Lamb Cabbage-Less, Cabbage Rolls

Lamb Cabbage-Less, Cabbage Rolls
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Yeast-Free, Corn-Free, Soy-Free, Peanut-Free

Everyone loves the inside of a cabbage roll, but not nearly as many enjoy the cabbage. So, why put the cook through the trouble of rolling the cabbage rolls? This recipe uses the flavour of cabbage, without the trouble.

These cabbage-less cabbage rolls are delicious, and have big bold flavour. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Filling

1/3 cup pine nuts

1 pound ground lamb

1 cup white rice, cooked

2/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped

1/2 tsp cumin, ground

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup apple juice

Freshly ground pepper

Cabbage Head (will only use a portion of it)

Sauce

2 tbsp shallots, finely chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup apple juice

1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes (gluten free)

Method

Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat (about 5 minutes) until they are slightly brown and fragrant.

Put a large pot of water on to boil. This will be used to soften the cabbage leaves later.

In a large mixing bowl, add the toasted pine nuts, lamb, rice cilantro, cumin, salt, egg, apple juice and freshly ground pepper. Mix together, but do not over mix (the rolls will get heavy).

Tear off enough good cabbage leaves to line the bottom of a large covered casserole dish, and a second layer as well. Dip the cabbage leaves in the boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just long enough to soften the leaves. Place the first layer of cabbage leaves in bottom of the casserole dish.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the sauce, in a large, deep frying pan, add the olive oil and cook over medium heat. When it's hot, add the shallots and cook until tender (about three minutes). Add 1 cup of apple juice and the crushed tomatoes, and cook until heated through.

Using your hands, form small logs of the meat mixture about 1 inch by 3 inches (about the size of the insides of a regular cabbage roll). Place these side by side on top of the layer of cabbage. Continue until all the meat is used up. Place a second layer of cabbage on top of the meat logs. Pour most of the sauce all over the top of the cabbage layer and down into the sides.

Cover the pan with the lid and cook for about one hour, or until the meat is cooked through. Let the rolls sit for 10-15 minutes after they come out of the oven. Discard the top layer of cabbage (unless someone wants it!) and serve right in the oven proof dish. Spoon some of the sauce over the cabbage-less rolls when serving them, and if you had any left over, heat it through and serve it too!