Stuffed Cabbage Leaves

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 -3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 (8 ounce) can beef broth
• 1 bunch parsley, chopped fine
• 1 bunch scallion, chopped
• 4 tablespoons dried dill
• 2 teaspoons dried tarragon (optional)
• 2 -3 sprigs fresh mint
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1/4 cup yellow split peas
• 1 head cabbage
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup cream (optional) or 1/4 cup sour cream (optional)

Recipe

• 1 to make the filling: cook the onions in 2 tablespoons of the butter until golden.
• 2 add the ground beef and cook until brown.
• 3 reduce heat and add the lemon juice,sugar,pepper and salt.
• 4 mix the tomato paste with the warm water then add to the meat mixture.
• 5 add half of the beef broth.
• 6 cover and simmer 20 minutes.
• 7 saute parsley,scallions,dill,tarragon and mint in 2 t of butter and add to the meat.
• 8 stir and simmer 10 minutes.
• 9 stir in the cooked rice.
• 10 boil the yellow split peas in 1 cup salted water for 15 minutes,drain then add to the mixture.
• 11 to prepare cabbage leaves: separate cabbage leaves from the main stem and drop into boiling salted water.
• 12 boil for 3 minutes.
• 13 drain but be careful not to break or tear them.
• 14 spread the leaves flat,one at a time and fill the center of each leaf with 2 or 3 tablespoons of filling.
• 15 fold over the edges of the leaves and roll from the stem end toward the top of the leaf.
• 16 if you need to you may remove the tough stems with a knife.
• 17 when you use the smaller leaves 2 or 3 can be overlapped,filled and rolled up.
• 18 put the stuffed leaves in a baking dish.
• 19 warm the remaining 1t.
• 20 of butter and the remaining half can of beef broth,stir in the tomato sauce and pour over the stuffed cabbage.
• 21 bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
• 22 warm the cream or sour cream and spoon it over the cabbage before serving.