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August 12, 2011

many thanks + stuffed cabbage

Filed under: Comfort foods,Dinner — Tags: , , — Kristen :) @ 2:41 pm

Many thanks to all your wonderfully kind words and thoughts about Buster.  We really appreciate it.  We were pretty much a mess this past week, but with time it is getting easier.  I don’t think there can be anything that can replace our happy guy, but we have to just remember all the good times we had for sure.  I have gotten a little back logged on recipes, but I do have one of my favorite cabbage recipes for you!

When I was younger my nana would always make us large casserole dishes full of stuffed cabbage.  It was a frequent tradition in my family and boy did I enjoy it.  This dish always reminds me of her.  Since my grandparents moved to the east coast I haven’t had the chance to enjoy this dish for quite awhile until now.  I am very excited because they are in the works of moving back to Vegas and I am going to have to whip up a batch of stuffed cabbage with her once they get settled again.  Of course my version isn’t quite like my grandma’s, but it is pretty darn good.

When I saw the head of cabbage in our bountiful basket, I knew that I was definitely going to make stuffed cabbage!  My version uses quinoa instead of rice and I cook them in a slow cooker which makes it easy and doesn’t heat up the kitchen.

Stuffed Cabbage

Inspired by my nana

Serves: 6-7

Ingredients

  • 1 head cabbage
  • 4 turkey sausage links (I used pre-cooked sweet Italian version from TJ’s), chopped
  • 2 yellow squash, chopped
  • 1, 8-oz package crimini mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 cups water or vegetable broth
  • 3 cups tomato or marinara sauce (go for lower sodium)
Start by sauteing the turkey sausage, squash, and mushrooms in a little evoo until browned.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
Boil 2 cups of broth, add the quinoa and then simmer on low for about 10 minutes.  Combine this with the turkey sausage mixture which will go into the cabbage leaves.
While that’s cooking, get the cabbage ready by cutting off the bottom and peeling away the layers to get at least 15 leaves ready to stuff.
Some recipes call for steaming the cabbage a little bit beforehand to make it easier to bend, but this one was pretty flexible.
Place about 1/3 cup of filling into each leaf depending on the size.
Then fold up!
Place about 1/2-1 cup of tomato sauce in the bottom of a slow cooker and then top with the stuffed cabbage.
Top with the rest of the sauce and then cook on low for about 4 hours.  Serve with additional sauce if needed.
Yum!
You can experiment with all kinds of fillings too.  My grandma would usually put in rice and ground beef or veggies.
My grandma would always make the best chocolate chip cookies too 🙂
Happy Friday!
What’s one of your favorite childhood food memories?

2 Comments »

  1. I’m so sorry about Buster! He sounds like such a sweet companion, and was one stud of a pup. I know how hard losing a beloved pet can be; you’ll be in my thoughts and prayers.

    Mmm your grandma’s stuffed cabbage looks delicious! Talk about comfort food. And it’s healthy too! Win-win! 🙂

    Comment by Sara @ Nourish and Flourish — August 12, 2011 @ 7:22 pm

  2. This sounds so amazing! Too bad cabbage gives me the WORST gas ever. Seriously, it’s not good. I still eat it sometimes though 🙂 I think Nick would eat this dish too, he loves cabbage. My favorite childhood food memory is my grandma’s lasagna. The smell was intoxicatingly delicious, even before taking the first bite!

    I’m SO sorry to hear about your dog, Kristen. I’ve never had to go through the loss of a dog because my family never keeps one long enough. But I can only imagine the sadness. I’m glad it’s getting better, each day.

    Comment by The Candid RD — August 13, 2011 @ 4:38 am

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