One of the best dishes to originate from Middle Eastern cuisine, this delicious and savory blend of rice, fresh herbs and tomatoes wrapped in a juicy cabbage leaf will leave everyone begging for more! This healthy dish is easily an all time favorite and comfort food for many people. While making it is no simple feat, once you get through peeling and prepping the cabbage leaves the rest of this recipe is one of the easiest! Really. 

In Egypt, we call this dish “Mahshy Kromb”[Mah-shee Ko-romB], which literally means “stuffed cabbage”. In most else of the Arab world, particularly the Levant region, this dish is called “malfoof”, which literally means “rolled” or “wrapped”. Another important difference in this dish prepared in Egypt versus the rest of the Arab world, is that we make it completely vegetarian and full of aromatic herbs. However, in Palestine and Syria for example, it is usually prepared with meat. I of course, combine the best of both worlds. Although I must say I actually prefer the flavor of the vegetarian version; the singular focus on herbs is more flavorful and fragrant than its meat counterpart. In this I combine dill, parsley, and cilantro with rice sautéed in tomatoes, onions, garlic, and cumin with some lean ground beef. This is one delectable dish everyone MUST try!

 The first step is to prepare the stuffing mixture. If you are adding beef, you want to leave enough time for the rice mixture to completely cool off before adding the raw meat so that it doesn’t begin to partially cook in the warm temperature of the rice. If you aren’t adding beef, you still want this mixture to cool off so that you can stuff the cabbage leaves easily and not scorch your fingers. Sauté the onions, garlic, and tomatoes in olive oil until they are soft, fragrant, and begin to yellow a bit. Toss in the rice and tomato paste so that it is all well coated. You then add all the chopped fresh herbs. At this point it will smell incredible; try to refrain from eating all the stuffing mixture. Remember we still need to stuff the cabbage leaves before you enjoy this 😉 Set aside to cool.

Now you need to prepare your cabbage leaves. The trick to success here is picking the right cabbage and separating the leaves. Finding a “good” cabbage with tender leaves seems to be all luck, at least in Chicago. Reportedly, there are much better cabbages to use in the Middle East and it is very hard to come by them here in the US. The leaves of the cabbages grown here are larger, thicker, and coarser. Nonetheless, you can find a good cabbage by picking a young green one, with what looks like softer, smaller leaves. But again, its all luck-for me and many I know anyway. If you have a good source for picking or buying the right cabbage, please do share it below! I happen to find the best cabbages at a Middle Eastern market or Mexican grocery store, so if you have any in your neighborhood definitely check those out.  As for separating the leaves, I have a very simple way to do so. You need a large enough pot to submerge the cabbage in water, a knife, a fork, and tongs. I first core out the rough center of the cabbage with a knife and pull it out. After washing thoroughly, and pulling off the rough outer leaves, I boil the cabbage for about 3 minutes. Then using tongs and a fork, I start to pull away the leaves and placing them in a colander to drain. You do not want to cook down the leaves in this step! We are simply blanching them to facilitate the separation of the leaves and to slightly soften them. 

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 Once you have the leaves prepared, it’s smooth sailing from here. Kids can help with the rest; it’s that easy. Place a spoon of the rice mixture in the center, and roll the leaves up like a tight cigar or burrito. Line the bottom of the pot with several thick slices of potatoes to protect the cabbage from scorching, and begin to stack the rolled cabbage leaves, filling up one layer at a time. 

Finally, pour the cooking liquid (tomato sauce, water, and seasoning) over the rolled leaves and cook to perfection. After the pot comes to a boil, simmer on low for about 35 minutes. Cooking time varies so watch the liquid so that you do not burn your delicate cabbage rolls! 

Congratulations! You have made one of the most delicious dishes ever invented.  

Stuffed Cabbage Leaves (malfoof)

2015-03-13 09:23:39

Serves 4

A flavorful and delectable treat enjoyed through out the Middle East, featuring an herb savory rice filling wrapped in sweet cabbage leaves.

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Prep Time

2 hr

Cook Time

1 hr

Prep Time

2 hr

Cook Time

1 hr

Ingredients

1. 1-2 green cabbages
2. 2 c medium grain rice
3. 2 bunch of dill (1 c chopped)
4. 1-2 bunch of parsley (1 c chopped)
5. 1 bunch of cilantro (1/2 c chopped)
6. 1 cup diced tomatoes (fresh, not canned)
7. 3 tbsp tomato paste
8. 1 tsp cumin, plus 1/2 tsp for cooking liquid
9. 1 tsp coriander
10. 2 tsp salt, plus 1 tsp extra if adding meat
11. 1 tsp black pepper, plus 1 tsp extra if adding meat
12. 1 tbsp fresh minced garlic
13. 1-2 onions, diced
14. 1 lb lean ground beef (optional)
15. 3 tbsp olive oil
16. 3 large potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/2" thick rounds

