Steamed Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

This is the best low carb/no carb dish I could think of. Summer is around the corner and its time to shed a few pounds. Maybe more than a few. :) I bought this new steamer insert so I definitely wanted to try this recipe with my new kitchen gadget. I love kitchenware. The stuffing is similar to egg rolls - I actually made a few egg rolls with the leftover meat. Yes, supposed to be getting ready for summer but who can deny eggrolls?

Ingredients: - for 2 people
1/2 of ground pork
1 section of cellophane noodles - softened in hot water
1 minced garlic clove
3 stalks of green onion - chopped finely
1/2 cup of shredded carrots
1 tbsp of soy sauce
1 tbsp of fish sauce
Salt and pepper - to taste - I actually added no extra salt

Condiment:
Hmong chili pepper sauce - Optional

Mix the ground pork, cut and softened cellophane noodles, minced garlic, green onion, carrots and the sauces into a big mixing bowl. 

Bring your water to a boil and pre-steam the cabbage leaves for 1 minute. This makes it easier to fold. 

The secret is to cook a little of the meat off in a pan to see if you need to add anything. My mom used to just taste the raw pork but that's a no-go for me. That way you know the stuffing is delicious and are not praying it turns out well. Better safe than sorry with blandness. You can definitely use napa cabbage but I had regular cabbage on hand. Much like eggrolls, place your stuffing towards the bottom of your "wrapper" and fold the bottom up and then the sides over. You can place a toothpick if you want but if you are careful I find you do not need to use toothpicks. 

This is how it should look! 

My handy dandy steamer - steam for 20 minutes (lid on). 

I hate to use flash with food but it was dark by the time I finished cooking! Top with your condiment - any time of sauce works. You can enjoy your rolls with steam rice but I decided to eat it solo. This is a very easy and simple dish. Lots of Hmong families make it for big gatherings because its pretty easy to make and much healthier than egg rolls. 

Enjoy!

XX

Kathy