Hearty Cabbage and Lentils

I love green cabbage. It has great flavor and texture. I will often chop some and add it to salads, slaws, or stir-frys. This hearty dish adapts the flavors of cabbage rolls into a healthy and satisfying meal.

Hearty Cabbage and Lentils

Ingredients:

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup brown rice
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp thyme
1 cup lentils (the brown ones)
7 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 head of green cabbage, chopped

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp vegetable boullion
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
fresh ground pepper and salt to taste

Directions:

Heat the sesame oil in a large saucepan. Add the brown rice and stir to toast. The rice should turn opaque and begin to brown a little. When this happens, add the onion and the garlic and let those start to soften (about 5 minutes). Next add the carrot and celery and give it another stir. Then add the nutritional yeast, ground mustard, coriander, and thyme. Stir that in and then add the tomatoes and the lentils. Stir again to coat the lentils with the seasonings. Finally pour the water over the rice, lentil, and veggie mixture and layer the chopped cabbage over the top. Gently press the cabbage down to get some moisture on it. Cover the saucepan and put the heat to low. Let the dish simmer for 45 minutes. Uncover and check the rice and lentils for tenderness. It often takes another 15 minutes for them to completely cook through. Uncover and stir often during this last phase to be sure it doesn't start to stick or burn.

Once most of the moisture is absorbed and both the rice and lentils are cooked through, add the Worcestershire and bouillon and stir to incorporate. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste, then sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

If you want to be really fancy, you can save a few outer leaves of the cabbage, blanch them and then use them as the bed to serve the lentils over.

For 8 servings. Nutritional information from caloriecount.about.com

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 275 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  185 Calories from Fat  24

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  2.7g 4%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  0mg 0%

Sodium  220mg 9%

Potassium  523mg 15%

Total Carbohydrates  31.0g 10%

Dietary Fiber  10.7g 43%

Sugars  3.0g

Protein  10.3g

Vitamin A 33% • Vitamin C 40% Calcium 5% • Iron 20%

Nutrition Grade A

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet