Author Notes
It’s that time of year when stuffed cabbage recipes seem to be everywhere. OK, maybe it just seems that way to me because, admittedly, I do spend a ridiculous amount of time reading food magazines, food blogs, cookbooks, etc… I like to say that all this food reading is for work, but really, I just love reading and looking at pictures about anything food-related. When I was in law school — a million years ago –I would go into the kitchen in the middle of the night before a big exam and cook. Arguably, sleep would have produced better grades… but it really did de-stress me. Anyway, last night I really do think I dreamed about stuffed cabbage. I woke up this morning HAVING to make some.
This recipe is really the stuff dreams are made of. It’s easy (I didn’t even take the time to roll it), it’s delicious and warming, and, of course, it’s really healthy. Let me know what you think of it because it’s the first time I really stepped outside of the box when making this dish.
Cabbage helps control a cough and lessens the symptoms of the common cold — in olden times, cabbage tea was given to people who had contracted the whooping cough. It’s also good to combat constipation, the common cold, and even hot flashes.
Beef is good for lots of ailments. Just make sure you buy organic, grass-fed meat and you will reap the benefits of this warm, tonifying protein. It’s good for edema/swelling in the body, it helps many people with their weak back and knees and, believe it or not, it’s good for that bloated, distended feeling we sometimes get in our stomachs. Long ago, beef was often stewed for hours so that the liquid could be sipped to combat chronic diarrhea.
I added dill to this recipe mainly because I love the taste of it, and it makes this stuffed cabbage taste like some of the old Russian versions of this dish. Dill is actually considered a chemoprotective herb that can help neutralize some carcinogens. It’s also considered an antibacterial herb, so use as much as you want…
At the last minute, when I was cooking this dish, I decided to add a handful of caraway seeds. Again, I did it because I wanted to replicate the taste of old-fashioned Russian stuffed cabbage. I loved how the caraway worked combined with the meat and cabbage, but I will tell you, my husband wasn’t a fan of the caraway — his exact words were, “I feel like I’m eating a loaf of rye bread” — so feel free to leave it out. If you like caraway, use it here because it raises the fiber count of this meal and caraway seeds include essential oils that are good for digestion and can fight infection; they are also a good source of many essential minerals.
- See more at: http://www.theresacookinmykitchen.com/unstuffed-cabbage/#sthash.HuUxoJLl.dpuf —sisaaacs1
Ingredients
-
2 tablespoons
ghee
-
1
onion, chopped
-
3
garlic cloves, chopped
-
1-1/4 pounds
grass-fed ground beef
-
3 tablespoons
chopped fresh dill
-
1 tablespoon
chopped fresh oregano
-
1 teaspoon
turmeric
-
1 teaspoon
caraway seeds
-
1 teaspoon
coconut sugar
-
28 ounces
can crushed tomatoes
-
1 tablespoon
balsamic vinegar
-
3
large collard green leaves, center ribs removed, leaves cut into 2-inch squares
-
1/2
head green cabbage, leaves separated and cut into 2-inch squares
Directions
-
In a large pot, melt the ghee and add the onion, garlic and beef. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir, breaking up meat, until the meat is no longer pink. Stir in the dill, oregano, turmeric, caraway seeds, and coconut sugar. Let cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and vinegar and let cook 15 minutes.
-
Add the collards and the cabbage and stir gently until the leaves are coated with the sauce. Let cook just until the leaves are wilted and slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Ladle into shallow bowls and enjoy!
See what other Food52ers are saying.