Uncle Bills Russian Cabbage Rolls Recipes

UNCLE BILL'S RUSSIAN CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• In a medium size saucepan, add 2 cups of rice and 4 cups of water, bring to boil; reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 20 minutes or until all water is absorbed.
• Fluff rice with a fork; set aside and let cool.
• Remove core from savoy cabbage using a long thin knife.
• Using a large microwave container with a lid, place cabbage with core side down and add 1/2 cup of water.
• Cover and microwave on HIGH (full power) for 10 minutes.
• Turn cabbage over and cook on HIGH (full power) for an additional 10 minutes.
• Cook each cabbage head separately.
• When cabbage is cooked, drain water and let cabbage cool slightly.
• Separate leaves carefully and set aside.
• Divide chopped onions in two.
• In a frying pan add margarine or butter, 1/2 of the onions and saute' until translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes but do not brown.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix together both cooked and uncooked rice, cooked and uncooked onions, ground beef, pork sausage, garlic cloves, dill weed, salt, black pepper and sugar and mix well until well blended.
• If cabbage leaves are too big, cut them in half along the rib.
• Spoon about 2 or 3 heaping teaspoons of mixture onto the wide end of the cabbage leaf.
• Bring the end of the cabbage leaf over the mixture, roll part way, then tuck or fold inward the ends to prevent the filling from falling out and continue to roll.
• Carefully place each cabbage roll in a single layer (with the end of the roll down), in a 9" x 13" oven-proof casserole dish.
• You will require 2- 9" x 13" casserole dishes.
• In a food processor or blender, process condensed soup and tomatoes until smooth.
• Pour tomato mixture over cabbage rolls until just covered.
• If the cabbage rolls are not covered with tomato mixture, add more condensed soup or water.
• Place 6 bay leaves on top of the sauce in each dish.
• Cover each dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 300 F for 2 hours.
• Maintain oven heat at this temperature so that the cabbage rolls do not burn.
• When cooked, remove from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes.
• Remove foil and serve while still hot.
• These cabbage rolls freeze well.
• You may also make small or petite cabbage rolls by cutting the cabbage leaves smaller and reducing the amount of filling.

UNSTUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS, RUSSIAN GALUMPKIS

Steps:

• 1. Start by cutting up your cabbage. You can make chunks,slices, whatever you feel like at the moment. Place it in a large sauce pan. Take half of your tomato juice or sauce, and pour it over the cabbage. Bring to a boil and then simmer for at least 15 minutes to reduce the cabbage and give you room for the porcupine balls.
• 2. While the cabbage simmers, mix the meat ball mixture. In a large bowl, mix the ground beef,eggs,soy sauce,pepper,onion powder, garlic powder and the rice. Mush it up with your hands and blend it all very well. Form this into meatballs by rolling a palm full in your hands.
• 3. After the cabbage is reduced and you have room in the pot, put the balls right on top of the cabbage. Add your 4 bay leaves and the rest of your tomato sauce or V-8 or tomato juice. Bring back to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for about 50 minutes to an hour. They are done when the rice if fully cooked.
• 4. NOTES: Mom used tomato sauce. I tried them with V-8 juice and they are good too. My Mom didnt use as much sauce/juice as I do now. I added more liquid due to the fact that the rice sucks it all up. The following day, you can add more sauce and ketchup because you will find that those thirsty meat balls sucked it all up again. Either that, or you can leave them and add more ketchup on top before reheating.

GOLUBTSY (RUSSIAN CABBAGE ROLLS)

Steps:

• Soak the prunes and raisins in lukewarm water for 30 minutes.
• Separate the cabbage leaves, blanch in a little warm water, drain and leave to cool.
• Mix the ground meats with the rice, salt, and pepper.
• Place 4 tbsp of the mixture on each cabbage leaf, roll up and tie with kitchen string. Fry each cabbage roll on all sides in the butter. Place the rolls in a flameproof dish. Remove string.
• Beat 1 cup of the sour cream with the flour, and add with the raisins and prunes to the pan juices, boil briefly, and pour over the rolls.
• Cover and simmer for 35 minutes.
• Mix remaining sour cream and dill. Serve with cabbage rolls.

RUSSIAN CABBAGE ROLLS WITH GRAVY

Steps:

• Make slits at the base of the cabbage or cut out the entire core. Fill a large saucepan about 1/3 full of water. Bring to a boil and add the whole cabbage. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until cabbage has softened. Drain and cool. Cut the leaves off the cabbage one by one, trying to keep them intact. Cut out the tough, thick center ribs of the large leaves with a sharp knife.
• Bring 1 1/2 cups water and rice to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet and cook 1/2 the chopped onions until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Combine cooked rice, cooked onions, ground beef, ground pork, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and mix with your hands until filling is well combined.
• Lay 1 cabbage leaf on a flat surface. Place 1 tablespoon of filling at the base of a cabbage leaf. Overlap with the bottom of the leaf; fold in side edges and roll up. Repeat with remaining cabbage and filling.
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat and fry cabbage rolls until browned, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a large pot and sprinkle with remaining chopped onion and carrots.
• Stir together sour cream and tomato paste in a bowl until well combined. Whisk in 1 cup water and season sauce with salt and herbs. Pour sauce over the cabbage rolls.
• Cover pot and cook over a medium-low heat until cabbage rolls are cooked through and sauce has thickened, about 45 minutes.

