Recipe: Vegetarian Sweet and Sour Stuffed Cabbage

Vegetarian Sweet and Sour Stuffed Cabbage
rec.food.recipes/Mary Victoria Parker

1/2 cup dried porcini mushroom (I used porcini, oyster & shiitake)
2 cups rice
1 very large or 2 medium green cabbages
1 large onion left whole, and 1 onion, chopped
2 egg whites
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 cups vegetable stock
1 pound mushrooms, chopped coarsely (about 6 cups)
3 cups canned pureed tomatoes
1/2 cup lemon juice
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 chopped serranos, optional

Soak the porcini in 1 cup of hot water for 30 minutes. Drain and strain the porcini water through a cheesecloth-lined strainer. Reserve the liquid. Chop the porcini.

Soak the rice in cold water for 15 minutes. Core the cabbage with a sharp knife. Bring a large kettle of salted water to a boil. Drop in the whole cabbage and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the cabbage with 2 large spoons and place it in a strainer. When cool enough to handle, remove the largest leaves. You will need about 16 to 18 large leaves.

Drain the rice. Quarter the large onion and place it with the egg whites into the container of a food processor and puree. (I left the onion out of the stuffing, using only one onion, so I left out this step). Combine this onion puree with the rice, spices and soaked and chopped dried mushrooms.

Bring 1 cup of stock and the strained reserved porcini liquids to a boil in a large saute pan. Add the chopped fresh mushrooms and cook, stirring over high heat until all the liquid is absorbed. Add the mushrooms to the rice mixture.

Place 2 heaping tablespoons of filling on each cabbage leaf and roll up, tucking in the sides. Fasten with toothpicks. In a deep kettle, bring the tomatoes, lemon juice, brown sugar, chopped onion and 1 cup of stock up to a simmer. Add the cabbage rolls. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the rice is cooked (doesn't take anywhere near this long). Baste the cabbage occasionally. Adjust the sweet and sour ratio and season with salt and pepper.