Recipe: Sweet and Sour Turkey Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

SWEET AND SOUR TURKEY STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

1 medium green cabbage
FOR THE FILLING:
1 pound lean ground turkey
1/4 cup uncooked rice
1/4 cup grated or finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup club soda
1/4 cup egg substitute or 2 egg whites
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, optional
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
TO FINISH THE STUFFED CABBAGE:
1 small onion, thinly sliced
FOR THE SWEET AND SOUR TOMATO SAUCE:
1 cup canned tomato sauce
1 cup tomato ketchup
2 cups water or chicken broth or beef broth
1/2 cup raisins
6 pitted prunes, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup brown sugar, or to taste
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

The night before, place the cabbage in the freezer and freeze until hard.

The next day, leave the cabbage out in a bowl at room temperature until thawed.

PREPARE THE FILLING:
Combine the turkey, rice, onion, garlic, club soda, egg substitute, ketchup, dill (if using), salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and stir to mix. (Actually, I find the best way to mix is to squeeze the meat with my fingers.)

TO PREPARE THE CABBAGE ROLLS:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Peel off and discard any tough, dark green, exterior leaves from the cabbage. Peel off a leaf and lay it flat on your work surface, cupped side up. Using the side of a cleaver or a scaloppine pounder, flatten the stem to make the leaf pliable. Place 3 tablespoons turkey mixture in the center of the leaf toward the bottom (stem end). Roll the leaf up one third of the way to encase the filling, fold in the sides, and continue rolling to obtain a neat bundle. (The cabbage is rolled the same way you'd roll a crepe to make a blintz.) Repeat until all the filling is used up: You should wind up with 12 cabbage rolls.

TO PREPARE THE SAUCE:
Combine the ingredients for the sweet and sour tomato sauce in a large bowl and stir to mix.

TO PREPARE THE CASSEROLE:
Thinly slice a little of the cabbage core (the part left over) and arrange the slices over the bottom of a 9-by-12-inch baking dish. Arrange the sliced onion on top. Arrange the stuffed cabbage rolls, seam side down, on top. Pour the sweet and sour sauce over the cabbage. Cover the dish with foil. The recipe can be prepared several hours ahead to this stage and refrigerated.

Bake the cabbage for 1 hour covered. Remove the foil and continue baking uncovered until the cabbage rolls are tender and the sauce is thick and flavorful, about 1 hour longer.

Servings: 6
Source: Healthy Jewish Cooking by Steven Raichlen