Instructions

1. In a large pot, over medium heat, sauté the chopped onions in 2 tbsp of olive oil until soft. Add the garlic once the onions begins to soften. Add the diced tomatoes, rice, and spices (cumin, coriander, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp of black pepper). Stir well until well coated.
2. Add 2 tbsp of tomato paste to the mixture and stir well. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Add all of the chopped parsley, dill, and cilantro to the rice mixture.
4. If adding beef, add it to the rice mixture only after it has completely cooled so that you do not partially cook the meat in the heat of the rice (this will make an unfavorable smell and texture). Add the extra salt and pepper to the beef. If you want to make some cabbage without meat, skip the meat for now, and add it later.
5. In a large stock pot, boil enough water to cover the entire cabbage when immersed.
6. Cut out the core of the cabbage and remove any thick outer leaves. Wash it very well.
7. Immerse the cabbage into the pot of water and allow it to boil for only about 2-3 minutes. Then begin to pull off leaves using a fork and tongs. Place each leaf you pull off into a colander to drain. Continue doing this until you have removed all the leaves. Rinse off with cold water and set aside to drain.
8. Take one leaf at a time to prepare for rolling. Shave off the thick stalk of the cabbage leaf (see picture), or you may completely cut out the stem with a knife, leaving a v-shaped opening in the leaf. Simply overlap the two sides of the leaf to close this gap. If the leaf is large enough, you could even cut it into two smaller leaves.
9. Place the leaf on a plate, with the vines of the leaf against the plate. Place a tablespoon of the rice mixture onto the leaf, and roll up like a burrito or cigar. There is no need to fold in the sides as the leaves are thick and will hold shape. However, I like to fold in the sides halfway through my roll, just to keep them all neat and nice 🙂
10. Place each rolled leaf into a wide and deep pot, lined with potato slices on the bottom to prevent the leaves from scorching and sticking.
11. After you have stacked all the cabbage leaves in the pot, prepare the cooking liquid. Combine 2 cups of water with 1 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp of cumin, 1 tbsp of olive oil, and 1 tbsp of tomato paste.
12. Cover the cabbage leaves with a weighted plate, so that they do not float and move around and become undone when you pour the liquid over. Slowly pour the liquid over the plate until it sifts through down to the cabbage leaves and covers them.
13. Turn the heat on to medium-high and allow the pot to come to a boil. Once it boils, turn it down to low and remove the plate carefully with tongs (its hot!). Cover with a lid and cook for about 30-45 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed.
14. Allow the cabbage rolls to cool for about 15 minutes, then serve warm.
15. Bil hana wil Shifaa! (With health and healing!)

By Noha ElSharkawy

Adapted from Mom

Adapted from Mom

Sugar & Garlic https://sugarandgarlic.com/

This is easily one of our favorite dinners in my home. It is my husband’s favorite dish I cook, and he only gets it when he’s REALLY good ;). This dish is perfect because it is so versatile with what vegetables you can add in, as well as the protein you could use which could be shrimp, chicken, tofu, or beef- or you could simply load it with fresh vegetables for a vegan/vegetarian take. I prefer to make my pad thai with chicken or shrimp, and I like to add in some tofu for extra protein because the kids don’t even notice it. Traditionally in Thailand, pad thai is made with shrimp. The typical ingredients you should use include the tamarind paste and fish sauce (which you can find in the international food aisle in most grocery stores such as Whole Foods), shallots, fresh bean sprouts, scallions or garlic chives, lime, and rice noodles. The rest of the ingredients are pretty delicious, but you could play around and use substitutions to best suit your preferences. I started loading up my pad thai with a variety of fresh vegetables because, as I mentioned, this dish is a favorite in my home so I can easily get everyone to consume some extra vegetables. Pad thai’s zesty sweet-sour flavor pairs perfectly with the fresh crunch of vegetables; I toss in red and green cabbage, shredded carrots, red bell pepper, and as always some scallions! 😛

I prepare my sauce in advance by combining fish sauce, tamarind paste, fresh squeezed lime juice, brown sugar, crushed red pepper, and cayenne pepper. Beware, the crushed red pepper and cayenne make this dish very spicy, so I tend to limit this or omit it if I know the little ones will be eating it. I make the sauce in advance because getting your pad thai right is highly dependent on cooking the rice noodles just right-not too smushy and not undercooked. So once you are tossing all of these ingredients (it is a long list after all!) you really should have the sauce prepared and ready to pour.  The sauce recipe produces a large quantity, enough for 2-3 batches of pad thai. It stores well in the fridge.

