Stuffed Cabbage Ukrainian Prockus Recipes

AUTHENTIC ROMANIAN SAUERKRAUT STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• Make the filling:
• In a large bowl place together ground meat, diced onions, rice, thyme, ground pepper and marjoram. Mix everything really well.
• Set aside.
• Make the cabbage rolls:
• Prepare the cabbage leaves by removing the core and the thickest part of each leaf. If the leaves are too big cut them in half.
• Grab a cabbage leaf and place 1 tablespoon of meat on it. Wrap the meat inside the cabbage leaf to obtain a neat roll.
• Place shredded cabbage on the bottom of the pot, then start adding the rolls.
• Optional, you can add a layer of bacon over each layer of rolls.
• Fill up the pot with cabbage rolls, then mix together the tomato juice and the paste and pour it over the rolls.
• Add water to cover the rolls.
• The final layer should be shredded cabbage.(use left over cabbage)
• Sprinkle more bacon, thyme and bay leaves and cover with a lid.
• Bake in the oven at 350F for about 2 hours.
• Remove the lid and allow the cabbage rolls to bake for another 30-45 minutes. You might notice the water evaporated, so you can add a little bit more, but do not fill up the pot again.
• Serve them warm with a dollop of sour cream on top, fresh bread or polenta and hot peppers.
• Crockpot: Follow the same method of making the rolls, but cook them in the crockpot on "Low" from 6-8 hours, or 4-5 hours on "high".
• Instant Pot: Follow the recipe as I describe it. Close the pot and press the "Pressure Cook"manual button setting the time for about 18-20 minutes. Do a natural pressure release.

HALUPKI (STUFFED CABBAGE)

Steps:

• Place the cabbage in a stockpot with enough water to cover.
• Add 1/4 teaspoon salt to the water and cabbage.
• Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn cabbage every 2-3 minutes and remove leaves that separate from cabbage and place in a strainer to cool. Boil until all the leaves have cooked, about 15 minutes.
• Reserve 12 oz. of cabbage water.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Trim thick center vein off of bottom of each cabbage leaf.
• In a large bowl thoroughly mix together, ground beef, ground pork, rice, chopped onion, fresh parsley, egg, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
• Lightly pack a small amount of meat mixture and place in the center of the cabbage leaf.
• Fold sides over the filling and start at the stem and roll the cabbage up until the meat is encased. Repeat with remaining leaves and filling.
• Cut the leftover leaves into pieces and place into the bottom of a roasting pan.
• Layer the stuffed cabbage rolls over the cut leaves.
• In a bowl, mix the tomato sauce, reserved cabbage water, white vinegar, and white sugar.
• Pour the tomato sauce mixture over the cabbage rolls.
• Cover roasting pan with aluminum foil.
• Bake in preheated oven until the ground beef mixture is no longer pink in the center, about 2 1/2 hours. Baste stuffed cabbage rolls every hour.

STUFFED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Place cabbage head in freezer and freeze overnight. Remove from freezer, thaw and peel away leaves.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine the beef, egg, onion, rice, salt and pepper. Mix together well. Take a small handful and form into a small roll or ball. Place into the center of a cabbage leaf. Fold the sides of the leaf over and roll the ball up into the leaf. Place seam side down in baking dish. Continue until all of the filling is used up.
• Mix together the soup with a 1/2 can water; pour over stuffed cabbage.
• Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour; baste often with the sauce.

UKRAINIAN STUFFED CABBAGE RECIPE - HOLUBETS OR HOLUBTSI

Steps:

• Remove core from each cabbage with a small paring knife.
• Place cabbages into a large pot of salted water, making sure they are fully submerged. Add vinegar. Boil cabbage about 30 minutes or until leaves fall freely from heads with a simple poke of a fork.
• Remove cabbage and allow it to cool. Carefully peel off each leaf one by one. Set aside and allow leaves to dry.
• Heat oven to 350 F degrees.
• Flip cabbage leaves so the stems face up. Shave some of the stems from the cabbage leaves with a small knife so they are easier to roll. Stack two leaves together, one on top of the other, so that the stems align.
• Add the desired filling (see recipes below) and gently roll. Once a shape is formed, push on both sides.
• Line a deep roasting pan with excess cabbage leaves and place rolls side by side. Once the dish is full, place butter slices and spoonfuls of tomato sauce in between rolls. Pour stock of choice over rolls until submerged.
• Cover rolls with more leaves or aluminum foil. Bake 40 minutes or until boiling. Reduce heat to 300 F degrees and bake 1 hour. Serve with tomato cream sauce (see recipe below), if desired.
• Cook rice and allow it to cool.
• Fry onion in butter and add pork. Cook until pork is slightly browned.
• Allow mixture to cool and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat oven to 350 F degrees.
• Mix buckwheat with egg and 5 tablespoons melted butter and spread on a sheet pan.
• Bake 30 minutes until browned, stirring the mixture every 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, fry onion in 2 tablespoons butter.
• Remove sheet pan from oven and add potato and fried onion. Return to oven for an additional 10 minutes.
• Remove and allow to cool. Season with salt and pepper.
• Fry onion in 1 tablespoon butter in small saucepan over medium heat until tender.
• In a separate large pot, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat and add flour. Cook about 21 minutes.
• Add onion, salt, sugar, and pepper, mixing constantly. Gradually add tomato sauce and chicken stock and bring sauce to a boil. Once boiling, add cream. Season further with salt and pepper, if desired. (Makes 3 cups.)
• Optional: Fry 2 cloves of garlic with the butter and onion to create a delicious garlic sauce.

