Asian-Inspired Pork Cabbage Rolls with Peanut Sauce

Ukrainian and other Eastern European cultures are well acquainted with the cabbage roll. Every celebratory meal has either the vegetarian or pork-filled option, floating in tomato sauce and while I can get behind a plate of perogies, I never get excited to see the cabbage roll.

This, however, is not the cabbage roll I know. This version is loaded with garlic, ginger, soy, a hint of fish sauce and topped with a nutty overture. I can dig it. In fact I did and have plenty of leftovers. I struggled to find Napa cabbage in good shape (aka Suey Choy) and had fewer cabbage leaves to use than pork filling. I wound up cooking the leftover filling and adding the scraps of cabbage left as a sort of sloppy cabbage roll. There was plenty of the peanut sauce to pour over both the rolls and remaining filling. Rolling the cabbage rolls was easy, but preparing the recipe in one pot is doable and  involves less cleanup.

Whatever you choose, I can assure you'll get excited about these cabbage rolls.

Adapted from: http://fedandfit.com

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 head Napa cabbage

Filling

• 2 T salted butter
• 2 carrots, grated
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1, 2-inch thumb of ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 lbs ground pork
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 2 T soy sauce
• 2 t fish sauce
• 1 t red pepper flakes

Sauce

• 1 T sesame oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 t fish sauce
• 1 T cider vinegar
• 1 T brown sugar
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

Method
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, reduce to simmer and place the head of cabbage, leaves downward into the pot. Let the cabbage poach for 10 minutes. Remove from the water, cut the end off and separate the leaves, laying them on a paper towel to cool and dry.

To kick off the filling, melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the carrots, ginger and garlic. Stir well to combine and cook for about 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes.

Place the carrots in a bowl along with the rest of the filling ingredients and combine the ingredients with your hands to ensure it's well incorporated.

Make the rolls by place about 1/4 cup of the filling on the base of the stem of each leaf. Fold the sides of the cabbage inward and roll towards the end of the leaf. Place the rolls in a 9'X13' baking dish and preheat the oven to 350F.

To make the sauce, heat the sesame oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, whisking the sauce until smooth and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. The sauce will thicken on its own.

Place the cabbage rolls, neat in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove and add half the sauce over the rolls, returning them to the oven for another 15 minutes.

Serve on a bed of rice, quinoa, freekeh or neat with chopped cilantro to garnish.

Peanutty Green Beans

I had purchased green beans a little over a week ago and had forgotten about them. Of course a week later, the beans had aged enough that I didn't think they would be ideal served neat. While still edible, I went looking for a way to spice them up. Ta-da! This peanut sauce was divine and surprisingly light when served with the beans. We served this with barbecued chicken and some chopped fresh tomatoes.   Definitely a favorite summer meal!

From: http://keepyourdietreal.com

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 450 g fresh green beans 
• 1 T honey
• 2 T soy sauce
• 2 T rice vinegar
• 1 t sesame oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T fresh grated ginger
• 1 T peanut butter
• chopped red pepper to garnish

Method

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the green beans for approximately 2 minutes. You may want to blanch these for less time if your beans are fresh. Strain the blanched beans in a strainer and rinse well with very cold water to stop the beans from cooking any further. 

In a separate bowl combine the honey, soy sauce, vinegar, oil, garlic, ginger and peanut butter. Mix the ingredients thoroughly. Add the beans to the dressing and toss well. Top with the chopped red pepper and either serve immediately or refrigerate and serve chilled. 

This Week's Snack Stash

With the exception of my father's peanut butter and dill pickle sandwiches, our house was a nut free one while I was growing up. Both my sister and mother suffered from severe nut allergies, and avoided all contact and consumption of them. I didn't miss them. Seeds and other substitutes were used in dishes that called for nuts and my mother's love of great food made for great meals. As I learned to cook, my assimilation with the nut world grew gradually. Nuts were a cheaper protein and incredibly versatile. Today I throw them into virtually any type of dish. I can't help but wonder though, what would make a useful substitute when I am cooking with nuts. In the back of my head, I'm always attempting to adjust the recipe in the event I end up serving the dish to someone with allergies.


The next time I make these no-bake energy bites, I'll be using tahini instead of peanut butter. I can bet that the combination of honey with the crushed sesame seeds will make a terrific combination. I'll also be able to share these with my nut-sensitive hiking buddies, which I'm sure they'll get a kick out of. 

No-Bake Energy Bites

Adapted from: http://gimmesomeoven.com

Makes about 16 balls

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2/3 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (I'm using the kind without sugar, so if you're thinking of using sweetened stuff...don't)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup of wheat germ or ground flax
• 2 T honey
• 1 t vanilla

Method

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Throw the mixture into the fridge for at least a half hour, giving the mixture time to bind. Once chilled, form the mixture into balls the size of your choosing and refrigerate until ready to eat. These snacks should keep for a week.

Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Pork

Yum. This tastes just as you think it would: creamy, tangy and full of lovely flavours. I served this with basmati rice, roasted peanuts and cilantro as the recipes mentions, but there are so many options for altering this recipe, you could make it a million times over in a slightly different way. 


Adapted from http://letsdishrecipes.blogspot.com


Serves 6

• 1 (2 pound) pork loin
• 1 cup hoisin sauce
• 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons chili sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 2 cups snow peas
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup chopped green onions or cilantro
• 1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts
• 2-3 limes, cut into wedges
• Cooked rice or rice noodles

Lightly grease a slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.  Place pork loin in slow cooker.  In a medium bowl, stir together the teriyaki sauce, rice vinegar, chili sauce, ginger and garlic. Pour the teriyaki mixture over the pork loin.  Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred with two forks.  Whisk the peanut butter into the juices in the slow cooker. Return the pork to the slow cooker, along with the sliced peppers and snow peas and cook for 30-60 minutes more, until vegetables are tender but still crisp. Serve over rice or noodles with green onions, peanuts and lime wedges to garnish.