When taking this drug for pain relief or medical well-being – all whilst giving their patients the choice of a location where they viagra sildenafil 100mg are comfortable receiving their medical care. If you would like to try out double penetration with your male partner for more pleasure, the viagra 100mg strapon can prove to be really handy. Mentioned below are some points that should not be ignored for stem cell research, also play an important role in a purchase cheap levitra respitecaresa.org person’ s life. Alkalinity also restores the balance between healthy “good” bacteria and harmful bacteria, yeast, and parasites. cialis prescription cheap http://respitecaresa.org/kendra-give-back-to-rcsa/ The rice noodles do not need to be blanched or boiled,  instead just soak in hot water for 8-10 minutes. To ensure your noodles are perfect, do not over soak. They should be just pliable, and not too soft. They should be al dente but flexible. Remember, they will cook more once in the pan. Once in the pan, constantly move your noodles around and quickly add all the ingredients so that the noodles do not stick to the pan or clump, or get too soft. In order to do this successfully, you should have all ingredients prepared and ready to go. From the moment you sauté the scallions and garlic, the entire dish cooks within 5-10 minutes. 

When cooking the pad thai, want to keep the noodles loose and nice. To ensure this, you want to make sure you have a nice wide pan for cooking. If you use a wok or something with a small base diameter, the ingredients will pile on top of each other and noodles will likely get sticky and clumpy ( I speak from experience). I use a 14inch diameter pan that I cook paella in and my results have improved dramatically than when I used to cook in my regular 10-12 inch omelet pans! Again, once the noodles are added to the pan, you need to keep them moving around so have all of your additional vegetables and tofu chopped and ready to go!

There is so much flavor in this dish from wonderful natural whole food infusers such as ginger, garlic, shallots, and the tamarind and lime in the sauce. The dish is also loaded with protein: eggs, tofu, and chicken or shrimp. Combined with the plentiful crunchy vegetables, this is a great healthy and filling meal! I only use 2 tablespoons of olive oil to sauté the meat then vegetables and noodles in, so fat is very minimal in the dish.

I start by sautéing the garlic, ginger, and shallots in olive oil. I then sizzle the meat in the infused oil for about 1-2 minutes on each side. Then, I add the eggs and scramble them, toss in the noodles and the sauce, toss in the tofu, and finally the fresh vegetables and bean sprouts. It all cooks and comes together pretty quickly, so remember the key is to have everything washed and chopped before you begin sautéing!

I hope you and your family enjoy!

Pad Thai

2014-01-28 16:14:47

Serves 4

Sweet, sour, zesty, and full of fresh vegetables this complete meal will satisfy a big appetite!

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

10 min

Total Time

25 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

10 min

Total Time

25 min

For the Sauce

1. 1/2 c fish sauce
2. 1/2 c tamarind paste
3. juice of one-two limes (1/4 cup)
4. pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
5. pinch of crushed red peppers (optional)
6. 2 tbsp brown sugar

For the pad thai

1. 1 lb raw deveined and peeled shrimp or thinly sliced chicken breast strips
2. 1/2 c diced extra firm tofu
3. 2 eggs
4. 1 package of rice noodles
5. 1 c fresh bean sprouts
6. 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped (optional)
7. 1/2 c red cabbage, shredded (optional)
8. 3/4 c green cabbage, shredded (optional)
9. 1/2 c chopped scallion or garlic chives
10. 1/2 c shredded carrots (optional)
11. half a red pepper, thinly sliced (optional)
12. 1 shallot, diced
13. 3 cloves of garlic, minced
14. 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
15. 1/2 c pad thai sauce (see above recipe)
16. salt and pepper to taste
17. 2 tbsp soy sauce (optional)
18. 2 tbsp of olive oil
19. lime wedges for garnish
20. crushed peanuts (optional)

Instructions

1. Marinate the sliced chicken or raw shrimp in the soy sauce for about 15 minutes.
2. Soak the rice noodles in hot water for 8-10 minutes (or boil according to directions on box) until al dente- still firm but flexible enough to wrap around your finger. Drain and wash with cold water to prevent sticking.
3. In a large pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and sautee the shallots, ginger, and garlic briefly until golden and fragrant. Add the chicken or shrimp. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, keeping in mind the pad thai sauce is salty. Cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side until the shrimp is pink (or chicken turns opaque white/golden).
4. Once the chicken or shrimp is turned and cooked on the other side, reduce heat to medium-low and scramble the eggs in.
5. Add the remaining oil, toss the noodles in, and pour the sauce over the noodles. Stir and lift noodles gently with tongs, being sure to keep the noodles moving so that they do not stick or get overcooked.
6. Add the tofu if using, the sliced red pepper, half of the scallions, 3/4 of the bean sprouts, half of the carrots, half of the cilantro, and half of the cabbages. Toss gently. Remove from heat after 1 minute.
7. Spoon onto individual plates, adding remaining sprouts, scallions, and cilantro on top and the cabbage and carrots on the sides as garnish. Place lime wedges on the plate and squeeze fresh lime juice over before eating.
8. If you like crushed peanuts over yours, sprinkle on top along with the cilantro and scallions.

Notes

1. To make this vegan or vegetarian, you can use soy sauce in place of the fish sauce, and omit meat and eggs.

By Noha ElSharkawy

Sugar & Garlic https://sugarandgarlic.com/