Cabbage Rolls with a Quinoa-Nut Filling

Cabbage rolls:
1 large head of cabbage
4 cups (1 L) quinoa, cooked
2 cups (500 mL) carrots, finely grated you also may use pulp leftover after juicing carrots
2 medium size onions, diced
4 Tbsp (60 mL) butter or coconut butter
2 Tbsp (30 mL) Bragg's all purpose seasoning or tamari soy sauce
4 Tbsp (60 mL) tomato paste
1 cup (250 mL) walnuts, cracked and coarsely chopped
1 free-range egg
dash of cayenne pepper
sea salt to taste if necessary
round toothpicks

Sauce:
1 28-ounce can (798 mL) stewed tomatoes
1 cup (250 mL) water
2 Tbsp (30 mL) Tamari soy sauce or maggi
1/2 tsp (2 mL) herbal salt
1 clove garlic, crushed
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp (15 mL) sour cream

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

Cut out core of cabbage and drop the cabbage stem side down into a pot of boiling water for about five minutes. Remove from water and peel off the softened outer leaves. Continue procedure until you have 14 16 leaves. When peeling the leaves off the cabbage make sure not to break them. Trim off the back spine of each leaf so it will be supple. Set leaves aside.

Saut?nions in one tablespoon butter until translucent. Let cool. Mix together all ingredients for cabbage rolls except three tablespoons (45 mL) butter. With the core end of a leaf near you, hollow side up, place a generous spoonful of stuffing at the bottom of the leaf. Roll up leaf around stuffing, fold left side over right side and fasten with a toothpick.

After all the stuffing is used, brown cabbage rolls from all sides in frying pan using remaining butter. Place in large casserole dish. Add tomatoes, broken up into small chunks. Add other ingredients for sauce. Place casserole in preheated oven, cover and bake for one hour. The cabbage should be tender when tested with the tip of a knife. Add sour cream to the sauce and serve cabbage rolls with peeled or mashed potatoes. Do not forget to remove toothpicks before serving.

Tip: Cabbage rolls can be made ahead of time and put into the refrigerator for several days. Frozen they will keep for one month.

Source: alive #208, February 2000