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1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cooking spray in a 9x13 glass cooking pan and set aside.
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2
Wash cabbage.
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3
Cut out the core with a long knife, or whatever method you prefer.
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4
Place cabbage head in a microwave oven and cook at 100% for 3 minutes.
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5
Turn over and cook another 3 minutes at 100%.
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6
Allow to cool a few minutes, then remove the leaves, which will be hot, but should easily separate.
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7
Return the head to the microwave for a minute if it becomes difficult to remove the inner leaves.
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8
You should have between 14 to 18 usable leaves.
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9
Mix rice (or quinoa), ground beef, garlic, onion, peppers, salt, pepper, oregano and parsley in a bowl until well combined.
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10
Yes, the meat and grains are uncooked.
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11
On a workspace, place about 1/2 cup of the filling into the larger leaves (1/4 cup into the smaller ones) at the base of each leaf, inside the curve of the leaf.
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12
Fold in the side leaves, and then roll up from the core edge of the leaf to the end of the leaf.
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13
It will stay closed on its own.
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14
It should look vaguely like a small green burrito.
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15
Spread about 1 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the dish, and lay the cabbage rolls on top.
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16
The cabbage rolls should completely fill the pan in 1 layer.
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17
About 14 to 16 cabbage rolls should fit in the pan.
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18
Cover with remaining tomato sauce and then thinly slice the butter over the top.
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19
Cover tightly with foil and place on a cookie sheet.
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20
Bake for 1 hour then remove the pan from the oven.
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21
The butter should be melted and the juices on the edge of the pan should be starting to boil, but the rice/quinoa still uncooked.
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22
Use a turkey baster to spread juices from the side of the pan over the top to mix with the tomato sauce.
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23
Return the pan to the oven, covered, for 20 minutes more.
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24
Remove pan from the oven and use the turkey baster again to combine the tomato sauce with the juices in the pan.
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25
Let it sit for a few minutes before serving.
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26
Youll think your Grandma dropped this off for you.
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27
Yum.
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28
Notes: 1.
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29
Do not use spaghetti sauce in the place of tomato sauce, because it is too watery.
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30
2.
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31
Do not use whole grains, because they require more cooking time than is provided here.