Roasted Cabbage Rolls

We've revived a nearly forgotten comfort food--cabbage rolls. These are made in the Finnish style, with a corn syrup-bacon glaze that caramelizes during baking. Cooking the cabbage in the microwave makes easy work of removing the leaves for the rolls. (Recipe by Finnish-American Jim Fobel, a Cooking Light Contributor and the author of Jim Fobel's Casseroles and Jim Fobel's Old-Fashioned Baking Book.)

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• Cabbage rolls:
• 1  (3-pound) head cabbage
• 2  tablespoons  water
• Cooking spray
• 1  onion, slivered
• 1  cup  water
• 1/3  cup  uncooked long-grain rice
• 1  cup  diced Granny Smith apple
• 2/3  cup  chopped green onions
• 1/2  cup  2% reduced-fat milk
• 1 1/4  teaspoons  garlic salt
• 3/4  teaspoon  dried rubbed sage
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground nutmeg
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1  large egg
• 1  pound  ground turkey
• 1/4  cup  water
• 
  Basting glaze:
• 4  bacon slices, chopped
• 1/3  cup  dark corn syrup
• 3  tablespoons  tomato paste
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  water
• 3/4  teaspoon  salt

Preparation

To prepare cabbage rolls, core cabbage using a serrated knife. Place cabbage in an 8-inch square baking dish or 2-quart casserole; add 2 tablespoons water. Loosely cover with heavy-duty plastic wrap. Microwave at high 9 minutes, rotating baking dish a half-turn after 5 minutes. Cover dish and let stand 15 minutes. Discard any tough dark green leaves. Remove 8 light-colored cabbage leaves. Cut off raised portion of the main vein of each leaf, and set leaves aside. Finely chop enough remaining cabbage to measure 1/2 cup, and set aside. Coarsely chop enough remaining cabbage to measure 2 cups; arrange in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with slivered onion.

Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add rice; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 8 minutes. Drain well.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine 1/2 cup finely chopped cabbage, rice, apple, and the next 7 ingredients (apple through egg). Crumble turkey over mixture; stir just until blended. Place about 1/2 cup turkey mixture in center of each cabbage leaf. Fold in edges of leaves, and roll up; place cabbage rolls on top of coarsely chopped cabbage. Cut several 1/4-inch-deep slits across top of each roll. Pour 1/4 cup water over rolls. Cover with foil, and bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

To prepare basting glaze, cook the bacon in a small saucepan over medium heat for 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from heat. Remove bacon from pan; discard bacon drippings. Return bacon to pan; stir in corn syrup and remaining ingredients. Uncover cabbage rolls; spoon one-third basting glaze over cabbage rolls. Bake, uncovered, 1 hour, basting with basting glaze every 20 minutes. Spoon about 1/4 cup remaining cabbage on each of 8 plates; top each with 1 cabbage roll.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

223 (20% from fat)

Fat:

4.9g (sat 1.7g,mono 1.6g,poly 1g)

Protein:

17.4g

Carbohydrate:

28.7g

Fiber:

4.2g

Cholesterol:

69mg

Iron:

2.4mg

Sodium:

707mg

Calcium:

107mg