Part soup. Part stew. Part cabbage rolls. All served up in one wonderful bowl.

A goal of mine while cooking from a wheelchair is to use as few dishes as possible to allow for easier cleanup. This meal misses the mark a bit because I need to use a big pot for all the ingredients. Since I can’t see or reach into a pot, I use a skillet to brown the meat, then transfer it to the pot. But the end result is worth washing an extra pan.

Let’s get started!

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked rice
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup shredded carrots (or 1 14 ounce can sliced carrots, diced)
1 10 oz bag of coleslaw cabbage (or broccoli slaw if your tummy doesn’t like cabbage)
2 14 oz cans of petite diced tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Cook rice in water or chicken broth. (I use an Aroma 6-cup Rice Cooker.) Brown meat in a pan, if necessary, then transfer to a large pot. Season meat with allspice, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Add onions, garlic, and carrots. Cook vegetables 2 to 3 minutes, then add coleslaw (or broccoli slaw), tomatoes, tomato sauce and broth and cover the pot. Raise the heat to high and bring soup to a simmer. Turn down heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Place a scoop of rice in a bowl, then serve the thick soup over the rice. What you get is an easy-to-eat, filling stew/soup with the rich flavors of an Eastern European cabbage roll. All in a bowl.

Tips:

• I store my spices in a SpiceStack Organizer that sits on top of my microwave, but is in easy reach. I always put the spices together in a lightweight dish before moving on to the next steps.
• An automatic can opener always saves the day!
• If you have food intolerances, substitute the following:
  • Onions: green chives
  • Garlic: Asafoetida (or Hing) powder (This can also be found in your local Indian market.)
  • Cabbage: Broccoli slaw (shredded stems)
• Ground beef or ground turkey? I typically use ground turkey simply because it’s less expensive than ground beef.