Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Shmooed Food)

As soon as I saw these, I knew I had to make them. And, so, despite a few lacking gadgets (food processor!), I did!

1 cup walnuts
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup canned garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup oat bran
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
18 to 20 large cabbage leaves
1 cup tomato-vegetable juice blend
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Process nuts in food processor. Set aside.

Add the garbanzo beans and brown rice to the bowl of the food processor and process until the mixture forms a coarse mash. Add to the mixing bowl along with the oat bran, marjoram, thyme, onion powder, soy sauce, and mustard. Using your hands, knead the mixture well until it is thoroughly mixed and holds its shape. Set aside.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the cabbage leaves and cook for 2 to 3 minutes (the leaves should be limp enough to roll but not cooked through). Drain the leaves thoroughly.

Divide the bean and rice mixture into ten equal portions

Stuff each cabbage leaf and place in an oiled baking dish.

Mix the tomato juice and lemon juice together and pour evenly over the rolls. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Bake the rolls for 45 to 50 minutes, until gently brown on top.

Comments: I replaced the herbs with a mixed set for Sauces and Stews (Alicante Condimentos para Tucos y Guisos). I used a small, fresh onion (sautéed in a bit of oil), and tomato sauce instead of juice. I should have thinned the sauce with water, but didn’t. I also mixed a bit of the spice mix into the sauce.

My filling didn’t bind well enough to make loaves (probably because of the lack of food processor), which may be why I ended up with 8 instead of the planned 10. And way more cabbage than necessary.

So, how was it? Delicious! And savory and heavy. This is the perfect vegan dish to serve to an ominvore, it’s so substantial. Next time, I’d probably mix a bit of tomato sauce into the filling as well as some cayenne or hot sauce. I used the extra cooked cabbage leaves to scoop up the filling with my hands, as I love eating with my fingers.