Amazing Zingy Unstuffed Cabbage Anytime

Simple meals like this one come together quickly when you keep basic ingredients in your pantry and freezer. Try this zingy “unstuffed” cabbage. You could go to the extra trouble of filling cabbage leaves with rice and seasoned meat, but I would rather put it all in one pot and let it do its thing.

My Syrian friend, Zouka, introduced me to all kinds of amazing Middle Eastern meals. At twelve years old, I fell in love with the bold, refreshing flavors of garlic, lemon and fresh herbs so characteristic of this cuisine. She is eager to share ingredients and techniques with those who take an interest in trying it themselves, making what was once foreign part of a repertoire of simple meals. My first solo experimentation in the kitchen as a teenager was inspired by tasting her food. Unaccustomed to the fragrant garlic, my family would leave me alone in the kitchen while I created my concoctions, tasting as I worked, adding more garlic…and more garlic…until I decided it was enough. That’s how I began cooking without a recipe.

In this “unstuffed cabbage”, begin by browning some ground turkey and then adding some minced garlic. Cabbage and a combination of basmati and jasmine rice go into the pot along with enough chicken broth to cook the rice. Season with salt, dried mint and lemon juice. Simmer covered, stirring occasionally, until it’s done.

Starting With Leftovers

Pictured above, I had some leftover brown rice in the refrigerator that had been cooked with turmeric. So that’s what I used. After cooking the ground turkey and garlic, I tossed in some cabbage, dried mint and lemon juice. I didn’t need to add a lot of liquid because my rice was already cooked, so I added the rice to the pot to reheat once the cabbage was tender. The acid prevents the red cabbage from turning blue. Green cabbage works just as well and I would prefer it if cooking along with dried rice.

You can play around with the ratio of all the ingredients. Do you want more cabbage or more rice? More ground turkey or other protein? For me, the lemon and mint are what make this dish both zingy and refreshing. It’s delectable and you could feed an army for very little money using pantry items. Yes, cabbage is kept in your refrigerator, but it has a long shelf life, so I consider it a pantry item. Lemons, like other citrus, can also keep longer than a lot of other fruits. Keep a little ground turkey in the freezer for such an satisfyingly simple meal anytime. Cooking without a recipe is so easy when you keep basic ingredients on hand.

Ingredients:

• rice
• ground turkey
• cabbage
• garlic
• lemon juice
• mint
• chicken broth
• salt

For more on using citrus and cabbage, please read Simple Ceviche next.