German Cabbage Rolls
Ingredients
- 28 ounce can tomatoes
- 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 c water
- 1 sm onion; chopped
- 1/4 c fresh parsley; chopped
- 3 tb lemon juice
- 2 to 3 tbs. brown sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 ts celery salt
- 1/2 ts ground allspice
- 1/4 ts black pepper
- 1 lg head green cabbage (about 4 lbs.)
- 2 pound lean ground beef or 1 lb lean ground beef and 1 lb ground pork
- 1 c cooked white rice
- 1 lg onion; finely chopped
- 1/2 c fresh parsley; finely minced
- 2 ts rubbed sage
- 1 1/2 ts salt
- 1/2 ts black pepper
- 8 gingersnaps; crushed
Instructions
Yield: 16 Rolls. In a medium saucepan, combine tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, onion, parsley, lemon juice, sugar, bay, celery salt, allspice and pepper and bring to a boil over high heat, turn heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, drop the uncored cabbage into a very deep kettle two-thirds full of boiling water. The cabbage floats, so turn it about in the water now and then. Cover and cook oer medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the cabbage to the sink (it holds lots of water) and separate the leaves from the head at the core end. You will need 16 large leaves, and will have to re-immerse the head to get this many softened leaves. Cut off the tough white section at the base of the leaf and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a deep bowl, combine the meat and the next 6 ingredients. Place 1 large spoonful of the meat mixture on each cabbage leaf; fold the sides of the leaf to the center and fold over the top and bottom, envelope-fashion. Lay the rolls in a single layer in an oiled 10 x 15-inch baking pan, with the seam side down. Pour the tomato sauce over the rolls, then sprinkle the crushed gingersnaps over all. Cover and bake for 30 minutes; uncover and bake 30 minutes longer. The rolls will be nicely browned and the sauce a bit thickened. Serve with some of the sauce ladled over the rolls.