UNCLE BILL'S RUSSIAN/DOUKHOBOUR BORSCHT

Steps:

• In a large (8 quart) stock pot, add water and bring to boil.
• Add 1/2 cup of mashed tomatoes, quartered potatoes, chopped carrots, chopped onions, salt and beets and return to boil.
• Reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered for 15 minutes or until potatoes are just cooked.
• Meanwhile, begin to prepare all vegetables.
• When potatoes are cooked, remove with a slotted spoon into a mixing bowl.
• Add 3 tablespoons butter to potatoes, mash well.
• Stir in whipping cream, mixing well to incorporate; set aside.
• In a large frying pan, melt 3 tablespoons butter, add chopped onions and saute' until just softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add remaining mashed tomatoes and simmer uncovered until reduced to a creamy consistency.
• The sauce will be thickened.
• Cover, reduce heat to keep warm.
• In another large frying pan, melt the remainder 3 tablespoons butter, add 4 cups of shredded cabbage and on medium heat, fry until softened and very lightly browned, about 15 minutes, DO NOT BURN.
• Remove from heat and set aside.
• To the cooking pot, add cubed potatoes and 1/2 cup of tomato-onion mixture.
• Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
• Add cauliflower and celery and continue to boil gently until potatoes are just tender.
• Stir in remaining 4 cups of raw shredded cabbage and return soup to boil.
• Reduce heat; stir in mashed potatoes, fried cabbage and remaining tomato-onion mixture.
• Add diced green and red peppers, freshly ground black pepper, dill weed, lemon juice.
• Return to boil and cook for 3 more minutes.
• Cover and reduce heat to just warm and let borscht sit for 30 minutes for flavors to blend.
• Remove beets and discard or eat them separately.
• The beets are for coloring only.
• Adjust seasonings to taste.
• If borscht is too sweet to your liking, stir in some additional lemon juice.
• If desired, serve with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper.
• Refrigerate any unused portions.
• Traditionally, medium or sharp cheddar cheese pieces and fresh bread or buns are served with the borscht.

RUSSIAN CABBAGE ROLLS (GOLUBTSI)

Steps:

• Make 4 large slits around the core of the cabbage. Submerge cabbage stem side down in boiling water. Cook on medium heat until cabbage is bendable. Remove. cut large leaves in half, set aside. Combine all ingredients; mix well (Exclude the mustard and horseradish sauces if spice isn't your way of life). Place 1 tablespoon mixture in each leaf and roll up, set into a 12x7x2 inch baking pan or large casserole dish.
• Combine soup and water in pan, bring to a boil.
• Add remaining ingredients, cook over medium heat until slightly thickened.
• Pour sauce over rolls.
• Bake in a 375 oven for 1 hour or until light to medium brown and gravy has thickened.
• Cool slightly and serve with a tossed salad and dinner rolls.
• *Fresh ginger may be used to substitute for the powder

CABBAGE ROLLS (HOLUPCHI)

Steps:

• For the sauce:.
• Take your onion and with a knife make 5-7 slits (depending on how many cloves you are using). Insert your cloves into the slits.
• Finely chop your garlic and dill.
• Sweat off your garlic and your whole onion for about a minute, flipping the onion once.
• Add the remaining ingredients for the sauce, bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for about 30 minutes.
• Taste your sauce, if it needs more of anything, add it. I find sometimes I need more sugar, sometimes more vinegar.
• For the rolls:.
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Cook your rice as you normally would (for 1 1/2 cups of rice, I would normally use about 3 cups water). Once cooked, put it in a large bowl to cool.
• Core your cabbage. Reserve two outer leaves and shred. Finely chop your dill.
• Bring a large pot of water and the cabbage to a boil. As the cabbage cooks, remove the leaves that separate (with tongs) and set aside. Depending on the size of your cabbage, you'll want 20-30 leaves. (the leftover cabbage will freeze well too).
• Meanwhile, add the ground veal, dill, shredded reserved cabbage, salt and pepper to the rice and mix well with your hands.
• Take a 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce and add it to the rice mixture. Mix again and check the consistency. You can choose to add up to another 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce, this is a personal choice.
• Line the bottom of a roast pan with 2-3 leaves, so that the bottom is covered. Ladle a small amount of the sauce on the bottom of the pan.
• Take the cabbage leaves you've removed and remove the cores. If your leaves are big you may also want to cut them in half.
• Grab some of the rice mixture, about I'm guessing a 1/4 cup or about the size of a golf ball (this again depends of the size of your leaves), and shape it into a finger. Put it in the cabbage and roll the cabbage, folding the ends in, and lay in the roast pan seam side down.
• Repeat until you have filled the bottom of the pan and ladle about 1/2 cup of the sauce over the rolls. Repeat until you run out of the stuffing.
• Take the remaining sauce and pour it all over the rolls. Cover and bake for about 30-45 minutes, until your meat is cooked.