Easy Cabbage Rolls

CABBAGE! One of my favourite vegetables. I use it to make coleslaw or chop em for a stir fry... it's the best! (Up there anyway - can't beat the noble potato!)

I grew up eating cabbage rolls, Arab style, with ground beef, all spice, garlic and LOTS of lemon. This recipe however calls for tomato sauce and different spices and it turns out soft because it simmers low and slow. I even have a veg option you can enjoy as well.

Ingredients

1 head of Cabbage (small)

1 cup  Chicken or Veg broth

2 cups Tomato sauce

6 Garlic cloves

Stuffing

4 cups ground Turkey (or Beef)

3/4 cup Rice

1/4 cup Onion minced

3 tbsp Olive oil

1 tbsp Garlic powder

1 tsp Black pepper

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Sage (optional)

OR

1 cup Artichoke hearts chopped

1 cup Cherry tomatoes halved

2 cup Mushrooms sliced

3/4 cup Rice

1/4 cup Onion minced

3 tbsp Olive oil

1 tbsp Garlic powder
1 tbsp Chilli flakes

1/4 tsp Turmeric 

1 tsp Black pepper

1 tsp Salt

Bring 4L of water to a boil, and place head of cabbage (core facing up) into the water. To make this easier on you, carefully spear the round core of the cabbage head with a fork or knife to make sure you can keep it in the water without using your hand to hold it down (it gets hot!) I use my hands because I'm stubborn. Use a knife to cut the top of each leaf, and slowly peel away when it becomes soft and pliable.

Set the cabbage leaves aside so they can cool down. Turn the oven on for 350C. 

In a large bowl, mix together the ingredients for whichever stuffing you want (see above). Get in there with your hands and combine all ingredients. Form into ovals and place at the base of the cabbage leaf. Roll and tuck the two side ends in before completing the roll. Place one by one tightly into roasting pan so they stay secure while cooking.

Fill the pan with the rolls and then pour broth and tomato sauce all over. The liquid will keep them moist and prevent them from drying out. Add the garlic cloves on top and cover with remaining cabbage leaves. Place in oven and let cook for 70 minutes. Pull from oven and let cool slightly before serving with a lemon wedge or a dollop of sour cream.

Enjoy!

Spice Nook - Turmeric

When you think of Turmeric, what comes to mind? A yellowish powder to dye your Easter Eggs? Some spice that sits in the back of the rack that nobody dare use? More often than not, people think of Indian curries. While this spice has gained a lot of momentum because of the surging popularity of Indian cuisine in the west, is has been busy being one of the most used spices in Asia. 

Turmeric is a root in the Ginger family that grows wild across southern Asia. It has been used for medicinal purposes since the day it was cultivated thousands of years ago. Its benefit of being a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent has made it a popular choice in natural medicine.

Here are some health benefits of Turmeric:

• Detoxifies liver
• Relieves arthritis
• Helps stimulate and boost the body's immune system
• Improves digestion and helps to releive gastrointestinal pain
• Fights Type 2 Diabetes
• Strengthens pancreas and kidneys to help fight against disease
• Prevents cancer and reduces the spread of cancerous cells
• Shown to prevent Alzheimers disease 
• Heals skin wounds and scabs at a quicker pace

For years I've added a bit of Turmeric to many things I've cooked, even in pasta sauce. It has a warm and slightly bitter taste. The more you add into your cooking, the bitterness becomes more apparent, however it works as a positive when cooking with certain vegetables as the bitter taste offers a flavour compliment. 



Some items that are paired well with Turmeric are cauliflower, chick peas, potato, carrots, eggs and yogurt. If you're looking for a recipe to try tonight, give my Kale Cauliflower & Potato Curry a spin. Enjoy the healthy benefits!

Roasted Root Vegetables & Chicken Leg

Autumn is root vegetable season folks! From Parsnips to Rutabagas and Turnips to Carrots, you will start noticing them more in the market. Root vegetables offer a lot of energy and fibre and are known for their excellent nutrition. Try this recipe out, it's a family pleaser.

4 Quarter Chicken legs
6 Carrots
3 Parsnips
1 Fennel bulb
2 Onions
4 Potatoes or 12 Mini Potatoes
8 Garlic cloves
1 Clementine
1/4 cup Olive oil
1 tbsp Thyme
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black pepper
1 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Garlic salt

you can also add:
Beets
Turnips
Any vegetable you like.. I added Mushrooms

Preheat oven to 400F.
Wash and scrub the vegetables very well if you plan on keeping the skin on (I did - more fibre!) Slice and quarter the vegetables and season with salt, sugar, thyme and Olive oil. Roll all the vegetables in the pan to make sure they are coated evenly. Place the quarter chicken legs on top of the vegetables and sprinkle turmeric, garlic salt and black pepper.

Roast in a cast iron pan at 400F for 60 minutes then Broil on high for 2-3 minutes to crisp up the chicken skin.

                                                                         
 Serve with salad and gravy from drippings!

 Enjoy!