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December 16, 2020 by

These hearty and satisfying vegan cabbage rolls are full of flavor and packed with protein, thanks to a hearty blend of well-seasoned lentils, walnuts, and sundried tomatoes. Because the filling is pre-cooked, if you’re short on time you could eat them raw like a burrito. But for a more traditional, warming cabbage roll dish, pop them in the oven for just 30 minutes.

Sundried Tomato & Lentil Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

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4.34 from 3 votes

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1

Servings8

Ingredients

Wraps

1 green cabbage medium sized, bottom stem sliced off, leaves separated

Filling

1/2 cup green lentils
1 1/2 cup water
1 cup walnuts (raw)
½ cup sundried tomatoes preferably in olive oil (see note if using dry*)
2 cloves garlic minced
½ tsp. unrefined salt (real, pink, or Celtic salt) omit if tomatoes contain salt
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. cumin powder
½ tsp. chipotle powder or cayenne powder
2 Tbsp. tomato sauce

Sauce

½ cup tomato sauce
¼ cup sundried tomatoes chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes sliced in half (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400F. Fill a shallow pan with 1 to 2 inches of water and bring to a boil while you prepare the filling.
To make the filling: First, cook the lentils. Combine 1/2 cup lentils with 1 1/2 cups water, bring to a boil, and cook covered until all the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
Add the walnuts to a food processor or blender and pulse into small chunks (about the size of rice). Don’t over process. Transfer walnuts to a medium mixing bowl, add the cooked lentils, and set aside.
Put the sundried tomatoes in the food processor or blender, along with the garlic, spices, and water or tomato sauce. Blend until a smooth paste is formed.
Add sundried tomato mixture to the walnut/lentil mixture and stir well to combine. Taste and add salt or spices if needed.
Prepare cabbage leaves: One by one, place each cabbage leaf stem side up on a cutting board. Run your knife along the stem (parallel to cutting board) to shave off the stem so it’s thin and pliable (this helps ease the rolling process). At this point, the water should be boiling. Reduce the heat to a simmer and one at a time, dip each leaf in the water until just softened, about 10-15 seconds, or until bright green and pliable. Set aside.
Prepare the baking dish: Spread half of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a medium baking dish with a lid.
Make the cabbage rolls: Lay one leaf out flat on a cutting board, and top with 2 tablespoons of filling for smaller leaves, and about 3 tablespoons for larger leaves. Roll the side closest to you over the fillings. Then fold the left and right sides in, and roll. Place the roll seam-side down into the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining cabbage rolls. Once they are all in the dish, top with the remaining sauce, sundried tomatoes, and tomatoes. Top with lid.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until thoroughly warmed through.

Recipe Notes

*If using sundried tomatoes that come dry (not in oil), soak in water for 5 minutes while you prepare everything else, and use the soak water as the water in the recipe.

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December 10, 2020 by

This air-fried sweet potato falafel recipe is a fun and healthy upgrade to traditional deep-fried falafel.

An air-fryer uses just air – not oil – to crisp up the outside of your food. So, it’s not fried at all, it just tastes like it. Pair this air-fried sweet potato falafel with tahini, hummus, and your favorite roasted veggies or salads for a complete meal.

While authentic falafel calls for dried chickpeas that need to be soaked overnight, this quickie version can be made with canned chickpeas.

No air-fryer? No problem.

I don’t have an air-fryer, so went to my in-laws to use theirs for the recipe. However, after doing some further research, I realized that an air fryer is essentially a convection oven with a brilliant name. So you can bake this in a convection oven, or regular oven, and still get a crispy exterior.

If using a regular oven, here are some tips to ensure the crispiest “fried” shell:

Use a pan with perforations in the bottom, like this stainless steel pizza pan. This allows maximum air circulation and a crisp crust.
Oven “fried” foods tend to be a bit drier, so to prevent the falafel from getting too dry, brush each falafel with a drop of oil.
Turn the fan inside your oven on – it helps the hot air circulate better resulting in a crispier finished dish.