With the colder weather approaching, I thought that I'd start to post some of my favorite recipes for some yummy cold weather meals!
I love my slow cooker. It allows me to make a nice dinner on a busy schedule and slow cooking is the perfect way to prepare make ahead meals for the freezer!
So, I thought I'd begin with one of my favorite recipes that I've modified to make it a tad bit healthier.
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with ground turkey and Quinoa!
Here's the recipe;
1 head cabbage
1 lb. ground lean turkey thawed
1 small yellow onion, diced. A red onion will do.
2 garlic cloves minced
1 cup cooked Quinoa
Salt and pepper to taste
1 small can tomato paste
32 oz. jar of Sauerkraut
toothpicks
Directions:
1) You need to be able to peel away the cabbage leaves which is a little difficult to do unless you soften the outer leaves. Here's how:
Bring a 4 qt. pot of water to a rapid boil.
Cut out the core of the cabbage head with a small, sharp knife. Using tongs, carefully and slowly immerse cabbage, core side down, and boil for 2-3 minutes.
Remove with tongs, place on a plate and carefully peel away the softened leaves. Be careful, the cabbage is hot! Return to the simmering water for another 2-3 minutes, remove and peel away some more leaves. Do this until you have peeled about 12 - 14 leaves. Set aside to let the leaves cool.
Save remaining cabbage for later.
2) Combine in a medium bowl the following ingredients;
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 lb thawed ground turkey
1 small yellow or red onion diced
2 cloves fresh garlic minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. tomato paste. Save remaining paste for later
3) Empty the 32 oz.jar of sauerkraut into your slow cooker. This lines the bottom of the pot and keeps your cabbage rolls moist. Shred the remaining cabbage and add to the sauerkraut.
4) Now you get to stuff the cabbage leaves. Line up the leaves, center rib facing you, drop a large spoonful of the turkey mixture into the center of the leaf.
5) Roll up the leaf once, fold in both sides and continue to roll loosely and secure with a toothpick. Repeat until all filling is used.
6) Place the stuffed cabbage rolls into your slow cooker, heat up the remaining tomato paste with a little filtered water to make a sauce and pour over the top of the rolls and slow cook for 3-4 hours. Serve on a bed of sauerkraut and top with sour cream.
IF you have any leftover cabbage rolls you may freeze them! To reheat I steam mine for about 5 -10 minutes.
Voila! Stuffed cabbage rolls!
