Vegan Cabbage Rolls

Though I really love the summer dishes, winter has its own and just right in the cold weather and it's heating you up from inside.

Those Cabbage Rolls I wanted to make since a long time. I love cabbage but filled - I can't remember eaten them when I was a child and since them I haven't prepared them myself. 

So now is the time for them. And every first time fails sometimes, I made them a few days before but they failed cause they just tasted no very good and the filling was not really suitable. 

But today I got the final result - never give up a failure in the kitchen...... 

Definitely an again and again dish I would prepare during winter time. 

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Vegan Cabbage Rolls

about 40 min
4 Persons

Ingredients:
For the sauce:
1 big (500 g) can of diced Tomatoes
1 normal (200 g) can of Tomato Paste plus 50 g more
240 ml vegetable broth
1 Tbsp. vegan Margarine
1 onion, diced
1 Tbsp. Agavenectar
1/2 cup soycream
salt and pepper to taste

For the rolls:
8-10 leafes of cabbage
100 g Soy granules 
1 medium sized onion, chopped
2-3 knob garlic, chopped (depending on their size)
some grounded garlic
1 tsp. black pepper
1 - 1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. red pepper powder
3 Tbsp. dried parsely
40 g breadcrumbs

Preparation:
For the Sauce:
In a large sauce pan, melt 1 Tbsp. or vegan margarine and add the chopped onions. Saute until translucent and soft.

Add the diced Tomatoes including the sauce and the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Then add the tomato paste and season again. To bring a little sweet taste against the bitterness of the tomatoes add some Agavenectar (Optional). 

Simmer for about 20 minutes. At the end add the soycream and simmer again for 10 minutes. 

For the Cabbage Rolls:
From the Cabbage cut out the core and carefully peel 8 Leafes (without breaking) away. 
Bring a large pan with water and salt to boil, then lower the heat till simmering and blanch the Cabbageleafes for about 8-10 min. till soft and pliable.

For the filling:
Cover the soy granules with enough boiled vegetable broth for about 30 min. Meanwhile chop the onion and garlic. 
When the soy granules doubled it size, drain (maybe wash shortly) and press out any left water. 

Give into a bowl and add all the spices, onion and garlic and mix all well trough. At the end add the breadcrumbs and mix well. Season if necessary. 

Forming the cabbage rolls:
Place an amount of filling in the center of the leafes (proportionate to their size). Do not overfill. 

Roll tidly, beginning with the stem and by then tucking the sides and finish with the end. To beware from falling apart bind with a cooking cord or gum and set on a plate and continue with left leafes. 

Place all finished rolls into a large sauce pot. Add all the sauce for covering. Add some additional vegetable broth if necessary. (The rolls should be all covered with sauce). 

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat till a simmer. 

Cook for 1 hour or longer (depending how soft you like the rolls). Make sure the rolls are covered with sauce during cooking time. 

Serve with plain rise and additional side if you wish so..

Soy curls chili

It’s been cold here lately. I just wanted something that warm me up from inside. Maybe you just feel the same sometimes. It calls for a hearty dish for dinner.

I stockpiled a few bags of soy curls in my pantry, so I thought I’d give chili a try, using the curls instead of TVP. I also switched a bit, using diced tomatoes more than tomato sauce and using some green pepper for added texture and flavor. The result was a bowl of hearty chili that is both filling and warming – just what you need on a cold winter’s night.

 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups Soy Curls
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1/2 medium Onion, diced
• 1/2 Green Pepper, diced
• 1 1/2 cups Light Red Kidney Beans
• 1 15 oz. can Diced Tomatoes
• 1 cup Tomato Sauce

 

• 1/2 cup Water
• Chili Powder
• Onion Powder
• Ground Mustard
• Ground Cayenne
• Paprika
• Yellow Mustard
• Hot Sauce
• Salt & Pepper

 

 

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, add the soy curls and cover with hot water - let sit for at least 10 minutes.
2. In a large pot, add one or two tablespoons of water and heat over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and green pepper and saute for 10-15 minutes, adding a bit more water as needed to deglaze the pot.
3. Once onions are soft and translucent, drain the soy curls and add them to the pot. Cook 5-10 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.
4. Add in the diced tomatoes and cook down for 5-10 minutes.
5. Finally, add in the beans and tomato sauce, stir well, and then add in all of the seasonings, hot sauce, and mustard. Stir well, cover, and reduce heat to low.
6. Simmer for at least 30 minutes.
7. Serve with a dollop of mustard and vegan sour cream.

 

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Quite a different tomato soup, it may sound strange at the beginning but the result is just that great. Try it out!

 

 

 

Tomato orange soup

1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons butter, divided (Earth Balance)
10 roma tomatoes, cored and chopped
1/2 cup orange juice concentrate
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon flour (gluten free ap)
1 cup almond milk
sea salt, to taste

Sauté onion and garlic in one tablespoon butter.
Transfer to high speed blender with tomatoes, orange juice concentrate and vegetable broth – puree until smooth.
In large saucepan, melt remaining 2 tablespoons earth balance. Add flour, stir until golden brown and blended.
Add almond milk, stir until creamy.
Add to tomato mixture in blender, continue to blend, add salt as needed. Transfer back to saucepan to heat through

Garnish with sliced or cubed tomato, dried basil and oregano. Serve over rice or quinoa, with grilled cheese, crackers or stuffed waffles.