Braised Stuffed Cabbage—Using Thrive Products

As you know from my previous post that I’ve received some Thrive products to try.  I really enjoyed using them to create new recipes.  This was one of my favorites to share with you.  Many stuffed cabbage recipes required hours of baking/braising because of the stuffed raw meat and rice.  Thanks for Thrive products, this dish was simplified and energy friendly.  I say, it truly was a green recipe (no pun intended).



With a few simple ingredients, dinner was ready in no time.  I really love Thrive’s freeze dried products.  The flavors of each ingredient was really concentrated.  Just wanted to show you how the products looked before I add them into my recipe.

Freeze Dried Shredded Cheddar Cheese and Freeze Dried Instant White Rice

I love onions, but not so much in chopping them.  These freeze dried chopped onions (picture below) came in handy!  I used them in both the sauce and the stuffing for these Braised Stuffed Cabbage.

 

Tomato Powder, Freeze Dried Chopped Onions and Freeze Dried Cooked Ground Beef

Picture below shown the inside of the Braised Stuffed Cabbage.  My family loved this dish.  The tartness from the tomato powder really balanced well with the savory beef and cheese stuffing.  This is such a perfect dish to enjoy in the summer.  Not only it was elegant, it was also easy to make but looked as if you put hours of work into it.




I included pictures of each steps on how to prepare the cabbage leaves and to stuff them. 
1) Remove and discard the tough bottom ribs of each cabbage leave.
2) Add the cabbage to the boiling water and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
3) Immediately plunge them into the bowl of iced water, then, remove leaves from water and pat dry.
4) Spoon a generous 1/4 cup of filling into each leaf.

 
5) Fold the bottom part of the leaf to the center.
6) Then fold the outside edges in and roll the leaf around the stuffing
7) Arrange each roll with the seam side down so that the roll will hold itself shut.
8) Add the cabbage rolls to the sauce. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Uncover and simmer until the sauce has reduced to a thick, sauce-like consistency, about15 to 20 minutes.




Sounded easy enough?  It really was.  My kids loved the cheesy, beefy, rice stuffing!  The cabbage leaves were soft and tender and absorbed the lovely tomato sauce.  They both ate 2 stuffed rolls each all by themselves (they are only 2 and 4 years old).  I’ll definitely make these Braised Stuffed Cabbage more often from now on.  How about you?  Would you like to try? 
 

It's still not too late to enter your name for a giveaway, courtesy of Misty from Shelf Reliance.  Please refer back to my previous post here for details.  Good Luck!

If you have any questions regarding Thrive products, Misty will be available to chat with you live at her blog on June, 6th (Monday) between 1:00pm to 1:30pm PST. Please click here to access the chat room.

A Friendly Reminder from Misty: I notice some of you shown interest in purchasing Thrive products.  Please make sure you place the order through Misty's site here (http://yourownhomestore.shelfreliance.com/yourownhomestore) and you'll save 5%-45% off retail price, courtesy of Misty.  Isn't it cool?  If you go straight to http://shelfreliance.com you will end up paying full retail price.  Thank you for the great tip and savings, Misty!


Just linked up this recipe with “Get Grillin’ with Family Fresh Cooking and Cookin’ Canuck, sponsored by Ile de France Cheese, Rösle, Emile Henry, Rouxbe and ManPans.”




*Disclaimer: I received the free samples for the purpose of this review and I am not compensated in any way to write this post.  All comments and opinions are 100% my own.





Braised Stuffed Cabbage: 

Makes 12-15 Stuffed Cabbage rolls

For the sauce:

1 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
3 garlic cloves, smashed
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup Thrive Tomato Powder
1/4 cup Thrive Freeze Dried Chopped Onions
2 cup beef stock
2 bay leaves
1 bundle thyme
1 tablespoon of sugar
Kosher salt

For the stuffing and cabbage:

1 large head savoy cabbage (or green cabbage), tough leaves removed and tough bottom ribs discarded
1/2 cup Thrive Freeze Dried Chopped Onions
3 garlic cloves, smashed and finely chopped
1 1/2 cup Thrive Freeze Dried Ground Beef
1 cup Thrive Freeze Dried Instant White Rice
1/2 cup Thrive Freeze Dried Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 egg
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
kosher salt
3/4 cup beef stock

To make the sauce:

Puree the carrot and garlic to a coarse paste in a food processor. Coat a large wide pan with olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the pureed veggies and cook until they become very soft and aromatic and are starting to turn brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the white wine and let it reduce by half. Add the tomato powder, onions, beef stock, bay leaves, and thyme bundle sugar and season with salt, to taste. Adjust seasonings to your own preference.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Reserve.

To prep the cabbage:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Set up a bowl of iced water. Add the cabbage to the boiling water and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then immediately plunge them into the bowl of iced water. When the leaves are cool, remove them from the water and pat them dry. Reserve.

In a large bowl combine the onions, garlic, ground beef, rice, cheese, egg, rosemary and crushed red pepper flakes. Season with salt, to taste. Add the beef stock and mix well to combine.

