Day #87 - Cabbage Rolls (Golubtsi)

A while back I asked my friends for some new dinner ideas and tonight's dinner was an idea my friend Lesley recommended. I have been looking online for a good recipe, but couldn't bring myself to just pick one and make it. This was actually about a month ago that I asked for dinner ideas - maybe longer.

After the idea of cabbage rolls was introduced, I went out and bought a head of cabbage thinking I would make them that same week. From this experience, I have learned that a head of cabbage (if properly stored) can last for over a month without going bad. The other day, she sent me a link to a recipe online - so I took it and ran with it. I had to assess the cabbage situation because I wasn't sure if I would need to run to the store - and lo and behold - the head of cabbage was still green and intact! I was amazed!

I made a few adjustments to this recipe to make it more "me" - but it turned out really good! I was skeptical about the girls liking it because of the cabbage - but they all loved it and had seconds!

The recipe is really easy - the only setback is that I didn't realize it had to bake in the oven for an hour after putting it all together - so we were in a bit of a time crunch to get dinner eaten before Jim had to take the girls to the ferry. But we made it and they scarfed some food down and they were on their way. Now I'm home alone - blogging and doing laundry so I don't have to go to work nekkid tomorrow.

Ingredients:

1 Head of Cabbage

2 lbs Ground Turkey

1-1/2 Cups Cooked Brown Rice

1/2 Medium Onion, Finely Chopped

1 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Pepper

1 tsp Dried Parsley

1 Can Crushed Tomatoes (I ran mine through the food processor to make a puree)

1 Can Tomato Sauce (8 oz)

2 Tbsp Ketchup

1 Onion Chopped

1-1/2 Cups Plain Low-Fat Yogurt

2 Cups Water

Directions:

Core the cabbage leaving it whole. Boil in a large pot of water until the leaves separate easily. Drain leaves and let them cool while you prepare the filling.

Combine the meat, rice, onion (1/2 medium onion), salt, pepper and parsley. Place about 1/3 cup of the meat mixture onto each cabbage leaf. Fold edges over and roll up. Place in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Continue until you use up the hamburger mixture and cabbage leaves.

Saute chopped onion in a little EVOO until translucent. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, ketchup and water. Mix well and bring to a boil. Add about 1/3 of a cup of the sauce to the plain yogurt to temper it and then add the sour cream mixture to the sauce. Pour the sauce over the cabbage rolls.

Bake at 350 degrees for an hour or so.

Nutrition Information (Approximately For One Cabbage Roll & 1/4 Cup Sauce)

Total Calories: 149 cal

Total Fat: 5.62 g

Total Carbs: 9.76 g

Total Protein: 12.33 g