Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

1 medium green cabbage

water

1 cup long-grain rice

 1/2 cup shredded yellow onion

1 tomato, chopped or diced

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup chopped fresh dill

salt and pepper

1 tsp ground cumin, more for later

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, more to taste

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 15 oz can tomato sauce, divided

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 medium yellow onion sliced

1-2 Roma tomato sliced

1.  Remove and discard the first couple leaves of cabbage.  wash in cold water.  Cut approx 1/4 in off the bottom of the head and place the whole head of cabbage in boiling water.  Boil about 2 minutes.  Peel off the softened leaves, using a pair of tongs.  Continue the same process, peeling off the blanched layers of cabbage leaves as they soften.  Set aside to cool briefly.

2.  Once cooled, cut each cabbage leaf into halves or thirds, removing any thick veins.

3.  Now prepare the rice stuffing mixture.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the rice, shredded onions, chopped tomato, herbs, salt and pepper, spices, oil, 1/2 can of tomato sauce and 1/4 cup water.  Mix together with a spoon.

4.  Lightly oil a large Dutch oven or heavy cooking pot.  Line the bottom with the sliced onions and sliced tomatoes.

5.  Take a piece of cabbage and place on a flat surface, coarse side up.  Add 1 tsp (more if leaves are larger) of the rice stuffing mixture at the end of the leaf. Roll up the leaf to completely enclose the stuffing.  Repeat with the remaining cabbage.

6.  Layer the cabbage rolls, seam-side down, in the prepared Dutch oven/pot.  TOp with the remaining 1/2 can of tomato sauce, and about 1 1/2 can of tomato sauce, and about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups of water (water should barely reach the top layer of cabbage rolls). Add a pinch more ground cumin.

7.  Top the cabbage rolls with a small plate.  Cook on high heat for 5-7 minutes until the liquid reduces to half.  Reduce the heat to low.  Leaving the small plate in, and cover the pot with its own lid.  Cook for 30 minutes, then remove the plate but cover with the lid only.  Cook for another 15 minutes or until the liquid has been completely absorbed and the rice stuffing mixture is cooked through.

8.  If you're not in a hurry, leave the cabbage rolls undisturbed before transferring to a serving platter.