Old World Cabbage Rolls

You won’t use an entire head of cabbage in this recipe, but a large one gives you leaves large enough to make bigger cabbage rolls. If you prefer, substitute a small to medium head of cabbage and make smaller rolls.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 1 large head of cabbage
• 1 large egg
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• ½ cup brown rice
• 1 envelope onion soup mix
• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• ⅓ cup Parmesan-Reggiano cheese, grated
• 3 cups vegetable or tomato juice

1. Remove and discard the outer leaves of the cabbage. Peel off 8 large leaves. (Refrigerate the unused cabbage for another use.) Soften the cabbage leaves (see sidebar).
2. Add the egg, tomato sauce, uncooked rice, soup mix, ground turkey, and cheese to a bowl; mix well.
3. Spoon about ¼ cup of the meat mixture into the center of each cabbage leaf. Fold the ends of the leaf over the filling, and then roll the sides over the ends. Place seam side down in the slow cooker.
4. Pour the vegetable or tomato juice over the cabbage rolls. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

Softening Cabbage Leaves

To soften the cabbage leaves, one option is to layer them in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 2 minutes. The other alternative is to put them in a bowl, pour boiling water over the top of them and let them rest in the water for 2 minutes; use tongs to remove the cabbage leaves and pat them dry with paper towels or drain them on a clean, cotton cloth.