124 replies to this topic

[markk]

Cabbage takes very badly to being microwaved!

[monavano]

Cabbage takes very badly to being microwaved!

I'm just curious..do you mean microwaving as a cooking method or reheating? I reheat golabki in the micro and never have any problems with taste etc. (just even heating since my micro is ancient )

[Pam R]

I reheat in the microwave too. Keep it covered it's fine. Thanks for bumping this -- I think it's the perfect weekend project. I really enjoyed the chicken rolls done in the slow cooker and think I'll put another batch on.

[MelissaH]

What I wound up doing:

I pulled the cabbage rolls out of the freezer about ten minutes before I realized that I needed to get dinner moving NOW. So they were pretty rock-solid still, when it was time to start dinner prep.

I took a pot, added hot water from the kitchen faucet, and tossed in the two vacuum-sealed packets of cabbage rolls. I then started heating the pot on the stove. When the water came up to a boil, I turned the heat down to simmer, and left it there a while (10 or so minutes, maybe? I didn't keep careful track).

Things felt nicely thawed, and even hot, but I had no way to quantify how hot the insides were without opening a packet. So I turned the burner off, pulled one packet out, snipped open an end, and stuck my Thermapen probe into one of the cabbage rolls. I was only at about 125 degrees F, so I dumped the entire contents of the packet into a dish, covered it with a plate, and stuck it in the microwave for a minute. After that, the Thermapen kept moving well past 165 degrees, so I knew everything was well dead.

This whole time, I left the other packet in the pot with the hot water. When the microwave became available, I put the other serving in for a minute to finish heating it through.

The result: one delicious dinner of leftover cabbage rolls. I think if I was going to do only one serving, I might be able to go with just the microwave. But for two or more servings, not only did I get them done in a reasonable amount of time, I humidified the kitchen a bit.

MelissaH

[Mistinguett]

I forgot about this thread. I made these for Christmas.
This is the sour cabbage that I get at one of the neighborhood stores. Some friends who don't find sour cabbage freeze the cabbage for a couple of days (thawing takes about the same amount of time) and swear that the texture is just like parboiled.



The cabbage prepped - each leaf cut in half, the rib removed and chopped with any imperfect leaves and the core leaves. If raw cabbage is used, I'd use about 2 packages of well rinsed and drained sauerkraut.



The meat, about 2 lbs, mixed with a sauteed onion and a half of raw onion, about 1/2 cup rice (I usually parboil it but it's not necessary) and seasoned with S&P, thyme, a pinch of paprika, one egg and a couple tablespoons of cold water.



Forming the rolls (please excuse the beat-up chopping board, my two pretty bamboo ones were busy with other stuff).



Step 1, I bring the left side over the meat, roll to the end, then push in the other end like so



In a pot I layer some of the chopped cabbage seasoned with thyme and smoked bacon. The rolls are tightly layered but not crowded. The first and the last row should be chopped cabbage.



Dot some fat on top - be it pork or duck, tomato sauce, and level with boiling water.



It usually takes about 3 hours in a 350F oven, and I get these:

[Shelby]

You've made me hungry for cabbage rolls again!!!

[Pierogi]

OK, I know this is way after the fact, but when I made the gabluki that were inspired by this cook-off, I was still pretty intimidated by ImageGullet and didn't know how to use it. Heck, I *BARELY* knew how to use the camera !!

Sooooooo, now that I'm a self-proclaimed expert at posting pictures, here's my efforts, actually made in probably November or late October last year. Oh my they were good, as I said in another post, Polish soul food, baby.

The wilted leaves, lined up awaiting their destiny of savory filling:


The meat & veg (onions & green bell peppers) getting browned and softened:


The other stuffing ingredients, freshly made bread crumbs included:


A pre-rolling roll:


A nice neat package (no toothpicks required):


In the pan, waiting for the lovely sauce:


Sauced & dotted with BUTTAH baby (the better to withstand those Polish winters...):


Plated with the poppy seed noodles with croutons (after the sour cream has been mixed into the tomato sauce...low calorie/low cholesterol, ummm, not so much, those long winters again, you know...):


And finally, my cherished recipe card, the one Mom used to make them:

[Shelby]

