Ahhh… warming soups, stews and teas. The season for root vegetables, pumpkins and squash is settling in.
Hearty dark greens like kale are still abundant. Potatoes, radishes, turnip, eggplant, chard, and cabbages are also at an easy arms-reach for autumn cooking.
As we transition out of sunny summer, there is one thing we get less of – sunshine!
Because of this, we need to be mindful that we are winterizing our diets. If we continue to eat a lot of salads and fruits in autumn and winter then our body is tricked into thinking it is still summer! This confuses your body’s internal signalling system into thinking that it is getting vitamin D when it is not. The problem with this? Vitamin D is needed to absorb calcium, which has hundreds of critically important roles in the body – so you want to ensure that you are getting those benefits!
Lazy Cabbage Casserole
Makes 6-8 servings
- 1 large or 2 medium heads of green cabbage
- 1 tsp grapeseed oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 pound of free-range, organic lean ground chicken or turkey
- 2 cups of cooked brown rice
- 1 tsp each of sage, thyme, ground rosemary, marjoram, celery seed, and sea salt
- ¼-1/2 tsp cayenne
- 2-3 cups of tomato sauce or 28 g of chopped tomatoes
- ½ cup of homemade sauerkraut or purchased unpasteurized and unsweetened and without vinegar
Remove and set aside the outer leaves of the cabbage(s).
Chop or shred cabbage(s).
Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Add oil and onion and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add ground chicken or turkey and sauté for an additional 5 minutes.
Transfer to a bowl and combine with rice and seasonings – mix well.
In a large casserole dish, alternate between layering shredded cabbage and then the rice mixture until both are completely used. Spread some chopped tomatoes or sauce over the top. Add your sauerkraut by layering that on top, then cover with the reserved cabbage leaves, and finish with the remaining tomato sauce.
Cover the casserole and bake at 350 F (180 C) for about 1 hour.
Enjoy!
