Large, leafy greens are one of the very best foods you can eat. They are nutrient dense, meaning that eat bite has tons of nutrients and enzymes for your body. The problem with leafy greens is that growing up, we usually look at them as smelly, yucky, and weird. Broccoli, cabbage, kale – not your typical family favorite. And besides that, they often seem hard to prepare beyond boiling or steaming. But here are many more options for you – and most of these are quite tasty. You can sauté, stir fry, and even bake these goodies.
Recently I received the Largest-head-of-cabbage-known-to-man in my CSA box. I was stumped. I know what to do with kale, collards, broccoli, bok choy, etc. but cabbage usually stumps me. It seems like it’s either coleslaw or something that will be laborious and time consuming. So I decided to go with the latter.
I remembered as kid, my Mom would make stuffed cabbage – but rarely because it was delicious but took F-O-R-E-V-E-R to make and had a lot of greasy meat in it – aka bacon and ground beef. I called for the recipe and realized it wasn’t so bad – I could make a few swaps, cook some things ahead of time, and have it done in a hour – but feed myself and my husband for a few dinners.
Here it is, simplified, delicious, and healthy for you. GO ahead, get your green on!
Stuffed Cabbage
1 (larger than life) head of cabbage
1 cup of uncooked brown rice – cook with vegetable broth and water blend
1 package maple tempeh bacon, ½ package crumbled or chopped into small pieces
1 package tofu “beef” crumbles
½ sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tsp Liquid Smoke
Garlic powder and salt to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook rice ahead of time if you can – I use a rice cooker – or cook the rice as you prepare the rest. Soak the cabbage leaves ahead of time to soften them for about 20 minutes – if you don’t have time, you can boil water and dip each leaf in for 1-2 minutes. Cook onions and garlic over medium heat for 5 minutes – I didn’t use oil, as the onions release moisture, but you can if you’d like. Add tempeh and tofu crumbles, liquid smoke, garlic powder, and salt. Add rice and cook until heated thoroughly. If it looks dry, add a bit of veggie broth to the pan.
To assemble – take a leaf, add rice to the center and roll it up like a burrito, tuck in the side and roll it up. Repeat until leaves and rice are gone. Place in a pan. Add leftover “bacon” strips to the top, squirt a few drop of liquid smoke on the top of each roll. Place in oven and cook for 30 minutes. The rolls should be slightly browned on the top. Serve it up and enjoy the green goodness!
It takes a little time, but it is definitely worth it, and all the leftovers will feed you for days – or just one cabbage will feed a HUGE family.
Eat greens. Feel good. Live. Love. Thrive.
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Peace and love,
Jessi
