I broke a cardinal rule tonight.  I made a separate meal for my kids.  I always swore I would never be the mom who is a short order cook, trying to make sure my kids will eat something.  Anything.  So far, in the 3 1/2 years of motherhood, my kids have done pretty darn well.  They eat what they’re given and if they don’t like it, they tell me as much but I make them eat it anyway or tell them they’re going to bed hungry.  Works like a charm.

Well tonight, I just had a feeling that my kids wouldn’t be on board with this recipe.  So I went ahead and made them beef quesadillas.  I figured they are good kids, I can spoil them once in a while.:)

I love, love, love this recipe and it will definitely make the meal rotation in our house!  (I’ll just need to make sure the kiddos approve!)  It really passes the adult taste test since my hubby swore he tasted hamburger.  Ha!  The filling is incredibly flavorful and would be great as a cold side to another meal.  I opted for Savoy cabbage leaves instead of swiss chard (I didn’t think that would pass the adult or kid test in my household!) and I thought it did beautifully.  Another winning recipe that I adapted from the gorgeous Giada de Laurentiis.  Seriously, does she ever have a bad hair day or a day where her makeup isn’t applied to perfection?

And one another note, thanks to all of you have had kind words to say about my blog.  I have had about 3 comments (not posted) in the past week that have made me smile.  I realize I’ll never be the next PW or have my own PBS show like this fabulous Southern cook but I’m content (for now) to know y’all like what I’m posting.:)  And in that vein, I’m happy to announce another culinary giveaway.  Post a comment on this post entry and tell me your favorite go-to weeknight meal and you’ll be entered to win a prize from Sur La Table or Crate & Barrel (two stores that need to come to my Southern Colorado city…but that’s a different story).  The deadline is Saturday, October 1st.

Enjoy!

Goat Cheese, Lentil and Brown Rice Rolls

• Butter, for greasing the baking dish
• 6 large Savoy cabbage leaves
• Salt

Filling:

• 1.5 cups cooked short grain brown rice
• 1 packed cup baby arugula leaves, chopped
• 1 cup goat cheese, at room temperature (8 ounces)
• 1 cup cooked green lentils
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• One 26-ounce jar marinara or tomato-basil sauce
• 1/2 cup grated mozzarella or Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, or unsalted butter diced into 1/4-inch pieces

Directions

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish. Set aside.

Remove the thick stem from the center of each cabbage leaf.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the cabbage leaves and cook for 20 seconds. Remove the leaves and rinse with cold water. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

For the filling: In a medium bowl, mix together the brown rice, arugula, goat cheese, lentils, basil, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and garlic. Season with additional salt and pepper.

Spoon 1/3 cup of the filling onto the end of each cabbage leaf and roll up like a jellyroll.

Spoon 1 cup marinara sauce on the bottom of the prepared pan. Arrange the rolls, seam-side down, in a single layer on top of the sauce. Spoon the remaining sauce on top and sprinkle with the cheese. Drizzle with olive oil or dot the top with butter, if using, and bake until the cheese begins to brown and the rolls are heated through, about 25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve.