Cabbage Rolls
It is so impressive how the weather affects our mood for everything, I must admit that this year we had an amazing summer which felt never-ending. I am a person who likes the alternation of the seasons and I wait for them every time with a very refreshing mood. After having a pretty tiring hot summer, I enjoy the tolerable and chilly temperatures… refreshing change!
Finally, the winter appeared with its frosty nights, the fireplace lit up, warm covers laying on the sofa and a mug of hot simmering tea…we are definitely entering winter. As the weather begins to change, so does our mood for everything and, of course, for food. More and more I catch myself wanting warm plates, soups, home cooked dinners… with more spices. Cold salads and light dishes just don’t work for me anymore! How wise is nature to offer us at this time of year fruits and vegetables which are rich in nutrition and energy that we so much need?
In our garden, we begin to cut our first winter sprouts, broccoli, cabbage…quinces and a bunch of winter goodies. Everything so fresh, so delicious!
It’s the weekend… I found the time and I am thinking of something homemade, something warm, something delicious… cabbage rolls!! I know I am not telling you something new but I also know that it is a very much loved recipe and we crave it at this time of the season. We look at familiar recipes, we search for the new ones trying to find a way to make this delicious dish even more perfect.
Our favorite recipe for cabbage rolls is the one with sour cabbage, but this is something we will do later ( around Christmas when sour cabbage is at its best). For the time being, we will make this recipe with fresh cabbage in lemon sauce.
I am sure you all well know how to cook this recipe, I just thought of reminding you that its time has come - in case you forgot that - and to share with you the joy of creating this dish. It’s a recipe that is so bonded with the Greek cuisine, with winter and the holidays that it is definitely on the Christmas table in every house!!
Today I just started cooking this beautiful dish and it already smells Christmas! Isn't that wonderful!
Ingredients
1 large cabbage
600 gr minced beef
1 cup of rice
2 grated onions
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch dill
juice of 3 lemons
a half cup of olive oil
2 tbs cornstarch
salt, pepper, a pinch of smoked paprika
Method
First, we remove the outer leaves from the cabbage. With a knife, we remove the stalk from the center of the cabbage making a hole so the water can permeate to boil the inner leaves of the cabbage. Place it in a large saucepan with boiling water, the juice of one lemon, a half cup of olive oil and salt. We boil it for twelve minutes. Remove and when the leaves have cooled down, we separate them. We keep the softer ones and place the coarser ones on the side.
In a bowl we mix the mince, rice, grated onion, chopped parsley, dill, salt , pepper and a pinch of smoked paprika. We knead well. Open a cabbage leaf and put a small amount ( about a tablespoon) of filling on one end of it. Carefully wrap the roll, closing the side edges, and place it in the bottom of the pot, which we have covered with the coarse cabbage leaves. We repeat the process until our ingredients finish. After filling the pot with as many rows as we want, cover the top layer with a plate turned upside down. Add boiled water with salt, juice of one lemon and half cup of olive oil. Water should cover the dish. We want enough water, so we can keep one cup for the lemon sauce. Let the food boil for 45-50 minutes. Remove the rolls from the pot and take the liquid that has remained ( 1 cup approx). Add one more cup of water, juice of one lemon, 3 tbs of cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Mix all the ingredients together and cook them for five minutes until they have thickened.
On a nice platter, place the cabbage rolls. Cover them with the sauce, sprinkle a pinch of smoked paprika and some parsley branches. It is very impressive how this everyday dish can look so gourmet!!
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