From an old cookbook found at my wife’s family home.
1 lb ground meat (beef, pork, whatever you like)
1/2 cup uncooked rice
2 T butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 egg, well beaten
1 can tomato soup & 1 can water
The juice of one lemon
1tsp sugar
1 tsp minced parsley
3/4 cup diced celery salt and pepper to taste
6 large cabbage leaves
Season meat well with salt and pepper, add egg and rice.
Set aside.
Make the sauce. Brown the onion in the butter. Add soup, water and all the rest of the ingredients other than the cabbage leaves. Bring to simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
Heat a pot of water and cook cabbage leaves until they are tender but not falling apart. Gently lay out on a flat surface and add 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture, then carefully wrap the leaves around the mix. Secure each roll with a toothpick and place in a skillet or large saucepan. Once all the rolls are made, pour the sauce over. Cover pan with either a cover or aluminum foil. Simmer very gently for 2 hours. (Note: you may feel safer putting this in a baking dish, covering with aluminum foil and baking in a 350F oven for 2 hours.)
