Spring Cabbage Rolls with Mushrooms, Lentils, Rice, and Tomato Sauce

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, cut a deep, cone-shaped incision on the bottom of the cabbage and take out the core. Set it aside. Carefully separate cabbage leaves, one by one, taking care to keep them intact. Set aside all the smallest leaves that are too small for wrapping. Submerge the rest of the leaves into the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Drain the cabbage in a colander, rinse it under cold water, and let it sit in the colander to drain some more while you make the filling.
2. Bring 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a tea kettle or saucepan.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium pot, warm the coconut or olive oil over medium heat. Add the cumin, coriander, and red pepper flakes, and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the onion and a pinch of salt, and sauté for 7 to 8 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add mushrooms and thyme, if using, along with more salt and pepper to taste. Cook until all the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms begin to brown, about 8 minutes.
4. Add the rice and the boiling water to the pot. Cover and let the mixture simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Add the lentils, cover the pot, and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes. Taste the mixture and add more salt, as desired.
5. Chop the cabbage core roughly and arrange those pieces, along with all of the smaller, unused leaves, at the bottom of the same pot you used to blanch the cabbage leaves.
6. Working with one blanched cabbage leaf at a time, add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling (depending on the size of the leaf) in the center. Fold the lower end over the filling, the fold in the sides and roll it up tightly. Repeat with the rest of the leaves and filling.
7. Arrange the in a snug, single layer on top of the cabbage leaves inside the pot. When you can't fit any more rolls in one layer, cover them with about one third of the crushed tomatoes and continue with the next layer of rolls. Cover with another third of the crushed tomatoes, followed by the rest of the rolls. Finish with the remaining crushed tomatoes.
8. Cover the pot and bring the tomatoes to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to a strong simmer and cook for 1 hour or until the cabbage is completely cooked and tender. Remove the pot from the heat and let the rolls cool slightly; serve with dollops of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream. The rolls will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat them in a pan, covered, over low heat. You can also freeze them up to 1 month.