YUM Pierogi! I've never seen that brand of chili sauce--what's it like? I love the picture of your recipe

[Pierogi]

YUM Pierogi!  I've never seen that brand of chili sauce--what's it like?  I love the picture of your recipe 

Oh yeah, Shelby, they were YUM for sure. I guess that chili sauce must be regional or local, it never occured to me before. Its the one I grew up with. Its thicker and more.......ummmmm.......tangy than the others I've tried. Chunkier. I haven't really used many others, I think I've used maybe Heinz and a store brand. Usually I just get the "Homemade Chili Sauce" ! The others sort of taste like ketchup mixed with pickle relish and some mild peppers to me. This has some zing, not hot but tangy, not as sweet.

[kbjesq]

I finally got around to the cabbage rolls the other night. I used an odd (to me) recipe from CI's family cookbook called "Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce". The recipe inlcuded gingersnaps, crushed and added to the sauce about 1/2 way through the cooking time. The dish is simmered on the cooktop, which was also odd to me as I am more familiar with slow-baked cabbage rolls. Personally, I thought the flavor was a bit flat but the rest of the clan seemed to enjoy them. If I make them again, I will add some freshly grated ginger at the same time as the gingersnaps. And some garlic, too.

Anyhow, here they are, in various stages (excuse the messy rolling technique and uneven sizes - I could only find a rather small head of cabbage and had to make do):

[Pam R]

kbjesq, they look great. Though I've never made them that way, the gingersnap thing is very common in Jewish/Eastern European recipes. What was in the filling?

[kbjesq]

kbjesq, they look great.  Though I've never made them that way, the gingersnap thing is very common in Jewish/Eastern European recipes.  What was in the filling?

That's kind of you Pam R! I grew up in a very small town in rural New England, so this gingersnap addition was news to me. OT point of reference: When I first brought a bagel to school, in about 7th grade, no one including the teachers had ever seen one before! (We had relatives from NYC who used to bring them to us every once in a great while, which was a huge treat). I had to let everyone have a very small taste, which of course meant that it was the first and last time that I ever brought a bagel to school.

Back to topic: The meat filling in the recipe uses 1.5 lbs (80% lean) ground beef but I subbed ground turkey, in addition:

1/4 c long grain rice, par-boiled
1 raw onion, grated
S & P

The sauce includes 1 med. can diced tomatoes, 1 large can tomato puree, 2 c. water, 6 tbs. (divided) brown sugar, 3+ tbs. lemon juice, 1 onion studded with 8 whole cloves, 12 gingersnaps (crushed) and 1/2 c. raisins, optional.

The rolls are made the typical way and then the sauce is poured over and simmered for 1/2 hour with the clove-studded-onion. That onion is then discarded, and the crushed gingersnaps are added. The dish is simmered for another hour and then the rolls are removed. The remaining sauce is reduced as needed to achieve the proper consistency. (Not in the recipe, but after tasting the sauce at this point, I decided that it needed more acidity so I added some malt vinegar).

[Shelby]

I think they look delicious!!!!

[SanaaSol]

Thanks to whoever bumped this! This is why I love eG
...for some reason, it's been on my mind recently to try making these, and here pops up a thread.
These all look delicious guys!

[MelissaH]

It's definitely stuffed cabbage weather again. We're under a lake effect snow warning, and it's coming down steadily. And I'm lucky enough to be home today with a stoked woodstove, some knitting in my hands, and two purring cats on my lap. (Yes, at the same time as the knitting!)

What do you-all serve with your stuffed cabbage rolls? Or are they a complete meal all by themselves? Would freshly homemade applesauce be wrong?

MelissaH

[Jaymes]

It's definitely stuffed cabbage weather again. We're under a lake effect snow warning, and it's coming down steadily. And I'm lucky enough to be home today with a stoked woodstove, some knitting in my hands, and two purring cats on my lap. (Yes, at the same time as the knitting!)

What do you-all serve with your stuffed cabbage rolls? Or are they a complete meal all by themselves? Would freshly homemade applesauce be wrong?

MelissaH

In my house, it's mashed potatoes. And homemade applesauce, too!

And some kind of good brown bread, and that's dinner.

