Gluten-Free Cabbage Leaves Stuffed with Ground Turkey

For thousands of years, people all over the world have found myriad ways to prepare this health-giving vegetable. Stuffed cabbage is a favorite with good reason — it’s so satisfying — to smell, to see and to taste! Cabbage is a great source for important vitamins like vitamin C, K and folate, minerals like calcium and potassium, plus fiber and bioflavanoids. Recipe also provides complete protein, iron, zinc, vitamin A, magnesium and riboflavin.

Ingredients

• 12 to 14 large cabbage leaves
• 1 pound fresh ground turkey
• 1 cup raw rice
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt

sauce: 

• 4 cups tomato sauce
• 4 cups reserved cooking liquid
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Equipment

Large pot with lid.

Process

Core a head of cabbage, soak in hot water for 10 minutes then carefully peel off leaves.  Fill a large pot with 4 inches water and bring to boil.  Add half the leaves to soften but not enough to cook.  Remove to a platter.  Add the rest to soften, then remove.  Reserve 4 cups of the cooking water.

Meanwhile, mix the meat, rice, salt and pepper in a bowl.  Place ¼ cup of meat mixture onto the inside of a leaf where it was attached to the core.  Roll the leaf over while tucking in the sides and roll again to secure the contents.  Repeat with each leaf until filling is used up.

Add 4 cups of tomato sauce to the reserved cooking liquid.  Lay a few cabbage leaves on the bottom to protect the rolls from sticking.  Now arrange the rolled cabbages around the bottom, repeating until all are placed in the sauce.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat to cook gently for 40 minutes. Serves 4-5.