Wow. That was pretty much the perfect spring holiday.
I don't know about you, but I spent the holiday catching up with as many friends as possible—the ones I hadn't seen in way too long—and, of course, spending time with my family.
Somehow, and I suspect you can relate, every get-together revolved around a meal. Food, followed by more food. All vegan, of course, which made it even better.
With all those meals, I ended up eating more than I'd planned on more than a few occasions.
How did that happen? The math is pretty simple: a little wine + lots of friends = a little more snacking, a few departures from my usual eating plan, and mostly, more calories than I'd intended.
No big deal. That's what getting back to your routine after the holidays is for.
So, what's next?
Passover has come and gone, leaving behind plenty of matzo crumbs and a few extra calories. With summer right around the corner, it's a good time to settle back into our workout and eating routines.
We could eat lots of salads, which I always think is a delicious option. Or we could sit down to some stuffed cabbage.
Why is cabbage a great choice for weight loss?
Along with its impressive nutrients—B vitamins, vitamins A and K, and plenty of essential minerals—cabbage also provides dietary fiber.
With stuffed cabbage, every roll contains one whole cabbage leaf. Yes, a whole leaf!
That fiber helps keep us feeling full longer, while the cabbage delivers a nice helping of vitamins and minerals. And no, cooking doesn't destroy them all, so you can relax about that.
I like to use both red and green cabbage for a colorful, cheerful dish that anyone would be happy to see on their plate.
Here are a few nutrition numbers to make you happy (and not just because Noam Bechar (an Israeli clinical dietitian) calculated them):
One stuffed cabbage roll contains:
80 calories, 4 g protein, 13 g carbohydrates, 2 g fat, 4 g fiber, and 35 mcg vitamin A.
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Vegan Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Ingredients
- 2 heads of cabbage red and green work well together
- 2 cups dry textured soy protein flakes (TVP) look in health food stores or the natural foods aisle
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- 4 level tablespoons tahini
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika level
- 1 tablespoon turmeric level
- 1 cup chopped parsley
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
For the sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika level
- 1 teaspoon hot paprika if you like some heat
- 3 cups water
Instructions
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Start with the cabbage.
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Using a large, sharp knife, cut around the base of each cabbage and remove the core—its heart, if you will. Don't worry. We're giving it a new one. ♥
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Place the cabbage in a microwave-safe dish with a little water and microwave for 10 minutes. You can also cook it in a pot of boiling water, but the microwave makes this easier.
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Remove from the microwave. Once it's cool enough to handle, gently separate the leaves with your hands. They should come apart easily.
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Now make the filling:
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Place the dry soy flakes in a wide bowl and moisten them with 1/4 to 1/2 cup water.
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Add the remaining filling ingredients and mix well.
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Time to roll the leaves.
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Place a cabbage leaf on the counter with its rounded side facing you.
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Cut out the thick center rib at the base of the leaf.
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Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of each leaf.
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Fold the left side of the leaf over the right side.
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Roll up the cabbage leaf from the bottom, where the stem was, toward the top.
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* Don't worry if a leaf tears a little and the filling peeks out. Just patch the hole with a piece of cabbage leaf and keep rolling.
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Arrange the rolls in a wide pot.
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Make the sauce.
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Mix the tomato paste with 3 cups water, the sweet paprika, and the hot paprika, if using. Pour over the stuffed cabbage rolls.
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Cook uncovered over low heat for about 30 minutes, then serve.
