Vegan Stuffed Cabbage

Winter is seemingly never-ending, so we're still digging out hearty recipes to try, that will make us feel cozy (even though a beach and a fresh tropical fruit salad would really be most welcome right now)!

Last night it was vegan stuffed cabbage. A friend had said she loved the "meatloaf" from the Field Roast brand, so we thought we'd try it. V. is a much bigger fan of fake meat than I am, but it was flavorful and had good texture, and as far as processed vegetarian food goes, this seems fairly harmless (no weird ingredients, short shelf life, organic). Here it is:

Crumbled tempeh or even just rice and mushrooms would have made a perfect filling as well!!

I served the rice on the side, as well as some sauteed kale, so that we would get our greens!

All the recipes I read said to hold the cabbage rolls together with string or toothpicks, but I found that laying them close to each other in the pan made them hold together fine. They do look like something from an alien science lab at that point (but they'll get covered with sauce):

Stuffed Cabbage

1 head of green gabbage

4 cups of cremini mushrooms

2 small yellow onions

2 leeks

3 cloves garlic

1/2 cup white wine or vegetable broth

1 Field Roast Classic Meatloaf (or 1-2 packages crumbled tempeh)

2 32oz jars of your favorite tomato sauce (or home-made)

olive oil

Bring water to boil in a pot that is big enough to hold the entire head of cabbage. Place the cabbage in the water and cook for approx. 4 minutes. Remove from heat and take cabbage out of the water. Let it cool a little. This will make it easier to peel off individual leaves, without tearing them.

Cover the bottom of large, deep saute pan with a thin layer of olive oil. Saute the chopped onions, garlic and leeks until they start to turn golden. Add the mushrooms and wine or broth. Cook on medium heat until the liquid has reduced. In the meantime, cut the meatloaf into small cubes and add to the mushrooms. Add about half a jar of tomato sauce. Transfer everything to a bowl and set aside.

With the heat off, put a layer of tomato sauce in the bottom of the same sautee pan. Stuff individual cabbage leaves with as much filling as they will hold. Place in the pan, seam side down. Squeeze in as many cabbage rolls as will fir. Completely cover with tomato sauce. Cover pan and simmer for about 45 minutes, until the cabbage is tender.