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NATALIE'S UKRAINIAN STUFFED CABBAGE RECIPE

Gluten-Free Nutrition Guide
by Tricia Thompson
This recipe is courtesy of Natalie Mazurets, M.S., RD, a nutritionist who has celiac disease. It is a traditional Ukrainian stuffed-cabbage recipe that was passed down from Natalie's grandmother to her mother and then to her. Natalie's grandmother told her that in the Ukraine, people ate only what they could grow or raise on their own farms. That included fruits, vegetables, and meat. They canned, pickled, or smoked whatever they could, so food would be available in the winter. This recipe includes the most common staples available to people on the farm. This is one of Natalie's favorite meals, and luckily for her (and us), it has always been gluten free.
Makes approximately 25 stuffed leaves, depending on the size of the cabbage

Ingredients

• 1 large head cabbage
• 2 cups uncooked brown rice
• 1/2 cup uncooked buckwheat
• 1/4 cup salted butter
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 16-ounce can tomato sauce (unseasoned)
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 1 pound ground pork or beef
• 1 16-ounce can stewed tomatoes
 

Directions

Boil the entire head of cabbage until tender. Set aside and allow to cool. Prepare the rice and buckwheat according to package directions. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter in a medium skillet, and saute onion and garlic.

Mix together in a large bowl the rice, buckwheat, onions, and garlic. Add 1/2 can of tomato sauce, the salt and pepper, and the uncooked meat. Mix again.

Separate the cabbage leaves. Line a large, deep baking pan with cabbage leaves, using any leaves that may have broken during boiling. If no leaves broke, use the thinnest leaves, which will not be durable for rolling.

To prepare the cabbage rolls, stuff each cabbage leaf with enough of the mixture that it appears to fill the leaf when rolled. (The amount will vary as the size of the cabbage leaf varies.) Place the stuffing at the end of the leaf where it is the thickest. Roll the cabbage leaf to the opposite end, folding in the sides to keep the stuffing inside. Place the rolled cabbage leaf in the baking pan. When all the leaves are rolled and stacked in the pan, pour the remaining tomato sauce with 1/2 cup water over the cabbage rolls. Spread the stewed tomatoes over the top. Top with any excess cabbage leaves. Cover and bake 1 hour.

Serve with tomato sauce, gravy, or sour cream.

A gluten free recipe