Gluten Free Mediterranean Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
These cabbage rolls are super popular at our house. If you are looking for a healthy and delicious recipe, look no further. These cabbage rolls are of the Mediterranean style. Stuffed with rice and beef. The seasonings are super simple, but you'll find that it's absolutely delicious.
Equipment
- Chopping board
- Large sharp knife
- Large heavy bottom stockpot
- Measuring cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Large plate
- Small ceramic plate that can fit
- inside the pot you’re using
- Tongs
- Large bowl
- fine sieve
- Clean dish towel
Ingredients
- 1 head cabbage about 3 to 4 pounds
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 cups long-grain rice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons salt or to your taste
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 full head of garlic (about 15 garlic cloves)
- Water for blanching the cabbage
- 1 tsp parsley
Instructions
- Start by filling the stock pot with water leaving about 5 to 6 inches head space.
- Set the pot on high heat and bring the water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, while the water is heating up. Separate the cabbage leaves from the cabbage head by cutting the stem of each leaf that connects it to the head and pushing down from the stem toward the leaf. If the leaves are tearing apart, you can try cutting a diamond shape around the stalk of the cabbage head. Remove the stalk and carve out the remaining stalk pieces that are connecting the leaves together. Make sure that all the leaves’ stems are separated from each other at the stem part.
- Once the water had reached the boiling point, reduce the heat to medium high and place about 4 to 5 leaves at a time in the boiling water and blanch them for one minute or until you are able to bend the leaf at the stem point without breaking the stem. Do this while pushing down on them using tongs to make sure that all the leaf parts are submerged in the boiling water.
- If you are using the second technique where you would carve the stalk out, carefully place the entire head of cabbage into the stock pot. You can use a large fork and a large spoon to do so. Poke the fork into the cabbage head where you have carved the stalk out, and hold the cabbage head at the bottom with a large spoon. Carefully place it into the pot. Carefully remove the fork out of the cabbage head with the help of the spoon by pushing down on the cabbage head using the spoon, and gently pulling the fork out.
- Using tongs and the help of a fork pull the outer leaves a couple at a time, and allow to blanch for about 1 minute or until pliable. Continue with the remaining steps and repeat this step until the entire cabbage head is blanched.
- At this point you may notice that the water had stopped boiling. That’s ok, but if you do notice that it is taking longer than a minute for the leaves to become pliable, you can raise up the heat a little bit. If the water begins to boil too quickly, you can reduce the heat. It’s simple.
- Pick up the leaves using tongs while making sure that the water drips out of them into the pot. Transfer onto a large plate.
- Repeat steps 6 to 8 until all the cabbage leaves are blanched
- Once all the leaves are blanched allow to cool down until it is easy enough to handle.
- Meanwhile, Dump the water that we were using to blanch the cabbage into the sink, or you can transfer it into a bowl to cool down, and then use it to water your plants.
- Rinse the pot with cold water and dry with a clean kitchen towel.
- Place the rice into the bowl and rinse two to three times.
- Drain the rice using a fine sieve. Place the rice back into the bowl.
- Add the ground beef into the bowl with the rice.
- If you are using chicken bouillon, crumble it over the rice and beef mixture, and add 1 tablespoon salt or to your taste, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon allspice, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ¼ cup olive oil, and the 1 teaspoon of parsley.
- Using your clean hands (or you can wear disposable gloves if you wish), mix all the ingredients together until everything is well combined.
- Now that the cabbage has cooled, using a sharp knife cut the thick stems out of each leaf almost half way through the cabbage leaf, and save the stems for later.
- Using a sharp knife slice the large cabbage leaves into thirds. Slice the medium leaves into halves, and leave the small ones as is. The size of each slice should be about the size of your hand.
- Take the stems which we have saved earlier, and chop them into ½ inch cubs.
- Place enough of the chopped stems to cover the bottom of the pot. Discard the remaining stems.
- Place one cabbage leaf slice onto the cutting board or on a clean counter.
- Grab some of the stuffing and place on the widest part of the leaf. Using your fingers, form a log with the stuffing along the widest side of the leaf leaving about a ½ inch seam allowance along the sides and along the bottom side where you have placed the stuffing. The log should be about the thickness of your index finger.
- Fold the seam allowance over the stuffing, and continue to roll the leaf.
- Place the cabbage roll into the pot, seam side down.
- Repeat steps 22 through 25 until all the stuffing or the leaves are gone placing 4 to 5 unpeeled garlic cloves between each layer.
- If you are not using chicken bouillon with the stuffing, you can use chicken broth for this step. Fill the pot with the liquid of your choice covering the top layer of the cabbage rolls with about half an inch to an inch of the liquid of your choice.
- Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of salt (or according to your taste) into the pot. Place the bay leaf over the cabbage rolls.
- Cover the cabbage rolls with the small ceramic plate.
- Bring the liquid into a boil over high heat.
- Once the liquid begins to boil, reduce heat to medium low and let it simmer for 35 to 45 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
- Using Tongs and a clean dish towel. Carefully remove the plate that is covering the rolls, and place it into the sink. Remove the bay leaf.
- You can pick up the rolls using two forks or the tongs. Serve on a platter, and enjoy!