg
- 1 T. chopped dill weed
- salt to taste
Clean cabbage and separate leaves. Combine tomato sauce, catsup, vinegar,
salami, bay leaves, pepper, brown sugar, water and place in bottom of large
pot. Sauté onion in 1 T. oil, and combine onion, meat, rice, egg, dill,
salt, and mix well. Place 2-3 T. meat mixture on each cabbage leaf, roll up,
and place on sauce in pan. Simmer on low heat for 45 minutes. Bake at
325°F. for about 1/2 hour. Serve with bread or rice; serves 6.
This method of separating cabbage leaves allows you to avoid parboiling
the cabbage. The only trick is to plan ahead. You can always thaw the cabbage
in the microwave after freezing ( if you forget to leave enough defrosting
time).
This recipe can be prepared for Passover by substituting matzo meal
(1/2 cup) for the rice, tomato paste for the catsup (or you can use Passover
catsup if you don't mind the taste), and of course, only Passover certified
ingredients for all products.