Lazy Cabbage Rolls

Produce-423

Sorry for the break in posts, but I’ve been sleep training my little one for the last week, and haven’t had much time for writing. That being said, I’m proud to say that he’s successfully trained! He slept from 7pm to 6am last night, and I got 7 and half hours of blissful, uninterrupted sleep for the first time since he was born – AMAZING.

Sleep training or not, I’ve found that when I cook dinner these days, I like to pick recipes that I can freeze for another meal. It’s such a great time-saver, and it’s the best when you can serve a home-cooked meal by simply pulling it out of the freezer in the morning.

My aunt was over last week, and brought me a big green cabbage from her garden. Instead of using it for standard coleslaw, she suggested I make cabbage rolls, but not the kind that take forever; the lazy version.

I was pumped to cook with cabbage because it’s so good for you. It’s in the cancer-fighting family of vegetables, is low in calories and high in fibre. It also has great flavour, and a satisfying crunchy texture.

If you love the flavour of cabbage rolls, you will love this simplified version. It reminded me of making a lasagna, but easier. Enjoy!

Lazy Cabbage Rolls
Serves 6

Ingredients
1 tbsp. avocado or grapeseed oil
1 onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. chili flakes
½ tsp. cumin
1 package lean ground beef, pork, chicken or turkey (hormone & antibiotic-free)
1 tsp. Mrs. Dash
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 head, medium-size green cabbage, shredded
2-cups marinara sauce or 1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
3/4-cup sundried or oven-roasted tomatoes
1/2-cup parmesan cheese
1-cup wild rice blend (Costco) or brown rice
2-cups organic beef or chicken stock

Method

Cook the rice according to package instructions, using the beef or chicken stock (approximately 40 minutes).

Heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat; add onion and season with salt & pepper, chili flakes and cumin – sauté the onion for a few minutes. Add the garlic, Mrs. Dash & beef. Brown the beef (cook to 50% done), and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Chop cabbage into thin strips or ribbons and place in a large bowl. Chop feta cheese.

Once rice is finished cooking, assemble your lazy cabbage rolls. Using a 13 x 9 x 2” baking dish, spread one cup of marinara and half the sun-dried tomatoes in the bottom and top with one-third of the shredded cabbage. Season the cabbage with salt and pepper as you layer.

On top of the first cabbage layer, add half the beef, rice, feta and more cabbage. Repeat the layering with the remaining ingredients: marinara sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, beef, rice, feta and finish the top layer with remaining cabbage.

Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese, cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes. Let rest for 20 minutes before serving. Let the rest cool completely before freezing in a glass container.

Enjoy!

About Lauren

Welcome! I’m Lauren Follett. A couple years ago, while working in the corporate world of downtown Toronto, I decided to pursue my passion for healthy living and enrolled in the Distance Education program with The Canadian School of Natural Nutrition. I studied on my lunch breaks, after work, on the weekends, and while travelling through South America. The world of health & nutrition can be confusing. There are a lot of mixed messages out there when it comes to health: low fat, low calories, sugar-free, low-carb, gluten-free…leaving you confused, frustrated, and wondering where to start. That’s where I come in. As a Registered Nutritionist, my goal is to help you accomplish your health & wellness goals. I don’t believe in diets or quick fixes. I believe in living a healthy lifestyle, which requires you to get educated, and learn how to make healthy choices. I’m dedicated to working closely with my clients to teach & motivate them to make healthy choices, discuss healthy living strategies and create customized nutrition programs that fit with their life.

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