Contributed by Kristen Smeal
This (plant based) recipe is adapted from the one my grandmother used to make, which she called “pigs in a blanket,” a Pennsylvania coal-country adaptation of a traditional Eastern European food, Halupki. They are commonly served around the holidays, at weddings, and at the county fair.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound plant-based ground beef
- 1 onion, small, chopped
- 2 cups cooked rice (1 cup for the filling, and 1 as a side, optional )
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper, black
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, drained and divided into 2 equal portions
- 1 cup water
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 head cabbage, cored as much as possible
You will also need:
9×13” glass baking dish, clean kitchen towel.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
There are two ways to prepare the cabbage. One is to core the cabbage, then steam the entire head. Work the leaves away from the head with a pair of tongs. The other is to core the cabbage, peel the leaves from the head, then cover and steam. Steam until cabbage leaves appear more translucent, about 10-12 minutes. If you don’t have a steamer, you can also boil the leaves in salted water. Remove leaves from heat and spread them out on a dish towel to cool enough to handle.
While the leaves are cooking, saute the onions until soft, 3-5 minutes. Add the plant-based ground beef, salt, garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper. Stir together and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes. Add half of the canned diced tomatoes and 1 cup of rice and stir. Cook until any water from the tomatoes is absorbed into the mixture, being careful not to burn.
Place ½ to 1 tablespoon of the mixture into a single cabbage leaf. Roll from one end, tucking in the sides (like a burrito), and folding over. Especially fragile leaves can be secured with a wooden skewer or sealed with pieces of cooked cabbage. Continue this until all of the mixture or cabbage leaves are used up.
Place any extra cabbage leaves in the bottom of a 9×13” glass baking dish. Pour just enough of the tomato sauce in the bottom of the pan to cover.
Place each roll into the pan, squeezing them tightly together. Finishing by adding any extra diced tomatoes and the remaining tomato sauce to the top. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Serve rolls with additional rice or side of your choice. Double delicious the next day, and they also freeze well.
