Roasted Cabbage Rolls

"We've revived a nearly forgotten comfort food--cabbage rolls. These are made in the Finnish style, with a corn syrup-bacon glaze that caramelizes during baking. Cooking the cabbage in the microwave makes easy work of removing the leaves for the rolls." - Recipe by Finnish-American Jim Fobel, a Cooking Light Contributor and the author of Jim Fobel's Casseroles and Jim Fobel's Old-Fashioned Baking Book

Ingredients:

- 1 (3-pound) head cabbage
- 2 tablespoons water
- Cooking spray
- 1 onion, slivered
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup uncooked long-grain rice
- 1 cup diced Granny Smith apple
- 2/3 cup chopped green onions
- 1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
- 1 1/4 teaspoons garlic salt
- 3/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1/4 cup water

Basting Glaze Ingredients:
- 4 bacon slices, chopped
- 1/3 cup dark corn syrup
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tablespoons water
- 3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. To prepare cabbage rolls, core cabbage using a serrated knife.
2. Place cabbage in an 8-inch square baking dish or 2-quart casserole; add 2 tablespoons water.
3. Loosely cover with heavy-duty plastic wrap.
4. Microwave at high 9 minutes, rotating baking dish a half-turn after 5 minutes.
5. Cover dish and let stand 15 minutes.
6. Discard any tough dark green leaves.
7. Remove 8 light-colored cabbage leaves.
8. Cut off raised portion of the main vein of each leaf, and set leaves aside.
9. Finely chop enough remaining cabbage to measure 1/2 cup, and set aside.
10. Coarsely chop enough remaining cabbage to measure 2 cups; arrange in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
11. Top with slivered onion.

12. Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan.
13. Add rice; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 8 minutes. Drain well.

14. Preheat oven to 350°.

15. Combine 1/2 cup finely chopped cabbage, rice, apple, and the next 7 ingredients (apple through egg).
16. Crumble turkey over mixture; stir just until blended.
17. Place about 1/2 cup turkey mixture in center of each cabbage leaf.
18. Fold in edges of leaves, and roll up; place cabbage rolls on top of coarsely chopped cabbage.
19. Cut several 1/4-inch-deep slits across top of each roll.
20. Pour 1/4 cup water over rolls.
21. Cover with foil, and bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

22. To prepare basting glaze, cook the bacon in a small saucepan over medium heat for 3 minutes or until lightly browned.
23. Remove from heat. Remove bacon from pan; discard bacon drippings.
24. Return bacon to pan; stir in corn syrup and remaining ingredients.
25. Uncover cabbage rolls; spoon one-third basting glaze over cabbage rolls.
26. Bake, uncovered, 1 hour, basting with basting glaze every 20 minutes.
27. Spoon about 1/4 cup remaining cabbage on each of 8 plates; top each with 1 cabbage roll.

Yield: 8 servings

CALORIES 223 (20% from fat); FAT 4.9g (sat 1.7g,mono 1.6g,poly 1g); IRON 2.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 69mg; CALCIUM 107mg; CARBOHYDRATE 28.7g; SODIUM 707mg; PROTEIN 17.4g; FIBER 4.2g

Cooking Light, JANUARY 2000