I wanted to balance the savory notes of this original dish with the sweet undertones of the sushi rice and fennel.
I bet you are wondering what I did with the other 4 pounds of beef that I magically procured during a beef crisis (she says bragging). Well, here is about a pound of awesome black Angus with an immune boosting twist on the traditional cabbage roll.
But first, let’s talk about the rice. Ages ago I worked as a food industry researcher and writer for a Japanese organization. I learned that the tastiest strand of rice that you can find in the USA is the short-grain variety called koshihikari. I say in the USA because koshihikari is mainly grown in California and now Tennessee as well, but it is the DNA parent of Akitakomachi, rice grown in Akita Prefecture, renowned for its rice and sake. I have an affinity for Akita as I lived there in my early years and fell in love with the food. So my family only eats koshihikari here in America. I may sound like a rice snob, but once you taste the fluffy succulent difference of this rice, you will not want to go back to Uncle Ben’s. My 9 month old also finds it sticky enough to pinch and place in her mouth. Those looking for a rice with a slightly lower glycemic index will find this a good choice as it has a high amount of resistant starch that is absorbed slowly as it is broken down in the body.
I started a batch of koshihikari in my rice cooker, which takes less than 25 minutes for perfection. I then added about a cup of fennel tops, and additional fennel chunks from the white part of the vegetable. Fennel has many health benefits, one of which is blood circulation and a second, very important as a nursing mother, is it’s major galactagogue factor. In addition to being so good for you, fennel adds a natural sweetness to any dish. I wanted to balance the savory notes of this original dish with the sweet undertones of the sushi rice and fennel.
The other healthy note to this meal is the turmeric. Maybe you can taste turmeric but I cannot, so once I Iearned about its immune boosting properties I immediately started adding it to any recipe I could. Because the other flavors are so cohesive, the turmeric is meant to support health only. When I heard that turmeric was good for fighting Alzheimer’s and depression, I said whoa there, this is my new super spice. I have been adding turmeric to my coffee on a daily basis and never felt better.
Lastly, before you hit scroll and go straight to the recipe, please know this: I always add more garlic than humanly necessary. Garlic is my life salt. My coworkers haven’t complained yet, but maybe they are just really nice people.
The Recipe
- Nuke a bowl of warm water and add leaves of 1 medium sized cabbage. Allow leaves to loosen up by sitting in water for 4 minutes. When limp, drain and set aside.
- Preheat oven to °375
- Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to skillet.
- Add half a large diced onion and simmer to caramelize ( Not necessary, but delicious. This time around I didn’t add any and it was still so yum). If you don’t have onions, red peppers can add texture and work just as well.
- Add a short shower of garlic, about 2 tablespoons, and stir into the onions to season the pan.
- Add 1 cup of fennel tops and fennel scraps to pan, stir, and heat on high for 2-3 minutes, just enough to season the pan.
Prepare the raw meat by adding the following seasoning:
- Add one pinch/ 1/2 teaspoon kosher sea salt ( I was out, whatever salt will do.* If you add regular table salt add two tablespoons at least).
- Add a second shower of garlic– something like 4 tablespoons. Really, you can’t go wrong.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.
- 1 teaspoon on paprika.
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric.
- Blend the seasoning into the meat and add the meat to the pan with the fennel
- Stir the fennel into the meat and brown the meat for about 3 minutes on high.
- Add a can of stewed tomatoes to the pan and stir into the meat.
- Add two teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon Chicken Broth. Substitute bouillon with beef, chicken, or vegetable broth. Even miso broth works well. Add one teaspoon less if concerned about sodium intake.
- Add steamed rice to the mixture and continue to stir, reducing heat to low.
- Use a drainer spoon to spoon small handfulls of mixture and roll into cabbage rolls. Secture with a pick or string. I did not secure and they turned out fine. Securing makes it easier to eat.
- Place rolls and any remaining beef mixture in baking dish and pour remaining liquid over.
- Pop in the oven for a good 25 minutes.
I am actually looking at how to make this into a vegan meal for the near future, but for now enjoy your beef if you can!
