Barley-Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Pine Nuts and Currants

This dish works well assembled the night before, so a little planning gives you a great head start on the next day's dinner. Trimming away part of the thick center vein from the cabbage leaves makes them more pliable and easier to roll up. Try stirring in one cup thawed frozen meatless crumbles in place of or in addition to the feta cheese. You can also cook the rolls on LOW for six to eight hours

Yield 4 servings (serving size: 4 cabbage rolls and 2 tablespoons sauce)

Ingredients

• 1 large head green cabbage, cored
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
• 3 cups cooked pearl barley
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup dried currants
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained

Preparation

Steam cabbage head 8 minutes; cool slightly. Remove 16 leaves from cabbage head; discard remaining cabbage. Cut off raised portion of the center vein of each cabbage leaf (do not cut out vein); set trimmed cabbage leaves aside.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cover and cook 6 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat; stir in barley and next 4 ingredients (through parsley). Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

Place cabbage leaves on a flat surface; spoon about 1/3 cup barley mixture into center of each cabbage leaf. Fold in edges of leaves over barley mixture; roll up. Arrange cabbage rolls in bottom of a 5-quart electric slow cooker.

Combine the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper, apple juice, vinegar, and tomatoes; pour evenly over cabbage rolls. Cover and cook on high 2 hours or until thoroughly heated.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 402 (25% from fat)

Fat: 11.3g (sat 4.2g,mono 4.4g,poly 1.9g)

Protein: 11.3g

Carbohydrate: 70.1g

Fiber: 11.3g

Cholesterol: 19mg

Iron: 5mg

Sodium: 693mg

Calcium: 234mg

Robin Robertson, Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2004

Korean-Spiced Beef and Cabbage Rolls

"I am originally from Nebraska; one of my favorite places to eat is a small chain of sandwich restaurants called Runza. They are famous for their pillowlike beef and cabbage sandwiches. Since my husband is Korean, I created these pairing the traditional filling ingredients and flavors from his culture. These make a great snack." —Mollie Lee, San Jose, California

Filling:
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 pound ground sirloin
Cooking spray
2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage

Dough:
4 cups all-purpose flour (about 18 ounces)
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups water
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon water
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 375°.

To prepare filling, combine first 11 ingredients in a large bowl.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add beef mixture to pan; cook 8 minutes or until done, stirring occasionally. Stir in cabbage; cook 4 minutes or until cabbage is tender. Remove from heat; cool completely.

To prepare dough, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine 1 1/3 cups water, honey, and canola oil, stirring with a whisk. Add water mixture to flour mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes); cover and let stand 5 minutes.

Roll dough into a 16 x 12–inch rectangle (about 1/4-inch-thick) on a lightly floured surface. Cut dough into 12 (4-inch) squares. Working with 1 square at a time (cover remaining dough with a towel to prevent drying), spoon about 1/4 cup beef mixture into center of each square. Moisten edges of dough with water; bring 2 opposite corners to center, pinching points to seal. Pinch 4 edges together to seal. Place rolls, seam side down, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Combine 1 tablespoon water and egg white in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Lightly brush tops of dough with egg white mixture; sprinkle each with 1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until rolls are lightly browned. Remove from baking sheet; cool on wire racks.


Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 roll)

CALORIES 247 (20% from fat); FAT 5.4g (sat 0.8g,mono 2.5g,poly 1.7g); IRON 2.8mg; CHOLESTEROL 10mg; CALCIUM 152mg; CARBOHYDRATE 40.7g; SODIUM 564mg; PROTEIN 9.1g; FIBER 1.8g

Cooking Light, JANUARY 2008