[Pierogi]

It's definitely stuffed cabbage weather again. We're under a lake effect snow warning, and it's coming down steadily. And I'm lucky enough to be home today with a stoked woodstove, some knitting in my hands, and two purring cats on my lap. (Yes, at the same time as the knitting!)

What do you-all serve with your stuffed cabbage rolls? Or are they a complete meal all by themselves? Would freshly homemade applesauce be wrong?

MelissaH

Sub a couple of puppies for the kitties and that's my idea of heaven as well !

As you can see from my pics, it isn't cabbage rolls for me unless there's poppy seed noodles along with them. Wide egg noodles tossed with butter and poppy seeds, then with croutons that have been sauteed in, yes, more butter, until they get soft and chewy and still sort of crispy. Homemade croutons are obviously the best, but packaged will work. You could, I suppose, add a small salad as well, I'd choose sturdy greens (romaine, endive, etc.) and a strong vinaigrette, but that would be option.

The noodles are mandatory.

ETA-----OH OH OH, just looked at my pics again, and off in the corner I saw a glimpse of another little bowl of Polish bliss, cucumbers in sour cream. That works too. Paper thin slices of cuke, some finely sliced scallion and chopped hard cooked egg whites, dressed with sour cream, lemon juice or vinegar to taste, S&P and dill, then the egg yolk sprinkled over. That certainly works for me.....

Edited by Pierogi, 21 November 2008 - 12:43 PM.

[Pam R]

Usually, I don't eat anything with the cabbage rolls - they're the star and the sides all rolled into one. But growing up, my grandmother would make smaller ones and serve them as a side dish themselves. I think that's common around here, actually.

[Chris Amirault]

Bump.

Was at the farmers market and saw a perfect head of cabbage for stuffing, big leaves and all. I had saved about half of a trimmed lamb leg (2 lbs, maybe?) from the grill this weekend and decided to get going tonight.

Blanched the cabbage leaves. Mixed some red onion, garlic, grilled scallions I had from earlier this week, as well as the last slab of salt-cured lemon rinds, all minced finely. Added some zataar, thyme, cinnamon, roasted thai red peppers, S&P, and smoked paprika. Ground up the lamb, and added as much rice as seemed appropriate. Doused the whole thing with a few Ts of pomegranate molasses and mixed with a vengeance.

After reaching the boil on the stovetop, they're now in a 300F oven covered in a quart of tomato juice and some roasted chicken stock. I'll report back.

[Shelby]

Bump.

Was at the farmers market and saw a perfect head of cabbage for stuffing, big leaves and all. I had saved about half of a trimmed lamb leg (2 lbs, maybe?) from the grill this weekend and decided to get going tonight.

Blanched the cabbage leaves. Mixed some red onion, garlic, grilled scallions I had from earlier this week, as well as the last slab of salt-cured lemon rinds, all minced finely. Added some zataar, thyme, cinnamon, roasted thai red peppers, S&P, and smoked paprika. Ground up the lamb, and added as much rice as seemed appropriate. Doused the whole thing with a few Ts of pomegranate molasses and mixed with a vengeance.

After reaching the boil on the stovetop, they're now in a 300F oven covered in a quart of tomato juice and some roasted chicken stock. I'll report back.

OH my gosh, I think you nailed it, Chris! Sounds REALLY good. I've been in "summer food" mode, but I have home grown tomatoes covering every inch of my house......might be a good time to use some fresh juice and 'maters in some cabbage rolls!

[heidih]

the last slab of salt-cured lemon rinds, all minced finely.

The entire combo of flavors sounds like a good mix. Wondering about the salt cured lemon rinds. Were they lemon rinds cured like middle eastern lemons?

[Chris Amirault]

Indeed they were.

[LindaK]

Bump. I should have known there would be a great conversation on stuffed cabbage!

Maybe it was the light snow on the ground this morning, but I suddenly craved stuffed cabbage. I had a cabbage, so stopped by the market on the way home and picked up some ground turkey for the filling. I know it doesn't have the fat of other meats, but I'm hoping it turns out well. No recipe, just pantry ingredients: sauted onion, carrot, some garlic, beaten egg, along with rice. A light tomato sauce for the simmer, they're cooking now. Here they are going into the casserole, aren't they pretty?





