Spiced Pumpkin and Lentil Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Directions

Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).

In a blender, combine the blanched whole leaves of red cabbage with 150 ml vegetable broth and blend until smooth. Set aside as your cabbage sauce.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and sauté one finely chopped onion with two minced garlic cloves until translucent.

Add the crumbled tempeh and diced oyster mushrooms to the skillet and cook for another 5 minutes until they begin to brown.

Stir in the peeled and diced pumpkin, rinsed red lentils, ground turmeric, ground cumin, smoked paprika powder, mustard, salt, and remaining vegetable broth. Simmer uncovered on medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, or until the lentils and pumpkin are soft.

While the filling is cooking, prepare a flaxseed egg by mixing ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Set aside to thicken for 5 minutes.

Once the pumpkin and lentils are soft, mash them slightly with a hand blender, leaving some texture. Mix in the flaxseed egg to bind the mixture.

Spread the red cabbage sauce on the bottom of a baking dish.

Divide the pumpkin and lentil mixture evenly among red cabbage leaves, placing the filling in the center of each leaf. Roll them up, making sure the seams are on the bottom, and arrange the rolls on the sauce in the baking dish.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Uncover the dish, and bake for another 10 minutes to let the tops of the cabbage rolls brown slightly.

Remove from the oven and let the rolls cool for a few minutes.

Garnish the cabbage rolls with toasted sesame seeds and oregano before serving.