Slow-Cooked Cabbage, Tomatoes and Meatballs

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Last week we discussed the merits of canning your own foods. So you canned a bunch of tomatoes and now you need a good reason to use ‘em! Enter the following unstuffed cabbage recipe:

Ingredients:
1 large head of cabbage
1 pound of ground meat (turkey, chicken, beef…you decide)
½ pound of spicy sausage, casing removed
½ cup minced onion
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 16 oz can tomatoes – including the juice
3 tbsp vinegar
1 carrot – unpeeled, ends chopped off
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Preparation could go one of two ways. If available – and you have the time to throw it together in the morning – a crock pot could be used. The slow cooking process really allows the flavors to mingle and creates, in our opinion, a tastier dish. However, this dish also turns out well when made in a roasting dish and may work better for those who like to throw dinner together on the fly.

Now on to the actual method…

First, cut the cabbage into large chunks and use your fingers to roughly separate the leaves. Place half in the bottom of the crock pot or roasting pan. In a large bowl, mix the meat, sausage, onion, spices, salt and pepper. Using your hands, tightly roll the mixture into a series of small meatballs about 2-3 inches in diameter (if you don’t roll them tightly enough, they’ll break apart – while this does nothing to the taste, it looks more appetizing when you have the meatballs!) Place the meatballs on top of the cabbage and cover with the remaining cabbage. Set aside. In a food processor, combine canned tomatoes (with juice) and vinegar and pulse a few times so that the tomatoes are broken down but not pureed. Pour the mixture over the cabbage, add the carrot* and cook in a crock pot for 6-8 hours on low or in an uncovered roasting dish in an oven at 350 F for 1 hour. Remove carrot and serve piping hot.

We know this dish sounds kind of strange, but trust us, it is delicious. It all comes together to form a hearty, gorgeous amalgamation of light green cabbage, bright red tomatoes and juicy sausage and is super easy to make. Give it a try tonight and let us know what you think in the comment board.

*Due to the acidic nature of this recipe, most stuffed cabbage dishes call for sweetener to be added. However, a carrot will actually soak up the acidic flavor without adding any sugar. Just be sure to discard it before serving.

Nutrition Analysis:
Courtesy of Fitday.com (based on use of ground beef). Recipe serves 6.

Calories: 406
Fat: 23.8 grams (53% calories from fat)
Carbs: 19.2 grams (17% calories from carbs)
Protein: 30.4 grams (30% calories from protein)