Lay each cabbage leaf on a flat work surface. Spoon a generous 1/4 cup of filling into each leaf. Fold the bottom part of the leaf to the center, then fold the outside edges in and roll the leaf around the stuffing.

Arrange each roll with the seam side down so that the roll will hold itself shut. Add the cabbage rolls to the sauce. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Uncover and simmer until the sauce has reduced to a thick, sauce-like consistency, about15 to 20 minutes. Rotate the cabbage rolls once half way through braising.

Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Transfer the cabbage rolls to a serving platter and lightly cover with the sauce.


This recipe is linked to:
Full Plate Thursday
Food Trip Friday
Potluck Friday
Foodie Friday

Vegetarian Chop-Suey (羅漢齋) Semi-Home Made?

I’m a meat lover and don’t think I can ever convert to a vegetarian.  However, I also love vegetables to a point that I got to have vegetables everyday (although not every single meal).  Each week, there would be a day (maybe two in the future) that I prepare meatless dishes only and this is one of the vegetarian dish that I make most often for this special day of the week.   



Why a meatless day for a carnivore?  I guess my body is telling me I need to “detox”!  After consuming all the meats for a week, my body longs for a dish that is light and easy to digest.  During the summer, I often make salads.  (You can find some of my salad recipes here, here and here.)  But for winter or cooler days, it’s better to have a hot and hearty dish.  This Vegetarian Chop-Suey dish fits the bill.   Want to know why it is semi-home made?  You’ll see why as you read along.  

First, we need some vegetarian protein sticks.  What a funny name, huh?!  They are actually dried soybean curd.  They are convenience to use, nutritious and has a great texture.  You can find them in most Asian supermarkets. 



Soak them in hot tap water for 10-15 minutes.  Drain and gently squeeze out excess water and they’re ready to be used for the stir fry.  During the cooking process, these Vegetarian Protein Sticks will absorb quite a bit of the sauce.  So, they turn out to be very flavorful and delicious.
 

Up next, some beautiful baby Bak Choy.  I always love the baby version as they’re more tender.  Wash and drain them well.  I cut some of the bigger ones in half, vertically, so all of them cook evenly.

 
What make this dish so hearty?  The star ingredient is King Trumpet Mushroom.  The nick name for these mushroom in Chinese is “chicken drumsticks mushroom” or “abalone mushroom”.  It is because of their shape resemblances the drumsticks, and their texture is similar to the abalone.  These mushrooms are super meaty and add so much texture to the dish.    



Simply julienne them into thin strips and they are ready to go.  Of course, thin strips mean faster cooking time too.



Up next, the sweet yellow onions.  Simply thinly sliced them and sautéed them until crisp-tender.  They add a wonderful tender-crisp texture and sweet flavor to this dish.  
 



Last but not least, the secret ingredient to make this dish 'semi-home made' (and my life much easier) is a can of vegetarian chop-suey (羅漢齋).  I buy these cans all the time and never pay attention to the English name until now.  :)  The term chop-suey literally means the mixture of many chopped ingredients.   Which is exactly what’s in this can.  There are bamboo shoots, straw mushrooms, fried gluten, carrots, fried tofu, fungus, baby corn, soy sauce, salt and sugar, etc.  It’s fully seasoned and the sauce in this can is delicious.  You don’t need to add much to the rest of your ingredients except white pepper and sesame oil. 
 


I’m seriously considering having 2 meatless days a week instead of just 1.   With a dish so healthy and so easy to make, why not?  The most important thing is, you’ll feel GOOD after eating it.  I can guarantee that you won’t even miss the meat (for that day, at least).  Try this recipe out, your body will thank you afterwards. 




I created this Vegetarian Chop Suey dish as an entry for April’s Kitchen Play sponsored by the National Onion Association. This dish is inspired by the Onion-Bacon Salad with Warm Crème Fraîche Dressing.  This is a cooked, Chinese version of the salad dish.  Why? It is because as much as my kids LOVE onions, they only eat them cooked.   They surely did enjoy this dish.
For more information about the Kitchen Play contest, please review the complete contest rules.
 

         

Vegetarian Chop-Suey (羅漢齋) Semi-Home Made:
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1/2 a medium yellow onion, julienned
1/2 carrot, cut into thin disks
20 Vegetarian Protein Sticks, soaked in hot tap water for 10-15 minutes, drain and gently squeeze out excess water
1 pound of baby Bak Choy
1 pound of King Trumpet Mushroom, julienned
1 can (14.5 ounce) vegetarian chop-suey (羅漢齋)
a pinch of white ground pepper
a dash of toasted sesame oil

In a wok or heavy-duty sauté pan with medium-high heat, add 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil or olive oil.  Sauté the onion, carrot and baby bak choy together until crisp tender, season with a little bit of salt if desired.  Remove to a large serving dish. 