GOLUBTSI RECIPE; A CLASSIC UKRAINIAN FOOD - Голубцы

Steps:

• Rinse 2 cups white rice and cook in 3 1/2 cups water with 2 Tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp salt. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Or do the same thing in a rice maker.
• Fill 2/3 of large soup pot with water. Bring to a boil. Add 1/2 Tbsp salt and 4 Tbsp vinegar.
• Peal and discard the top two leaves from each cabbage. Use a knife to cut out the core of each cabbage (see picture). Put first cabbage in water, cork down, for about 5 minutes, then rotate and continue cooking another 5-6 min. You will pull off leaves as they begin to soften. The leaves will cook faster if they are pulled apart. Remove the leaves to a platter to cool when they are done. You know they are done when they are soft and yellowish and larger leaves will turn a dull green. Repeat with the second cabbage, adding more water if needed. Reserve about 3-4 cups of water from the pot!
• Mix ground meats and rice together in a large bowl.
• Grate and saute 4 carrots in approximately 3 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp butter over med/high heat. Once they are soft, add 1 cup of mushroom marinara sauce and saute another minute.
• Add carrot mixture to rice and meat. Add 2 eggs and 1 Tbsp salt. Mix well.
• Large leaves: cut the leaves in half down the center removing the tough stem portion- you will end up with 2 leaves. Place 2 Tbsp meat mixture at the top of each leaf (or as much as you can fit - leaf sizes vary). Roll the leaf into a cone shape with the thicker part of the leaf at the base and stuff the wide part into the top. As you stuff your cabbage, arrange them either in the same pot you used to cook the cabbage or in a cast iron dutch oven.
• Small Leaves: slice off the raised surface of the tough center stem just to flatten the leaf and make it easier to roll. Fill each cabbage leaf with about 2 Tbsp meat mixture. Place the filling over the stem/ bottom portion. Roll like a burrito and stuff both ends in with fingers.
• Heat approx. 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Saute remanding 2 grated carrots with 1 tsp of Mrs. Dash. Stir until soft. Add 1 Tbsp sour cream and 1 cup of mushroom marinara sauce. Saute another minute and remove from heat.
• Pour Podliva over the Golubtsy and add enough reserved water to almost cover goloobtsi (2 1/2 to 3 cups).
• If using the pot, bring to a light boil, then cover and simmer 40 minutes over medium heat.
• If using a dutch oven (recommended method), cover and bake at 450 ° F for 20-25 minutes on the bottom third (one step below the center rack). When it bubbles, reduce heat to 350°F and bake 1 hour.

UKRAINIAN CABBAGE

Steps:

• Combine the cranberry sauce, tomato sauce, 4 cups tap water and brown sugar and bring to boil.
• Reduce to a simmer and add white raisins. Simmer 5 minutes.
• Core the heads of cabbage and place into a large pot. Cover with boiling water. Cover the pot and cook about 10 to 15 minutes, until cabbage is wilted.
• Remove from hot water. Then cover the cabbage with cold water and separate the leaves. You may have to replace the inner half of the cabbage into the hot water, in order to soften the rest of the leaves. When the rest of the cabbage is done, place that into the cold water and separate those leaves. You will want to tear the large leaves in half.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Drain all of the cabbage well and place the cabbage into a roasting pot. Pour the sauce into the same pot and mix the cabbage and sauce with a wooden spoon.
• Cover pot with lid or with heavy duty aluminum foil and bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 15 minutes.

STUFFED CABBAGE (UKRAINIAN PROCKUS)

Steps:

• Combine the cranberry sauce, tomato sauce, 2 cups tap water and brown sugar and bring to boil.
• Reduce to a simmer and add white raisins.
• Simmer 5 minutes.
• Core the heads of cabbage and place into a large pot.
• Cover with boiling water.
• Cover the pot and cook 10 to 15 minutes.
• Remove from hot water.
• Then cover the cabbage with cold water and separate the leaves.
• You may have to replace the inner half of the cabbage into the hot water, in order to soften the rest of the leaves.
• When the rest of the cabbage is done, place that into the cold water and separate those leaves.
• In a mixing bowl place the raw ground meat, raw rice, 1 egg, 3 saltine crackers that are soaked and squeezed dry, graded onion, 1/4 cup warm water, 1 tablespoon ketchup, salt and pepper to taste.
• After mixing the meat mixture well, fill the cabbage leaves with the meat mixture, rolling them closed, and place the large golf ball sized balls into a deep roasting pan.
• Cover with the tomato sauce mixture.
• Cover the pan with the lid or with heavy duty aluminum foil and bake in pre-heated 375 degree oven for 1 hour.
• Remove the cover and continue to bake at 375 degrees for an additional hour.
• You can either serve immediately or freeze until needed.