Food Blog #3

So last night I was trying to figure out which recipe I would make since I had put out some ground turkey to thaw.  I had 2 choices from the recipes I had picked on Saturday, either Sloppy Joe Meatloaf or Stuffed Cabbage Strata.  I chose the later. This recipe has quite a few steps, but stick with it it is totally worth it.

Recipe #3: "Stuffed Cabbage" Strata (c/o The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook p 134)
Ingredients:
8 slices center-cut bacon, cut into 2" pieces (I used turkey bacon, less grease)
1 1/4 c minced yellow onions
1 c uncooked instant brown rice (can use white)
6 c shredded green cabbage
1 1/2 lbs extra-lean ground chicken breast (I used ground turkey)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
16 oz tomato sauce (no-salt added)
3/4 c water

Oven Temp: 400 degrees                                 Total Oven Cooking Time: 55 minutes
Lightly spray 8x8 baking dish with non-stick spray (this was too small, I used 9x13 which was perfect). Line a dinner plate with a paper towel. Can guess what that's for?

Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook for 4-6 minutes per side, or until the bacon is cooked and starting to crisp on the edges. Transfer bacon to the lined plate. Discard all but 1 tbsp of the bacon fat from the skillet. (Since I used turkey bacon and there was no grease I added about 1tbsp of extra virgin olive oil for the next step.)

Add the onions and rice to the skillet and place over medium heat. Cook while stirring until the onions are tender and the rice is just starting to brown, 3-5 minutes. (I found that because of the bacon residue the rice turned brown before it was ready to be taken out.  Go with the 3-5 minutes and you will be fine.)  While this was cooking I was shredding/chopping the cabbage.

While the onions and rice are cooking spread 3 c of cabbage in an even layer on the bottom of the baking dish.  Top with the onions and rice mixture, forming an even layer.

Add the chicken/turkey, salt and pepper to the skillet and place over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken/turkey in chunks.  With a slotted spoon, layer over the onions and rice mixture.  Spread the remaining 3 c of cabbage on top of the chicken/turkey.

Discard any liquid from the skillet and add the tomato sauce and water. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil.  With a ladle or large spoon, carefully spoon the sauce evenly over the casserole, being sure the dish doesn't overflow.  (It looked pretty thin and liquidy to me, but it worked in the end.  Keep going.) Lay the bacon pieces evenly on the top.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer, or until the cabbage and rice are tender and the strata is heated through.  Let stand 5 minutes to set.  This makes 6 servings.

Food Tip: Try incorporating ground turkey instead of ground beef to decrease your fat intake.  Turkey is a great lean protein.