Savoy Cabbage Tofu Rolls
See video recipe here!
Ingredients:
1 Savoy Cabbage
Approximately a ½ cup or a small palm full of each vegetable of your choice for filling (e.g., celery, carrots, peas, broccoli, water chestnuts, baby corn, mushrooms, scallions) -
Approximately 2 cups protein of choice (e.g., tofu, ground chicken/beef/pork)
2-3 Tablespoons preferred cooking oil (e.g., avocado, olive oil)
This may vary depending on the protein and veggies you cook - some take in more oil when cooking then others (so have a little more on hand to add if the pan looks particularly dry)
A drizzle of sesame oil
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce (use less if full sodium, use more if reduced sodium)
3 gloves Garlic (e.g., fresh, frozen, jar/tube, powder)
½ - 1 teaspoon ginger (e.g., fresh, frozen, jar/tube, powder) - or 2 cubes of frozen
If fresh or powder use less, if froze or jarred/tube use more
A pinch of salt
Don’t forget that you’re using soy which is salty, so using sparingly
About 1 teaspoon black pepper
Optional: toasted sesame seeds; red pepper flakes
To increase the heat of spiciness had a pinch of red pepper flakes
For a nice finish and fuller taste, add toasted sesame seeds to your filling or on top of the cabbage rolls at the end
Equipment:
Medium to large pot
Medium sauce pan
Cutting board
Knife
Spoon or spatula to stir
Optional: Paper towels or tofu press (to remove liquid from protein of choice)
Instructions:
Prepare all your ingredients (i.e., cut proteins and vegetables, and collect all ingredients) including the cabbage
Note: always cut vegetables before proteins
Pull apart or break off the individual leaves from the savoy cabbage
Fill a medium to large pot with water and boil on the stove
Once the water boils, place cabbage leaves in the boiling water and submerge them
These will cook quickly - typically less than a minute - the stem of the leaf will be tender but not falling apart
Remove the leaves, place on a plate or a piece of parchment or wax paper, and pat dry with a paper towel
To prepare the filling - heat preferred oil in a medium saucepan of medium-high heat
Add the denser or harder vegetables first then move to the softer and canned vegetables (recommended order: carrots, celery, broccoli, mushrooms, water chestnuts, baby corn, frozen or fresh peas, scallions) - cook until tender
If cooking an animal-based protein, remove vegetable mixture from pan into a bowl and set aside. If cooking a plant-based protein, it is fine to incorporate and cook this in with the vegetables or you can remove them too if your pan feels overcrowded
Heat additional oil in your pan and cook your protein until it is cooked through and golden brown
Turn the heat to low-medium and add the vegetable mixture back into the pan with your protein
Move the mixture to expose the base of the pan and add the garlic and ginger - saute until the start to develop color then mix/incorporate all ingredients
Add the remaining seasonings and soy sauce
Turn off the heat and drizzle with sesame oil
Taste and adjust seasoning as desired then fill your cabbage leaves
On a flat surface, ensure your cabbage leaves are open and ready to fill
Using a tablespoon place 1-2 tablespoons of the filling onto the top of the cabbage leaf leaving some leaf exposed at the top (amount of filling may vary depending on the size of your leaf - but it is important you do not overfill so the leaves do not tear)
Fold the sides of the leaf inward to hold in the ends of the filling then starting at the top (where the filling is) roll the leaf over the filling until you reach the bottom of the leaf. Note: these are delicate, so you may experience some leaf tearing - but that's alright, they still taste good!
Repeat until you run out of cabbage leaves or filling
Serve as is or with a side of sauce of choice (e.g., chili oil, soy, teriyaki, yum yum) - for a heartier meal, pair with white or brown rice
