St. Patrick’s Day Corned "Beef" and Cabbage Family Dinner

This recipe serves about 8 but can easily be halved for smaller families. Use a smaller cabbage and half the filling. The cabbage and filling can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated until ready to cook. The bouillon cubes are vegan beef flavored.

1 4-5 pound green

Remove outer wilted leaves and 3 or 4 good leaves and cut bottom off cabbage (stem end) making a wide flat surface. Discard wilted leaves; lay aside good leaves for later. Carefully, using a paring knife, remove core from cabbage. Hollow out cabbage leaving at least a 1- 1 1/2 inch wall. Use the interior cabbage for coleslaw or another recipe. Set
hollowed cabbage aside and make the filling.

Filling
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoon oil or margarine
1/4 pound firm tofu (3/4 cup crumbled)
3/4 pound veggie burger (about 1 3/4 - 2 cups)
1/2 cup favorite nuts, chopped fine or ground
1 cup uncooked oatmeal
1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1/3 cup Vital wheat gluten
1 teaspoon meat pie or hamburger spice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves, start with a pinch and add more if needed
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 beef flavored bouillon cube
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup cold water plus more if needed

Fry mushroom and onion in the oil until limp. In large bowl crumble tofu into small pieces like cottage cheese size. Add veggie burger, nuts and fried vegetables. Mix oatmeal, breadcrumbs, gluten, spices and together in separate bowl. Add dry ingredients to tofu mixture and mix until well blended together. Use your hands to get it well mixed. Dissolve the bouillon cube in the hot water and add it to the cold water. Add the water until mixture is soft but not oozing water. You may need more or less depending on the wetness of the tofu. Taste the filling and adjust seasonings if needed. Use this mixture to fill the cabbage. Any left over filling can be made into patties and fried for another meal.
To Stuff and Cook Cabbage
2 beef flavored bouillon cubes
2 onions, peeled
Cheese cloth or dish cloth
Large stock pot or Dutch oven with cover
Pot trivet or canning ring
Boiling water

Lightly salt the inside of the cabbage and fill with the “meat” filling. Lay the 3 or 4 good leaves that you put aside on top of the meat to cover. Sit the stuffed cabbage (stuffing side up) in the middle of the cheese cloth or a clean dish towel, and bring the four corners of the cloth up to enclose the cabbage. Tie the cloth tightly on cabbage. Place the cabbage in a pot of boiling water in which a trivet or canning ring has been placed so the cabbage will not be sitting directly on the bottom of the pot. Put the bouillon cube and onions in with the cabbage. Taste broth and adjust for salt. Cover pot, turn heat down and boil gently for 1 1/2 -2 hours or until cabbage is cooked. Test with fork.

Potatoes, carrots and turnip may be placed in the pot if there is room the last 30 or 40 minutes of cooking. Serve with onion gravy and sweet
mustard pickles.