TOFU MUSHROOM HALUPKI
(STUFFED CABBAGE)
From: The Ethical Gourmet by Jay Weinstein
Mushrooms, carrots, celery, and tofu may not boast a 20 percent fat content, but otherwise, they're just as juicy as most other potential cabbage fillings. These rolls rest in a sweet tomato sauce with plump raisins, offhandedly delivering twice the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C and enough antioxidants and fiber to do battle against cancers of the esophagus, stomach, and colon. If that doesn't make you hungry, I don't know what will.
Wrapping these cabbage bundles is easy. Just place some filling on each leaf, fold in the sides, and roll the halupki into a neat cylinder. Serve the finished dish with a glass of "bull's blood," a Hungarian red wine that will stand up to the sweet-tart flavors of this dish.
Serves 6
Ingredients
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 head green cabbage, ragged outer leaves discarded
• 2 celery ribs, roughly chopped
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 3 medium portobello mushrooms (about 12 ounces), roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1/2 pound firm tofu, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Make the sauce by combining the tomato sauce, brown sugar, and raisins in a medium saucepan; simmer for 3 minutes, until hot. Set aside. Bring enough water to a boil to submerge the cabbage head. Cut around the core of the cabbage to detach the leaves, and submerge it for 2 minutes. Gradually remove twelve or so leaves as they soften, placing them directly into a bowl of icy cold water to stop the cooking. Take off four more leaves, and chop them roughly.
Pulse the celery, carrots, onion, and chopped cabbage in a food processor until very finely chopped (or chop by hand). Separately, process or chop the mushrooms to the same fineness. In a large pot, heat the olive oil until it shimmers but doesn't smoke. Add the chopped vegetables and mushrooms. Cook undisturbed for 5 minutes; add the oregano and salt, toss, and cook 10 minutes more. Set aside to cool slightly. Add the rice, tofu, eggs, and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning
Heat the oven to 400°F. With the stem end of the leaf facing you, place about 1/2 cup of filling on the lower third of each blanched cabbage leaf. Fold 1-inch flaps in from the sides to lock in the filling, then roll the leaf away from you to form a cylinder. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with the sweet tomato sauce. Arrange the rolls atop the sauce, cover with foil, and bake for 1 hour
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