In the same wok, add another 2 teaspoons of oil and sauté the King trumpet mushrooms until tender, 4-6 minutes depending on the size of your strips.   Season with a little bit of salt, a pinch of white ground pepper and a dash of sesame oil.  Taste one strip to check on seasoning and doneness.  Remember, don’t add too much salt as the canned chop-suey is well seasoned.  Remove to the same large serving dish with the bak choy mixture.

Next, pour the entire can of vegetarian chop-suey (羅漢齋) in the wok with the softened vegetarian protein sticks, cook until sauce is boiling.  Return the mushrooms and bak choy mixture back to the wok.  Stir occasionally and cook until heated through.  Check seasoning, add a pinch of pepper and a dash of sesame oil if needed.  Serve with a bowl of rice or noodle and enjoy.




This recipe is linked to:
Full Plate Thursday
Foodie Friday
This Week's Craving

Beef Bourguignon

Want to add lots of flavor to your food without adding too much sodium in your diet?  Use fresh herbs!  Tons of fresh herbs.  That’s one of the reasons why I love using fresh herbs in my cooking.  They are refreshing and always bring out the natural flavor and sweetness of the ingredients.  If you pair the herbs with the right ingredients, that would  elevate and enhance the flavor of the whole dish tremendously. 
 

I don’t have a back yard at my place, so, I got this little herb plant and it’s been thriving on my kitchen window ever since (it’s probably better for the plant because I know I would forget to water it daily if it’s in the back yard).  This plant is considered very low maintenance, which is a big plus!  Just water it once every morning and give it lots of sunshine is all it needs.  In this pot, from the top moving clockwise, there are rosemary, thyme and oregano.  I use them quite often and they always grow faster than I use them.  Unlike another herb plant I have, which is sweet basil.  The leaves are almost all gone now and that poor thing look so “naked” I don’t even want to pose its picture up here…sniff..sniff… 



In this Beef Bourguignon, I used all 3 kinds of herbs from my plant.  It’s so flavorful that I didn’t even need to put any salt and pepper at the end to season it.  The rosemary adds an aromatic and woodsy flavor to the beef that matches perfectly with the red wine.  The thyme is refreshing and is lemony which is pairing nicely with the lemon zest to brightens up the whole dish.  The oregano is fragrant and sweet, it brings out the natural sweetness from the carrots.  The beef is so tender that the meat is literally falling apart when it’s done.  The mushrooms adds an earthy flavor and the pearl onions add another level of sweetness.  It is such a comforting meal and would certainly warms up your belly after 1 bowl.   Perfect for the fall and winter season.         



You can serve the Beef Bourguignon with garlic toasts for dipping, over a bed of creamy mash potatoes, pour over a plate of pasta, or with a bowl of white/brown rice.  We paired it with a bowl of brown rice today.  It’s delicious, easy to make.  Best of all, it’s a 1 pot meal, which means less clean up to do and you can enjoy your evening longer!  ;)

                                                     **Giveaway**

Canadian Beef is sponsoring a wonderful giveaway at Kitchen Play. Simply recreate any one recipe from this month’s Progressive Party, post about the experience on your blog and provide a link to your post on Kitchen Play to enter.  All qualifying bloggers in each course will be entered to win $100 (6 prizes total).  This contest is open through February 28, 2011. Please review the complete contest rules before entering. Good luck!

                          

This beef Bourguignon over Brown Rice is the French version of the Asian Style Chili with Garlic Fried Rice.  We are taking you around the world without hopping onto a plane!  :)






Beef Bourguignon: Printable Recipe

Yield: 6 servings


Marinate:
2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
1 tablespoon steak seasonings



For the Bourguignon:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup dry red wine
1 can (2 cups) beef consommé 
1 tablespoon tomato paste
7-8 stems fresh thyme, tie with kitchen twine
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
15 whole black pepper corns, tie in cheese cloth or disposable tea bags
A few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
A dash of Tabasco
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon rock sugar (it helps tenderize the meat)
1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
1 pound frozen whole pearl onions
1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced (I used a combination of button and cremini)
1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 2 teaspoon cold water
1/4 cup fresh Italian flat leave parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

To marinate:

In a large zip lock bag, combine chuck beef with marinate ingredients.  Squeezing out extra air and close the bag.  Massage meat to distribute marinates evenly.  Leave at room temperature for up to 2 hours, or refrigerate to marinate overnight.

To cook the Bourguignon:  
Heat the olive oil in a large pot.  In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to a plate and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.

Add the red wine, and beef consommé.  Put the meat back into the pot with the juices. Add enough water to almost cover the meat (if needed).  Add the tomato paste and thyme, pepper flakes, black pepper, Worcestershire, Tabasco, bay leaves, and rock sugar.  Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and lower the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 1 hour 30 minutes.  Add carrots and cook for another 40 minutes.  Then turn the heat to medium high, add onion and mushrooms.  Bring the stew to a boil and add corn starch mixture.  Remove from heat and stir in parsley and lemon zest.  Add kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste.


This recipe is linked to:
Hearth n’ Soul Blog Hop
Mouthwatering Monday