Barley-Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Pine Nuts and Currants

This dish works well assembled the night before, so a little planning gives you a great head start on the next day's dinner. Trimming away part of the thick center vein from the cabbage leaves makes them more pliable and easier to roll up. Try stirring in one cup thawed frozen meatless crumbles in place of or in addition to the feta cheese. You can also cook the rolls on LOW for six to eight hours.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 4 cabbage rolls and 2 tablespoons sauce)

• 1 large head green cabbage, cored
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
• 3 cups cooked pearl barley
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup dried currants
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained

Steam cabbage head 8 minutes; cool slightly. Remove 16 leaves from cabbage head; discard remaining cabbage. Cut off raised portion of the center vein of each cabbage leaf (do not cut out vein); set trimmed cabbage leaves aside.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cover and cook 6 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat; stir in barley and next 4 ingredients (through parsley). Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

Place cabbage leaves on a flat surface; spoon about 1/3 cup barley mixture into center of each cabbage leaf. Fold in edges of leaves over barley mixture; roll up. Arrange cabbage rolls in bottom of a 5-quart electric slow cooker.

Combine the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper, apple juice, vinegar, and tomatoes; pour evenly over cabbage rolls. Cover and cook on high 2 hours or until thoroughly heated.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 402 (25% from fat); Fat: 11.3g (sat 4.2g,mono 4.4g,poly 1.9g) ; Protein: 11.3g; Carbohydrate: 70.1g; Fiber: 11.3g; Cholesterol: 19mg; Iron: 5mg; Sodium: 693mg; Calcium: 234mg

from Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2004