Brown Rice, Walnut, and Dandelion Green Veg Sausage Wrapped in Cabbage Leaves with Tomato-Caper Sauce
Once veg burger and veg ball are in the sausage lexicon, why not include another offbeat member? In the spirit of having fun stepping outside the box, and for the love of my vegetarian son, Jenan, here is a cabbage leaf–wrapped brown rice, walnut, and dandelion green mix that simulates sausage without the meat. Dandelion greens are the surprise. No matter how young and tender you pick them, they retain a decidedly bitter pucker. But tucked into the brown rice, they cease to affront and instead demur to lending their healthful, herbal kick to the dish. The made-on-the-spur-of-the-moment tomato-caper sauce adds the acid element that brings it all together.
Ingredients
serves 6
Sauce
Step 1
To cook the rice, rinse it, place in a small saucepan, and add 2 cups of the water. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover, and decrease the heat to low. Cook until the water is absorbed and the rice is plumped, 40 to 45 minutes. Set aside off the heat with the lid still on and let steam dry for 10 minutes.
Step 2
To make the stuffing, bring a small saucepan filled with water to a boil over high heat. Add the onion and dandelion greens and blanch until the onion is translucent, about 2 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add the rice, walnuts, parsley, tomato paste, salt, and pepper, and knead with your hands until thoroughly blended. Set aside at room temperature.
Step 3
To prepare the cabbage leaves, bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Core the cabbage, place it in the pot, cover, and cook until the outer leaves are quite wilted, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the cabbage to a colander and set aside until cool enough to handle.
Step 4
One at a time, gently pull off the cabbage leaves. You should have about 12 leaves of varying sizes. Arrange the leaves, with the inside facing up and the stem end nearest you, on a work surface. Place about 1/4 cup of the stuffing in the center of each leaf. Fold up the bottom of the leaf over the stuffing, then fold in the sides and roll up the leaf to make a tight packet. Arrange the packets, seam sides down, in a single tight layer in a large saucepan. Pour the remaining 1/3 cup water into the pan around, not over, the packets, and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook until the cabbage is very tender, about 25 minutes.
Step 5
While the packets are cooking, make the sauce. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the tomato, garlic, capers, and lemon peel and stir to mix. Cook until just beginning to boil, then remove from the heat. Season with salt and set aside until ready to use.
Step 6
To serve, briefly reheat the sauce if desired. Arrange the cabbage packets on a platter and spread the sauce across the top.
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