Recipe Suggestion of the week

Stuffed Cabbage Leaves

Stuffed Cabbage Leaves - sometimes called 'Dolmas' are a delightful way of serving cabbage. Traditionally made with Vine leaves, Savoy cabbage makes excellent cabbage parcels and can be filled with a variety of vegetarian savoury stuffings. It is of course equally nutritious and much less time consuming to simply serve lentil stew with lightly steamed Savoy cabbage, but the parcels make it more fun and are worth the effort occasionally. My favourite lentils for this recipe are Puy Lentils. These lentils are very tasty and require only a little seasoning, they also sprout very easily and quickly and I often mix the sprouted lentils with cooked onion and garlic, heating them only a little, so they retain their crispness, seasoning them lightly with some 'Marigolds Liquid Aminos' and some olive oil. Served with some other vegetables, these make a very light but nourishing meal, In the following recipe I cook rather than sprout the lentils as the stuffing holds together better if the lentils are cooked soft.

SAVOY PUY LENTIL DOLMAS

8oz/250g Puy Lentils

½ tsp. 'Seagreens' culinary ingredient.

2 onions, peeled and chopped up small

1 large clove garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium sized carrot

2 sticks of celery

1 pt/500ml. water

1 heaped teaspoon of Tahini

1 tsp. Marigold vegan bouillon

In a pan with a lid simmer the Puy lentils, vegetables, Seagreens and water gently for 40 minute, until tender then drain off any liquid, reserving for sauce. Season with the bouillon powder and add the tahini, mixing it in a cup with a one spoonful of the lentils before adding it to the rest to be sure it blends in well. Season more if needed.

While the lentils are cooking prepare the cabbage. For this you will need two large Savoy cabbage leaves per person. The very outside leaves may be too coarse depending on the cabbage. Wash the leaves well. Fill a large saucepan with boiling water and submerge the leaves in the boiling water, bring to the boil and cook for 2-4 minutes until the leaves are flexible, but not too soft. Refresh the leaves in cold water and one at a time, laying them on a chopping board cut a V shape out of the bottom of the leaf stalk, to remove the tougher section of stalk from the bottom of each leaf. Then place 1 or 2 tablespoons of the lentil mixture on the leaf, fold over the sides of the leaf and then rolling from the top of the leaf to the bottom roll up the cabbage parcel, press firmly turning it over so that the bottom of the leaf is underneath. Place the finished roll into a casserole dish. Continue to fill the leaves and arrange them in the dish. Pour about ½ pt./300mls. of vegetable stock mixed with 1 tablespoon of tomato puree over the cabbage and cook in the casserole dish for about 25 minutes in the oven 150C/Mk4 to heat through and completely soften the cabbage. Before serving you may wish to thicken the liquid with a little arrowroot or Kudzu. Serve with a second green vegetable such as broccoli or green beans and potatoes or rice if desired.