I'll do more reading here before I make my next batch. Anyone else cooking stuffed cabbage?

[Mjx]

Bump. I should have known there would be a great conversation on stuffed cabbage!

Maybe it was the light snow on the ground this morning, but I suddenly craved stuffed cabbage. I had a cabbage, so stopped by the market on the way home and picked up some ground turkey for the filling. I know it doesn't have the fat of other meats, but I'm hoping it turns out well. No recipe, just pantry ingredients: sauted onion, carrot, some garlic, beaten egg, along with rice. A light tomato sauce for the simmer, they're cooking now. Here they are going into the casserole, aren't they pretty?





I'll do more reading here before I make my next batch. Anyone else cooking stuffed cabbage?

They are pretty... in fact 'oh, pretty!' was my first reaction. I've never made these, how do you cook them?

[LindaK]

After you've stuffed the leaves, they simmer in a sauce or gravy until cooked. A tomato sauce is typical, but I also grew up with a brown gravy version.

If you've never made them before, this topic makes for a good read, and there's a nice pictoral of the stuffing/rolling process here.

btw, the turkey filling was drier than the usual beef or pork. Not a suprise, since turkey is much leaner. They were still tasty. Now I have a few servings in the freezer for future dinners. These are great cold-weather food.

[Shelby]

I don't think I've made these since I posted mine up-thread. I have a head of cabbage languishing in the fridge as we speak. Might be dinner tonight!

[Jaymes]

Bump. I should have known there would be a great conversation on stuffed cabbage!

Maybe it was the light snow on the ground this morning, but I suddenly craved stuffed cabbage.

I'll do more reading here before I make my next batch. Anyone else cooking stuffed cabbage?

Actually, I had been wondering about what to make for dinner this week, but after reading this thread, tonight's dinner is decided. Stuffed cabbage.

My recipe is in Recipe Gullet here: Russian Stuffed Cabbage

And for anyone that hasn't read our previous thread on stuffed cabbage, you really should. It's here: Stuffed Cabbage

Edited by Jaymes, 11 January 2012 - 09:32 AM.

[Quiltguy]

Jaymes. Thank you! Made your Russian Stuffed Cabbage tonight, exactly by the recipe. Oh, so good! Raves from my skeptical but trusting partner...

OMG, the cat just stole one out of the tupper on the counter where the leftovers were cooling! Gave him some of it, he cleaned it up 'n went looking for more...

Edited by Quiltguy, 12 January 2012 - 09:09 PM.

[TylerK]

Cabbage rolls have to be one of my favourite foods. I come from a Ukrainian background, so sour heads are preferred over fresh cabbage. The traditional stuffing we used while growing up consisted of rice and toasted buckwheat but I add plenty of ground beef, onion and diced tomatoes. The sauce we always used sparingly (only to keep the leaves moist while cooking) and instead of being tomato based or brown sauce based it was sautéed onions, mushrooms and heavy cream.

[Jaymes]

Jaymes. Thank you! Made your Russian Stuffed Cabbage tonight, exactly by the recipe. Oh, so good! Raves from my skeptical but trusting partner...

OMG, the cat just stole one out of the tupper on the counter where the leftovers were cooling! Gave him some of it, he cleaned it up 'n went looking for more...

Thanks for letting me know!

I got that recipe some 40 years ago, from my grandmother. It was a family favorite Sunday Dinner dish during cold weather and, when I think about it, I can still see the whole family gathered around her big oak table in her warm country kitchen while snow fell outside. Such wonderful memories.

And regardless as to exactly how you choose to make it, it always turns out great. It's very forgiving and you can add, subtract, substitute whatever you like, according to your family's preferences. Those sorts of recipes are the most fun, don't you think?

Oh, and although I didn't mention cloves in the Recipe Gullet recipe, I usually do add a pinch of powdered cloves. And, it may be my imagination, but the ginger snaps my grandmother used seem different to me than the ones I can find today. Those of yore broke down more easily atop the dish as it cooked. These sometimes don't. So I do crumble them.

BTW, for those of you that are not familiar with adding gingersnaps, in addition to the ginger flavor, the flour in the gingersnaps help to thicken the sauce.