Stuffed vegetables

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Ingredients
  

Filling

  • 1 lb Ground beef
  • 2 cups Rice Washed
  • 3 stalks Celery Chopped
  • 1 Tomato Chopped
  • 1 Onion Chopped
  • Parsley (Italian) Chopped
  • 1/4 cup Oil
  • 2 tsp Black pepper
  • 2 tsp Salt
  • 1-1.5 tsp Cumin
  • 2 tsp Paprika

Sauce

  • 800 ml Tomatoes Large can of crushed tomatos
  • Tomato paste Small can
  • Oil
  • 1/2 tsp Paprika
  • 1/2-1 tsp Black pepper
  • 1/2-1 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Cheynne pepper or Chili flexes (optional)

Vegetable options

  • Bell peppers
  • Onions Large
  • Cabbage Green
  • Tomatoes Large

Instructions
 

  • (Optional) Soak the rice in lukewarm water for about half an hour. Drain.
  • Prepare the veggies:
    Peppers and tomatoes – slice the top with the step (save it), and remove the seeds.
    Onions – use big ones. Make a cut until the middle, wrap it with plastic wrap and put it in a microwave. Warm in intervals (10-30 secs each) until the onion is soft and the layers are easy to separate.
    Cabbage – To soften the cabbage you can either put the whole cabbage in the freezer for at least 2 hours and then defrost. Or, put it in a pot full of hot water until soft. The leaves should be soft enough to roll.
    The seeds of the tomatoes or leftovers from the onions can be chopped and added to the sauce.
  • Wash the rice until the water is clearer
  • Mix all the filling in a large bowl. Be generous when adding spices and add a bit more than you think is enough initially to keep the flavors during the long cooking.
  • Put a little oil in a large pot and cover the bottom with a few cabbage leaves.
  • Fill the vegetables (use one or mix)
    Peppers: Fill the 3/4 way and cover with the top.
    Onions: Separate the layers and wrap each around a spoonful of filling.
    Cabbage: Separate the leaves and remove the hard piece of the core. Put filling in the middle of the leaf, fold the sides inwards, over the filling and roll from the bottom to the top to make a close envelope. Do not tighten your folds and rolls. Keep it loose just enough for the roll not to open but for the filling to expand and cook.
    ** DO NOT overfill and don't press the filling. You need to leave the rice room to expand.
  • Arrange the stuffed vegetables in the pot in layers. Do not squeeze, keep it loose.
  • Pour the canned tomatoes over the vegetables.
  • In a bowl, mix the tomato paste, spices and warm water. Add to the pot.
  • Add warm water to cover the vegetables. Make sure you have room left so it won't spill when boiling. Shake the pot a little to allow the liquid to reach the entire space.
  • Cover the pot and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat to low and cook for 1-1.5 hours.
  • You can taste the sauce mid-way and add spices if needed. Stir in the liquid but don't touch the vegetables.
    Use a fork to check if ready. The rice should be soft and puffy. It may take longer if the pot is big with a lot of vegetables, so be patient. Keep the heat on low and shake the pot once in a while to keep the bottom from getting stuck.

Notes