Stuffed Cabbage Leaves

Ingredients

• 2 large onions, chopped
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 – 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ½ cup water
• 1 can beef broth
• 1 bunch parsley, chopped fine
• 1 bunch scallions, chopped
• 4 tablespoons dried dill
• 2 teaspoons dried tarragon (optional)
• 2 – 3 sprigs fresh mint
• 1 cup cooked rice
• ¼ cup yellow split peas
• 1 head cabbage
• ¼ cup tomato sauce
• ¼ cup cream or sour cream (optional)

Directions

Filling

1. Cook the onions in 2 tablespoons of the butter until golden.
2. Add the ground beef and cook until brown.
3. Reduce heat and add the lemon juice, sugar, pepper and salt.
4. Mix the tomato paste with the warm water then add to the meat mixture.
5. Add half of the beef broth.
6. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.
7. Saute parsley, scallions, dill, tarragon and mint in 2 tbsp of butter and add to the meat.
8. Stir and simmer 10 minutes.
9. Stir in the cooked rice.
10. Boil the yellow split peas in 1 cup salted water for 15 minutes, drain then add to the mixture.

Cabbage leaves

1. Separate cabbage leaves from the main stem and drop into boiling salted water.
2. Boil for 3 minutes.
3. Drain but be careful not to break or tear them.
4. Spread the leaves flat,one at a time and fill the center of each leaf with 2 or 3 tablespoons of filling.
5. Fold over the edges of the leaves and roll from the stem end toward the top of the leaf.
6. If you need to you may remove the tough stems with a knife.
7. When you use the smaller leaves 2 or 3 can be overlapped,filled and rolled up.
8. Put the stuffed leaves in a baking dish.
9. Warm the remaining 1 tbsp of butter and the remaining half can of beef broth, stir in the tomato sauce and pour over the stuffed cabbage.
10. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
11. Warm the cream or sour cream and spoon it over the cabbage before serving.