Lightened Up Cabbage Rolls

You may be wondering - why cabbage rolls?  And how are they lightened up?  Well, I'm continuing to try to branch out of my comfort zone while cooking.  The other day we were watching Padma Lakshmi's new cooking show and we watched her make dolmas - stuffed grape leaves.  I figured that grape leaves might be a little difficult to find, but that stuffing cabbage would be a similar concept and something new to try.  I looked at a few different cabbage roll recipes and decided that I wanted to put my own spin on things.  In my typical fashion, I couldn't just follow a recipe from start to finish.  So these rolls have ground turkey and cauliflower rice in them rather than traditional ground beef and white rice.  I also opted not to use store-bought tomato sauce and subbed in diced, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, and lots of seasoning.  Top these rolls with some fresh basil and parmesan cheese and you've got a delicious & light meal for a crowd.  These can be eaten on their own or as a side!

Total Time: 50-60 minutes

Servings: 12 rolls

Ingredients:

For the rolls:

12 cabbage leaves

1 lb ground turkey

2 cups cauliflower rice

2 garlic cloves

1 egg

Salt & Pepper

For the sauce:

1, 28 oz can of diced tomatoes

3 tbs tomato paste

1 tbs dried thyme

1 tbs dried basil

4 cloves garlic, minced

Salt & Pepper to taste

To top:

Fresh basil leaves & shaved parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Once boiling, add cabbage leaves and cook for 3 minutes.  Remove from water and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 F.
3. Mix together the stuffing ingredients and separate into 12 even sections.
4. Combine sauce ingredients in a medium bowl.
5. To stuff the cabbage leaves, face the leaf away from you so the base of the leaf is closest to you.  Place the filling about an inch from the base of the leaf and fold the sides over the filling.  Once the sides are closed over, wrap the bottom of the leaf over the filling and begin to roll, ensuring that your filling stays tucked in place.  Repeat until all your leaves are stuffed.
6. Place your rolls in a 13x9" baking dish and cover evenly with sauce.  Place in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

The end result: perfectly cooked and stuffed cabbage rolls that are bursting with flavor.