Galumpki (Stuffed Cabbage)

Galumpkis were one of my dad's favorites. My mom used to make them when I was a kid, and I would refuse to eat them. They always sounded so weird, and anything with cabbage in it or around it was definitely not on my menu plan. 

Then, a short time ago, a friend invited us over for galumpkis made with cabbage from her son-in-law's garden. I figured I had nothing to lose, so I accepted the invitation, and I tried the galumpkis. Go figure, I liked them. 

On Saturday, my husband and I went to the local farmer's market. I was so inspired by all of the fresh produce. I had a really hard time deciding what to buy, because everything looked so good. We ended up buying way more than we probably should have, and one of the things we bought was a head of cabbage. How hard could it be to make stuffed cabbage? 

I learned, and so will you, that it is really simple.

What You Will Need:
A Large Pot (Big enough to hold the head of cabbage)
A Large Bowl
A Large Saute Pan
9 x 13 Pan
Aluminum Foil

Ingredients:
1 Head of Cabbage
Stuffing
1 1/2 pounds of Ground Beef
2 large Eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
2 teaspoons Parsley
2 teaspoons Onion Powder
1 cup Rice, cooked (I used long grain white rice.)
1 1/2 Tablespoons Worchestershire Sauce (Make sure yours is gluten free.)
Sauce
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
1/2 cup Onion, chopped
2 cans Stewed Tomatoes, Pureed
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 teaspoon Basil
1 teaspoon Parsley
1/2 teaspoon Salt

Directions:
In large pot, cook cabbage in boiling water for 4-6 minutes until leaves are tender, but not mushy.

Remove cabbage from boiling water. When cabbage is cool enough to touch, remove the leaves and allow to dry.

Cut out center vein of cabbage leaves.

In large bowl, mix together all stuffing ingredients using your hands.

Scoop a 1/4-1/2 cup of the stuffing mixture and place it on a cabbage leaf. 

Roll the cabbage leaf around the stuffing mixture.

Place stuffed cabbage leaf in 9 x 13 pan.

In hot saute pan, melt butter.

Saute onions until translucent. (This is called sweating the onions.)

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Add remaining ingredients, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Pour sauce over stuffed cabbage in 9 x 13 pan.

Cover pan with aluminum foil, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. 

Remove aluminum foil, and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Serve 'em while they are hot.

Not bad for a first attempt. The sauce I created was exceptionally good.Try it out, and see for yourself. 

"The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before."

Dare to walk alone, even if just once in a while.

Sheryl