Salmon and Wild Rice–Stuffed Cabbage
A variety of fresh cabbage is readily available in spring gardens and at farmers’ markets. Here is a creative way to enjoy it and to introduce other ingredients to your family and friends. The faculty at The Culinary Institute of America suggests a delicious heart-healthy and diabetes-friendly variation on a traditional stuffed cabbage roll with this salmon and wild rice recipe.
“I serve the stuffed cabbage rolls with steamed edamame and a tarragon dipping sauce, to make a meal high in protein, fiber and flavor while low in saturated fat, and without a fishy aftertaste,” says CIA associate professor and chef Jennifer Stack, RD. “I designed this recipe for people like me, who are not fond of fish but want the health benefits it provides. These stuffed cabbage rolls look so good and are so tasty that they tempt even non-seafood lovers.”
A good time-saving practice for this recipe is to keep some wild rice and cooked barley frozen in small portions to grab and use as needed. You can also substitute rinsed, canned salmon in place of fresh salmon if you can’t get to a fish market.
1 C water
½ C dried shiitake or porcini mushrooms
¾ t kosher salt
½ C pearled barley
¾ C cooked wild rice
2 t olive oil
12 oz salmon fillet
¼ t freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
8 oz sliced fresh shiitake
mushrooms
½ C white wine
¾ C chopped green onions
1¼ t dried tarragon
1½ t lemon zest
8 large cabbage leaves, blanched
½ C low-sodium chicken broth
Recipe Key
C = cup | T = tablespoon | t = teaspoon | oz = ounce
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bring water to a boil and remove from heat. Steep dried mushrooms for 10 minutes. Strain mushrooms, reserving steeping liquid. Chop mushrooms and set aside.
Add enough water to reserved mushroom liquid to make 1 cup.
Add ⅛ teaspoon salt and bring it to a boil. Stir in barley and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until barley is soft, about 25 minutes.
Stir chopped, soaked mushrooms into barley. Mix cooked barley with wild rice, and set aside.
Heat olive oil in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Season salmon fillet with ⅛ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Sear salmon fillet until just cooked, about 2 minutes per side. Remove skin from salmon and flake fish into barley mixture. Brown fresh mushrooms in same pan. Remove mushrooms and deglaze pan with ¼ cup wine.
Add skillet liquids and mushrooms to barley mixture. Add green onions, tarragon, lemon zest, remaining ½ teaspoon salt and pepper.
Fill cabbage leaves with barley mixture and roll up leaves tightly (like a burrito). Place rolls seam-side down in baking dish.
Bring chicken broth and remaining ¼ cup wine to a boil and pour over cabbage rolls. Cover with foil and bake until cabbage is soft and broth is steaming, 20–25 minutes. Makes four servings.
Source: The Diabetes Friendly Kitchen (Wiley 2012), by Jennifer Stack, RD. For more information: www.ciaprochef.com/fbi/books.html.
Per Serving: 384 calories, 24 g protein, 24 g carbohydrate, 8 g fiber, 15 g total fat (3 g saturated fat); 326 mg sodium.