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Stuffed Cabbage V (M, TNT)
Source: Adapted from a Ruth Sirkis recipe on the radio
Yield: about 15-20 stuffed leaves

1 cabbage
1 pound ground meat
1 cup rice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 jar half-fried onions (or sauté a couple of onions cut to rings until very light golden, keep the oil)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can peeled mashed tomatoes
Juice from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Wrap cabbage well in microwaveable plastic. Microwave for 7-10 minutes, depending on your microwave power. The cabbage should soften but not be too cooked.

Leave to cool until can be handled. In a bowl, mix meat with uncooked rice, seasoning, and onion. If using onions from scratch, put into mixture some of the oil used for frying the onions.

Separate carefully cabbage leaves, trying not to wound them. Put aside about 15-20 leaves. Chop coarsely the rest, and spread at the bottom of a wide pot.

Put 1-2 tablespoons of meat mixture into each leave. Roll, fold in sides, and then roll to the end. The idea is that the rolled leaves will be compact, but not too tight, to make room for rice to expand. Arrange rolled leaves on chopped cabbage in pot.

If any mixture is left over, make meat balls and arrange inside pot as well. If any leaves are left over, it means you over-indulged on filling, nevertheless chop and fill in pot.

Pour over can of tomatoes. Cover with water. Cook on very low heat--the longer the better--at least 1-1/2 hours. About 1/2 hour before the end, squeeze juice from 1 lemon over.

Poster's Notes:
Traditionally, in our family, we have stuffed cabbage in the Succah. We started with one cabbage and had leftovers for the whole week of Succot. Now I make the dish using 3 or 4 cabbages!

Posted by Raya Tarab, Z'L

Nutritional Info Per Serving: N/A