Napa Cabbage Rolls With Israeli Couscous, Chanterelles and A Spicy Pumpkin Seed Broth

Ingredients

1 large napa cabbage or 1 large savoy cabbage

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium carrot, diced

1 medium onion, thinly, sliced

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon minced garlic

2 cups chanterelles, cleaned, or other mushrooms

2 cups Israeli couscous, cooked

mesculin greens, or watercress for garnish

--Israeli Couscous

2 cups Israeli couscous

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 shallot, finely, chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

cup vegetable stock, (see recipe)

--Pumpkin Seed Broth

3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

2 tablespoons ground almonds

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

2 cardamom, pods

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tomato, core, and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 cup vegetable stock, (see recipe)

2 (1 inch) pieces lemongrass

--Vegetable Stock

1 bulb fennel, roughy chopped

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

2 stalk celery, roughly chopped

1 leek, roughly choppe, and cleaned

1 medium carrot, roughly chopped

1 tomato, roughly chopped

4 clove garlic

3 sprig thyme

1 1 inch piece ginger, roughly chopped

6 cups water

Preparation

Remove the larger outer leaves of the cabbage. Cut out and remove the thick cones of the leaves.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and blanch whole leaves, a few at a time, until tender.

Immediately immerse the leaves in a bowl of ice water. Drain and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat and add carrots. Sweat until tender and add onion. Season with salt and freshly ground white pepper, sweat until tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In another saute pan over medium heat add butter of garlic, add chanterelles and cook until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add to vegetable mix.

In a bowl, combine vegetable mix and cooked Israeli couscous. Adjust seasoning.

Take one cabbage leaf and place about 1/4 cup couscous mixture in the middle of the leaf. Fold the bottom cored end over the filling and fold sides of leaves over filling.

Roll toward top part of leaf to completely enclose filling. If the leaves are too small, you may need to overlap two leaves to enclose filling.

Reserve rolls, folded side down and continue with remaining leaves. These can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to serve.

Israeli Couscous:Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a bowl, toss couscous with oil. Place couscous on a baking sheet and toast until golden brown.

In a saucepan over medium heat, sweat shallots in butter until soft. Add stock and bring to a simmer.

Add couscous reduce to medium-low heat, and cook covered until couscous has absorbed liquid, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground white pepper. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Pumpkin Seed Broth: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

On a baking sheet evenly spread pumpkin seeds, almond power, coriander seeds, sesame seeds and cardamom pods.

Place in oven for 3 - 5 minutes or until light brown. This brings out aroma and taste more. Watch carefully that this mix does not burn. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

In a small bowl combine tomatoes, honey, lemongrass and soy sauce. Allow to marinate 20-30 minutes. Transfer ingredients to saucepan and cook for 5 - 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add vegetable stock.

In a small coffee or spice grinder place pumpkin seed mix and grind to a fine power. Add cumin.

Place tomato/vegetable stock mix back on stove. Add 1 - 2 tablespoon of spice mix. Allow to cook for 5minutes and remove from heat. Strain sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a small saucepot.

Vegetable Stock: In a large pot, combine all ingredients. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 - 45 minutes. Strain immediately, pressing solids gently to release as much liquid as possible. Vegetable stock can be used immediately, refrigerated for up to one week, or frozen for up to two months in an airtight container.

Preparation: Cover the cabbage rolls lightly with plastic wrap and heat in microwave for 1 - 2 minutes or until hot. Place 1 or 2 rolls in the center of a large plate. Spoon pumpkin seed broth over top and around rolls. Garnish the top with Mesculin greens or watercress. Serve immediately.